Golden Gate Goodbyes: Final Update from California
June 21, 2025
We kicked off our last full day in Lake Tahoe with a well-deserved sleep-in and a big breakfast of bacon, eggs, and pancakes, thanks to Jackson, Oliver, and Ben. After a long, relaxed morning, we hit the water for stand-up paddleboarding on a calm, sunny Lake Tahoe. Brett, Vivi, Maria, and Cerina soaked up the sun, while Oliver, Jackson, Janie, Martha, and Margaret got very competitive during a game of “Assassin” — where everyone tried not to get caught without their water bottle.
After plenty of swimming and paddleboarding, we dried off, changed, and took a scenic drive to South Lake Tahoe. The group split up for some afternoon shopping — with Lachlan and Oliver coming back with the most impressive haul: baseball cards from Target, which they opened in the van. We ended the day with another delicious burger dinner and a Moonup led by Martha and Jackson before heading to bed.
Hiking + A Twist in the Road We woke up early and set out on a beautiful hike up Maggie’s Peak with panoramic views of Lake Tahoe — officially completing a loop around the entire lake! After summiting and enjoying a packed lunch at the top, we made a quick descent and resupplied on water.
Then… the unexpected. On our way to the final campsite, our U-Haul tire blew out. While Ben and Harris waited for the repair crew, the campers and Folger made the most of it with a stop at CVS and In-N-Out. Unfortunately, after the replacement tire also failed, we opted for a safe and comfy hotel stay. Oliver, Lachlan, and Jackson relaxed with A Few Good Men while we unloaded the van and settled in for some well-earned rest.
Half Moon Bay + Taco Night After fixing the U-Haul the next morning, we grabbed a big brunch at a local diner and finally had our much-belated Moonup. Lachlan and Vivi were named LODs for our last travel day, and we made our way to Half Moon Bay, where we set up camp one last time.
That afternoon, we enjoyed the campground’s activities: Janie and Margaret practiced lacrosse with Folger, Jackson, Harris, and Lachlan competed in archery, and Brett, Maria, Martha, and Oliver played a lively round of Jenga. Ben and Folger whipped up a final taco dinner before we roasted s’mores and closed the night with a cozy Moonup.
Ben’s Birthday + Bay Adventures We started our final full day by celebrating Ben’s birthday with cinnamon rolls, bacon, and eggs. After a late brunch, we headed into San Francisco and spent the afternoon exploring Sausalito. Campers had free time to dive into local culture — from sampling pizza and homemade fudge to picking up a few final souvenirs.
Then came the grand finale: a boat ride into San Francisco Bay. We spotted whales, dolphins, and seals, and cruised under the Golden Gate Bridge just as the sun began to set. We wrapped up the day with a final banquet at a local Mexican restaurant and drove across the Golden Gate Bridge at golden hour. A long and heartfelt Moonup followed before we all settled in for a short night of sleep.
Airport Day We woke up early this morning and made our way to the San Francisco airport. After heartfelt goodbyes and a few tears, we parted ways with the amazing friends we’ve made over the last two weeks.
We’re incredibly grateful for the time we’ve spent together and so proud of the memories this group created. We hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the summer!
Paddles, Pancakes, And Pickleball
June 18, 2025
Howdy folks! Hope y’all have been well because we have been living in style out in the West! To catch everyone up we had a wonderful two days on the American river, where Vivi and Oliver led us on the first day of Rafting! We had a very full day on the river, and everyone learned to paddle and swim on a moving river. We had a lot of excitement, and class 3 rapids, but no one fell out of their rafts today! We had lunch provided for us from our wonderful river guides, and ate fresh pineapple and salads on the river bank. After lunch we packed everything back up, and got back on the river. We rafted for the rest of the day, and got off the river just in time to watch the sunset. We ended off our day with steaks and chicken cooked by our guides, and had the treat of brownies and milk to end dinner, before tying the day up with Moonup.
