Rapids, Rivers, and BURGERSSSS
July 8, 2025
What a great end to the trip! Since our last trip update we have been living it up in Camp Lotus! We had a two day rafting trip on the American South Fork River, which featured some pretty gnarly rapids. We started the first day with some introductory class 1 and class 2 rapids to get the hang of things and learn how to work as a team in the raft. Our awesome guides, Sophia and Charlotte, taught us the ropes. During a brief lunch intermission, they laid out a gourmet sandwich spread including homemade hummus, homemade pickled onions, and a wide array of meats and cheeses. After lunch, we were able to tackle some class 3 rapids. Ruby was fearful of these at first but embraced the challenge that the class 3s brought. They did feel some hesitation about the rapid named “hospital bar”, but were fine once Charlotte told us that it was actually named that only because there used to be a hospital along that part of the river. That night, the outfitters cooked an amazing steak and chicken dinner. Elle even got to help out with making the brownies for dessert using a dutch oven! The next day, after we put on our BB SS (Banana Boat sunscreen – Gray’s abbreviation that the kids loved) we tackled some more class 3 rapids. After braving some more difficult rapids, the kids took turns “riding the bull” in the front of the raft. Hunt was waiting for this moment the entirety of our rafting section. It was a true test of our teamwork as a boat. Everyone smiled and laughed through the tough rapids and the experience really brought everyone together. Although the water was a bit chilly, almost everyone got in and let themselves float down the ‘lazy river.’ The landscape of rolling yellow hills and green bushes was truly so serene.
After our second day of Rafting, we hit the road back to Half Moon Bay. We were delighted to find a final campsite right on the beach! We cooked up a Fettuccine Alfredo dinner and talked about all the fun rapids we went down. It feels like just yesterday we were setting up for our first night of camp at the ranch nearby. Our next morning we were back to Pacifica State Beach for a second day of surfing, and we were lucky to be greeted with incredible weather! This meant that the kids had the opportunity to paddle out into deeper water and shred even bigger waves. Paddling out that far can be tough, especially when trying to get past the ‘set’ of waves coming in. Monroe was one of the last people to come in from surfing, taking on the waves with gusto and strength!
Before dinner, we stopped by Goodwill to curate the perfect outfits for the night. Whit was the most creative, as he found leopard print high heels and a purple suit. Additionally, Monroe made an entrance with his brand new, bright blue mini tricycle, while Finley and AL strutted in their cozy snuggies. Our last meal together, banquet dinner, was at the highly requested In-and-Out! The kids were beyond excited to get double-doubles, animal-style fries, shakes, and even some merch! While we waited, AL, Lucy, and Blakely even taught me some TikTok dances. While the food is outstanding, the best part is seeing everyone’s face in the restaurant when we walk in with our hilarious clothes. During our final moon-up, we recounted the funniest moments from the trip. Some examples of these included: cringe off competitions, funny encounters with people in a gas station, a race prompted by an outgoing ‘coach’ at our local food stop, and long conversations in the van during road trips. Realistically, two weeks is not a lot of time, but this group made every single day count and cherished our time together. Thank you to Lucy, Hunt, Whit, Finley, AL, Blakely, Monroe, Elle, and Ruby for allowing us to share our summer with them and for being incredible!
WLYSM (we love y’all so much),
Gray, Kent, and Mimi
Happy FOJ from Cali!
July 4, 2025
Happy happy Fourth of July!
Since our last update, we have immersed ourselves in Yosemite National Park, climbing, hiking, and exploring. We were so impressed with everyone’s attitude during the 8-mile Nevada Falls Hike. The highly populated trail has a tough incline to get to the top of Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls, but it has the most outstanding views. Typically we take the route via Mist trail, but it was blocked off due to rock fall and repair. This was no biggie. The group took a detour, which added some mileage, but did not put a damper on their positivity and excitement for the hike. We brought out some nerds gummy clusters (a fan favorite) during the first big lookout around mile 2. The small energy kick pushed them to continue to the top of Vernal Falls. Our lunch by the falls featured special guest chipmunks that loveee to hang out with visitors. Continuing up, Nevada Falls followed a steep section of switchbacks to reach the peak. Again, everyone conquered them like they do the stair stepper at the gym every single day. Absolutely incredible! One of my favorite parts of the day was when everyone took a cold plunge at the top of Nevada Falls, taking in the views and all of their hard work. As an additional reward, we stopped at a local food truck in June Lake called “La Parilla.” Burritos, quesadillas, chicken fingers, grilled cheese, you name it. Not only was the food delicious, but achieving something difficult AND eating a yummy meal with your best friends wrapped up the day perfectly.
