Having A Blast In Hawaii
June 13, 2025
DAY 1 06/07
Airport day and Aloha to HWI 1A! The first flight arrival brought Graham, Lucas, James, and Maren to Kona, and everyone got to know each other quickly through card and dancing games. Cate arrived shortly after to join the early airport gang, who all ended up being troopers while waiting for everyone else to arrive. Still can’t believe every flight was early and even on time. The gang picked up pizza from Kona Crust and brought it back to the airport to enjoy with new arrivals Anna and Addison! Micah landed not long after and joined the crew, after having already met Addison and Anna in the HNL airport. Finally, Maezie, Parker, Lily, and William touched down in paradise! We loaded up the van and headed back to camp for our first night in Hawaii. Despite the little drizzle and long day, we had our first Moonup and got to know each other a little better. Then everyone was off to their tents for our first night of camping!
DAY 2 06/08
First full day down! We kicked off the morning by cooking some yummy breakfast burritos all together and feasted after a long travel day for everyone. We then made our way to Kona Salt Farms for our cooking class and tour! We learned all about how salt is created and produced in Kona, got to taste a wide variety of different salt flavors and then learned some important knife skills and chopped up some fresh vegetables for our meal. Everyone is stoked to show off their new culinary talents! We enjoyed a jicama salad, local island beef with carmelized onions, garlicky purple sweet potatoes, and papaya and banana with chocolate macadamia nut sauce for dessert! We then made our way to Hapuna beach for a swim and beach afternoon. Everyone took a dip in the Pacific Ocean, and the girls loved splashing in the waves while Micah provided the frisbee for the boys to have an epic game. We stopped at a local grocery store before heading back to camp to grab our key ingredient for dinner – locally caught Hawaiian tuna poké! After returning to camp we had a blast preparing the homemade poké bowls with the fresh tuna and chicken for those who weren’t feeling as adventurous. Cate impressed everyone by showing off her new knife skills while cutting the veggies for the meal. It was a day full of local food and expanding our comfort zone to include new foods we had never tried before!
DAY 3 06/09
First diving day at Jacks! Cate and Lily collectively bought a pink mermaid tail to fully become one with the fish. The certified crew of James, Anna, and Cate plus snorkelers Lily and Maezie took a refresher course and then explored Kona’s shops, beaches, and grabbed some local açaí bows! Most importantly, they took the time to decorate our van with adorable Moondance slang and Hawaiian sea creatures so we can represent in style all over the island now. The rest of the group spent the whole afternoon in the pool working on diving skills and learning how to breathe underwater safely! After we were all finished, the group headed to Magic Sands Beach and watched the boogie-boarders take on some huge waves while we played volleyball and frisbee. We then headed to Island Ono Loa Grill for our local food stop, since they allegedly have the 8th best burger in the world… The burgers and fries were certainly delish! Nate also spotted a peacock out the window on the drive up to the active volcano of Mauna Kea, where we witnessed a breathtaking view of the sunset above the clouds. The gang rallied together to have our first official dance under the full moon! Back at camp, our first LODs Cate and William led us through Moonup to debrief an amazing day!
DAY 4 06/10
Jam packed day! Woke everyone up with the sunrise and had a successful morning huddle led by LODs Maren and James. After everyone was ready and we played a hydration game, we loaded up the van and headed into town. We first got to Jacks and had breakfast in the parking lot. After that, Rachel drove the boat crew to the marina to load up on the dive boat! Cate, James, Anna and Janie did 2 boat dives and got to see a manta ray, octopus, and plenty of fish! Direct quote from James coming out of his first open ocean dive was “that was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen I think”. Lily and Maezie snorkeled with a guide from the boat at the first dive site and were able to see a local Hawaiian monk seal! Everyone fell asleep on the bow of the boat in between dives. The pool crew had a long but rewarding day of lessons and drills, but a little gelato and shaved ice lightened the mood. While the girls hung out enjoying each other’s company, the guys got a riveting game of beach volleyball going with some local kids. Graham’s killer serve allowed his team of Nate, Janie, and Parker to sneak out a close 11-10 victory against James, Micah, Lucas, and the local kids. Once it was time, we loaded up the van and headed back to camp in lifted spirits. Tents 2 and 4 helped out with cook crew and 1 and 3 cleaned it all up. We had a delicious meal of pesto chicken pasta, roasted zucchini, and Caesar salad, all thanks to Lily’s newfound chicken cooking skills and William as food runner. Once everyone got the shower situation figured out, the LODs led a deep and meaningful Moonup under the stars. After a light drizzle, everyone was off to bed and Anna, Lily, Maezie, and Maren cowboy camped under the stars in their enos!