We woke up early to breakfast cooked by our guides, with potatoes, eggs, sausage, and fruit salad. After a hearty breakfast we got onto the river again, this time led by Jackson and Martha. We had even more excitement this time around! Today instead of finishing with the toughest rapids we started with them! Not everyone stayed in their rafts for the journey! Margaret fell out of her boat in the heat of our biggest rapid, but was quickly pulled back in. After even more raging rapids, and Cerina and Maria getting soaked from sitting in the front of their boats, we finally finished the river and had lunch on the side of the river again. We celebrated getting through the rest of the rapids without any more incidents, and yet again dug into fresh fruit provided by our guides. We got back to camp, packed up and changed, and all packed into the van for a long scenic drive to Lake Tahoe. We took some breaks on the drive to soak up the scenic views in Nevada and California, and finally saw the breathtakingly large Lake Tahoe. Once we had arrived to the campsite, we got camp ready for bed, with Jackson and Martha once again leading the group in assembling our tents. We had dinner and moonup all before the sun set, out of an awareness for what we are told is Lake Tahoe’s large bear population. After watching the sunset, we settled into sleep.
After we slept in today and made breakfast, or I should say Janie, Cerina, Lachlan and Brett made pancakes for all of us! After Maria and Margaret helped clean up camp we got on the road to Sea Kayaking. We went kayaking out into Lake Tahoe and picnicked with our guides at a beach outlet with a beautiful scenic view of the lake. After that we beach hopped across a variety of different beaches in the area, and saw Bonsai Rock and Hidden Beach. We did some short hikes to reach the shore at these scenic viewpoints, and dipped our feet in. Plenty of us tanned, and Oliver, Lachlan, and Jackson got in some games of pickleball at the beach court. After a fun day at the beach we returned back to our campsite, and watched the sun set on Lake Tahoe as we filled out our postcards home, (And to our friends at HQ :)), and got ready for a dinner on the town! That’s everything so far, and we can’t wait to see you soon!
Oliver
Hey mom and dad, thank you so much for sending me on this trip! It has been so much fun and I can’t wait to see you again.
Lachlan:
Dear, Mom and Dad
I have had fun so far. Thank you for sending me on this trip I am very thankful do I have permission to buy a polo shirt at the airport tell me how John and Emmeline and John are doing I can not wait to come home and I most likely will watch free solo.
Jackson:
Hi mom and dad thank you so much for sending me on this trip I’m having so much fun! The stars are so great. P.S say hi to Max and Bruin please.
Martha:
Hey I miss y’all so much.I’m having so much fun.say hi to everyone for me.We are playing assassination.it’s so fun.
Cerina:
Hi mom and dad! Thank you so very much for sending me on this beautiful journey. I am beyond blessed and grateful that you had helped me pack, mentally prepare, and physically prepare. I love you so much and I always know when to say good night and good morning.😘
Brett:
Hi mom and dad! Thank you so much for sending me here, I am having so much fun and I’m so lucky I get to come here! Love you and can’t wait to see you in a few days!
Maria:
Hi mom and dad! I miss you guys so much. Thank you for sending me on this trip. I’ve made so many memories and friends I couldn’t be happier. I’m so grateful y’all gave me this opportunity. I can’t wait to see y’all!
Vivi:
Hi mom and dad!! I miss you guys so much! I am beyond grateful that you sent me on this trip because I have made so many friends, memories, and so much more. I cannot wait to see you soon! Love you guys so much and miss you sooo much!!💝💐
Janie:
Dear mom, dad, poppa, and nanny,
I am forever grateful for this once in a lifetime opportunity and that this allowed me to build life long memories. Thank you for allowing me to explore wilderness on so many different levels. I feel like I’m on top of the world at Moondance! I have reached every goal that I have set with the support of my new friends. We were all strangers to each other but now life long friends. I met two girls who live near us in Atlanta.Love y’all so much and can’t want to see everyone so soon!🥰💕❤️
Margaret
Hi mom and dad! I miss you guys sooooo much. Thank you so much for sending me on this trip. It is so much fun and I have met so many awesome people thanks to you. I’m thinking of you and hope y’all had the best Father’s Day ever. Love you.🩵
Good Morning from California!!
