Take a virtual tour of Minnesota Radio Camp. Once you experience Handiham Radio Camp at Courage North, you'll want to return again and again!
Courage
North is in northern Minnesota. The nearest city is Bemidji, which is served by
bus and a commercial airline. Driving north from the Minneapolis-St. Paul area
takes about 4-1/2 hours, on a route through beautiful scenery and interesting
towns with good services. There is good cellular phone coverage at camp from
multiple carriers. Camp is served by a high-speed T-1 Internet connection.
Whether you are coming to Handiham Radio Camp or considering our facilities for your group or event, you will be surprised by the comfort, convenience, and accessibility at a place so natural and scenic.
- Firefox users - Just click on the link and Google Earth will open the KMZ file.
- IE 7 users - save the KMZ file to your desktop and open it with Google Earth.
- Need Google Earth? Get it here.
OK, let's get started. Click on a photo to see a larger picture. Use your "back" button to return to this page.
You are almost there! The sign welcomes you to Courage North, deep in the Pines
of Minnesota's Lake country.
Just follow the scenic paved Courage North Road through the pines and aspens.
If your car window is open, the fresh, clean smell of the North Woods reminds
you that the city is far behind and Nature is ready to welcome you.
You have reached the paved parking lot, which is connected via
wheelchair-accessible paved paths to camp buildings. Parking is ample and
free.
A short distance up the path, and the scene opens up to the beautifully-planted
and maintained lawns and gardens that surround the Main office and dining hall.
The paved paths lead to wheelchair-accessible ramps.
Here we are at the main dining hall and office. The rustic log
construction conceals modern, up-to-date facilities for completely accessible
restrooms and dining. The recently reconstructed outdoor deck, which is
also completely accessible, allows campers to dine outdoors surrounded by nature
-- a nice alternative to eating indoors every day.
This is another view of the lawn, looking toward the dining hall deck. The
beach umbrellas are reminiscent of a resort setting.
The view from the deck across the lawns is nothing short of spectacular.
Sunlight and shadows dance across the expanse of grass, gardens, and
trees.
After you are finished checking in with us, you will want to visit your
cabin. Our cabins are rustic log construction, traditional in the North
Woods, but there is nothing missing inside. Fully-accessible bathrooms and
comfortable beds with linens are provided. Cabins have fireplaces in a
common gathering room set off from the sleeping rooms. Naturally, every
cabin is wheelchair-accessible. Plenty of electrical outlets allow for charging
portable devices.
Cabins are nestled in beautiful woodland settings, but are all served by paved
paths.
Here is another cabin, situated on a slight rise close to Lake George.
All finished getting moved in? Then it is time to head back up the path to
the dining hall, where the coffee pot is always on!
Inside the dining hall, the beauty of natural wood transports you back to an era
reminiscent of the early days of the great national park lodges.
By now, it is time to start gathering on the deck to visit with friends and wait
for dinner.
Some of us may want to check our e-mail. Courage North's dining hall features
WiFi Internet access. If you have your laptop computer, you are welcome to
connect. Don't have a laptop? Don't worry... we have other computers
that you can sit down and use throughout the week.
Radio Camp is a weeklong activity of ham radio and technology learning and
fun. Campers can get their ham radio licenses or polish their operating
skills. Some campers want to upgrade their current licenses. Classes
are offered in Technician (the beginner course), General, Extra, and Operating
Skills. Volunteer examiners come to camp at the end of the week and put on
a test session. Campers can choose to take the test at camp or take it
later in their local area, once they have returned home. Basic computing
skills are covered during radio camp week.
Each afternoon includes a two hour break time. This path leads toward the
lake, so let's follow it and see where we get.
We have arrived at the Lake George waterfront.
Right now you can see our dock and pontoon boat. The pontoon boat is also
a wheelchair-accessible and trained staff are on duty at the waterfront to
assure safety in all waterfront activities. In this picture, campers are
getting ready to go out for a voyage on Lake George.
The pontoon boat has just pulled away from the dock, and the campers and staff
are waving to us landlubbers who are still stuck on the dock. You can see
the tall fiberglass vertical antenna that will be used for operation of the HF
radio during the voyage. Campers will be able to talk around the country
and around the world via ham radio from the boat.
As the boat pulls away, the HF radio is already crackling and stations are
starting to check in.
Volunteers like Lyle, K0LR, install and test the radio equipment and maintain it
throughout the week. Here are Lyle tests the pontoon boat radio.
Linda, N7HVF, operates Maritime Mobile while the pontoon boat is underway.
Will, KC0LJL, gets ready for a sailboat ride.
Classes are held at the King Building, which (of course) is also fully
wheelchair-accessible. Here you can see antennas going up as volunteers prepare
for the arrival of campers.
The antennas are up, and we are ready to go on the air!
There is always time for relaxation and reading.
After classes, or during break, you may want to explore the grounds and enjoy
the natural setting. "Courage North, deep in the pines" awaits you
with tall trees, singing birds, and temperate Minnesota summer weather.
The canopy of tall trees is broken by a shaft of sunlight, illuminating the
soft, green forest floor.
Here is the path to the recreational field. Trees, grass, and natural
North Woods beauty are everywhere.
If you get up early, sunrise is beautiful as an orange glow lights up the
eastern sky behind the tall pines.
At the other end of the day, a sunset over Lake George paints a perfect picture
of tranquility and serenity.
But I use a wheelchair, so I can't enjoy the woods, right? Wrong!
The grassy, flat paths through the woods afford access.
Another sunset over the lake. By the middle of the week you are thinking,
"I wish I could stay here forever."
Time to check e-mail or browse the web. There are not too many places you
can do this while surrounded by nature in the North Woods, but Courage North is
one of them.
When the day draws to a close, campers often gather in the dining hall for
snacks and an informal get-together. On travel day, staff will help you
pack for the trip home and get you to the airport or bus station, or help you
load your car. You will go home with your amateur radio license, many new
friends, and wonderful memories that will last you a lifetime. And you
know what? We bet we will see you back again next year for another
Handiham Radio Camp!
For a free Radio Camp application packet, please call toll-free:
1-866-426-3442
You may also e-mail us at:
hamradio@courage.org
Camp tuition is based on your ability to pay. You can afford to come to camp. All normal caregiving is provided through the week, so your caregiver can take the week off.