Adios!
July 23, 2023
Adios Spain + Morocco families!
Your kids are officially en route home! They were delightful to be around. Our group was truly one of a kind. Everyone was always kind to each other and uplifting. We LOVE third session!!!
We started our last day together in the Marrakech airport. Everyone got a bite to eat before boarding. Jack got some pizza and the others got Starbucks and sandwiches. Once we got back to Madrid, we navigated the metro to our hotel in the city center of Puerto de Sol. Carter and Will were a huge help with carrying the extra duffel bags the whole time! Everyone settled into the hotel and got ready for dinner. Mary Stanton even wore a new maxi dress! Our first stop of the evening was dinner at Takos Al Pastor. Simmons and Mary Grace loved the chicken quesadillas, and everyone enjoyed a soda. After dinner, we took a little walking tour around the area. First to Sol and then Playa Major! Many pictures were taken with the beautiful views. Simmons and Julia took many go pro vlogs as we walked around the beautiful area of the city. We then made our way to an ice cream shop! Layla and Sophie were obsessed with the lemon and strawberry ice cream. Others went for caramel or chocolate…all delicious! We kept walking around and found the Royal Palace. Charlie, Macy took lots of photos of the palace at sunset.
We ended the evening with moonup in the palace park under the stars. Mary Stanton and Sophie started us off with a great quote and led us into the nug jug. Everyone gave their nugs for the day and for the entire trip. We all reminisced and laughed at the fun times we shared together. We discussed our favorite parts of the trip, things we’ve learned, and individual nugs and appreciation for each person. There was much laughter and even a couple tears as the group cherished our final night together. This morning we woke up early to catch our transfer to the airport. It’s hard to believe our final trip has already come to an end. We already miss our group!
We cannot thank you enough for sharing your kids with us these past two weeks. Thank you for trusting us. We couldn’t have asked for a better group. Sending our love to your kiddos!
All our love,
Anna & Will
Gummy Bears at the top of Toubkal!
July 21, 2023
Hello from Morocco!
We have been very busy during our time in Morocco. Between exploring the markets in Marrakech, hanging out by the pool, and summiting Mt. Toubkal, it’s been a great week!
7/17 Once we landed in Marrakech on Monday, we were picked up and transferred to our beautiful riad. We were greeted with a traditional Moroccan meal including salad, tajin, vegetables and melon for desert! After lunch, everyone changed into their swimsuits and jumped in the pool! We had a great pool day with lots of games initiated by Charlie and Carter. After hanging out for a while, we ate dinner on the patio and got back in the pool for moonup in the pool. It was an awesome first day in Morocco!
7/18 We woke up eager to get the day started! We ate a breakfast of Moroccan pancakes and yogurt. The pancakes were a hit! We jumped in the vans and headed to the city center of Marrakech. After a brief history lesson from our tour guide, we visited a local pharmacy where everyone got to try perfumes, spices, lotions, and Moroccan argon oil. The pharmacist was great at sales, and everyone left with something! Sophie and Mary Grace were most excited about the oils. We then made our way to the markets, and everyone had a great time exploring. Jack and Will found some cool jewelry. All of the girls left with a unique handmade piece of pottery. Out of everyone, Mary Stanton won the award for best at bargaining. A few times she got the prices down more than 60%!! After heading back to the riad for lunch, we hung out by the pool. Layla and Sophie read their books. After a few hours by the pool, it started to rain…something we haven’t seen all summer in Morocco! During the storm, our group got comfy on the couches under the covered porch and blasted Taylor Swift while playing cards and watching the rain. Macy queued all the good songs! We then went inside for tea time and a history lesson followed by a Q&A with our guide, Mohammed. Everyone asked a questions and Carter followed up with many more. The kids learned a lot about the norms of the country and talked about the differences between life at home. After dinner, our LODs, Julia and Simmons, led a great moonup to wrap up the day with a sweet treat surprise!
7/19 We packed up our bags and said goodbye to our relaxing time in Marrakech in exchange for the great challenge of hiking Toubkal. On the drive, Simmons led the group in some a cappella singing. Once we made it to Imlil, a small village the bottom of the mountain, we started our hike. It was a very hot and long day of trekking. We stopped for lunch halfway and ate some delicious pasta and salad. We then hit the road to our final destination of base camp at Mt. Toubkal Refugio. Once we arrived, we enjoyed some popcorn and tea. After dinner we had a hilarious moonup to end the night. Charlie and Will made us laugh so much with their stories. We went to sleep early to wake up to climb. What a fantastic day in Morocco!