June 15, 2025
We have hit the ground running this summer and after picking everyone up from the airport we finally started on our adventure! We’ve had so much fun so far this summer and can’t wait to tell y’all all about it!
We ended our airport day with pizza, to everyone’s happiness, and started the next day with a morning full of surfing! We camped at Moon Crest Ranch, which had tons of goats, dogs, and chickens. We are very excited to go back at the end of the trip. When we got to the beach, Margaret was the first to stand up and hang 10! The water was cold, but the group recalled how fun it was. After surfing, we drove to Yosemite National Park and ended the day with setting up camp and cooking Mediterranean Bowls. This became a favorite! Jackson, the first Leader of the Day along with Maria, was awesome with helping with the food. Our camp, Oh Ridge, was right outside the park and was situated next to a lake.
The next morning, we took off into the park for a day hike. The hike was tough with the altitude and the heat, but the group prevailed and made it to the top! Oliver was incredibly positive and encouraged the group to keep going and make it it the top. Vivi showed leadership as well, leading the group up the mountain. We saw Nevada Falls and Vernal Falls. At the top, we had sandwiches. After the hike, we headed back to camp and made pesto pasta. The group noted that the hike was hard, but they were very proud of themselves and happy for their accomplishment. The chipmunks in the camp made themselves well known!
On our first day of climbing, we drove into Yosemite early and got right into the adventure by getting measured up, and hiking up to the climbing area on foot! Our instructors showed all of us how to properly belay each other, and climb safely, and we got right into the activity. Lachlan was one of the first to reach the top of one of our climbs, and on one of the hardest trails! Margaret was quick to gravitate instead to the rappelling, and was one of the first to brave the 70 foot descent! As the day progressed more and more of us helped each other climb, and Cerina and Martha really showcased their prowess as leaders of the day by making sure everyone had a chance to climb. Although it was a tough and long day, at the end Vivi, Brett, Maria, and Cerina showcased they were still ready for more, and decided to try rappelling and loved it! We finally packed up and headed out with our guides, back to our campsite just outside of Yosemite. We decided to take it easy for the afternoon and went down to the beach! We caught some sun, swam in the lake, and generally enjoyed the freedom! When we got back Jackson, Oliver, and Janie helped cook dinner, and took charge in cutting chicken, cooking tortillas, and making guacamole for taco night. After dinner we cleaned up, had some smore’s, and got to bed.
The next day was our second day of climbing and we started by watching the guides climb up where we would be climbing unassisted. After reassuring everyone we would not be doing the same, we finally got started on the days climb. Vivi took to the activity well, and after some time finished the hardest climb we could do, with some help from Cerina and Jackson who had done the same. Maria took her shot at different routes on the wall, cheered on by Janie and Brett. Martha displayed a love for climbing, and her and Jackson became our only two campers to be able to complete every climb! Oliver should be noted here too though, despite not completing every climb he did attempt every climb. Everyone showed a lot of resolve today, and every camper today got on the rock wall, even if they couldn’t complete every one of the routes. After climbing we descended down the mountain on smooth round cliff faces, and we had to rely on our traction to keep us steady as we looked out on the incredible view. Janie and Brett took charge in leading us down the mountain as leaders of the day, and started a fun snowball fight when we all reached safe ground! (Not kidding here, Yosemite still has a very noticeable amount of unmelted snow). That night for dinner we surprised the campers with dinner they got to pick from a local restaurant that had a blue grass band performing, and we enjoyed the performance while we ate. After the festivities we returned to our campsite where Janie and Brett led us again in Moonup, and got to sleep.
We woke up this morning to a nice slow day, and packed up our campsite while dealing with the local pest problem, chipmunks. Now unafraid of our presence the chipmunks raced around our campsite as we packed up. We spent a long day on the road, playing games in the car led by our Leaders for the day, Lachlan and Margaret, and looked out the windows at the beautiful vistas of Northern California. We got to our camp at the river for rafting, and set up camp and prepared for our days on the river tomorrow! We can’t wait to get started and make some more memories to tell y’all all about!
Until next time!
