Update from British Columbia!
July 21, 2025
Hellooooo from BCO 3B!
For our last morning in Quadra island, we had a more laid-back start to Day 6 as we prepped to leave Quadra Island and make our way toward the coast of Vancouver Island. We filled up on chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, and loads of fresh berries before saying goodbye to the peaceful costal vibes of Quadra Island. After a beautiful drive, lunch out, and some scenic stops along the way, we arrived in Tofino-our home base for the surfing and SUP section! Excitement was high as we rolled into camp and set up our very first night in our beach side campsite. The kids wanted another night of cowboy camping so they set up to camp under the stars! Cook crew: Tanner, Grady, and West whipped up a classic comfort meal of chicken tenders and mac & cheese, which was a hit all around. Grady and Field closed out our night as LODs with a thoughtful Moonup under the stars before we all hit the sleeping bags, ready for the waves ahead.
The next morning, we were up and ready to dive into our SUP section! Fueled by breakfast burritos, we headed out to the beach to meet our guides. The group suited up in wetsuits and hit the water, where laughter quickly broke out as everyone started pushing each other off their boards-pure joy. We even spotted a seal cruising nearby! After, we ate sandwiches back at camp and had a quick gas station stop for some much-needed hype! Then it was time to surf. With a 9-foot swell rolling in at Cox Beach, the kids geared up, got a safety debrief from our guides, and dove right in. It was Ryan and Andrey’s first time surfing-and they crushed it! Everyone caught waves, shared party waves, and had the time of their lives. Afterward, we explored the adorable town of Tofino. Michael and West got matching t shirts and Field, Ryan, Abigail, Turner, Sydney, and Malone all grabbed silly matching t-shirts as well!
After our town stop, we all grabbed dinner at The Wild Side. Poke bowls, tacos, burgers-you name it. To top it off, we stopped by Chocolate Tofino to grab the best ice cream in the world. There, Cash was gifted a chocolate surfboard in his ice cream. We jammed on the ride back to camp, ran around on the beach, and watched a breathtaking sunset from the harbor dock, where Moonup was led by West and Ryan. They invited us to reflect on the things we often take for granted. It was nice to recognize so we could give thanks for them after! We also laughed and all bounced off each other for things we consider a “10/10”.
Day 8 brought even more stoke as we hit the waves again. The sun peeked out and spirits were high as we devoured chocolate croissants, bagels, and berries before heading to surf. On the beach, we played warm-up games before catching wave after wave. West, Michael, and Cash tested out a shorter 7ft board, Turner and Abigail rode a wave together, and Abigail and Malone nailed a synchronized 180 spin. Grady and Sydney even got some GoPro footage for our future highlight reel! Ricardo, our surf guide, pulled off an epic handstand on the board that had everyone cheering. Every single kid stood up and caught a wave-major win!
After surf, we ate lunch at camp and got ready for another SUP session. Big T was the first to be pushed into the water and soon everyone was playing around and getting each other in. We wrapped the afternoon with ice cream sandwiches, warm camp showers, and cozy drinks from the general store-hot chocolate all around. For dinner, our cook crew was Sydney, Malone, and Cam and they served up a pasta feast! We had different sauce choices of marinara, Alfredo, and pesto, with Caesar salad on the side! Field, along with Ryan and Cash, kindly stayed behind to help clean up, a quiet example of the care these kids are showing one another!! Moonup was led by Andrey and Abigail, and the group shared stories about what’s changed for them in the past year and their most embarrassing moments-cue so much laughter – it was hilarious. We ended the day packing up and getting ready to head back toward Vancouver for the final leg of our adventure… rafting in Squamish awaits!!
We’ve had such a great time as a group, the time is flying! Meet back soon for our final update to tell you all the stories that come along with rafting.
We can’t wait!!!
Lizzy, Blythe, and storm
Grady: Thank you so much for letting me come to Moondance and allowing me to experience this, love y’all ❤️❤️
Cash: Thank you momma and dadda for Letting your fave experience this wonderful and delightful excursion.
Cam: Thank you mom and dad for letting me go on this wonderful experience. I have had a ton of fun and have made some good friends. Love y’all and can’t wait to see y’all and talk about porter!
West: Thank you mom and dad for letting me come on this trip I have really enjoyed it.
Michael: thank you mom and dad this trip has been really fun so far surfing is my favorite but I’m the most excited for white water rafting!!