7/20 We woke up bright and early ready to Summit Toubkal! It was a beautiful sunny day. After eating a breakfast of Moroccan pancakes, we hit the mountain around 6 am. Sophie led the group up front the whole time, right behind our guide. Macy kept everyone high energy the entire time with her constant awesome positive spirit. We had all types of conversations on the trek from Christmas traditions to SNL skits to favorite foods to take our mind off the difficult hike. Once we made it to the top, all celebrated with gummy bears and chocolate chip cookies! Hurrah! Everyone basked in the joy of summiting Toubkal and took some pictures at the top. After making the trek back down the mountain, we enjoyed tea and some lunch. During the afternoon some took naps, others made friendship bracelets and read their books. Charlie, Mary Stanton, Mary Grace, and Sophie are pro bracelet makers. We had dinner in the Refugio and moonup outside with stargazing to follow.
7/21 This morning we hiked down the mountain and will spend our last night in Morocco in Imlil. Will and I are so lucky to know your kids and spend time with them. They rock! We look forward to our last day as we head back to Madrid tomorrow. We will definitely cherish our last day as a group. More stories to come!
With love,
Anna & Will
Off to Morocco!
July 17, 2023
Hola from Picos de Europa National Park!
7/14: We woke up early to get our awesome day of hiking started! Everyone ate toast with various jams and Nutella for breakfast, and Layla ordered everyone’s coffee in Spanish! She’s a pro! After breakfast, our LODs, Charlie and Mary Grace, gave everyone some inspirational words and we were off on our hike from Sotres. With lots of cow and horse sightings on the way, we finally made it to our destination! Our cozy hostel is nestled right in the park with 360 views. It is beautiful! We spent the afternoon hanging outside playing cards, listening to music, and chatting. The hostel workers asked Macy and Mary Stanton to make them friendship bracelets in exchange for free chocolate bars. Both followed through with the trade! After everyone showered, Will T. started more card games of Gin and BS on the picnic tables. Julia and Simmons got super into the games and tunes! To end an awesome day, we ate dinner at the hostel and had Moonup outside at sunset while we watched the sheep and cattle around us. We told funny stories and appreciated great parts of the day! Mary Grace opened Moonup with an awesome quote, preparing us our for our summit day tomorrow. Looking forward to another fantastic day in Picos de Europa!
7/15: We woke up this morning to clouds surrounding our hostel. Everyone was excited to see donuts for breakfast! Especially Carter and Charlie who just had a few…! Mary Stanton led the group at the front while we trekked through Horcados Rojos. After a few hours of hiking and singing, primarily lead by Simmons, Sophie, and Charlie, we made it to the summit! It was super chilly and windy at the top, but we stopped for a brief lunch and took some pictures. Will S. and I were very proud of everyone for making it to the top! On the way back, Jack kept everyone entertained with his would you rather questions. Once we made it half way down the mountain, we all got into a cable car and took it to the bottom. We then drove to a small village, Caín, located near the famous Los Cares trail. We hung out at our hostel and had a delicious dinner of pasta and chicken with dessert to follow. We enjoyed an awesome Moonup outside by the river and went to sleep tired and happy! What a great day!
7/16: We finished our time hiking in Picos with the legendary Los Cares hike today. The breathtaking views shocked everyone and the flat trail made all happy!! We ate lunch on the trail and enjoyed some ice cream before hopping into the vans to head back to Madrid. We will spend the evening in Madrid and fly to Morocco tomorrow! We can’t wait to keep you all updated on our adventures!
Adios! All our best,
Anna & Will
Carter: Hey y’all! I miss y’all so much, but I’m having such a great time on my trip! Send love to everyone, especially Derby, can’t wait to see y’all when I get back.. and Chicken Parm and Dr. Pepper.
Will: Hey mom and dad and Chris! I’m having so much fun here, and the weather has been fantastic. The food is soooo good, especially the pasta and bread. I’ve tried Chorizo and had a chorizo sandwich for lunch every day since because it’s so dang good. Honestly, dinner and lunch are the best parts of each day. I mean it – the food is reaaaalllllly good. But the hiking is so fun too! Love y’all. Miss ya.
Mary Grace: Hey fam! Today was my last day in Spain. I’m really sad because I have had the absolute best time here and have learned, seen, and experienced so much, however I’m just as excited to be in Morocco! I can’t wait to be home and tell y’all all about both countries:) I have met so many great nice new friends! Give everyone hugs and tell N I said happy bday!!!Thanks again, Love y’all so much!
Jack: Hey everyone, I’m having fun here and can’t wait to get to Morocco!! Spain has been fun and the views are great. Tell Cullen I saw egregious grog and tell Charles I said love y’all and miss y’all!!
Sophie: Hey guys!! I miss you all so much but am having a ton of fun here. Spain has been super fun and I cannot wait for Morocco! Love you guys and say hi to the dogs for me.
