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Hawaiian Islands 1B • June 7-June 20, 2025

Aloha from Kauai!

June 12, 2025

We have had an amazing, action-packed few days getting to know each other and experiencing the beauty of Kauai. On day one, we started out strong in the Lihue airport with multiple rounds of hacky sack. Saige was our first arrival, and she was a trooper hanging out with us in the airport and passing the time with our favorite riddles. We had a pizza party while the rest of the group rolled in and then headed off to our first campsite. As the crew had a very long travel day, we made sure that they got some good rest before waking up early the next day!

The next morning, we woke up bright and early and enjoyed some breakfast prior to our incredible van ride through Waimea Canyon on the southern coast of Kauai. Once we arrived at Secret Beach, the group trekked down a dirt path to find beautiful waves crashing over the rocks that lay on the beach. On the way to the ocean, the crew had to run through the hot sand to find a perfect swimming spot in the ocean! Henry showed off his impeccable body surfing skills, as the rest of the group followed in his footsteps. After swimming in the waters off the beach, we found a small lagoon to wash off all of the sand, where Preston met his new friend, Buck the dog! Later, we found a cozy spot under some native trees to have our first lunch as a group. Once we were ready to roll, the crew hiked back up the steep trail to prepare ourselves for a wonderful time ziplining in the center of the island! Maggie and Springer led the group, while Cabot went to pick up Otis from the Airport! Our amazing outfitters gave us a tour of the grounds, showing us where several famous movies, such as Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones, were filmed! We went on three exhilarating ziplines through the amazing scenery, with a pit stop at a secluded pond, where we went on a rope swing, a leap of faith, and a water zipline. Preston even got to showcase his pull-up skills on the water zipline before belly flopping into the water. The crowd favorite was the Superman zipline, where we went headfirst down Hawaii’s longest zipline! Jackson even had the courage to go upside down on the pendulum zipline! As the first arrivals were having a blast experiencing the exhilarating ziplines, Cabot welcomed Otis by stopping at a local ice cream shop. After the long ziplining tour, the group finally came together as one. After ziplining, we prepared burrito bowls for the first dinner, which everyone loved!

We hit the road at the crack of dawn the next morning and headed to our first day of surf lessons at the beautiful Hanalei Bay. Right as we arrived, a double rainbow appeared over the beach, and the first group hit the waves! Everyone absolutely crushed it, catching so many waves and trying new tricks. Robert was able to impress the group and even the guides with his headstands, while catching the waves, where Emory was also able to ride the waves all the way to the beach! While the first group was out surfing, Springer took the rest to a local town to experience the culture of Kauai, stopping at a small market, where they all got smoothies! Once we switched the groups, the first surfers went to a local breakfast restaurant, where we were all very impressed with the options on the menu. After surfing, we had a relaxing beach day, which consisted of a spikeball tournament and pasta with chicken for dinner.

Thanks to the plentiful roosters around camp, we were woken up bright and early. After some oatmeal for breakfast, we headed straight for our morning hike on the Nualolo Trail. We hiked along the Na Pali coast, which was absolutely beautiful, and our awesome guide taught us about the local plants and animals along the way. On the hike up, it began to rain, causing the trail to get a little muddy, but Grace’s contagious laugh kept the group’s spirits high during the whole hike. The rain cleared just in time for us to make it to the end of the hike and see the astounding Na Pali coastline. We ate lunch at the top and took in the amazing view. The rain started again on our hike back, but everyone persevered, kept great attitudes, and we made it out of the rainforest! After the long, muddy hike, we surprised the kids with McDonald’s… or as Preston likes to call it, “Don’s” for a little treat and headed back to camp. The kids made a bracket to kick off a spike ball tournament where Libby showcased her impressive skills, diving through the sand to hit game-winning shots. Maggie and Ty ended up defeating Preston and Ella in a nail-biting championship round. Then Julie and Robert helped cook some cheeseburgers, Mac n cheese, and watermelon for dinner, with Preston giving high praise as the best burger he’s ever had. We headed back down to the beach, where we saw a local bonfire before having Moonup. We talked about dream cars and million-dollar ideas, with Ty and Ella giving some unique ideas of scented sunscreen and candle-shaped gummy candies!

On day five, we woke up to a beautiful sunrise on the beach. After breakfast, we headed back to our second day of surf lessons! The waves today were a little bigger, and the kids got to put their skills to the test. In the first group, Springer and Ella were the last men standing, catching every wave they could. We then came back and made breakfast burritos and hung out on the beach, where the boys boogie boarded, and the girls took the time to tan. We went to get ice cream and then had dinner with grilled cheese and tomato soup! We cannot wait for what is to come from this incredible group!

Signing off from Hawaii, Aloha!

Maggie, Springer, + Cabot


Safe Arrival!

June 8, 2025

Hello Hawaiian Islands Families!

We heard from our leaders this morning that the group has landed safely in Lihue! 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


Students

  • Ty
  • Emory
  • Robert
  • Jackson
  • Henry
  • Otis
  • Julianne
  • Saige
  • Libby
  • Ella
  • Preston
  • Grace

Staff