My Tour of Camp Crystal Lake

How I spent my Summer Vacation, Joey Zbiegien age 8.

For summer vacation this year I went to camp. They said the name of the camp was Camp Crystal Lake, but from what I hear, folks round here call it Camp Blood. I met a lot of nice kids, and some of them even made it through the summer! Lots of people died though… My councilor said that some guy named Ralph told him the place has a death curse. Some boy drowned a year before two councilors were killed. They said his name was Josh, or Jason or something like that, I can’t remember.

We had to leave early though, someone poisoned the lake and a lot of people died. I hope someday they fix the place up and other kids get to come back! I had a great time, and those kids that died… They deserved it. They weren’t paying attention.

Okay… So in all seriousness I wasn’t 8 when Friday the 13^th came out in 1980 and I never got to go to Camp Blood as a kid. I did go to camp Stoney Glenn, and I made sure to watch EVERY SINGLE Friday the 13^th movie before I went to make sure I was ready. I saw Jason behind every tree branch and I loved every second of it.

I also didn’t get to go to Camp Crystal Lake, excuse me, Camp No-Be-Sco-Be in Blairstown in this summer. I didn’t even get to go on Friday the 13^th, but that’s okay. Instead I got to go on Friday The 12^th, during what we’re going to call a “fall break” and I wouldn’t trade a moment of my total of six and a half hours I got to spend either near or at the camp for anything. The experience lived up to every single one of my expectations, and don’t tell my wife and kids this, but it was the greatest day of my life.

Let me start with some perspective. Friday the 13^th wasn’t the first horror movie I remember seeing. I know I saw other movies before it, Godzilla films, hammer films, Universal monsters and whatever else Super Host and Big Chuck and Little John showed me. But Friday the 13^th was the first movie to really scare me and made me fall in love with the genre.

I’m forty three now and I honestly don’t know how old I was when I first saw Friday the 13^th. We had just bought our first VCR and it was one of the first movies my dad brought home. If I remember correctly the other movie was First Blood, which came out in 1982. So I’m thinking it was late 83, which would have made me 7 or 8 depending on the time of year.

I remember sitting in the far corner of the big brown couch in the old farm house we lived with my whole family wrapped around the TV screen…. I say whole family, but as far as I was concerned I was alone. I was entranced with the movie and couldn’t look away. It was like nothing I had ever seen before and completely sucked me in.

Finally, an hour and a half later it was over. I let my guard down as I watched our beautiful heroine Adrienne King floating in the canoe having defeated the evil killer. Now, I was 8. I didn’t know what a jump scare was. I didn’t know what happened at the end of Carrie. Suddenly Jason comes flying out of the water grabs her and we fade away.

I leaped straight up in the air off of my seat and landed on the back of the big old brown couch. I went from sitting peacefully in the corner to sitting on the back, my heart leaping straight up out of my throat and splatting against the celling. But I wasn’t the only one. Everyone in the room did. We all jumped and they all came crashing back into my world.

Like a madman with a drug addiction, I have been trying to catch that High ever since. Needless to say, I’ve never made it, but Friday the 13^th has remained magic to me.

When I first heard they were doing tours of Camp No-Be-Sco-Be it never occurred to me that I’d ever be lucky enough to get to go. I was at work when I got the email saying I was picked, and I walked out. I set down my stuff, and I walked out into the sunlight. I read the email five times to make sure it was real before I logged in and bought my tickets.

This is something I’ve been dreaming about since I was 8, NO flippen WAY is it living up to expectations…. Right? I mean… How could it live up to the dreams of an eight year old… Somehow though… It did. It surpassed my expectations in ways I could never imagine.

Some when said, and I don’t know if this hyperbole or not, that the line to get into the camp the morning of Friday October 12, 2018 was almost three miles long. It wasn’t for me though. I was the fourth car in line after driving 8 hours the day before from Cleveland Ohio to Blairstown New Jersey. I l got to the Camp a full half hour early, the Friday the 13^th soundtrack playing the whole time, to make sure I didn’t miss anything,

I know what you’re thinking, that’s a lot of cars, and that’s a lot of people. And it is. But the guys that run Crystal Lake Tours work with the Boy Scout camp and are amazing. Most of them are volunteers and I think most of them don’t only do the Friday the 13^th Tour, but actually volunteer with the Camp when psychos like us aren’t there. They handled the group amazingly well. As soon as you come in you meet in the mess hall, which had a very familiar fire place. You sit down at a table with a number on it, and that’s your group you spend the day with.

All in all it breaks down to nine groups of about twenty to twenty five people each. You visit nine locations, spend fifteen minutes at each and about five minutes walking between. You have a tour guide, ours was Marc and he was amazing, he said he’s on you tube if you want to look him. Looked a bit like Colin Hanks. He was amazing and really knew his stuff. Great guide and one of the top guys in the tour.

