A former camp counselor, Virginia Spigener’s retail business The Wrinkled Egg maintains a relationship with WNC’s summer camp industry.

Spigener said that she remembers finding cheap trinkets and lots of wrappers in the trash at her camp that came from care packages, and back in 1991 she began to create her own version of camp care packages that parents can send to their children while they are away at camp.

“I try to include more useful items as well as things kids can do during their rest hour after lunch,” Spigener said. “There are also interactive things that require kids to ask a friend to play with them. I try to offer a service that is good for all the kids.”

Sending out about 500 to 600 camp care packages each summer, Spigener said that her store also serves camp parents by offering many camp essentials that families can pick up on their way to several of the area’s summer camps.

Camp supplies and care packages are just a portion of the variety of items found at The Wrinkled Egg. It is primarily a retail store offering art, furniture, antiques, clothing and more, and Spigener said that the store operates like a community with its neighboring businesses including the Flat Rock Village Bakery and Hubby Hubba Smokehouse.

Spigener said that she definitely sees an economic impact from WNC’s summer camps. Many parents of campers also stop by her store to enjoy shopping or to grab a bite to eat after dropping their kids off at camp or on their way to pick them back up.

“The business has morphed into somewhat of a destination,” Spigener said. “It’s very rural where we are, and parents driving a long way to bring their children to camp are usually not anxious to hop in the car and drive all the way back right away. It’s a cute spot for parents to stop and take a break. The uniqueness is part of what makes a trip off the beaten path more fun.”