I have checked that one out as well and there is a bus from Austin so it's on the list. I do like the idea of a place that is a different climate and probably a lot more kids from various areas. She has just really enjoyed the all girl Mystic experience.
Well that's part of the problem. She was on the Mystic list since basically birth. If it takes several more years to get in here then I'd probably rather just stick with whichever camp she starts going next year.
I wonder if Heart of the Hills suffers the same fate...
La Junta just posted something about working to restore so they can welcome all campers back next summer so maybe since they did not have that same loss they could recover but are there going to be tons of families that now decide not to send them back. My daughter is a Guad camper at Mystic and is emphatic that she only wants to go to Mystic not anywhere else. However, I would agree that even the Cypress Lake camp may not reopen so I'm having to figure out what other options there might be. Unfortunately, there just are not a ton of Central TX options for all girls camps with that same feel.
Yes, but I'd like to be somewhat sure before dropping a ton of non-refundable deposits into various camps.
Camps can be crazy expensive. One that I had been looking at for a bit in NC is $8600 for the four week period! And it's $1000 to just get on the waiting list.
Then it gets real expensive when you get all kids in camp at the same time and take a Euro vacation yourself. About a $25K month.
I'm trying not to be too insensitive but I'd also like to know whether I'm going to get my tuition back from Mystic. And if there will not be a camp next year (which is probably not likely) if I need to be getting on new lists because these waiting lists are long. Although there is still a lot of processing to be done for my kids my daughter is very sad thinking she might not be going back to summer camp for some time.
Clay went to the PreK program here in Austin that mine went to. This was a newer house on stilts that took it out of the 100 year flood. If it got swept away then itās hard for me to place much blame on placement of the mystic cabins. It was truly a tragic freak event that would have been so hard to plan for. Alarm system, other warming tools sure, but still just unfathomable.
There was a vigil held at Casis for the community this evening. Only 1 girl from the neighborhood was officially confirmed and one other that goes to highland park elementary. The other in the neighborhood has not been confirmed.
So much sadness for everyone affected. https://archive.is/2025.07.05-230826/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/07/05/camp-mystic-floods-parents-missing-children/
Nothing formal but several have mentioned it. On one hand Mystic had the biggest loss of life so there are questions. But itās also the first camp on the river and immediately past the dam so if it did break it would have had the biggest impact.
A post from a friend⦠This is a tragedy beyond tragedy's. Violent storms on the evening of 7/3 flooded the Guadalupe River which Camp Mystic rests on. The damn broke and all the younger girl cabins down on the "Flats" as they call it were basically submerged. From my daughter Tiny, "Water rose up to the door mom. The only way out was to break the back window and climb out. It was am and I couldn't find my shoes. I was so scared but I kept going. I had my retainers in but didn't want to lose them, so l put them in the pocket of my pajamas. We climbed through the window and headed up the hill. The rocks really hurt my feet and I was so cold and shivering. We got to the top of the mountain and our counselor Annabelle was with us and was so awesome. She kept us safe under a tree. We huddled shivering and singing songs in the dark. Mom I thought I was going to die I was so scared. The thunder and lightening was so loud. Once it got lighter out we made our way back down to the Cypress side of camp and then Annabelle through us over the river and we ran into the dining hall of Cypress where we sat in the dark. They found me some dry clothes. We all just sat there waiting and waiting for hours. Then we were told we were getting on helicopters. Mom I didn't know if I would see you again."
Yes, my daughter is pretty upset that her mystic term will likely be cancelled. But we have not talked yet about the next few weeks and friends that wonāt return to school. Heartbreaking for so many.
Could explain why there are 16 or so girls in the cabin but only 5-6 are missing. I also have good information that one of the missing ones that I know has been confirmed found downstream alive.
The older girls cabins at Mystic are higher on the hill but closer to the river. The younger girls cabins are lower but at the back of the camp further from the banks. Overall the camp is along the river so if it goes up 30 ft Iām not sure there is anywhere to go.