Happy 4th from Hawaii!
July 8, 2024
July 3 – Surfing Day 1 and Ziplining
Our first early morning surf session was quite epic—everyone got up at least a few times! As the rain sprinkled over Hanalei Bay, our group impressed instructors Luka and Kohl, who surf competitively around the world. Bryan, who might’ve been the most eager to catch waves, started off strong in Group 1. It was easy to tell that Tori had spent some time in California because of how well she was shredding waves too. Perfectly timed, the rain let up, and lunch was ready on the picnic table. Those wraps never stood a chance. Ahead of schedule, the group explored Hanalei for a moment before heading off to ziplining. Sophia and Peyton found some similar tops to those of Mia and Clare (Hurley Hawaii). By the end of the trip, a lot of clothes seemed familiar, haha. Today’s town exploration was just a sliver of the time to come.
At the zipline, Collier captured some spectacular shots of the lush surrounding mountains while around 100 feet up at one point! One of the ziplines worked as a pendulum, so one would end the zip in the middle after going back and forth a few times. Mia got some great shots of Hannah and Shep doing some goofy poses while waiting to be let down. On the last zipline, Trey found himself flapping like a soaring bird, as he should’ve. Our last zip was in “Superman style,” meaning in a horizontal position through the air.
Back at camp for dinner, Ann Marie showed us just how delicious some mac and cheese is topped with honey, a secret her sister taught her back home. The combination worked great alongside the BBQ sandwiches. We capped the night off with a Moonup, where Annabelle shined, as usual, with her insightful and well-said responses. We all look to her for some profound inspiration to end our eventful days. An early night’s rest ensued for our big Independence Day hike in the morning.
July 4 – Nualolo Day Hike and 4th Celebration in Hanalei
Watching the sunrise over America’s most distant and unique land was a wonderful way to start off our 4th of July extravaganza. Alex drove our group across the island while protein bars and peanut butter-lathered rice cakes fueled the first and hardest part of the day. At the Kōke’e State Park lodge, we met up with our guide Hannah, filled water bottles, tossed the frisbee, and got hyped for our adventure in nature. Tori and Annabelle led us through the trailhead and onward to the descent, finding a tall hiking stick right away. A big shoutout goes to Peyton for powering through this downward portion on a bad knee! You would’ve never known about her previous injuries from her expressions, only by asking.
Along the way to the view, we picked a few blackberries but mostly some tasty strawberry-guava berries that fueled our strong mentality with familiar flavors like strawberry lemonade. At the front of the line with our guide Hannah was Sophia, eager to take in the world-class view for the longest amount of time. When lunch was whipped out from the cooler-backpack, the fellas—Bryan, Trey, and Shep—finally fancied themselves the local micro-greens we’d been dumping on all of our sandwiches and wraps. They had also sat by the ledge and took in the view for the longest time, staring out across the Nā Pali coastline, the reefs below, and the forbidden island, Ni’ihau, behind us. We loved to see their awestruck nature.
After lunch and having to unfortunately leave the stunning view for timely manners, Ann Marie led our ascent and very kindly passed the inhaler from the front of the line to the back, not even needing one herself. Those who needed it greatly appreciated her! Back at the lodge, we said farewell to our guide Hannah and took a little winding trip to JoJo’s Shaved Ice. The 4th celebration felt a little cooler with a cold treat in the Pacific sun. There in Waimea, Hannah and Collier walked over to the pier for some more views and then through the dirt shirt store to pick out some goodies.
The next portion of our day was a journey to the north shore of Kauai for a burger cookout/firework viewing 4th fiesta. The guys took over the grill while the gals danced the night away with Mia’s speaker. Fireworks boomed and sparkled around the beach, and we were there again the next morning.
July 5 – Surf Day 2, Explore Hanalei, and Secret Beach
Surf morning #2 was underway with better waves and weather than the previous time! A different instructor joined us this time, named Mitchell, and we all loved his Hawaiian wisdom and kindhearted approach for our attempts to shred. Collier and Hannah did a phenomenal job capturing everyone on their boards while on land. We also really appreciated their support and exceptional attitudes in the morning after our late night.
Back at the picnic bench for lunch, some more wraps were quickly eaten in excitement for a couple of hours more to explore Hanalei. Starting off the afternoon, Alex spotted former NBA player Blake Griffin in line at a restaurant and our fans, Hannah and the fellas, were amazed. Across the street, Peyton and Annabelle were covering some serious ground, finding themselves in fruit stands and cool local shops buying gifts for family and friends back home. Ann Marie and Sophia were doing the same, also finding surf shops, and every once in a while, we’d bump into them in town with the biggest smiles on their faces for all the relaxing time they had.
