Memories From Maui
July 24, 2025
Day 10 began with a morning on the water standup paddle boarding with our wonderful guides Brandon and Ivan. The ocean was genuinely picturesque; you could see the coral 30 feet below from the surface! Brylee and Reed battled to see who was the best paddler but after watching both of them fall in the water, it’s safe to say probably neither! After listening to Brandon’s epic storytelling skills (ask your kids about peep-ah lean-ay), we headed back to camp for bagel sandwiches before setting our sights on a summer-long favorite spot, Baldwin Beach. Mayme, MC, Brylee, MH, Josie, and Blair realized tanning can be exhausting; they fell asleep immediately after hitting the sand. Reed, Matthew, Stephen, and Henry spent their own endless energy jumping over wave after wave. After a beautiful day spent in the ocean, we showered and dressed up for our special dinner spot… Canes! Matthew ordered four extra pieces of Texas Toast before we could place a group order, and we couldn’t blame him. We celebrated our fine-dining experience by blasting our favorite underground artist Taylor Swift along with some house music (shoutout Reed and Henry)!
Day 11 is a Maui classic, waking up at sunrise to snorkel all around the island with our friends at Redline Rafting. We ate cinnamon rolls and fruit and then swam in the world famous Molikini Crater. We spotted tons of beautiful fish, and Colton and Davis D even found a baby shark! We then turned into the open ocean, while Josie MH and Davis M headbanged to Nirvana Green Day and AC/DC, laughing uncontrollably as the huge waves threw us into the air. After our tiring boat day everyone took a quick siesta in the van and then immediately turned their game faces on for the 2025 session 3 Maui Olympics!!! As Team White, we wore tank tops, ripped t shirts, and painted our entire faces and bodies white with different patterns and words. Colton, Blair, and Henry’s help we won our first game, “dude don’t touch my rock” with Colt on the offensive. And we won our second game with Brylee and Mayme following MC’s orders in the game “Ships and Sailors”. Sadly, Maui A did not come home with the W, but we definitely had the most fun! We ate hot dogs and burgers and had a sweet treat from Sonic after. Driving home late with Taylor swift and Kanye blasting through our vans speakers.
On day 12 of our trip we started our morning off by returning to Kipuka Olowalu to once again give back to the incredible community that has given us so much. After an incredible conch shell blessing to enter native land from our guide Ua, we headed across a small stream to once again help cut down invasive trees causing damage to the riparian ecosystem affecting the coral reefs. Thanks to the amazing efforts of Brylee and Colton, we were able to remove even more trees than our first visit. Ua’s pep talk before we began was really the encouragement we needed. After a few fruit lessons with Tejj, we headed back to camp for a quick sandwich lunch.
After lunch, we headed to the famous cliff jumping spot called Black Rock Beach. Davis bravely guided us from the parking lot alongside a cliffs edge to the bay. Black Rock is home to four incredible jumping spots ranging from 5 to twenty feet above the water. Matthew and Reed jumped with zero hesitation.
After our quick cliff jumping adventure, we headed to upcountry for our Luau Banquet. As all three Maui groups met each other, we had some nice entertainment from hula musicians and fire dancers. Hawaiian barbecue filled us all up before we headed back to camp for a special final moonup.
We soaked up every ounce of fun that Maui had to offer. We made lifelong friends and made memories we hope to never forget. Wishing everyone safe travels home, and thank you to everyone who sent these kids to Maui with us, and thank you to everyone who helped us make it possible!
Sincerely,
Davis, Mary Claire, and Parker
Update from Maui!
July 20, 2025
Aloha again!
Maui has continued to suprise us with its beauty and its people. We have gotten to that point in the trip where we really don’t want to leave!
Day 6 was a day where we all truly challenged ourselves. We slept in, ate a full breakfast, and got ready to hike the infamous Waihee Ridge Trail. Calling it a 4 mile hike truly does not do it justice, due to its 1600 feet in elevation gained. Josie, Brylee, Mary Claire, and Mary Harper brought up the caboose with good vibes and smiles, telling Davis M stories about their lives. The rest of the group played the celebrity game to distract them, carrying them all the way to the top to see a magnificent view. A friend of ours Frankie (a mongoose) joined us at the top as well! After the hike we treated ourselves to a pre dinner sweet treat at Sonic, and headed to our cooking class at La Kāhea Farms, one of my personal favorite activities. Everyone split into groups to chef up some amazing tacos made from all organically sourced ingredients from the farm right in front of us! Blair, Mayme, and Logan presented their personal dishes, and Brylee brought out yet ANOTHER sweet treat, homemade banana ice cream. We left the farm but we weren’t quite ready to go back home just yet… we stopped by the beach for a quick swim and watched as the sun went down. What a day!