Not only is hiking in Yosemite remarkable, but climbing in Yosemite brings the beauty of the rocks straight to your fingertips. We spent 2 days rock climbing with the Yosemite Mountaineering School. Every single person got up on the wall and practiced rappelling! Our guides on the first day, Garrett and Mark, taught the kids so much about how to repel, the best footwork techniques on the rock, and popular rocks in Yosemite. All the kids also learned how to tie the rope onto their harness with a double-figure eight knot. Some people even doubled up on the rappelling which made it even more fun! A highlight from the day was Kent and Monroe climbing “Battle of the Bulge,” which required a rappel down and a 120 ft climb up. Whew! We got amazing photos of everyone conquering the climbs. Garrett even climbed up and got some action pictures from above. Special shout out to Hunt for facing his fear of heights and pushing himself to climb to the top! The second day of climbing brought more excitement, with people speed climbing up the easier routes we took on. Monroe was the fastest up the rock, and kept going again and again and beating his own PR. After both days of climbing, we went to Tenaya Lake in Yosemite to jump in the water, tan, eat lunch, and enjoy the beautiful views and clear water!
We have cheffed up some scrumptious dinners in the past couple of days, including personal pita pizzas one night and sourdough grilled cheeses with tomato soup and brussel sprouts the next. Both of these dinners brought some epic cheese pulls. Lucy’s cheese pull on her pizza was extra impressive. This morning, the 4th of July, we woke the kids up to a special breakfast of pancakes with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, berries, and sprinkles! Ann Lanier decorated pancakes that spelled out U.S.A. with all of the fixings we had. Finley and Blakely also specially made some pancakes in the shape of a star.
In general, the group has been getting closer and closer as the days go on. We have shared belly laughs through cringe-offs with Whit winning the most laughs, dance parties with Elle and Ruby’s moves shining above the rest, and long moon-ups at the end of the night. The kids are really buying into this experience, learning a lot, and bonding with the whole group. We are so grateful for them and are so excited for the last couple of days of the trip! We are heading to the American River to celebrate the 4th and go whitewater rafting for a couple of days! Tonight we will go to a local fairground to grill, play games, and watch a firework show!
To infinity and waffles!
Mimi, Gray, Kent
Shout-Outs!
Finley-hey mam and dad! I hope the lax tournament went well. Make sure Alec and hunter are being well behaved. I’m having the best time here. Have the best time in nc! I’m so thankful for this trip. Thank you! – Finley
AL- hey mom and dad! thank you so much for letting me come on this trip!! im having so much fun and im making so many good memories!! love you and miss you guys and hope u are taking good care of mousse and maya!! see you soon! happy 4th!! – ann lanier
Ruby- to mom and dad: I love you both so much and wanted to thank you for letting me go on this life changing experience. U guys are the best and can’t wait to share my memories with you. Love you. Rubyyyyy
Whit-hey mom! I’m so thankful that you let me come on this trip. It is one of the coolest experiences ever, and I’ve had a great time. I’m so excited to get home and tell you about my trip.love, Whit
Monroe-hey mom and dad, I hope that yall are having a good time in Nashville. Please make sure teddy is home when I get back. And make sure to schedule the fishing trip, I’m so excited for that. Thank you so much for sending me to Moondance! Love Monroe
Hunt- Hey mom and dad, what’s up. Im having a blast doing activities and just chilling. I love yall so much and I hope maxi gets some love while im gone. -hunt
Elle- Hi mom and dad! I just want to thank you for letting me come on this trip. It has been so fun seeing all the beautiful places in California. You guys are so amazing and the best parents ever. I’m having so much fun and all the activities are awesome! I hope yall are having fun too! Overall thank you so much and love you!!💕💕
Lucy-hi mom and dad! thank you so much for letting me come on this Moondance trip and make all of these amazing memories! it has been so fun and I have made so many new friends and learned so much! i am so thankful and grateful for being able to experience California and I love yall so much!! see yall in 5 days, love lucy
Blakley- To my mom and dad: Hi! I am having a lot of fun. Thank y’all so much for sending me on this trip. It has been an amazing experience. Happy Fourth of July, it feels so weird not being in monteagle! Tell everyone I say hi and am sad I couldn’t see them. We are on our way to the American River after leaving Yosemite. See yall in 4 days! Love yall, Blakley
Peace, Love, and Mangoes
June 30, 2025
What a blast we have had so far! On our first night we made the short drive to our first campground, Mooncrest Valley Ranch, where our host Brendan introduced us to his lovely home and farm animals. After quickly meeting his four Pigme goats and extremely sweet guard dog, Cypress, we all enjoyed playing kickball, sharing fun facts, and an intense 6 vs 6 soccer game! We then gathered around a campfire and had comforting pizza for dinner.
Our first full day included a slow morning, bacon egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches, and sailing in the San Francisco Bay. Before sailing, we did a nice and easy hike along the coast. This was a great opportunity for the kids to tell riddles and get to know each other. We stopped for a break and played some games (birdie on a perch was a favorite) that helped break the ice! The route our captain took sailed us right under the Golden Gate Bridge. For the entirety of the trip, Elle and Ruby bravely sat at the front of the boat, taking on the wind like champs! Our first night and first moon up introduced the group to the values of Moondance and what the session will hold. Our first Leaders of the Day (LODs), Whit and Finley were named to lead the group in activities and maintain positivity for the following day!