After our time had come to an end, we surprised the group with our final activity—a pit stop at the Secret Beach nearby. Shep tossed the frisbee for a while in the hot sand, and Tori brightened moods with her verbal excitement about how pretty the beach was. She did an amazing job with this all week, along with prompting cackling laughs from everyone. Shep and the fellas, Trey and Bryan, also played a 30-minute Spikeball game for the history books. After catching some final quality rays, it was time to announce the evening plans: banquet dinner!
Stopping back at camp to change, we headed to Monico’s Taqueria for a delicious and filling meal to cap off our final night in Kauai. Trail games like Wavelength and Contact broke out at the dinner table (oh, the joy of unplugging), and chip basket after chip basket was demolished. Every student had full bellies and beating hearts for one another as we headed back to Kumu camp in a food coma.
July 6 – Travel Day
Happy Birthday, Collier! Our students woke up on our final day to chocolate, lilikoi, and regular pancakes with either blueberries, M&Ms, or sprinkles for toppings—the party was underway after our first morning of sleeping in since day 1. To top it all off, some fresh, local donuts appeared, and our group relished the extra sweet treat. On all of our students’ paper plates were superlatives, and Bryan was witty right away after seeing his: most likely to host a comedy hour.
Packing up and out afterward was a piece of cake too. We were soon able to hand out the trip evaluations, to which Peyton did a fantastic job completing with effort and sincerity. This is crucial not only for Moondance but for the students themselves, reflecting on their experiences and all of their takeaways from our Hawaiian experience. Once camp was clean and packed, and the final frisbee tosses were over, the group headed to a coconut stand to pick up some hydration for the afternoon. Shep enjoyed the water so much that he bought his own and then also shared it with the group. Our next stop was the vacuum at the car wash (wahoo), and our guy Trey did the honors of sucking up the myriad of sand in our 15-passenger van.
At the final stop before the airport, Tori and Hannah spotted a wild peacock and watched it roam in the park until we had our final Moonup. Surrounded by chickens and ferns against the riverbank, we leaders pointed out to every student how much they added to the general experience and to the experiences of each other. An emotional moment followed into another at the airport. We loved how adamant Annabelle was to get everyone’s contact info once we handed back their phones, and Sophia gave the biggest hugs of the night, which meant a lot to everyone. Everyone entered through security, waving back to us, and the emotional portrait there in Lihue was a beautiful one.
And one other thing: Ann Marie and Collier’s flight got delayed for a couple of hours, so we visited a beachside restaurant for an extra birthday celebration. Some games of cornhole followed, with Ann Marie dominating and showing us pictures of her cute dogs. After dropping them both off, we were melancholic to see them leave in the midnight hours.
To the Parents
Mahalo for sending your child over to the Hawaiian islands this summer. It was nothing short of an honor and privilege to cherish every waking moment with the special people they came in as, and the special people they left as this evening. As first-year leaders, we couldn’t have fathomed a better group to carry us over the midway point of the summer. A week on Kauai and a week on the Big Island of Hawaii would likely inspire anyone who had embarked on that adventure. However, through our laughs, adversity, passion, kindness, creativity, and respect, all 13 of us made memories of a lifetime, without any iPhones to capture them—just our eyes. Our hearts beat for y’all! Enjoy the rest of the summer, and catch ya later!
-Alex, Clare, Mia
Update from Hawaii!
