Last hello from Italy!
July 22, 2024
We began our next morning of the trip with a wonderful spread of croissants, fresh jams, hearty cereal, and hot coffee provided by our wonderful host at Hotel Corona. After meeting our guide and going through the safety procedures, we all began the process of putting on our wetsuits. If you have not done this before, it is quite an entertaining activity. Phineas and Sawyer, in matching wetsuits, put on a show as they danced in these neoprene onesies. We took an awkward stroll in our costumes to the canyon for our next adventure. Jordan, being the brave student he always is, was the first to rappel down the frigid waterfall into the depths of this historic canyon. We navigated the creek like sneaky, slippery little snakessss, ducking under rocks, swimming through the creek, and wading through the deep water.
In search of an extra adrenaline boost, Sarah Mac and Adelaide jumped off a short cliff into the bottom of a deep pool of clear water (this was overseen by our guide and perfectly safe). Our canyoneering guide provided us with the extensive history of the caves, fossils, and stories that made this canyon so special. Heading out of the canyon and back to our accommodations, we were treated to a hot meal of pasta bolognese! Compliments to the chef, as each meal at this hotel was home-cooked by the owners. After a bit of rest and food, we were all eager for one more game of… KICKBALL!!! Sloane and Ben drafted the teams as LODs (which included a few locals intrigued by our exquisite game) to see who would take the trophy home back to the U.S. Everyone battled hard in the sunshine, having so much fun that we all lost track of the score. We ate yet another home-cooked meal and went to bed to prepare for our shopping spree in Venice.
Our final full day together in Venice was full of travel, exploration, candy, and tons of gelato. Our first few stops in Venice included a local pharmacy where Sophia and Sarah Mac looked around at the viral Italian toothpastes, Mary Sellers and Addison shopped for rings, bracelets, and necklaces at a local Italian jewelry store, and Liam encouraged the group (but especially Sawyer) to buy a new pair of Birkenstocks. Whether we were loading up our candy bags at Captain Candy, walking alongside the canal, or devouring scoop after scoop of gelato, this group enjoyed every second of our Venice day, leaving with even more than memories. Moondance does not bear responsibility for credit card charges at Captain Candy or Miramira Jewelry. We finished off our day together with 11 local Italian pizzas, even more gelato, and a sentimental and emotional final Moonup. This group came together as 11 strangers and truly embodied what it means to be a Moondance group. We both feel incredibly grateful to have had the time with them that we did and feel lost without them in Venice. Two weeks simply were not enough, but we know the relationships and friendships made during this trip will outlast our time in Italy together.
Parents, if you’re reading this, thank you. Thank you for trusting Moondance and trusting us. We feel beyond lucky to have been given the opportunity to lead this group of kids. Like we told them last night, they make our jobs not feel like a job – they make it more fun than it should be. Kids, listen up! Take everything we said last night at Moonup to heart. We love and care for each of you more than you’ll ever know and have your back in EVERY situation. We hope you each came out of this trip with more than memories, photos, and souvenirs. We hope that we taught each of you a fraction of what you taught us. Thank you for reminding both of us what it means to be carefree, caring, and a kid again. We love each of you. Don’t forget to wear your sunscreen and don’t forget you’re all roses. Don’t be a stranger – you’ve got our numbers. <3
See you soon,
JMO and MG
Checking in from Italy!
July 19, 2024
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Helloooo everybody! We’ve been busy here since we last touched base, so we wanted to fill everyone at home in on what’s been going on here in the Dolomites. Before we jump right into it all, here’s a little summary of what this group of 11 has been up to. Over the past several days, we have hiked many miles, gained significant elevation, scaled massive rock walls at the Cinque Torri, and created memories that are bound to last a lifetime. Without fail, this group likes to have fun, tell stories, amuse each other with riddles, and play loads of cards. They constantly keep us laughing and amused, no matter the day, activity, weather, or terrain.
Our morning kicked off with an epic breakfast, per usual. We had eggs, a variety of meats, fresh pastries, an array of cheeses, and bread. But the highlight, the crowd-pleaser that brought a bit of home with it, was the Nutella. Fueled up and ready, we headed towards the Cinque Torri, a rock climbing paradise. We could tell that the energy of the group was a mix of excitement and a bit of nerves as we approached those five massive rocks, but they were ready to check something off their bucket list nonetheless. After a quick but essential safety debrief, we were ready to start. Or rather, almost ready—because the second the debrief ended, Jordan was already halfway up the wall! His enthusiasm was contagious and set the tone for the rest of the day. Then there were the moments that truly showcased what we might call the spirit of our group. Like when Sawyer and Liam decided to take on one of the walls one-handed. Yes, you heard that right—one-handed! We all watched from below in awe and amusement as they scaled the rock with a mix of skill and determination. After those two proved their points, the guides decided the climbs had just gotten too easy for us, so Phineas and Adelaide joined Michele and JMO to scale one of the five major towers as a climbing team. Trusting the guide and each other, they were belayed from each checkpoint and did not stop until they reached the top of the tower. This set the stage for the rest of the group as everyone else gave the tower a try and successfully made it to the top. Overall, our rock climbing day was an overall fan favorite, with much of the group saying it was their favorite day so far! You might think that it would be hard to top, but the days that followed continued to impress and entertain everyone!
