Digest spoke with some daytime favorites from Days of our Lives, General Hospital, Bold and Beautiful and Young and Restless to get the scoop on their summer camp memories!
1 of 7
Photo credit: Disney/Ricky Middlesworth
Josh Kelly (Cody, GH)
“I never went to sleepaway camp, and I feel like I got robbed of a whole bunch of shenanigans and memories! But I did go to day camp and to Boy Scout camp, but my dad was always the troop leader, so it's not like I got away from my parents [laughs]. My parents knew that I was a mischief-maker, and I liked testing the limits of things. I almost died so many times as a kid — I went blind one time from hitting the back of my head too hard, I shattered my elbow when I was 3 years old… I guess my parents eventually just decided that they would always have to keep an eye on me! But I had great experiences at camp. I loved being a Boy Scout.”
2 of 7
Photo credit: Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
Matthew Atkinson (Thomas, B&B)
"I did. Well, so I was in Boy Scouts, I'm now an Eagle Scout, and every year we would have a summer camp, and they were always wonderful experiences. I just love camping. I think that the one that comes to mind, the one that sticks out the most, was Camp Daniel Boone, and I think that's in North Carolina. And the lake was like 40 degrees, so it was frigid cold. I felt terrible for everyone who was getting their lifeguard merit badge that summer because they were just in the water all the time. But I don't know, there's something fun about jumping into 40-degree water. So, the lake was freezing, but it was just this really beautiful place. And right in the center of where all the activities happened in the camp, they had soft serve ice cream, and I think it's probably the best soft serve ice cream I've ever had in my life."
3 of 7
Photo credit: Stephane Cardinale/Corbis via Getty Images
Joshua Morrow (Nick, Y&R)
“I went to this church camp growing up in Oklahoma called Eufala. The highlight for me was at the end an Olympic-style event involving lots of sports and games between all the campers. I remember winning the overall gold, just dominating everyone and getting a huge trophy. I had that trophy till my early 40s and finally threw it away, but I’ll always remember crushing everyone.”
4 of 7
Photo credit: ABC/Ricky Middlesworth
Robert Gossett (Marshall, GH)
“I went to summer camp with Gramercy Boys’ Club in New Jersey. I’m talking about inner-city kids, like 8 and 9 [years old]. We would sit around and tell this [ghost] story about Purple Bishop, who would come and swoop boys away. I remember I couldn’t sleep and thank God I had my cousins with me.”
5 of 7
Photo credit: Jill Johnson/jpistudios.com
Julie Dove (Connie, DAYS)
“When I was in high school, I went to cheerleading camp and I met this girl named Kimberly. We're still friends. She looked exactly like Kristian Alfonso [ex-Hope, DAYS]. Everyone would come up to her and say that. That's why I became friends with her. I was like, ‘Oh, will you be my friend? Because you look exactly like Hope on Days of our Lives.’ We've stayed in touch ever since then. I made a lifelong friend, because she looked like Hope Williams at the time.”
6 of 7
Photo credit: CBS
Jason Thompson (Billy, Y&R)
“It was certainly a memorable experience. I only went once to summer camp, and I had a pretty good time. I remember riding horses and doing some archery. I missed my target a few times and after everybody is done, we go at the same time to go collect the arrows that overshot. Everyone had collected their arrows and one of mine was further back, so it took a while for me to find it. When I started to walk back, people were already firing again and the girl that was beside me missed me by not that much. I remember freaking out and people were like, ‘Oh, my God! We didn't know you were back there!’ So, I remember those two things: riding horses and in that moment with the arrow. And I still had a fantastic time.”
7 of 7
Photo credit: Stewart Cook/Getty Images for NATAS
Giovanni Mazza (Gio, GH)
“I’ve had great summer camp experiences! I would totally recommend summer camp to anyone. I’ve never done a sleepaway camp, but when I played football, I did the football summer camp at my high school. And I met so many great people who’ve become some of my closest friends, specifically from soccer camp.”
Josh Kelly (Cody, GH)
“I never went to sleepaway camp, and I feel like I got robbed of a whole bunch of shenanigans and memories! But I did go to day camp and to Boy Scout camp, but my dad was always the troop leader, so it's not like I got away from my parents [laughs]. My parents knew that I was a mischief-maker, and I liked testing the limits of things. I almost died so many times as a kid — I went blind one time from hitting the back of my head too hard, I shattered my elbow when I was 3 years old… I guess my parents eventually just decided that they would always have to keep an eye on me! But I had great experiences at camp. I loved being a Boy Scout.”
Photo credit: Disney/Ricky Middlesworth
Matthew Atkinson (Thomas, B&B)
"I did. Well, so I was in Boy Scouts, I'm now an Eagle Scout, and every year we would have a summer camp, and they were always wonderful experiences. I just love camping. I think that the one that comes to mind, the one that sticks out the most, was Camp Daniel Boone, and I think that's in North Carolina. And the lake was like 40 degrees, so it was frigid cold. I felt terrible for everyone who was getting their lifeguard merit badge that summer because they were just in the water all the time. But I don't know, there's something fun about jumping into 40-degree water. So, the lake was freezing, but it was just this really beautiful place. And right in the center of where all the activities happened in the camp, they had soft serve ice cream, and I think it's probably the best soft serve ice cream I've ever had in my life."
Photo credit: Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
Joshua Morrow (Nick, Y&R)
“I went to this church camp growing up in Oklahoma called Eufala. The highlight for me was at the end an Olympic-style event involving lots of sports and games between all the campers. I remember winning the overall gold, just dominating everyone and getting a huge trophy. I had that trophy till my early 40s and finally threw it away, but I’ll always remember crushing everyone.”
Photo credit: Stephane Cardinale/Corbis via Getty Images
Robert Gossett (Marshall, GH)
“I went to summer camp with Gramercy Boys’ Club in New Jersey. I’m talking about inner-city kids, like 8 and 9 [years old]. We would sit around and tell this [ghost] story about Purple Bishop, who would come and swoop boys away. I remember I couldn’t sleep and thank God I had my cousins with me.”
Photo credit: ABC/Ricky Middlesworth
Julie Dove (Connie, DAYS)
“When I was in high school, I went to cheerleading camp and I met this girl named Kimberly. We're still friends. She looked exactly like Kristian Alfonso [ex-Hope, DAYS]. Everyone would come up to her and say that. That's why I became friends with her. I was like, ‘Oh, will you be my friend? Because you look exactly like Hope on Days of our Lives.’ We've stayed in touch ever since then. I made a lifelong friend, because she looked like Hope Williams at the time.”
Photo credit: Jill Johnson/jpistudios.com
Jason Thompson (Billy, Y&R)
“It was certainly a memorable experience. I only went once to summer camp, and I had a pretty good time. I remember riding horses and doing some archery. I missed my target a few times and after everybody is done, we go at the same time to go collect the arrows that overshot. Everyone had collected their arrows and one of mine was further back, so it took a while for me to find it. When I started to walk back, people were already firing again and the girl that was beside me missed me by not that much. I remember freaking out and people were like, ‘Oh, my God! We didn't know you were back there!’ So, I remember those two things: riding horses and in that moment with the arrow. And I still had a fantastic time.”
Giovanni Mazza (Gio, GH)
“I’ve had great summer camp experiences! I would totally recommend summer camp to anyone. I’ve never done a sleepaway camp, but when I played football, I did the football summer camp at my high school. And I met so many great people who’ve become some of my closest friends, specifically from soccer camp.”
Photo credit: Stewart Cook/Getty Images for NATAS