Ben + Folger + Harris
Lachlan- Dear Mom and Dad, I am having a fun time altogether. I am excited to come home and see you all, including John. And Memel in.
Maria- Hi guys camp is so much fun and i miss y’all a lot can’t wait to see y’all and tell y’all everything. So far we have been surfing, rock climbing and white water rafting. I love and miss y’all sooo much. Happy fathers day!
Jackson- Hi Mom and Dad, I have had a lot of fun surfing rock climbing and hiking the Nevada Falls on the Mist trail. I have lots of good videos and photos. Also, Happy Father’s Day. P.S Say hi to Sebby!
Martha- Hey Dad and Megan, we are having a great time, we hiked 6 miles and rock climbed and I climbed all 8 walls in the 2 days. Give Charlotte a huge hug and tell William I said hi. The food is so good, I get to cook. Happy Father’s Day, and tell Mama I said Happy birthday. Grandpa Rolin, Happy 80th!
Cerina- Hey Mom and Dad. I am having the best time ever! I have made so many new friends and so many new memories. I can’t wait to see you but I will miss the camp. I love you so much. Can’t wait to see you and Dad I hope you have a great Father’s Day, even though I am not there I love you with all my heart and I hope you know that!
Margaret- Hey, Mom and Dad. Camp is so much fun! Everyone is so nice and helpful. So far we have done surfing, rock climbing, and hiking. Today we are white water rafting, but I bet it’s not going to be like the Father Daughter Campout. On that note I hope that you have the best Fathers Day ever! I also hope Emily is having so much fun at camp and is excited, and I hope Owen is excited for his camp as well. I love y’all so much and can’t wait to see you!
Oliver- Hi guys! How are you doing? I saw your note mom, thanks for that, I read it a lot. I hope Pia had fun at her camp, and Nico and Dad had a nice few days by themselves. By the way, Happy Fathers Day dad! By the time you are reading this I think it will be Father’s Day. Currently it is day 7 out of 13 at the camp, and it has been a ton of fun! I really like the activities we are doing and the people I have met. Today (when I am typing this note) we are white water rafting, and tomorrow (probably when you are reading this) is also white water rafting. Jackson and I have hung out a lot and we made a new friend named Lachlan who is really nice (you might see him in some photos or videos). After that we are going to Lake Tahoe for a few days, then back to our first campsite which was my favorite. So far on the trip we have surfed, rock climbed, hiked(which was so much fun!). Also something I didn’t expect when I got here was the food to be this good, and all of us are always full. Anyways I tried to type a lot and I love you guys and I miss you! Bye! Also remember to show this message to Nico and Pia-
Vivi- Hi mom and dad! I miss you all so so much but I am having so much fun here. I have met so many new friends and we are already planning when we are meeting up again. I have ran in to Maggie and Madelyn often too and they are having so much fun but also so happy to see me. DAD I did not forget that it is Father’s Day! Happy Father’s Day and I love and miss you so much and cannot wait to give you a big hug! You too mom I love and miss you guys so much! Give Amelia a hug, give max a fist bump and give Winnie a huge hug (when she’s in my room of course) Love and miss y’all!
Janie- Hey Mom and Dad! Moondance is a blast and so far we have gone on a 5 mile hike, climbed multiple rock walls, surfed, and today and tomorrow I am going rafting!! We are at a really cool campsite right now, and earlier we were staying at the Yosemite national park! I ended up being put in a group with the girl who sat next to me on the plane. Also cooking duty is fun, and so is setting up tents during the travel days we have. So far we have traveled 15 hours on the road traveling across California. Anyways, HAPPY FATHERS DAY DAD!!! I LOVE YOU
Brett- Hi mom and dad! Moondance has been really fun so far and we have gone on a 6 mile hike, surfed, and rock climbed. The rock climbing was probably the hardest part. Today we are going white water rafting and this week we are doing stuff in Lake Tahoe and more surfing and another hike. Anyways i miss you guys and happy Father’s Day! Love Brett
Safe Arrival to California!
June 8, 2025
Hello California Families!
We heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely in San Francisco! 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 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