Day 7 was an early morning for another difficult but rewarding activity, windsurfing at a world renowned place to for wind sports, Kanaha Beach Park. Colton showed us all how it was done while Reed and Matthew worked on the kite-360 (they succeeded). The rest of us enjoyed the views of the Volcanoes and trees around us while soaking up as much of the UV rays as possible. When we got back to camp we made sure to celebrate Blair’s 16th birthday with cake for lunch and a special candy necklace. The weather was perfect so we went to one of our favorites, Fleming beach. The girls found some new friends on the beach and the boys boogie boarded the waves with the local kids. We drove home for dinner, and most of the van was asleep while Parker played some fire on the aux. We took a stop at Costco for groceries, and everyone played games in the parking lot listening to music. Davis D led the group, showing off his art all over the van windows with our markers. Our LODs Matthew and Mayme cheffed up some of the best smash burgers in all of Maui. We went to bed full and happy, ready to head to the jungle on day 8!
On day 8 of our trip we explored a new biome, the Hawaiian rainforest by Rapelling. The weather was slightly gloomy as we took a long trek down the beautifully scenic and dangerous coastal highway, road to Hana. We pulled into a famous waterfall spot known as the Garden of Eden, saying hi to the peacocks and ducks along our path. We suited up our safety gear and went rappelling down the canyons, through waterfalls and down rock faces. Mary Harper bravely overcame her fear of heights while Colton bellyflopped off the smaller cliffs, it was awesome. We ran some errands and then ended up at home to make our Caesar salad wraps, a fan favorite. Shoutout to Matthew and Brylee for leading one of our best moonups!
On day 9 of our Maui excursion it was time for us to give back to this incredible community. Just down the road from our campsite is a Maui cultural land property called Kipuka Olowalu. This historic Hawaiian land is home to ancient petroglyphs and endemic plants. Accompanied by our outfitter Tejj, we helped to clear invasive species causing severe damage to both the freshwater and saltwater ecosystems surrounding us. In our hour and a half of work we were able to cut down over 30 trees as a team. That many trees wouldn’t have been done without Stephens helpfulness in hauling the trees out so we could stay on pace. After our work, Tejj took us on a miniature tour of the cultural lands. She identified many native and canoe plants such as Noni and breadfruit.
After our service work and a quick sandwich lunch, we headed off to Blackrock Beach in Lahaina. Known for its amazing cliff diving and crystal clear waters, everyone was beyond excited for what was to come. Henry lead to charge to the cliffs accompanied by the rest of the group. After countless cannonballs and can openers, Parker pointed out a baby sea turtle below the jump and everyone watched in amazement. As some light rain began to fall on the beach we made our way a little farther north to the famous Lahaina food truck lots for a local dinner stop to close out our day.
Safe to say that we’re doing great here in Maui. Just trying to soak up our last couple days we have with each other!
Thank Yous:
Davis D: Thank You so much for giving me the opportunity to come on this trip. I have learned so much and have had a great time. See you soon!
Stephen: Thank you for letting me have this fun opportunity Mom! I miss you!
Colton: Thanks Mom and Dad for letting me come to Maui. I am having loads of fun. Thanks can’t wait to tell you all about it!
Reed: Hi mom and dad, thank you for giving me this opportunity of coming to Maui. I have loved every moment of the trip and I am so glad I did it. Tell Miles and Francie that I will be home soon. Miss all you guys, see you soon.
Henry: Hi Mom and Dad I miss you guys so much and tell Winnie I say Hi. Thank you so much for this insane experience that I am so grateful for. I’m so excited to see you all soon. It has been so much fun! Love you guys so much.
Mayme: Love yall and miss yall so much! I Miss Blaze!
Brylee: Hi Mom, Hi Dad! Miss you guys so much! I’m having lots of fun but ready to be home. Hope you’re having fun in Italy. Xoxo
MH: Hi!!! I miss yall so much, and I can’t wait to see you in a few days. Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity’s this has been the best trip ever I have made so many new friends and the leaders are so amazing. They are the kindest and funniest people I have ever met. I can’t wait to tell you all about the cool things I have done. See you soon! Love you.
Josie: hey mom and father. I can’t thank you enough for sending me to this Moondance trip. I’ve done things I’ve never even imagined of doing, making new friendships and relationships with some of the coolest people Ive ever met. Can’t wait to tell you all about it! I love you guys so much, forever grateful for everything you do.
Blair: Hi mom and dad!! I love yall and can’t wait to see you.
