Waves, Wonder, and One Last Moonup
July 25, 2025
For the final time, Hi Cal C families!!
14 days later….we have rafted down the American River, climbed in Tuolumne meadows in Yosemite national park, hiked to Nevada Falls, seen El Cal in person, kayaked in the crystal clear water in Lake Tahoe, driven all around Northern California, and finally, surfed epic waves in Pacifica. What we have learned from each other, the outfitters, and our experiences will be carried with us for years to come.
Francis Beach, the final campsite of our journey, sat right next to the water. The sunsets were gorgeous, and the sea breeze came swiftly to our site. On our first day of surfing, we were greeted by sunny blue skies and beautiful barrels in the water. With excitement, we all ran into the water and body surfed a couple of waves to warm up. We then met back up with our guides, reviewed a few safety procedures, and learned how to stand up on the boards. The next time we entered the water, we were fully equipped with the skills we needed to shred some waves. By the end of the day, every single kid got up on their board at least once! Piper caught a line, which meant she turned her board sideways and followed the wave as it crashed down the beach. We all saw Evie catch a wave and then turn around and hit us with a Shaka too! After a long day of getting acquainted with the water, we all dried off and went for an ice cream break at one of our favorite spots, Mitchell’s. This is an old-fashioned ice cream spot located near Downtown SF. The vintage flair and homey vibe paired perfectly with our delicious ice cream. We then headed back to camp, and Kent grilled some burgers. After eating the yummy dinner, we had a dance party! Libby, Charlotte, Walker, and Elizabeth initiated a dance circle, and we all pulled out some sweet moves in the middle. Other people at the campsite walked by and started dancing with us. We went down to the beach at the campsite, and the kids ran up and down the sand. While I was watching them, I saw dolphins swimming in the distance. The sun was setting, and it was the perfect end to the day. We went back to the beach later that night because it was a great spot for Moonup.
Our second day of surfing (also the last day of the trip) might have been our best. It was hard to top the first day’s weather, but we were pleasantly surprised with some huge waves once we got in the water. We learned about sets of waves and how to paddle out in a channel so that you don’t get too tired. The kids picked up right where they left off the day before and immediately caught major waves. Alex was a natural, barely having to paddle and standing up right away! Oliver tried out riding the waves with the “great white” surfboard, which could hold up to 4 people! We were amazed by the kids’ abilities in surfing, as they were truly naturals. The outfitters also made a comment to me about how respectful the kids were during the lesson and how much they appreciated it.
After surfing we took a much needed break at the Taco Bell Cantina on the beach, all enjoying Baja blast freezes. It was Henry’s first time at Taco Bell, so we were happy to make his first time extra special! Once we were fueled up, we drove across the Golden Gate Bridge to admire its size. We then took a shopping trip to goodwill to get dressed up for our banquet. Jack even found a Star Wars Darth Vader Machu Picchu shirt which made us all laugh.
On the first day of the session, we came to Golden Gate Park to chill and play tag. Today, on the final day of the session, we returned to the park, reminiscing on our time together and appreciating the community we have created. Not too much has changed; Smith and Bubba are throwing the football and others are exploring the playground, but this time we know each other so much more and have a stronger understanding of the values of Moondance.
We couldn’t have asked for a better end to the summer, and we will miss all of the kids dearly! The kids made the everyday moments so much fun. We are so proud of them for living in the moment, adapting to change, and having great attitudes the whole way through. These Cali memories are bound to last a lifetime!
Moonbeam ice cream,
Gray, Mimi, and Kent
Thank You's!
July 21, 2025
Jack: Thank you For sending me to moon dance it is so fun here I miss you guys
Henry: hey mom and dad thanks for sending me to Moondance California is so pretty and I’m loving the activity’s Love you
Oliver: Hello mom and dad thank you for sending me here I am having so much fun I miss you.
Smith: hey mom and dad thank yall so much for sending me here I have had a blast so far and we are surfing soon I can’t wait to see yall and dad thank you for everything you did to get me here love yall
Bubba: hey mom and dad I am having such a great time thank you so much for taking me I would love to do it next year love yall
Alex: Hello, I would like to say that I really appreciate that you sent me on this trip. I am having the best time and nothing is negative all the parlor and leaders that I have met so far are great. If I had to say I would come back nest year. Thank you
Evie: Hey mom and dad!! Cali is so much fun and I love it here!! We have done kayaking,hiking,rock climbing, and white water rafting!! I miss yall and tell Trey I said hi and I miss him! I love yall so much! See you when I get back!! 💕
Walker: Hay Mom and Dad! Thank you so much for sending me to California! It is so much fun! We have already done kayaking, white water rafting, hiking, and climbing! I love you so much! See you soon!
Charlotte:Hey mom thank you so much for sending me one this trip I’m having so much fun and we have been doing climbing kayaking and rafting I am glad I’m here and love you so much. I miss you 😘
Libby: hi mom and dad!! Thank you SK much for sending me on this trip I’m having so much fun and I miss yall!!! Love you!
