In order to assure the comfort of our guests, each of the unique guest rooms is furnished with a pillow top bed covered in a fluffy down duvet, providing a cozy and private retreat. Outside the Clubhouse there is an informal garden, and Portage Lake is just a short walk down the road.
The camp's old boat house sits on a private beach where guests can take a refreshing dip or enjoy a book while sun-bathing. Portage Lake is also great for fishing or boating and has a channel that leads into Lake Michigan. Bicycling around the lake, hiking in the woods, canoeing and skiing are just some of the possibilities for fun. The nearby town of Manistee has a wonderful historic downtown district with restaurants, antique shops and a restored turn-of-the-century theater.
RULES AND HELPFUL HINTS
Many of the furnishings and decorations have historical value
and have been part of Camp Tosebo since its inception as the Todd
Seminary for Boys. Please be respectful of the many artifacts throughout
the Club House and treat them with care so they can be appreciated
for many generations to come.
Visitors
The Club House is set up to sleep 16-17 people comfortably. Families
and groups may invite guests to visit while staying at the house
but we request extra guests find other sleeping accommodations.
As an option other camp properties may be available to accommodate
guests. No camping please.
Children
Children are welcome at Camp Tosebo but for their safety must be
supervised at all times. Please assist your children with keeping
the toys in the toy room and the books in the library.
Fires
Fires are allowed in the fireplace and in the fire ring located
behind the Club House up on the hill. Never leave a fire unattended
and please completely extinguish your campfire with the hose located
nearby.
Cleanup
Please leave the Club House as you found it. There are garbage cans
provided for your convenience and we ask you to keep them lined
with the garbage bags located under the sink. When full please place
in the dumpster. In Michigan most bottles and cans have a refundable
deposit and we ask you to return your used bottles and cans. We
encourage you to recycle other glass and metal containers in the
bins located next to the garbage containers. The refrigerator should
be clean of all prepared foods and dishes should be put back in
their place. Guests should take any left over food with them. Linens
can be left on the beds; used towels can be left on the floor in
the bathrooms. Please do not clean fish in the Club House kitchen.
A fish cleaning station is located behind the Club House by the
garden shed. Please limit arts and crafts projects to the table
in the game room. Disposable table cloths are provided to cover
the table top. Please clean up after projects and we ask that children
are supervised during craft activities.
Telephone
The telephone is shared between the buildings at the camp. Local
calls can be made at no charge but you’ll need to dial an
800 number for long distance or use a credit card or a calling card.
There are local access numbers in Manistee for Earthlink and AOL.
Please limit the length of your calls. If you would like to receive
calls the Camp number is 231.889.4489. Just remember it’s
a party line!
The Beach
The Tosebo beach is located one block straight down Miller road
through Red Park. Please stay on the road, out of yards and keep
voices down when walking to and from the beach area. Use caution
when crossing Crescent Beach Road where cars and trucks can be traveling
fast. There are beach towels provided that should be returned to
the house. Fires are not allowed on the beach. There is a picnic
area behind the Boat House. There are tables and a few chairs at
the beach but you may wish to bring your own beach chairs. Please
note the dock located by the Boat House is a private dock. There
are two boat moorings available for guests use. Please make arrangements
in advance if you wish to moor a boat during your stay. Do not drive
vehicles down to the Boat House. No parking is allowed.
No smoking allowed inside the Club House or any building. Please,
no pets.
The Tosebo Clubhouse was originally built in 1893 as a dance pavilion for the nearby Red Park Cottage Association. In 1912 a second story was added and it then became known as "The Clubhouse" for the camp. The architecture is a unique combination of carpenter gothic and arts & crafts, and in the 1996 renovation the details of the house were kept true to this historical design. The Clubhouse now boasts eight guest rooms along with several sitting areas including a large living room, a library, a game room, a dining hall and a large cook's kitchen, all lovingly decorated with camp furnishings.
To encourage guests to relax each of the five private bathrooms is equipped with an antique claw foot tub. The guests rooms without a private bath share two bathrooms, one of which also has a claw foot tub and both are equipped with showers. Those guests who prefer to take a shower may do so in one of the shared bathrooms in the hall.
