Today we put the 8 hp outboard motor on the dinghy and travelled up the inlet to Malibu Lodge, a Young Life Christian summer camp for teenagers, for a tour and to take a peak at the rapids as they were running. As we pulled up to the dock, we were greeted by one of the many volunteer staff members who guided us through parts of the camp while explaining its history.
The lodge was originally built as a luxury resort in 1940 by Thomas Hamilton but closed due to the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. In 1945, it re-opened and catered to Hollywood celebrities, such as John Wayne, and well-to-do families looking for isolation and privacy. Because of its remote location and short season, the resort didn’t do well financially and closed in 1950 after a polio death and quarantine two years earlier.
In December of 1953, Jim Rayburn, the founder of Young Life, bought the property as one of his premier summer camps for teens and it’s been running as such ever since.
0 comments