DAY 5 06/11
Another early morning at Pueo Ridge Farms! Woke up with the sunrise to Under the Sea (James’ pick) and got ready quickly before heading into the van. We drove to the marina in town and dropped off Cate, Lily, Maezie, Anna, James, and Rachel for their second day of boat diving. We all munched on breakfast at the picnic tables. Once we had full stomachs for our long day, the rest of the crew headed over to Jack’s where they participated in their first dive briefing for their shore dive! We drove the van to Mile Marker 4 and the gang geared up on the side of the road and endured the treacherous walk with tanks to the shore, a whopping 25 yards. The crew had a blast diving in the ocean for the first time and not within the confines of the pool. Seeing fish while clearing your mask hits different! After they proved all their skills, we switched over tanks and they got back in again! This time around they worked on some of their underwater partner skills like sharing air. Addison pointed out an eel to the gang and they also spotted the state fish of Hawaii, the humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa. After successfully completing all their skills, they are now officially certified SCUBA divers! The Jacks instructors hit us with a sweet treat before heading back to their storefront to clean gear, eat lunch, and log their first dives in their new logbooks! In the meantime, the boat crew saw dolphins, a puffer fish, and sea turtles on their dives and to and from the dive sites. James the go getter knocked out two long dives from the boat with Rachel, and Anna and Cate dove once before joining Maezie and Lily swimming in the open ocean! Once the whole gang was reunited at Jack’s in the afternoon, we headed to Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park and climbed the trees on the beautiful serene beach. We were so lucky to see 3 green sea turtles, or honus as they’re known in Hawaii, swimming near the shore! The whole group was excited since sea turtles are high on everyone’s bucket list of sea animals. After loading back up in the van we headed back to camp and vibes were high before everyone dozed off! Back at camp, Micah, Maezie, Cate, and Addison cooked up some ground beef, veggies, and cheese for quesadillas and tacos – it was a hit with a bunch of toppings and everyone fueled up. Tents 2 and 4 cleaned it all up! Once everyone was showered and clean, Anna and Parker led us through Moonup in a new spot in the circle of lounge chairs at camp under the stars! The group hung out for a while after, and Anna, Maren, Maezie, and Lily slept in their enos once again.
Maezie: having fun! Happy Father’s Day!
Lily: happy fathers day I am having fun miss you I am in Hawaii bye love you
Cate: hi everyone!! We are having so much fun!! Happy Father’s Day dad!! Love y’all and miss y’all so much!!
Anna: hi everyone!! I am having a blast and love Hawaii! Happy Father’s Day hope you have a great day dad! Love y’all so much and miss y’all!!
James: Hey Mom and Dad! I am having so much fun in Hawaii and have made such great friends. 2 of the guys on the trip are from Charlotte so we can even hang out after Moondance. By the time you are reading this we will be on our way to Kauai after being on Kona for around 6 days. I miss you guys so much and happy Father’s Day to the best dad in the whole wide world.
Maren: hey miss y’all I’m having fun I scuba dived today. And happy Father’s Day
Addison: Greetings family and happy Father’s Day day!! I am having the best time ever and I am not sunburned!!!!! Love and miss y’all! See y’all soon!
Parker: Hey dad it’s Parker I’m having a great trip and have made a bunch of friends so far. Just got my scuba license and went 57 feet deep and saw some really cool fish. I’m having a ton of fun, tell mom everything I said. And happy Father’s Day love you.
Lucas: hey mom and dad I’m having a lot of fun. We just went scuba diving and I got certified officially today. Tomorrow we leave to the second island where we stay on the beach. Happy Father’s Day dad, see you soon,
Graham: hey mom and dad, we have been scuba diving all week and just got scuba certified. I am having a lot of fun over here . And happy Father’s Day dad.
Micah: Hello mom and dad, happy birthday to dad and Asher. Today I finished my scuba class and got my certification. It has been really great so far + making friends. I’m halfway through and it has been flying by, see you guys soon. 👋
William: hey mom and dad, just finished my diver certification and swam through some old lava tunnels. I’m having fun here, miss you.😘
Safe Arrival!
June 8, 2025
Hello Hawaiian Islands Families!
We heard from our leaders this morning that the group has landed safely in Kona! 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