Macy: Hi guys! I hope all is well at home. Spain is so sick!! We summited a mountain yesterday and ate lunch at the top. Dad may have blown his knee if he did that. We are on the way to Madrid only for the night because we have a flight early in the morning to Morocco!! Tell Andriana I love her and Sydney she better have her licensees rn. Love you guys so much especially Piggins
Julia: Hi mom and dad! I hope you are having fun on your trip! We are just about to leave Spain after a few days of surfing and hiking, it was so fun! I can’t wait to explore Morocco! I miss you all so much but I am having so much fun! Love you all!
Simmons: Hey fam!!! I’m having so much fun. Today we finished hiking in Spain. It was so pretty. We leave for Morocco tomorrow, and I’m so excited. Thank you so much for sending me on this amazing trip can’t wait to see y’all! Love y’all!!!
Mary Stanton: Hey guys! I miss you so much but I am having the best time in Spain! I love my group and everyone is so funny. We have hiked so much and the views are amazing… it’s way cooler than NC mountains. I can’t wait to see you and eat American food!!! Love you guys and see you soon!!
Charlie: Hi mom and dad! I’m having so much fun, we just finished hiking and surfing in Spain and are going to Morocco tomorrow. It was so much fun and easier than I expected it to be and was so worth it. I have an awesome group, everyone is so funny and nice and my counselors are too. Miss y’all so much.
Layla: Hi Mom and Dad! Happy late anniversary. We just finished hiking, surfing, and canyoneering in Spain and we’re heading to Morocco tomorrow morning. Our group is so fun and I’m having a great time. Miss you guys and see you soon! I love you!!
Hola from Picos de Europa National Park!
July 13, 2023
Hi Spain + Morocco families!
We have absolutely loved getting to know your kids so far. Our group of 13 is already having a blast!
7/11
After meeting everyone in the Madrid airport, we made our way to Llanes, a small coastal town in Northern Spain. We stopped for sandwiches on the way which were a big hit! Once we arrived to our apartment style refugio, everyone settled in and played games. Will initiated a group game of cards. Before dinner, we drove to a very beautiful view point overlooking Llanes, surrounded by both the ocean and mountains. We explored the town a bit and ate dinner consisting of delicious pasta and chicken. On our drive back to the refugio, we saw the most amazing sunset. The sky was purple and pink! We closed the night with moonup under the stars and went to bed happy and tired from the long travel day!
7/12
We woke up early, eager to get our first full day of adventures started! Our LODs, leaders of the day, Simmons and Will, got everyone hype for the day at breakfast. After eating a breakfast of cereal, croissants, toast, and fruit, we packed up and headed to go canyoneering. Everyone put wet suits on and hiked to our starting point. After a safety lesson from our guides, we started canyoneering. Sophie was the first to volunteer to repel down the canyon! Everyone joined in after her, jumping off rocks, sliding down waterfalls, and swimming through caves. It was like nothing many had seen before. After our time in the canyon, we made our way back to Llanes for pizza. Simmons was very excited about her favorite food for lunch! We then followed lunch with some ice cream and an adventure around town. Mary Stanton and Layla tried on some clothing and others shopped for Llanes souvenirs. We then put our wet suits on yet again for surfing!!! It was beautiful, surrounded by both mountains and ocean. Mary Grace said it was the most beautiful beach she’d ever been to! During the afternoon, Jack, Charlie, and Macy were out the whole time shreddin the waves until it started raining pretty hard! But the rain didn’t stop our fun! We had a yummy dinner of steak and vegetables at a steakhouse and then made our way back to the Refugio for moonup. What an awesome day!
7/13 This morning we wrapped up our time in Llanes with a second day of surfing. Charlie was up the whole time, determined to catch some waves. Sophie, Julia, Carter and a few others sat on their boards out in the water and enjoyed the beautiful views and time in the water! We had a big, filling lunch with cheesecake for dessert! It was a hit! After lunch, we transferred to Sotres, a small village in Picos de Europa National Park! Everyone hung out outside all afternoon, soaking in the warm weather. Many read their books, made friendship bracelets, and told funny stories about their lives! There is never a moment without laughter with this group.
We love our bunch so much already and look forward to an awesome time hiking these next few days! We will keep you updated! Adios from Picos de Europa!
With love,
Anna & Will
Safely Arrived in Madrid!
July 11, 2023
Hello Spain + Morocco Families!
We heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely in Madrid and is off to their first adventure! The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories from their adventure.
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips but we will be posting up to three trip updates throughout the next couple of weeks! This will allow you to follow along with the trip and the students will also give a special shout out mid-way through! You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to this summer!
-Moondance HQ