Before leaving the Cinque Torri region, we had to fuel up on one final breakfast before hitting the trail for what would be our longest hike yet. Ten miles might seem intimidating for some, but not for this group. Although the morning began early, this group had no problem initiating conversations early on in the day and on the trail. It didn’t take long for a game of tag to begin on the trail as Sarah Mac chased JMO around until finally giving up… until the lunch break, where she finally got him back. During the trek, Mary Sellers and Adelaide spotted some cows on the trail and could hardly contain their excitement, making sure they posed for some pictures or “flicks,” as this group says. Mary Sellers even took the time to make beautiful bouquets from the special Italian wildflowers she found. Her enthusiasm for nature’s little details made our day even more special.
With the sun shining bright and clouds rolling through the beautiful valleys of the Dolomites, we all arose to start trekking to the famous Monte Civetta. This massive wall rises up to 10,560 feet with a vertical rise of nearly 3,000 feet from the base to the peak. Although we had the longest day of hiking yesterday, the students were up and ready to tackle the day. Ben led the pack with our guide the whole hike, determined to push through even the toughest of steep inclines. This seven-mile hike with 2,500 feet of elevation gain tested everyone’s limits. Though tired, the group remained strong to reach an amazing alpine lake that sits right below Monte Civetta. We enjoyed fresh peaches provided by our previous Rifugio as we breathed the fresh mountain air and appreciated the jagged mountain peaks. With one last push to our next home for the night, the students raced up the “heartbreak hill,” as our guide called it, to reach Rifugio Tissi. This final resting place in the Dolomites sits at 7,400 feet with a breathtaking view of each place we had traveled in the mountain range. With plenty of free time on our hands, Addison dominated the group’s favorite card game (Cambio) with her quick reflexes and memorization skills. Before heading to bed, we all watched the sunset in the mountains for the last time in the best place possible.
Awake and active after a good night’s sleep, we said goodbye to our favorite Rifugio and began our trek down from the summits of the Dolomites. We hiked along the sheer rock faces of the Torre Venezia, descending 3,775 feet to the valleys of the Dolomites. After a relaxing and sunny lunch break, we transferred over to the quiet town of Clauzetto for our next activity. The fan-favorite place in this town is the soccer field (which we improvise into a kickball field). With tensions high, Sophia slapped on her Vejas shoes (not the top choice of sportswear) and booted her way around the bases. While Sloane smiled through the game (on the winning team, I may add), she was a staple in the success of each run scored. With our competitive spirits and athletes in this group, we played an extensive two-hour game of kickball to pass the time. Phineas may not have been on the winning team, but he kept everyone on their toes with a great attitude to amp up his teammates. To emphasize how competitive this group was, after our long debacle of kickball, the final score was 33-32, but everyone’s a winner, of course!
We are so proud of this incredible group of students for completing the trekking portion of our trip, and we can’t wait to update y’all in a few days!
Here’s a note from your kids:
Jordan: Hello thanks so much for sending me on this trip I am having so much fun and can’t wait to come home and see you guys hope all is well love you.
Addison: Hey mom and dad thanks so much for sending me on this trip I’m having so much fun
Sawyer: thank you so much for sending me on this trip. I was nervous about coming but now I don’t want to leave. For the past couple of days we have been trekking throughout the Dolomites and each days trek has been so rewarding. Love you so much.
Sloane: Hey mom and dad, thank you guys so so much for sending me here. I have loved every second of it and am having the best time. Love you guys and see you soon!
Liam: hey mom. Hey dad, I miss and love you guys so much. I literally can’t wait to see y’all in a few days. I’m having such a unique and fun experience and I’m so glad you sent me here. We’ve just been hiking the past few days but it’s been so fun tomorrow we’re going canyoneering I miss y’all and Lola so much, see ya soon.
Ben: hi y’all thank y’all so much for sending me on this trip. I’m having such a unique experience that I will never forget. I have seen so many things that are so pretty and a one-off a kind experience. Love y’all
Sophia: Hey mom and dad and Sabrina I miss you so much. I am having so much on this trip. Everyday is a new experience and I am so glad you gave me this opportunity to see this part of the world. I love all the views I get to see here and everything is so beautiful. I can’t wait to see y’all love you.
Finny: hey mom and dad, thank you so much for letting go on this trip. It has so much better than my expectation because of the people and I the insane mountains. I’m so excited to see y’all in a few days. Sorry again about my passport.