Elizabeth: hey mom and dad!!! Thank you sooo much for much for sending me on this trip I’ve had SO much fun and miss yall! Love you!
Piper: Thank you so much for sending me here. I’m have so much fun! Love y’all!
California Dreaming!!
July 21, 2025
Hello again Cal 3C families!
Since our last trip update, we have been having the best time in Yosemite! When we got to the campsite after our day of traveling, we cheffed up a taco bar with all of the fixings! Austin loved being able to build his own tacos! We also got to make a fire, which led to s’mores of course. The kids cracked us up with a game of chubby bunny using the leftover marshmallows. The kids also loved this campsite because they could set up their hammocks. We had an early night because the next morning we woke up early before our first day of rock climbing. We headed into Yosemite and the kids were stunned by the views on the drive. The first day of climb all of the kids learned how to tie-in with a double figure eight knot and they learned how to belay safely. Our guides, Char and Drew, were amazing teachers and made the group so excited to tackle the climbs! The kids were naturals and they all were engaged with hyping up the people climbing as well! Drew also set up rappelling for us, which was Jack’s favorite! After we were done for the day, we headed to Tenaya Lake where we could lay on the beach, swim, and eat our lunch. At one point I looked over and Smith had buried Bubba’s body in sand up to his neck! After the beach we went back to the campsite for a dinner of fried rice, chicken skewers, and green beans! We always brag that dinner never misses, and the kids agree. The second day included crack climbing, a different style of climb than we did on the first day. Piper showed a lot of resilience on one of the hardest routes and made it to the top! We went back to the lake, where Elizabeth, Charlotte, and Evie made it a goal to get some good tan lines! The next day we woke up the earliest we have the whole trip so that we could drive to the valley in Yosemite to conquer the Nevada Falls hike! We walked along the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls, and the trail lives up to its name. It was a hot day, so the mist of the waterfall was an added gift alongside the gorgeous views! Henry especially loved the view and posed for some cool pictures with the waterfall in the background! After hanging at the top of Vernal Falls we made our way up to the top of Nevada Falls. As a morale boost on the way up we circled up and went around one by one and made a silly sound that we have never made before. Alex also broke out his pit vipers for the first time so that we could get to the top in style! It had the group laughing and upped the mood before taking on the steep uphill that made up the last stretch of the way up. Once we got up to the top we celebrated our accomplishment with a big bag of candy and swimming in the cold creek. The way down was much easier, and we got to explore the Yosemite store in Curry Village afterwards! The kids loved getting some Yosemite merch, including Oliver who got a cool shirt! We knew that dinner that night had to be extra good after those many miles, so we made sourdough grilled cheeses with bacon and tomato soup on the side! We made sure that every grilled cheese featured a cheese pull. We emphasized how helpful a positive attitude is before the hike, and the kids really pulled through with great mindsets throughout the whole day! We are so proud of them and their hard work!
What a special trip this has been so far, and we still have more activities to go! Yesterday, we drove around Lake Tahoe to get to our campsite. The awestrucking views took everyone’s breath away. Today, we got the opportunity to kayak about 4 miles in North Lake Tahoe! Each person was paired up in a double kayak. Walker and Alex were excellent partners, working together to paddle simultaneously and also be secretive splashers! We stopped at a nearby beach for a quick lunch and we all got an opportunity to swim and lay out on the beach. Libby even tried out some cool sunscreen sun tattoo design! After working hard on the lake, we spent some time in Kings beach, shopping, finding trinkets, eating ice cream, and getting to know more about Tahoe. The kids are getting closer and closer and we love watching them form such great friendships. We finished our day with a delicious Greek meal; gyro pitas with tzatziki, feta, tomatoes, olives, and all the fix ins! The tail end of the trip is sure to be awesome and we could not have asked for a better group of kids to share our last session of the summer with.
Here’s to California dreamin’!
Mimi, Kent, and Gray
Good Mornin from California!!
July 17, 2025
Hi CAL C families!! We jumped right into the thick of things over here in Cali! On airport day, the group headed straight to Camp Lotus, which sits right next to the American River. While waiting for some flights to get in later in the day, we took the group to a park in San Francisco and played a big game of tag. It was a great way to get to know each other! We also got a volleyball and a football for the kids, which they absolutely loved. During the first night of camp, it is a staple to have a comforting pizza dinner. We found a fantastic spot on the way to campsite and it was a hit! As we finally reached the campsite, we laid out our sleeping pads and bags, had our first nightly Moonup, named Evie and Henry our Leaders of the day (LODs) for tomorrow, and slept under the stars. On day 1 we could already tell that this group is filled with awesome, kind, helpful, and inclusive kids!!!