At each of the locations you have a location guide waiting for you who knows everything about that location. It works really well because then your guide doesn’t have to remember everything about everywhere. They have their shit together.

As I said, the day starts at the mess hall where we all gather waiting for the festivities to start. It starts with various camp personnel explaining the day and going over everything. They do a great job of making sure to point out how much good we are doing for the camp and how far people come for this. Between all the tours we had people in attendance that weekend from twenty three different states, Five Countries and Four continents. An amazing gathering of fans.

During the talk, they promise us surprises. The first surprise came during the talk in the form of an Oil Truck that pulled up during the talk. It was painted different, but it was the same year make and model that Rex Everhart gives Annie, played by Robbi Morgan, a lift to camp in. Only in the movie she doesn’t make it to camp and things go south for her quick.

This time though, things go differently. As the truck pulls to a stop, the door opens and Annie herself climbs out! We knew Adrienne King was going to be in attendance but Robbie was a complete surprise and she was so delightful. She came out dress as close as she could to that outfit she wore all those years ago complete with a back pack slung across her back. As she hit the ground she loudly exclaimed for all of us how happy she was to be there and then stopped dead when she saw that we were more than the forty kids Steve Christy promised her. She was wonderful, and her smile is still as sweet as it was thirty- eight years ago.

Fair warning…. I’m a crier, and this was the first time the tears started.

After she came out and talked to us all for a moment she went into the Kitchen to “start cooking” and a few moments later our next surprise came out in the form of Officer Dorf himself, Ron Milkie. He was just as fantastic. His voice hasn’t changed at all. He immediately launched into the part of the Deputy trying to figure out what we are all doing here before accusing us all of being on Columbian Gold. Grass… Hash… The weed.

After he departed for the kitchen, because you can’t keep the chief waiting, Adrienne came out and talked to us all. She was delightful. She clearly enjoys meeting her fans so much and as if amazing to listen to. She was wearing a yellow rain slicker and the same jewelry she wore in the move because she wanted to give us all as authentic as possible experience. She even said she spent the night in Alice’s cabin.

After that we all broke up and started to tour the camp. Our first groups

Our first stop was the Van Dusen lodge, which may have been the most iconic cabin in the entire movie. It’s were Alice, Brenda, and Bill play the infamous game of Strip Monopoly that ends “Just when things are getting interesting”. It was fascinating site and I took a lot of pictures, but I also touched everything I could. Every wall and ever piece of wood and window so I could get that tactile memory burned in.

This is also the location that Alice tries horribly to barricade herself into.

In the back room of Van Dusen is the Kitchen and the window that they throw Brenda through. It looked a little different, mainly because it wasn’t actually a kitchen, but you could tell this was the same place. The most interesting feature was the door to the pantry and that Alice hid in. When you open that door, it doesn’t actually lead to a Pantry. Instead it led to the outside. When they made the movie they needed a pantry so they just built one off the back door and tore it down after the movie.

Outside of Van Dusen is the lake, and it’s also the spot where Officer Dorf almost crashes his motorcycle, as he turns around. Inside the Kitchen Ron is set up for the first of the three Autograph opportunities. I made sure I was the first in line and got my autograph and picture with him. Sure, they charge for the autographs and pictures, but the camp isn’t paying them so I think it more than makes up for their time. The charge was very reasonable for the experience.

Our next stop was back at the Mess Hall we started in. The mess hall itself is amazing for several reasons. The entire history of the Camp itself is displayed on the ceilings above us. Every inch is covered with a plaque put up by one of the previous Boy Scout troops who stayed there over the years. We had in our group a guy who stayed their when he was a kid, and without even realizing it he walked in and sat under his troops plaque.

When you see the outside of the mess hall it looks a little different because it was walled in during the movie. Since then it’s been turned into a beautiful open air mess hall. The center piece of which is a beautiful old fireplace that they made sure to have a fire rolling in. Its’ the same fire place in fact that everyone gathered around at the beginning of the movie and sang I believe Michael Row Your Boat Ashore and Tom Dooley in front of before Barry and Claudette snuck off to…. Wait… That’s the next stop.

Before I leave here though, this is where we had our second Autograph opportunity with Robbie Morgan, Annie. I can’t say enough nice things about the cast that were in attendance. Robbie was positively glowing and so utterly charming. I could have died in her smile and been happy to do it. She gave me the biggest hug before taking the picture with her when I told her, with some tears in my eyes, that I cried when she showed up earlier in the day.