July 4, 2024
6/28/24 – Scuba day 3 of 4 and manta Ray snorkelGood morning from our last day of certification training 🤙🏼 the pool gang hit the salt water for the first time, right off the pier in Kona, where Hannah and Brian flourished from the get-go. Flexing those pool skills, our students worked well with instructors Carlos and Mel to prepare for their certification training the following day. Meanwhile, a few miles north, the advanced students completed the deep dive and navigation tasks. Around 80ft beneath the surface, Trey, Peyton, and Shep, took in the color adjustments and recorded dive computer notes down there. On the navigation dive after lunch, with a compass on the wrist, they worked their way around the boat throughout the coral to complete the advanced open water certification! Awaiting them after bellies full of gelato or shaved ice, Ann Marie, Tori, Collier, and Sophia walked around the Coconut Grove market with Mia and Clare. “Lava Flow” shaved ice with tropical flavors like lychee and Hawaiian toppings like mochi were mesmerizing every last taste bud. When our complete group reunited, we all walked around for a little bit longer before hopping in the Van, where Annabelle queued up some vibey tunes on the way to the manta night snorkel! Every song built up to the hype of the long-awaited event. On the water, once arrived at our snorkel spot, we watched a scenic sunset together on the bow. Captain Keller snapped a few great photos. Also known as the “manta man,” Keller can name around 250 individual mantas based on the unique set of spots that each possesses on their bottom side. Amid our snorkel, he mentioned seeing a manta that he hadn’t seen in years, and so on referring to our group as good luck charms. Though in the water, we all held onto rope-handle embedded surfboards that beamed blue light down to the ocean floor; the light attracted the zooplankton which then attracted the majestic manta rays. It was an incredible experience to watch them barrel flip a few feet below your body. A late-night arrival back at Nani Ranch had our session slumped. The next morning we couldn’t believe what we saw…
6/29/24 – scuba certification dayToday was scuba school graduation day. All divers were on the same boat today which was awesome to all be together! We set sail with Captain Gary and went on 2 scuba dives with Carlos and Mel. Hannah spotted some barracuda in the ocean and, along with Bryan found some garden eels. After hard work in the ocean, Ann Marie, Collier, and Sophia all enjoyed some ice cream. We then hit the Kua Bay beach to celebrate our accomplishments. Shep and Trey are becoming pros at throwing the frisbee. Tori helped all the girls set up their hammocks again for our moonups! After some time in the sandy sun, we trekked back to camp where we had the best meal of the whole trip- Mediterranean bowls!!! They were absolutely scrumptious and a fan favorite. Peyton made homemade Taziki sauce and Annabelle was a star in the kitchen once more- she’s got fantastic knife skills! Hannah perfectly seasoned the meat. We put the Michelin Star in Moondance 🙂
6/30/24 – travel day to Kauai• Today we packed up our camp and made our way to Kauai! We boarded our first flight one by one, walking across the tarmac and onto our first Hawaiian Airlines flight. We had a quick layover in Maui, where Peyton, Annabelle, and Mia snuck into an old school Photo Booth before boarding the next flight. Then we were off to Kauai! Our first stop was Poipu where Bryan tried an açaí bowl for the first time. After we finished enjoying our snack and exploring the market, we headed off to our new home on the beach, Kumu Camp! Ann Marie, Tori, and Sophia immediately ran into the waves, and the rest of the group followed. Collier and Hannah grabbed the boogie boards while Shep and Trey tossed the frisbee. When the sun began to set, we gathered in the kitchen where our head chefs, Sophia and Tori, made a delicious pesto pasta and tomato, cucumber, feta salad. It was a great meal to end our first day on the new island!
7/1/24 Na Pali sea kayak• We woke up with the sun this morning to start our journey towards the Napoli Coast. With the sunrise in the background, we left Kumu Camp and began the bumpy drive to Polihale State Park. Alex skillfully navigated the five-mile long sandy road while the back of the van jammed out to Unwritten by Natasha. Sophia particularly enjoyed the off-roading, sharing stories of similar experiences from back home. Once we reached the beach, we were greeted by Ahjah and Hawaiian Bryan, our sea kayaking guides who helped us pack our dry bags and carry our kayaks to the shore. Trey and Sophia were the first to brave the waves, paddling through the shore break. One by one, we all launched into the crystal clear waters and started off along the coast. Before we knew it, we were joined by a pod of sleeping spinner dolphins which swam straight up to Annabelle and Ann Marie’s kayak. As we paddled alongside the breathtaking cliffs, Shep asked about Hawaiian Bryan shared the sacred history of the historic landscape, teaching us all a little more about Hawaiian culture and the islanders ability to thrive on the land. After over 2.5 miles of kayaking, Bryan was the first to jump in the water, grabbing a snorkel to check out the reef below. After our swimming break, we headed back to shore Collier spotted a a sea turtle swimming from her kayak. On our way back to the beach, Bryan and Tori led the group through a sea cave and Annabelle and Clare were the first to make it to shore. Once we were back at Polihale, we rewarded our hard work with our favorite lunch of sandwiches, pineapple, and Maui onion chips. Then we took off back to camp, with a surprise stop at Waimea Canyon, otherwise known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. When we made it back to camp, everyone took off to the ocean for a quick dip before we started getting ready for dinner. In the kitchen, Trey helped cut up some bell peppers while Annabelle warmed up some red sauce and toasted pitas for everyone to assemble their own pita pizza. Peyton showed us all the pita pocket method which was especially tasty. At the end of the night, Shep and Bryan headed up clean up crew while Tori and Ann Marie sparked an impromptu dance party on the picnic table. Then we all gathered around the table to close out our amazing day with moonup and chocolate chip cookies.
