SOUTH FORK — After visiting friends in the area in May of 2021, Melissa Crevling and her husband, Steve, decided that South Fork was going to be their new home.

Everything that happened after that was a whirlwind of change for the Crevling family as they packed up their things, two of their grown children and moved to South Fork and opened Basecamp Sweets.

“It was crazy, and it happened so fast, but we couldn’t be happier with the results,” Melissa said.

Crevling and her husband got word that the building near Outdoor Depot was for sale and made the decision to dive in and open their one-of-a-kind business to the South Fork area.

Previously a family photographer, Melissa spent time during 2020 and the beginning of the COVID pandemic making special-order cookies out of her home in Las Vegas, Nev., and from there decided that she wanted to open a sweets and candy store.

“This was so new for us. I started playing with custom cookies during COVID and we knew we wanted to add candy and other sweets when we found a place to open our business and here, we are,” she said.

The open floor plan inside Basecamp Sweets offers a unique and comfortable place to enjoy coffee, ice cream and some of their custom-made sweets including Crevling’s homemade cookies, special-order cakes and a wide range of chocolate and candy.

Crevling made sure that her kitchen featured an open window so that visitors could watch her make all their fresh goods including their cinnamon rolls which have made a name for themselves in the few weeks they have been open.

“We wanted do to the glass in the kitchen so that people could watch us decorate and I think especially the children that come visit," Melissa said. "We may add a step so that the little ones can see into the kitchen. Everything is still kind of a work in progress because it has been pretty hard to get product. Most of our orders will be coming in soon and then we will be ready for the busy season.”

Crevling has a chocolatier out of Pueblo, Colo., bringing in fudge and other chocolaty treats that mix well with their assorted flavors of saltwater taffy and caramels.

"We have several flavors of cotton candy, rock candy, Pez dispensers, Jelly Belly’s and just all kinds of things," Melissa said. "We will also be doing more gluten-free options for a lot of our baked goods. We are really excited to see where this goes, and I cannot express enough how supportive and amazing the community and neighboring businesses have been. It really has been so wonderful and so welcoming.”

Not only is Basecamp Sweets becoming the new sweet spot in South Fork, but it has laid claim to be the home of the one and only Sasquatch who comes to visit local businesses and events around South Fork.

Crevling’s husband dons a Bigfoot costume and randomly goes to visit places around South Fork for photo opportunities and just for fun.

“He really enjoys going to do it and I think everyone loves it when he does," Melissa said. "It's just something fun to do and people really like it, so we figure we will keep at it for now.”

Basecamp Sweets is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and is available for special orders in advance. For more information, visit 130 Four Seasons Dr. in South Fork.