Ryan:Thank you mom and dad for letting me come on this trip, I have made lots of new friends and enjoyed every second of the activities.❤️
Field: Thank you so much mom and dad for giving me this opportunity to go on this trip. I have made so many friends and enjoyed every moment and activity. Love you! ❤️😎🫠
Andrey: Thanks you Mom and Dad for sending me to this amazing camp. This has been my favorite camp I’ve attended. I have made so many new friends that I will keep in touch after the camp. I definitely want to go to another trip next year. Miss you!
Turner:thank you mom and dad for letting me come to moondance!! I have loved every minute and made so many new friends! Love yall❤️👯
Αbigail- thank you so much i love moondance so much and have such a good group love yall!!!😏☺️🕺
Malone- Thank you sooo much for sending me to BCO on Moondance! I am having so much fun and I can’t wait to tell you all about it! ❤️
Sydney- thank you so much for allowing me to go to Bco. I have enjoyed every moment of it and have made so many new friends! I’m so grateful for this experience. Sad to leave soon but can’t wait to see y’all. Love y’all!🫣❤️🫣
Student Shoutouts!
July 17, 2025
SHOUTOUTS:
Cash: Mom Dad and Wells I’m having so much fun here at camp. I miss y’all so much and can’t wait to see you when I get. BTW I LOVE MY LEADERS AND GROUP MEMBERS
Grady: Having so much fun! Can’t wait to see yall!
Abigail: having fun I miss Rosie and yall love ya🫰
Field: Hey mom and dad and Gennie! I’m having so much fun in bc! I miss yall and love you so much!!❤️
Sydney: hey mom and dad! I am having fun but missing y’all. Having So much fun
Turner: hey mom and dad!! I am having SO much fun!! And I have the best group! Love yall!!❤️
Malone: Hi mom and dad! I love it here and I love my group! See you soon!
Ryan: Hey Mom and Dad! I’m having so much fun and made new friends! See you soon❤️
Andrey: Hey Mom and Dad I’m having so much fun at camp here. All the boys and girls are friends and are really nice. This place is so tuff (Shoutout Anna). It’s really fun here. Love Andrey ❤️
Michael: hey mom and dad moon dance is really fun and the activity’s are fun and I love my leaders. I honestly love it here.
Cam: Thanks to reaching out to us about getting into Porter, we were hype and even our leaders were really hype which describes how good of people they are. My group is really good, the activites have been really good. I love y’all and can’t wait to see y’all
West: Hey mom hey dad I’m having a lot of fun and I have a really fun group and awesome counselors. I’m having a great time and it’s been so much fun. I cant wait to get back home to y’all and the dogs.
Let the Fun Begin!
July 17, 2025
Hello Moondance families!
We’ve made it to beautiful British Columbia and have had an incredible first few days together. From the moment we met our group at the Vancouver airport, we knew we had something special! Everyone arrived with excitement, and it’s already hard to believe we’ve only known each other for a few days – it’s fun to see such strong connections this early on!
After gathering the crew, we hit the road toward our campsite and made a very important first dinner stop: pizza from Jim’s! We picnicked at our campsite and got a little taste of how fun this group was going to be. The boys tossed the football around while the girls grabbed their crazy creeks and hung-out by the water, swapping stories and laughing – especially thanks to Abigail, who had us all cracking up with her hilarious storytelling.
That night, we taught the group how to set up tents, with Cam even stepping in to help lead the charge. We played Shake and Pop and Birdie on a Perch, which brought out everyone’s silly sides. Andrey and Field even faced off in a “veggie-off,” trying to outdo each other with their best impersonations of… vegetables. It was as ridiculous and fun as it sounds. The laughter continued as we wrapped up the night in our new tent groups and gathered for our first Moonup, where we got to share our gas station orders and why we all chose moondance. To end, we named Andrey and Malone our very first Leaders of the Day and squished in a circle to say our middle names in a funny voice that Storm introduced. It was a great ending to an awesome airport day!
Day 2 was an early one, and this group all woke up with the sun! For breakfast, we had bagels with cream cheese or PB, blueberries, and strawberries to fuel our morning. We hopped in the van and made our way to the ferry for the next big step: crossing over to Vancouver Island to begin our rock climbing section in Comox! On the ferry ride, the group grabbed snacks and treats from the little shop and played card games with the mountains of Canada surrounding us.
