Elmer’s Fire

“Cherrystone 2008 or nothing!” – this was our battle cry shortly after we left Cherrystone in 2007. We always eagerly look forward to our favorite stress buster every year. Our only time to get away from the hustle and bustle of Jersey City and just do nothing but unwind and chill – at our annual summer camping trip at Cherrystone Family Camping Resort in Cheriton, Virginia (www.cherrystoneva.com).

Cherrystone would not have been a fixation of ours if not for Rowena & Henry Cervantes and other close friends’ great love for the outdoors. The Cervantes’ have been perennial campers at Cherrystone for the last 15 years (heck, they might be part owners of the place already!), me and my sons have only been enjoying it for the last 5. It is about 6 hours drive away from Jersey City if our friends’ Elmer “Coco Manny” Guevarra or Henry is driving but could only be just 4 hours away if Nick Andres is the one behind the wheel.

There is certainly more to Cherrystone than just swim, fish & play. It has plenty of amenities, a few of my favorites are the 4 huge swimming pools where we usually go to get away from the sizzling summer heat, the basketball court where my sons and their best friends’ Ron Cervantes, TC, Gabe & Bernard have accustomed to “own” by beating hoopsters from everywhere (in fact, they have won a tournament there), its arcade & Little Neck Cafe where we chill the day away (a taste of the cafe’s specialty “razzles” mixed with reese peanut butter or cookies & cream just don’t fail to make you go bananas), and last but not the least of my faves, the gift shops where you can buy practically anything from a “2Hot-4U” car plate to a “Virginia is for Lovers” hat.

When you are with the Cervantes family on a camping trip you will never ever be hungry as they are the proud owners of the famous Filipino restaurant in Jersey City – Rowena’s. I also look forward to the campfires with which we enjoy the great food (the bbqs are the best), drinks (tequila & beer) and fantastic music courtesy of Coco Manny who could very well be the Filipino version of Dan Fogelberg, that romantic son of a gun.

One of my rituals every year when in Cherrystone is getting a Cherrystone souvenir t-shirt. Just like what they say in Vegas, the one I got this year says “Whatever Happens In Cherrystone Stays In Cherrystone.” Indeed the said slogan says it all about our stay in Cherrystone this year. You just leave everything behind and look forward to next year. Cherrystone 2009 or nothing!