Jet lag woke the kids up pretty early, so we started cooking the egg, bacon, and cheese sandwiches quickly! We set out for the river soon after- everyone was stoked! Our guides, Ronin, Chase, and Carly, were so welcoming and got the kids excited to hit some awesome waves. The courageous Jack took on huge splashes in the front row seat. Some of the fan favorite class III rapids were “Hospital Bar,” “Satan’s cesspool,” and “Lost hat.” Each one had its own special story and reason for its name. One of our guides, Ronin, took us to a safe and slow part of the river and we got to do a raft flip! The kids absolutely loved it and Kent even got to try to flip it back up. We all had to shift to one side of the raft and pull a rope in order to flip it. The kids that chose to participate in this thought it was the most fun part of the day! After working hard out on the river all day, we were rewarded with a home cooked meal by our outfitter! Steak, Chicken, pasta, garlic bread, and brownies! Our first full day ended with games and Moonup, of course. Oliver, Walker, and Henry participated in an intense game of cards.
The morning of Day 3 was blessed with another meal from our Outfitter- eggs, potatoes, sausage, coffee cake, and hot chocolate! We shuttled to the take in for the upper section of the South fork of the American. Our first rapid, “Meatgrinder,” was highly anticipated. A couple minutes in, Charlotte and Austin were swimming in the rapid, smiling! They had perfect river protocol, and swam to shore safely. After those wild few minutes, we strongly paddled down the rest of the Class IIIs and had a delicious sandwich lunch back at All Outdoors. Back at our campsite, we have direct river access and a small beach. Everyone spent some time relaxing by the water and testing the water current in fun ways. Elizabeth, Libby, Piper, Jack, and Alex challenged themselves by attempting to get to a rock in the middle of the current! We loved seeing them all hang out together and take advantage of the beautiful nature around us. While some decided to sleep in tents, we still had some brave souls cowboy camp every night, including Smith and Bubba! Chili Mac and Brussels sprouts werer tonight’s dinner, and a big hit! Hopefully we lived up to the kid’s expectations after the All Outdoors dinner. One of the best parts of the day was playing a group wide game of manhunt. We split into teams and hid all throughout Camp Lotus. Some people’s tactic was to stay close to the base and sprint instantly, while others hid in their spot for a little while (that was me and Evie whoops!). It was such a fun way to burn that last little bit of energy before bed and hang out all together!
Today, we head to Yosemite National Park! We have had an incredible time so far and the kids bonded quickly through rafting, playing volleyball, and van rides. They have shown leadership, kindness, and curiosity for adventure. We will update y’all about our adventures there soon, but for now we sit back and relax in the van, taking song recommendations and slurping on 7/11 slushees.
Nugs to manhunt!
Gray, Mimi, and Kent
shoutouts:
Jack- i love you mom and dad thank you for sending me
Alex- I miss you guys and i am having a great time. I really loved whitewater rafting and all the meals. See you then
Smith- hey mom and dad thank yall so much for sending me i’m having a blast so far we have white water rafted and it was really fun love yall
Austin- hey mom and dad i am having a great time it’s so fun with smith but. dad we gotta come out here and mtb its looks like it would be awesome the ground is all clay. mom it’s really fun but lemme know abt my surron dad love yall so much
Oliver- hey mom thank you for letting me come here i am having so much fun
Henry- hey mom and dad it’s so beautiful here and I’m having a great time it’s looks like an amazing place to mtb we just finished white water rafting and I had a great time thank for sending to this amazing camp
Walker- hey mom and dad! I miss y’all so much!! I am having fun and California is a beautiful place. I hope you are having fun in Jackson Hole. We just finished white water rafting and now we are driving to Yosemite to climb. I love you and miss you so much!!
Charlotte- hey mom and dad i’m having so much fun here thank you so much. we went water rafting yesterday and i fell out on a class three called meat grinder. i’m ok I’m in the car right now driving to where we are going to climb. i hope button is ok. I love y’all so much and can’t wait to see you. love you and i hope carline is having fun at her job. love you.
Piper- Hey guys!! I’m having lots of fun and making lots of friends. I hope y’all are having fun to and cannot wait to see you in Michigan!! Also make sure Boo has lots of walks pleaseee and let me drive the boat when i get back and ask ella about wake surfing and say hi to john h. Love y’all!!
Libby- hi mom and dad!!! i’m having so much fun and making a lot of friends. so far we have been water rafting yesterday and the day before. also one of my nails already chipped 😔 so i hope i can get them done when i get back😄🙏🏼 also tell lucy that i want to go to her lake house hehe and tell all my friends that i miss them. when i get back i want teddy to take me to starbucks cause i miss him kinda ok byeeee, love yall
Evie- Hey mom and dad!! i miss y’all so much and thank you for sending me i’m having the best time and i’ve met so many friends! i hope y’all are having the best time in France. Hey Aunt neen and Uncle rick! i miss y’all so much and I am missing solbowls so much but tell all the girls that i said hiii!! Hey nana and pop! i miss y’all and when we get back i will definitely be playing Mexican dominoes haha!! We also saw skunks 🦨 but i am having the best time with the best group i love y’all!💕
Elizabeth- hey mom and dad! i’m having SO much fun and i love my group! we have all bonded so well. so far we have done whitewater rafting and it was sooo cool! i miss yall so much and tell everyone at the lake that i said hi. I love you guys so much!!! ps: my ear feels much better💗
Safe Arrival in San Francisco!
July 14, 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