Once we arrived at Lake Comox, we set up camp and immediately headed down to the lake filled with glacier water to swim and take in the views! We played some balancing games on a big floating log to see who had the best balance. No one stayed dry, but everyone had a blast. Back at camp, cook crew: Ryan, Malone, and Cash, with an MVP effort from Andrey, whipped up a delicious dinner of pesto chicken pasta with a red sauce option. Music played, the vibes were high, and West even got a fire going for our first night of s’mores.
Our clean crew crushed it! West, Cash, Abigail, and Turner worked together, and everyone helped each other get settled in for the night as we prepped for our very first day of climbing. We ended the night with a moonup at the campsite led by our LOD’s Cam and Turner!
We kicked off our rock climbing section with the help of our incredible local guides, and our LODs, Turner and Cam, led the charge with positivity and enthusiasm. After a hike through the forest to our climbing site, we learned how to belay, tie in, and support one another on the rock. Every single person stepped out of their comfort zone and showed serious grit. Cash practically flew up the wall, while Abigail and Malone climbed with fearlessness and determination.
After our climbing session (and a well-earned lunch of sandwiches and snacks), we headed back to camp for some swimming and lake lounging. Cheese and crackers never tasted better, and Cam won MVP for his snack picks at the grocery store with Blythe! That night, cook crew, Field, Cam, and Michael, served up stir fry as we all sat together in a circle in our Crazy Creeks, watching the sun set. We ended the day with Moonup by the lake, and then opted to cowboy camp under the stars – our first night sleeping outside as a group!
After a morning stop at Tim Horton’s, we geared up for our biggest climbing day yet. Our LODs, Abigail and Michael, helped us rally as we made our way to the legendary Devil’s Ladder – a 100-foot rock face with stunning views of the lake below. And guess what? Michael, Field, Turner, Abigail, Malone, and Andrey all completed the full climb and rappel! We were so proud of everyone for stepping up to the challenge.
After lunch with our crazy view of the lake from above, we moved to a second climbing site where everyone tried new routes, pushed themselves, and cheered each other on. We wrapped up our climbing section, so proud of each kid’s effort and support for one another.
To celebrate, we headed into the little town of Comox to explore local shops – the kids loved Cumberland Records, and of course, we had to make a gas station candy stop. After town time, we caught a quick ferry over to Quadra Island, where we set up camp right on the beach for our kayaking section. Everyone was so pumped to cowboy camp again that we left the tents packed. That evening, the cook crew of Grady, Sydney, and Ryan made pita pizzas while the sun set over the water. We shared cookies, had Moonup on the beach, and even got into deep and hilarious conversations about our biggest fears and McDonald’s orders. The boys ended the night with a sunset swim, and we fell asleep to the sound of the waves.
We started our kayaking day with a little extra sleep and warm bowls of oatmeal. It was a sunny, beautiful day as we packed up our dry bags and learned how to load our kayaks. Once on the water, the views were jaw-dropping – mountains, kelp forests, and even a couple of jellyfish floating by. We passed the time playing riddle games and ended up on a remote beach for lunch, where we saw a whale’s tail splash in the distance!
The afternoon brought more fun with a human knot challenge and a boys vs. girls shelter-building contest – the boys technically won, and even gave Lizzy and Blythe a full tour of their construction. We soaked up the sunshine, raced back to the dock, and then celebrated with ice cream in town.
Back at camp, we spent the evening playing Dart Frog, exploring tide pools, and discovering starfish and tiny crabs. Dinner was a feast: tacos, quesadillas, guacamole – all made by West, Grady, and Abigail – followed by a skillet cookie dessert. At Moonup, led by LODs Sydney and Cash, we reflected on dream concert lineups and the hardest lessons we’ve learned, then wrapped up with a group favorite: the numbers game. The night ended in a familiar way – stargazing, cowboy camping, and plenty of laughter.
This group has already grown so close, and we’re blown away by the friendships, leadership, and moments of pure joy happening every day. We can’t wait to keep exploring BC together – next up: the beautiful beach of Tofino! We’re excited to see all that’s to come with surfing and paddleboarding!
With love from the island,
– Lizzy, Blythe, and Storm
Safe Arrival!
July 13, 2025
Hello British Columbia Families!
We heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely in Vancouver! The trip is off to a great start, and we are so excited to hear more stories as they begin their adventure.
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next week! 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