Mary Sellers: Hi guys! Thank y’all so much for sending me on this trip it’s literally the coolest thing I’ve ever done and I’m so so grateful. Everyone on my trip is so sweet and funny and I’m so glad that I got to meet them. Love y’all and see you soon!
Adelaide: Hey!! Thank y’all so so much for letting me come on this trip! Everything is so beautiful and I am so grateful for the opportunity. I love and miss y’all and can’t wait to tell you all my stories from the trip when I get home. See y’all soon!!
Sarah Mac: Hi Mom and Dad! Thank you so much for sending me on this trip! I can’t wait to tell y’all about it when I get home. I have had so much fun and have done so many amazing things! I love and miss y’all! See you soon!
Ciao!
-JMO and MG
Fun Times in the Dolomites!
July 15, 2024
Ciao from the Dolomites!
Parents! Families! Friends! The long awaited trip update is finally here and we can promise you that this group has been non-stop laughs since they touched down in Venice. Ever since all 11 kiddos arrived with 11 kiddo sized bags, they have kept each other on their toes and keep the two of us hysterically laughing. We do have to crown Sloane the ultimate champ of airport travel day because her flight got in hoursss before anyone else and she was such a good sport about it. We played cards for hours as she let us know what her preferred caffeinated beverage of the day was.. maybe the Monster Energy was what crowned her the travel day champ. We’ll never know, but we had a blast playing ERS, talking about home, and explaining what the next couple of weeks will look like. We patiently awaited everyone to make it through customs and once they did, we hit the road to our first stop on our two week long adventure, Alta Badia. This is a quaint little town that is nestled within the Dolomite Mountains and is where it allllll begins. Imagine an Italian ski town during the summer surrounded by enormous mountains and boom, you’ve got Alta Badia.
On this fine Dolomites morning we feasted on an array of fresh pastries, cured meats, boiled eggs, and hot coffee to fuel us for today’s adventure. We started our hike up above the small ski towns and as each step we took the views got better. Phineas led this hike with our amazing local Dolomite guide as he proved he had hiked many times before. We all harnessed up (maybe struggled at first) and began to ascend via Ferrata Les Cordes. This route offers a great easy-intermediate climb for everyone to warm up on as we make our way into the trip. Everyone ascended fast and effortlessly like sneaky slippery little snakessss showing that we had quite the athletes in the group. After our hard efforts we rested and ate lunch next to an exclusively remote Refugio. The students ate quickly and found quite an interesting activity. After lunch and a show we hiked down the steep mountain side to grab some cold ice cream in our local town for the night. Ending the day with moonup surrounded by the mountain peaks and cool mountain air it was just as each day on a Moondance trip should be like.
As day 4 started on our trip we had even more to eat at breakfast, devouring a buffet of fresh Italian favorites. The weather, as is similar in all mountain ranges, is very unpredictable in the Dolomites. We began our trek up to the Passo Campagonlo, enjoying the new views and fresh air we noticed a bit of a storm rolling in. Thankfully we made a quick decision taking cover as the storm passed. While the day took an unexpected turn, the group’s spirits remained high as a spontaneous photoshoot spawned while Jordan led the charge of tossing the football at the bus station as we waited for a ride to our next Refugio. Bailing on our hike was not what we wanted to do, but safety was the utmost priority in this situation. Once arriving at our home for the night and everyone settled in, the group reconvened downstairs for a rainy afternoon of cards, riddles, and games. Adelaide drove everyone nuts with her 1-9 number riddle. Without a doubt, we all tried to figure the answer out for an hour. Once she finally revealed the solution, the disappointment set in of how simple, yet difficult it really was. We’ll all be using her riddle for the years to come- it’s a great one! JMO got the group in on his favorite, “Einstein’s riddle” which is similar to a Sudoku puzzle, and split the group into two teams to see who could solve it first. With the help of Liam and Ben’s wiz skills, the boys came out on top after lots of strenuous work and hard thinking. After puzzles and riddles, we saw the sun come out! Without question, we all made our way down to the nearby lake to listen to music and bask in the sun. Ben braved the cold water, jumping into the lake, following the Moondance rule of “If you see a body of water, you MUST jump into it.” Big ole nugs to that. As dinner came closer, we headed back up to the Refugio where Mary Sellers taught us how to play a card game she knew called Cambino. After everyone learned, we couldn’t get the kids away from the card table. Everyone was so in the zone that even when we announced dinner time, no one moved a muscle. After a dinner spread of gnocchi, lasagna, and glizzies, Sophia and Sawyer led us in Moonup in an incredible spot that overlooked the mountains. The spot they chose was A+ worthy and ended in a fun post-Moonup chill music session waiting for the sunset.