7/2/24 volunteer garden dayToday we ventured to the lush green valleys of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens where we volunteered and learned more about the botany in Kauai, as well as the history of the anthropology of Hawaii. We began the morning by helping to clear the soil so that they could plant new trees. We then spent time rehabilitating the gardens and uprooting the remnants of the banana tree stumps. Peyton, Tori, and Collier were naturals at digging up the remaining tree stumps. Ann Marie was able to spot a rare breed of bird, the Mele Kohola, where there are only 700 birds of that species total in the world. Our tour guide, Neil was a rockstar. He gave a lot of insight into life and the importance of following your passions and doing something that makes you jump out of bed in the morning! After a long morning of service, Trey, one of our leaders of the day, surprised the group with well-deserved ice cream and shaved ice. Bryan was a big fan of his root beer shaved ice float. We were also able to explore the local shops! When we arrived home Annabelle and Hannah, our cook crew for the evening made yummy tacos with homemade guacamole; we were so happy our group loves veggies and fresh fruit! Shepard showed us his soccer skills before dinner. We then finished up with sweet treats on the beach with a great moon up to end the day.
Parent Shoutouts:
Hannah ⁃ hello momma and dad!! Today we went surfing which was super duper cool, and I low key killed it ✌️we are now otw to zip-lining which should be awesome, and I’m sure you will be seeing lots of photos soon. Love you guys and see yall soon 🙂
Collier ⁃ hey y’all! I’ve been having a great time on kauai and I’m can’t wait to show y’all some of the pictures I’ve taken! Today we went surfing and I really love it and now we are about to go zip lining and I’m really excited for what all we are going to see. I love y’all and miss y’all! See ya in a few days!
Peyton ⁃ I miss you guys!! Hawaii is so awesome. I love the counselors and all the people in the group. We are on the way to zip lining after we just surfed. I can’t wait to see y’all!! I hope y’all had so much fun in nyc! Love ya!!
Tori ⁃ Hey! Hawaii is super sweet, I miss you and love you, we went surfing and I was a boss at it. Omw to zip line over where Jurassic park was filmed lol, peace , love you. 🙂
Ann Marie ⁃ Hey guys!!!! This is the coolest thing I have ever experienced. We got to surf this morning and now we are on the way to zip line! I’m so extremely grateful for this amazing opportunity and I can’t wait to tell you guys all about it. I miss y’all so much and please tell the dogs I said hello!! Love you!
Sophia ⁃ Hi Mom and Dad! Today we went surfing and ziplining. I love everyone on this trip and I am so thankful for this opportunity! T-minus 4 days until I see y’all! See you soon 🙂
Annabelle ⁃ Hey mom and dad! I am having so much fun with everyone in Hawaii! My leaders and group members are so nice and fun! We just went surfing this morning which was awesome and we are on the way to zipline now which I am so excited for because the views here are amazing! I feel so lucky to be here and can’t wait to tell you all more about it soon! Love and miss you!
Trey ◦ Hi mom and dad. In having the best time here and cannot wait to see y’all. We are In the van about to go zip lining. I am about to fall asleep so I am keeping this short. Love and miss y’all
Bryan- Hi mom and dad. I am having a great time I’m Hawaii right now. We have been doing kayaking and surfing on this island and are about to go ziplining. I can’t wait to see y’all in a few days.
Shepard-Hi mom and dad I’m having a great time today we have surfed so far and it was so fun. We are currently in our way to zip line which I’m assuming it’s gonna be pretty fun , I like my group and my favorite leader Alex he’s so chill he definitely sets the moondance vibe.
Aloha from the Big Island!
June 29, 2024
Aloha!
Day 1 – Arrival Day
Session 2 let’s go! The Kona airport welcomed everyone with open arms! The first person to greet us was Sophia, shortly followed by Ann Marie and Peyton. The next two to touch down were Collier and Hannah! Followed by Tori, Shepard, Bryan, and Trey. Last but not least was Annabelle! We headed to catch the end of the sunset and played some volleyball at Coconut Grove. We picked up some pizza and headed to our campsite for the next week! We are stoked to have hot water showers here. Off to a great start with a great group of kids!