Our next stop was at the Camps flag pole, which actually served as the locations for four points in the movie. At the top of the square we had the Garage that Barry and Claudette snuck of too when they “Weren’t doing anything….” We couldn’t’ go in but we got to look at the stairs from the outside and watch our guide Marc do an excellent job of washing the windows so we could see better.

Next to that was the “woodshop” where Alice tried to find bullets for the gun it. Again, couldn’t go inside, but we had so much access to everything else that it didn’t bother me. Also in that area was the Office that they try and call from help one, we did get to step into that, but there wasn’t much to see.

The final location in that area was the generator shed that Bill gets nailed to door in. One of the fun things they did throughout the tour was have props ready for us to recreate scenes from the movie. In Van Dusen they had a Monopoly board so we could pretend to play, and here they had some broken arrows so we could be Bill. It was a nice touch that I used as many times as I could.

Next stop was the entrance to the Camp where you see the Camp Crystal Lake sign. Here it’s obviously the Camp No Be Sco Be sign. Its’ interesting to note that in 79 when they shot the film they traced the No Be Sco Be sign at the time and used it’s dimensions and design and just hung it on the existing sign so they didn’t have to put too much work into it.

In a moment of movie magic, when you turn your back on the sign there is a split in the road. From what they believe to the left, feet away from the sign, was where Steve Christy gets stuck in the mud, and to the right a bit farther was where the Police Car was driving down the road. It was actually sitting still with people laying underneath the car rocking it to make it look like it was driving.

Interesting factoid for the literally fans, the location guide at the sign was is a direct descendant of Rebecca Nurse who was executed in Salem for being a witch. His name was Clifford, and he was pretty amazing.

Our next stop, stop number five, was probably the best stop of the day. It was the lake itself along with the Cabin Kevin Bacon dies in. It looks the same. I mean, what can I say. It was the lake. For the third time that day I had tears. It was amazing. It’s a beautiful location with a beautiful mountain in the background. The dock is still in the water and the same life guard stand is there. It’s the same spot Kevin Bacon jumped in wearing his blue speedo.

The cabin that Ned goes into is gone, but you can still see about where Jack and Marcy sit and talk about the storm before sneaking off to snog. You can visit the cabin behind them were thirty nine years ago Kevin Bacon had his ass squeezed. There are a lot of interesting little details scattered across the area that are exactly the same as they were thirty nine years ago. The whole tour felt like a trip through time but this especially.

The first thing I did was walk to the edge of the lake and put my hand in the water. I can only imagine that this is what religious people talk about when they say they had a spiritual experience. I tear up just thinking about it.

Our sixth stop was Price lodge. Price lodge was where one of my favorite scenes in the movie was filmed. You can’t tell looking at it because again, movie magic, but it’s where they filmed the bathroom scene with Marcy. Its’ just another cabin, and where the crew stays during these weekends, but when they filmed the movie they put in a row of showers and bathroom and sinks along the one wall.

                As part of that stop they walked us down and showed us about where they filmed the final scene of the movie at the camp. They had a canoe anchored there, and I’m not going to lie, I wanted to swim out to it. Along the path they also pointed out a beautiful outdoor chapel that was built with the money made from these tours. They never skipped an opportunity to point out what good we were doing by visiting the camp the right way. They were just as appreciative of us as were of them.

Our next stop, after a harrowing hike through the woods, was the Archery Range. They warn us when you sign up that there is some hiking, and they weren’t lying. It was rough and I almost rolled my ankle once, but I caught myself going over…. And you should see the blister on my toe….

That’s beside the point. The movie had two scenes at the archery range, where Ned shoots the arrow past Brenda, and where Brenda is menaced in the rain. It looks a little different because they did some force perspective shots when they filmed the movie. The Rifle stand is the same structure as in the movie except it’s been reroofed and some floor boards replaced.

Just a fair warning, I had tears at our next two stops.

Our next stop was at another cabin that I can’t honestly remember if it was used in the movie or not. I was little overwhelmed and my head was swimming with how unreal the whole thing was. I do know that across from the cabin was where Steve Christy and Alice worked on the gutters. That cabin tumbled down the hill a few years back.

Inside the cabin was a gift shop. I got a bottle that I filled with water from the lake, a vile of sand from the beach and a few other things. I would have liked to have gotten some of the more expensive items, but I was on a budget.

The star of that cabin though wasn’t the “gift shop”, it was what was in the back room. When he first started talking about it, It took me a moment to realize what exactly it was. I knew it was a sign, but it wasn’t until Marc was half way through talking about it did I realize it was THE sign. It wasn’t a replica, but the actual Crystal Lake sign used in the movie all those years ago. It was so amazing I had to feel it to make sure it was real. I didn’t out right cry, even though they tried to get me to, but my eyes got wet, really wet.