Located right next to an enticing Taco Bell in the sand, our surfing outfitter waited for us the next morning! We body surfed as a wake up in the cold pacific, then got on our boards and progressed to riding waves on our stomachs, and finally our feet. The swell was around 3-4 feet, and the kids bravely battled the waves as they treaded out to catch waves. They all impressed us all so much by working so hard to get up! We then hopped in our van to be surprised with a broken A/C unit :). Despite our minor setback, we rolled the windows down and hit the road to Tahoe, not letting it put a damper on our day. Practicing staying positive and persevering through the heat was a great lesson for the kids as well. They instead focused on song recommendations for a good aux the whole ride there. Ann Lanier especially loved when we played anything Megan Moroney. Do not worry, we quickly got it fixed and it is working now! We were extremely grateful for the brisk and cool weather when arriving at our Tahoe campsite. After setting up our tents, we tried out a new Caprese salad recipe and some of the kids loved it! Shoutout Monroe and Blakely!
The beautiful Lake Tahoe sits right next door to our campsite. Over the two days spent here, we have kayaked, paddle boarded, visited the town of Tahoe City, and hiked Maggies’ Peaks. During our kayaking section, Hunt and Lucy bravely took solo kayaks and pushed through sore arms on our 3 mile round trip! Halfway, we took a break on a rock beach for lunch where we caught crawfish in the water and skipped rocks. The kids also took turns painting designs on each other with sunscreen! Our guide Zach ended the day filling us in on some awesome facts about Tahoe and the surrounding land. The town day consisted of CVS stops (their favorite), shopping in local outfitters, and also getting delicious ice cream. The following day, we relaxed a bit more on the water, paddle boarding around the coastline. We played games in the water, but took no shortage of lounge time, laying on the boards in the sun and using the lake to cool off. The kids loved this relaxing activity, but in the back of their heads, they were prepping for our hike to Maggies’ Peaks near South Lake Tahoe. We were so proud of the group for pushing through the quick elevation gain and tough moments on the hike! We made sure to stop halfway for a swim in the crystal clear Granite lake conveniently placed halfway up the hike. While we found amazing views of Tahoe and a Granite lake from the peak, Whit also found some amazing sunglasses! With new shades and a worn out group, we celebrated their achievement with a build your own taco bowl night with homemade guacamole. We also celebrated with a surprise stop for gelato on the way back. The group has bonded immensely throughout these first 5 days! From talks in the van and at campsites, playing around with the guitar, belly laughing during moonup, skipping rocks, and chubby bunny challenges, we cannot wait to spend the rest of the session together!
Peace, love, and mangoes (their favorite)
Gray, Mimi, and Kent
Finley- Hey mom and dad! I’m have the best time. We’ve had great food and once we went to Taco Bell. Love yall bye!
Hunt- Hey mom and dad, I’m having a blast at Moondance. I really enjoyed surfing and just hanging out with new friends. I can’t wait to see yall, Love you both so much!
Lucy-hey mom and dad I’m having a lot of fun at camp. I love yall bye!
Elle- Hey mom and dad! Having a great time and the food is awesome! Tell Heaton I say hi! Love you.
Ruby- hiii mom and dad and siblings Just kidding I’m having a great time and sooo much fun, it’s truly incredible and an amazing experience. The food is actually really good and they have a guitar to. We are about to head over to Yosemite and have a crazy time Love u miss u – Ur favorite child Rubyyyyy
Blakley- Hi guys. I’m having a lot of fun. We’ve been to half moon bay then Lake Tahoe. Now we’re going to Yosemite. Yesterday we did a really long hike. We also got to go into town in Tahoe that was fun. We’ve done hiking, surfing, kayaking, and paddle boarding. Paddle boarding in Lake Tahoe was my favorite so far. Bye love yall.
Whit- Hey mom and dad, I am having an amazing time on this trip. We went surfing and it was awesome! I also caught a crawfish and fed it to the goose. One last thing is we found a dog named jose beef
Monroe- hey mom and dad, I just got back from the walk in clinic and everything is an easy fix!! I am having a lot of fun and can’t wait to go white water rafting. We went surfing and it was freezing but really fun and after I got a huge baja blast! And we just went hiking and dad would have loved it it had amazing views! Love yall
AL- hey mom and dad!! moondance is so much fun!! i got up in surfing and I got a large baja blast!! can’t wait to see yall, love yall bye!!
Safe Arrival!
June 27, 2025
Hello California Families!
The group landed safely, and the trip is off to a great start. We are thrilled to hear more stories as they embark on 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