The next day, our group woke up stoked for the day to come. After having practically mastered the via ferrata days before, we hit the trail from our next spot to ascend another mountain. They are practically mountaineers at this point- don’t be surprised if they come back wanting to buy some harnesses and helmets. Addison shimmied up the wall like a practical spider money, absolutely smoking everyone in her path. On the way back down, she acted like climbing was her day job and no biggie, just chatting away about her go-to Chipotle order at home (even though she says Moe’s is superior) ((argument coming…)) and making all of our mouths water. Both climbing groups crushed this via ferrada, getting compliments out of our guide, Michele, too. The hike back made us wonder if the area more resembles the shire from Lord of the Rings or Narnia, but we’ll try and get a more firm answer in the coming days!
We woke up on our last day at Valparola with sleepy eyes, but excited for what the day held. Everyone knew that today was planning on being a longer, more strenuous hike, but none of us could have predicted the insane views we would see. The morning began with a summit hike up a massive nearby mountain. It was such a fun moment to hear everyone turn the corner to the summit and hear the “Wows” and hear them all be in awe. Once we all made it to the top, Sarah Mac was grinning from ear to ear and Sloane was saying that looking at the mountain from the bottom, you don’t expect to be able to make it up, but both girls were all smiles and proud of themselves when they thought about the hike and what they accomplished. The chatter on top of the summit made both of us smile and told us that this group is up to a challenge and has fun while doing it! Big ole nugs to them! On the way back down and to our Refugio for the day, we stopped at the famous Lagazuoi flying high at 9000 feet in the air, we had a quick stop at an alpine lake, then we made our way to the long, rocky pass that would carry us all the way to our Refugio. The energy was high when we saw our Refugio and we all practically sprinted off the pass and to our home in the clouds. After almost 4000 elevation gain and 7+ miles, a restful afternoon was needed and appreciated! We are insanely proud of what this group accomplished today and how high the energy stayed throughout the trek- it was impressive to say the least.
Our next and last via ferrata was just as fun as the first ones and the group only got better at climbing. We saw not one but two summits today after the via ferrata, both of which had us amazed at the beauty of this place. Everyday we feel so lucky to be in the Dolomite Mountains and the trekking we do only shows us more of the region than we would be able to see otherwise. We are having an absolute blast and cannot wait to see what the next week holds for this special group of 11. Until then, they have some shoutouts for everyone back home!
Until next time,
JMO and MG
Sarah Mac: Hi Mom and Dad! I am having so much fun and I love my group! It is challenging, but so amazing. I love and miss yall!
Adelaide: Hey Mom and Dad!! The Dolomites are amazing! We’re having so much fun and I love my group and leaders. Tell Josephine to have fun in Iceland and see y’all next week!
Mary Sellers: Hi guys! I’m having the best time, everyone is so nice and everything is so pretty here y’all would love it. The via ferratas are so cool, I climbed them like a slippery little snake. Tell everyone I say hi and give the dogs kisses for me. Love y’all!
Sloane: Hi Mom and Dad! I’m having so much fun and have the best group! Love you and miss you guys so much, see you soon!!
Addison: Hi mom and dad, the trip has been so much fun! See you soon!
Sophia: Hi mom and dad!! It is so pretty here but the views are amazing. My group is so funny and nice and my leaders are also amazing. Miss you so much see you soon.
Jordan: Hi mom, dad and jalen its really pretty here. I’m having the best time! Love you guys
Finny: Hi mom and dad I’m am sorry for losing my passport. But i was able to convince a police officer to sneak me through customs. I am having so much fun hiking and climbing love you.
Sawyer: Hi Mom and Dad. Thank you so much for sending us three to the Dolomites. I am having so much fun and get along well with everyone. See you in a week.
Ben: Hi yall, Italy is so much fun and pretty. The group has many nice people, and we have been hiking and climbing all over the mountains. Currently while writing my foot is being peeled open to get a splinter out but its all good. Love yall.
Liam: Hey guys I’m having so much fun in Italy, the Dolomites are great, it’s a completely new view of Italy that we never saw on our trip here. We’ve hiked some pretty big mountains and honestly it’s physically pretty hard but I’m having a great time. My group is great they’re all really funny and we have a really good connection. I like my leaders they’re really great. It is so beautiful here I can’t even explain it. The pictures can’t capture the beauty of this place because every where you look its just insane. I’m currently sitting on a table outside and everywhere I look is a new view. Please let Ellie know I miss her so so much. I love yall so much and hope you’re enjoying your time without me. I’ll see you in a week.
Safe Arrival in Venice!
July 10, 2024
Ciao Dolomites Families!
We heard from our leaders this morning that the group has landed safely in Venice and is on their transfer to the Dolomites!!! Everyone is so excited to be together and we can’t wait to hear more about their adventure over the next couple of weeks!
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next two weeks! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