The final stop on our tour was at Alice’s cabin. This was the closest thing I came to having anything even remotely resembling a disappointment in the whole thing. Alice’s cabin was amazing, but this was where we had our final Autograph stop with Adrienne King. She was set up inside the cabin, and the cabin was so small I initially didn’t get the access to the cabin I would have liked. It was tight and a little cramped.

It was also here that things went slightly awry with the tour, but it really worked out so amazingly well in our favor. One of the things they soul were special “Photo Ops” with the cast. So you could get a picture with Robbi in front of the Truck, Adrienne at the lake, and all three of them in front of the Van Duesn lodge. I wanted to, but I didn’t get any of those and settled for the “selfie” that came with the autograph.

So as I said, Adrienne really enjoys herself and likes to talk. We were the last group and the group in front of us ate up most of our time. When we finally got in we only had about ten minutes before we had to take our group photo and she had to take her Photo Ops. We thought we were going to get through, we had five minutes and were third in line, but the two ladies in front of us pulled out about ten things to get signed thus eating up all the time.

At first I was disappointed, but now I owe those ladies so much because they eventually created my favorite moment in the whole tour. So we had to leave and go do our group tour photo and closing ceremonies. We got to watch Annie tap dance and Adrienne work the crowd. In a moment of kismet she told us that she was checking her shooting schedule and realized that we were meeting on the thirty ninth anniversary of the shooting of the final scene of the movie.

So I got to go to camp Crystal Lake on the anniversary of shooting the scene that literally changed my life and turned me into the person I am today. I know. Trust me, I know.

So after all the pics are taken, it’s time to go home…. Except for people with Photo Ops and those of us who didn’t get to finish in Alice’s Cabin. It’s about 1:15 and we arrived at camp at 8:00 and they started letting us in at 8:30.

So me, my friend Chris, a couple from Boston, and another guy all go back to Alice’s cabin and waited. So what was a cramped cabin that I couldn’t really explore was now wide open. I looked for the machete mark on the floor that supposedly exists from killing the snake, but I couldn’t find it.

The highlight of the trip for me came while we were waiting for Adrienne. At one point, I decided to step out of the Cabin and I sat by myself on a bench infront. We were right next to the spot in where they talk to officer Dork before he drives down and turns around to leave the camp. From my bench I had a beautiful unobstructed view of the lake.

For about ten minutes, I got to sit at Camp Crystal Lake by myself with hardly anyone even in sight, and just drink it all in. For ten minutes I got to feel that kid watching a canoe floating in that very spot I can now see the canoe floating. It was utterly magic and this was the only time on the tour that real tears actually flowed down my face. It was one of a trio of experiences that I got completely by accident because a lady brought to many things to sign.

Eventually though Adrienne did come back and I had to go inside, where on my way out after talking to her I cried for the last time. I’m sorry, I’m an emotional person. It’s my parents fault, they didn’t love me enough.

Its so funny, I got this wonderful gift of almost a full hour of extra time and a special moment by myself, and every one kept apologizing for it. Adrienne felt so bad that she gave the five of us that waited a gift as a thank you. I took it, but she didn’t need to do it.

When I finally got to talk to her, I told her that I had met her about ten years earlier at Cinema Wasteland here in Cleveland. I didn’t tell her the story I started with this time, but I had the last time I met her, and I told her how nice she was and how she had talked to me for about twenty minutes. I also told her that when I finished my story she hugged me before signing my autograph and when she sat down to do so, she looked up at me, gave the most genuine smile and said… At this point I paused and said, I’m sure you say this to people all the time, but you told me with a twinkle in your eye that something about my story made her think that we were going to meet again someday. And I said, so on the autograph to me you wrote, and as I started talking, she finished the line with me, you wrote “See you back at Camp.”

She lit up and started to get a little emotional back, and but she paused and touched my hand and said, “And no, I don’t tell that to everyone, I’m not sure I’ve told anyone else that”. So she signed my autograph “To Joe, See I told You! Were here together at Camp Blood!”  Adrienne King, Alice. And underneath it all “Till we meet again…”

What a perfectly beautiful way to end my day. When we left the camp it was almost two thirty and we passed people coming in for the next tour. I know it’s only a movie, but I’ve never felt so at peace with myself then I did leaving that camp. I don’t know if it will last, but I hope it can. I feel like I just connected a circuit in my life that I didn’t know was broken.

Everyone keeps telling me that it was a “once in a life time event”. Honestly? I hope that isn’t true. I already want to go back and show it to my family. Instead of thinking of it as a once in life time event, I’m going to let Adrienne’s words be my final thought on the subject.

“Till we meet Again…”