Day 2-
Our neighbors at Nani Ranch, the horses, cows, goats, and roosters, woke us up this morning to see our campground in the daylight for the first time. After unpacking a bit more, it was time to test out our beautiful, open-air camp kitchen. Alex started cooking up some bacon while Mia whipped up some pancake batter with Hannah’s help. Peyton had the very important job of topping off each pancake with M&Ms and Collier sliced up our first pineapple for the group, which was quickly devoured. After our bacon, eggs, pancakes, and other pineapple were eaten and our dishes were cleaned, Annabelle and Clare went on a mission to retrieve her lost luggage while the rest of the group split up to explore our new home. Sophia and Anne Marie led the way to meet our farm animal friends, with Tori, Collier, Hannah, and Bryan right behind. Collier quickly befriended a miniature pony while Tori found a billy goat who tried to take a bite out of her skirt. After introducing ourselves to all the animals, we wandered down the road and hiked down the cliffside to a hidden beach. Meanwhile, the advanced divers, Peyton, Trey, and Shep headed into Hawi to taste local coffee and complete some last-minute PADI work to prepare for their first dives. As the sun rose higher, the group reunited for our first true adventure: hiking into Polulu Valley. The walk down was steep, but breathtaking as we got our first views of the stunning cliffs that make up the Big Island’s northern coast. Once we reached the shore, we found a shady spot for a picnic and enjoyed locally made Hawaiian rolls with Luau BBQ and Sweet Maui Onion chips. When it was time to hike back out, Peyton led the group as we climbed up to the top, stopping for some photo ops along the way. Then we were off to Pu’uwai Gardens where we were greeted by Jessica from HeartBeet Kitchen and paired off into cooking crews. Our first task was chopping up some local vegetables. Hannah, our experienced chef, helped Annabelle and Mia master their cutting skills before we gathered around the cast iron to sauté our sliced veggies and sear the beef for the stew. While we waited for our ingredients to simmer, we took a tour of the grounds and tropical trees. Trey discovered the lychee tree and fell in love with the taste, grabbing the picker pole so we could all try the fruit. He even grabbed a couple of extra to save for dessert, but after our salad, stew, and mango macadamia nut crisp, we were stuffed. On our way back to camp, we stopped by Waipo Valley Lookout to watch the sunset. At the end of the night, we all gathered together in our enos for our first official moon up.
Day 3
Aloha from the beautiful Hawaiian islands! Today was an amazing start to our scuba diving adventure. Those who were new to scuba diving began by practicing underwater skills in the pool! Our advanced scuba squad was Shepard, Trey, and Peyton- they took a deep dive in the big blue ocean. After our morning dive, we all came together and spent the afternoon relaxing on the white sandy beaches, soaking up the warm Hawaiian sun. For dinner, we enjoyed delicious burrito bowls filled with fresh ingredients. Annabelle was a chef in the kitchen and made an incredible pineapple salsa. Hannah helped us perfect the chicken, while Tori was on bean duty. Ann Marie, Collier, and Sophia helped everyone set up all the enu hammocks! Bryan also known as “chill Bryan” was a natural at scuba diving, he picked up Carlos’ safety skills quite nicely. Overall, it was a fantastic day filled with fun adventures. We can’t wait to see what tomorrow holds as we continue to explore the wonders of the Hawaiian islands.
Day 4
Good morning! For our second day of SCUBA, the open-water students jumped straight into the pool at Jack’s Diving Locker. The group completed the lessons in record speed, meaning there was plenty of time for a midday gelato run. After Tori ordered a scoop of lilikoi (Hawaii for passion fruit), we all decided to ditch the classic chocolate and vanilla for coconut and Kona coffee. Meanwhile, our advanced students got back on the boat and headed to Manta Ray Bay to complete their underwater naturalist dives. Shep jumped straight in without hesitation, Trey found lots of cool fish throughout the coral reef, and Peyton surprised Anna, the dive master, with her ability to conserve the air in her tank. The advanced crew with Alex perfected their buoyancy, levitating over the coral. Once we finished up our dives for the day, we hit Honokohau Beach to soak in the sun and search for sea turtles. Collier was the first to spot one, pointing it out for Mia, Sophia, Clare, and Hannah to see. Ann Marie went for a stroll right before we headed back to camp too. Back at camp we chef’d up some delectable Bolognese and Caesar salad (Annabelle did a spectacular job slicing up the lettuce for all 13 of us). Bryan showed off his frisbee skills while we played some tunes, had lots of s’mores with jumbo marshmallows, and shared stories. Mahalo for following us along on our journey!
Until next time,
Clare, Mia, and Alex
Safe Arrival!
June 25, 2024
Hello Hawaiian Island Families!
The group has landed safely in Hawaii and the trip is off to a great start! We can’t wait to hear all about their exciting adventures 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
