CAMP COCOA WEEK-LONG SUMMER COOKING CAMPS FOR TEENS 15 TO 18
Cocoa Lab offers a new teen summer camp experience this year, as the first-ever Camp Cocoa presents two week-long dessert-preparation day-camps for young culinarians ages 15 to 18. No cooking experience is required. Camp Cocoa day-camp weeks will take place at The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte over the following summer 2012 sessions: July 16 through 20 and August 6 through 10. Class content will be unlike that offered at any other teen camp, as students learn to master the following sweet dessert arts over five consecutive days of learning, cooking and tasting. Each day’s classes extend from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Camp Cocoa-Monday

• Equipment, Safety, Sanitation, Kitchen and Product/Ingredient Orientation
• Baking Formulas and Calculations
• Introduction to Doughs and Batters
• Pie Dough
• Pie Fillings
• Whole Pies / Turnovers

Camp Cocoa-Tuesday

• Cupcake and Cake Batters: Chocolate, Carrot, Vanilla
• Icings and Cake Fillings: Vanilla-Scented Raspberry Jam, Buttercream, Cream
• Cheese Icing
• Cupcake / Cake Building and Decorating: Chocolate
• Cupcake Competition

Camp Cocoa-Wednesday

• Breakfast Doughs and Batters: Muffins, Buttermilk Biscuits, Doughnuts
• Other Doughs and Batters: Pizza, Parker House, Pizza Fingers, Garlic Sticks with Cheese

Camp Cocoa-Thursday

• Cookies, Cookies, Cookies: Oatmeal, Thumbprint, French Macarons, Chocolate Chip
• Chocolate – White, Milk, Dark: Truffles, Fondue

Camp Cocoa-Friday

• Ice Cream and Frozen Treats: Ice Cream Bases, Sorbet, Yogurt Pops, Home-Made Waffle Cones
• Custards: Lemon Curd, Puddings

Each week of chef-led classes is priced at $550 per person, is limited to eight students between the ages of 15 and 18, and provides daily lunch and a chef’s apron to keep as a memento of Camp Cocoa. A highlight of every class will be the tasting of students’ daily dessert creations, and each student will also be presented with treats to take home after each day’s session. No cooking training is required to attend Camp Cocoa, and no overnight hotel stay is included or required. Camp reservations may be made at 704-547-2244. Because space is limited, early enrollment is strongly recommended.

MOTHER NATURE CHILDREN’S SERVICES
The hotel’s official mascot, Mother Nature, leads eco-friendly children’s programs for young hotel guests and enlivens the hotel’s environmental commitment for young guests and the local community.

From bringing educational toys and games via a green wagon to children staying at the hotel, to providing them with story-telling and the proverbial spoonful of organic sugar, the family-friendly Mother Nature is a highly visible figure at The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte.

Overnight guests of The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte can surprise and delight their children with a very special visit from Mother Nature. Mother Nature will knock on the guest room door at a set time, spend a few minutes with the young guest, and present a gift of an eco-friendly toy or game.

Priced at $20 per visit, Mother Nature visits must be booked 48 hours in advance by contacting the hotel directly. Availability is limited, and early reservations are required.


LOCAL ATTRACTIONS FOR YOUNG GUESTS
Charlotte is home to myriad outstanding children’s experiences, from the new NASCAR Hall of Fame and the hands-on Discovery Place science and nature museum to ImaginOn and its very popular children’s theatre. Charlotte’s children’s highlights include:

Discovery Place
One of the top hands-on science museums in the nation, Discovery Place is a museum for natural science, life science and even space exploration. The child-friendly destination located close to The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte includes not only Discovery Place but also the IMAX Dome Theatre and the Charlotte Nature Museum.

Fun programs especially for little scientists, explosive experiments and living habitats bring the worlds alive for visitors of all ages.

ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center
It’s a library. It’s a children’s theatre. It’s the delightful, whimsical ImaginOn -- a joint-use facility of The Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County and Children’s Theatre of Charlotte. Located within walking distance of The Ritz-Carlton, ImaginOn features colorful interactive displays, events and educational programs that turn education into entertainment.

NASCAR Hall of Fame
NASCAR selected the Queen City of Charlotte as home for its long-anticipated Hall of Fame, and this state-of-the-art new facility now honors the world and icons of NASCAR, saluting the many colorful drivers, crew members, team owners and others who have played such a role in stock-car racing. The Hall includes exhibit space, a Great Hall, a Hall of Honor, interactive entertainment, restaurants and retail outlets and is located in the heart of uptown Charlotte, directly across the street from the Charlotte Convention Center.

Carolina Raptor Center
The Carolina Raptor Center is dedicated to protecting and conserving birds of prey through research and education programs and through the care and rehabilitation of orphaned and injured raptors. A self-guided tour along the Center’s ¾-mile lakeside nature trail offers a look at 22 different species of spectacular and magnificent raptors. 

Carowinds Water and Theme Park
This 105-acre water and theme park is perfect for the young and young-at-heart, Carowinds features over 100 rides, shows, movie-inspired experiences, a Zoom Zone children's area and water park. 

U.S. National Whitewater Center
Just 15 minutes from Charlotte’s Center City, this remarkable recreation complex is home to the world’s largest man-made river for whitewater rafting and kayaking and also hosts Olympic-level competitions that are open to the public. The center offers 12 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, one of the largest outdoor climbing facilities in the United States, teambuilding and ropes courses and access to the Catawba River. Children are encouraged to discover the center’s great outdoors and challenge themselves amidst an array of activities, including biking, climbing, hiking, kayaking, whitewater rafting, and more.