Matthew: Hi mom and dad, I miss you so much and thank you for sending me on this trip I am having a great time. I have made a bunch of new friends and Maui is awesome. Love you, see you soon.
Hacky Sacks & Hula: The Maui 3A Way
July 15, 2025
Aloha family and friends of Maui 3A! The first few days of our trip have been amazing, getting to know each other has been a gift. We have truly been enjoying all of the amazing activities, food, and culture that Maui has to offer.
On our first day here, everyone arrived to Kahului airport a little jet lagged but ready to go. Right off the bat Matthew and Reed had good energy and played hackey sack with Davis M and the other groups for hours. Once everyone arrived we got some dominoes pizza to have one last taste of home! We headed to our amazing beachside campsite and watched the stars as we discussed trip plans during our first moonup! Shoutout to our first LODs Blair and Stephen!
On day 2, we woke up early to in order to immerse ourselves into the Hawaiian culture and catch some waves at cove beach park. Every single person caught a couple waves but Brylee, Davis D, and Blair really showed off their skills and their eagerness to learn. After 2 hours of shredding we got some açaí bowls and coffee and headed home for lunch sandwiches. We then had a quick turnaround to head to our next activity, goat farm tour, which was quite a surprise to us all! Stephen and Mary Claire loved all the goats and had so much fun feeding them. Shoutout to Logan and Josie for being brave enough to try all the various goat cheeses! We ended up back at camp to play some card games and much needed rest time before we cooked our first family style meal, a Moondance specialty, Mexican Chipotle bowls. We had a beautiful moonup under the stars as the waves crashed behind us, then went to bed with full stomachs and full hearts, ready to attack the next day!
Day 3 was a nice day of chill vibes and beautiful views with Kapalua Ziplines! We slept in a little bit, made Chef Davis’s famous breakfast burritos and headed into the rainforest. We looked at the gorgeous views while flying down the mountains. Brylee overcame her fear of heights, with a little help from the guides! The last, fastest zipline is famously known as “the screamer” which Logan and Colton took to heart, letting the whole island know how much fun they were having. In our way home we treated ourselves with some sandwiches and went to one of our favorite, more private beaches, Fleming beach. The waves were huge and the sun was shining, just how we like it. After we couldn’t ride the waves any longer we washed off and went home to cook spaghetti and meatballs to close our third day off and get some much needed shut eye to prepare for the next morning!
On day four, we headed out on the high seas. Guided by Griff Dempsey, a previous Moondance leader, we kayaked out from Makena Beach Park in search of green sea turtles, sharks, and eels. The ride was especially awesome today because the water was crystal clear. Amazingly your kayak could be in 5 feet of water on one side and 50 feet on the other. Conditions were so good, even Griff got in and snorkeled with us looking for an octopus. Colton’s camera stick became a valuable commodity to the group when turtles were swimming by.
Following our early morning on the water, we headed to Waipulani Park to learn about and practice Hawaiian storytelling through hula dancing! Led by our incredible instructor Lani, we first began by creating a pua rosette for some personal decorations while dancing. Decked in our Pa’u skirts we learned the art of storytelling through our hands. Lani taught us the movements of a story from the Upcountry of Maui about the Hawaiian cowboys. Early in the activity it was clear that Logan is a natural hula dancer. Lani gave endless praise on her form. After a quick history lesson, we decided to cook hotdogs in the park before heading to another beach for the afternoon. We’re still unsure how he did it, but Reed was able to eat a complete hotdog while playing hacky sack.
Day 5 will be hard to beat! We woke up with the sun to shred the waves again, and the waves were shredded. A beautiful swell combined with the help of our incredible instructors like Sofia yielded unforgettable waves for all of us. Mary Harper and Josie looked like pros, waiting patiently for the right waves and then paddling fiercely to catch them with the biggest smiles on their faces. You know it’s a good surf session when your arms are too tired to paddle into good waves because you’ve been catching so many. After a successful surf session, we hit up our favorite açaí and coffee food trucks where Brylee got the “best coffee she’s ever had”! The rest of our morning was spent blasting music in the van (Adventure of a Lifetime sounds really good when you’re driving down the Maui coastline!) and making beach sandwiches. Our afternoon took us to Pono Grown, and magical regenerative farm where Evan taught us invaluable lessons about regenerative farming. We harvested bucket-loads of carrots and rinsed them off, getting a little carried away spraying each other with the hose in the process! Shoutout Colton and Davis D. for going the extra mile to make sure the carrots were market-worthy. As a reward for all our hard work, we slip-n-slided the rest of the afternoon away; legend has it Henry and Matthew were seals in their past lives… On the way home, we did some grocery shopping while Davis M. and our LODs Mayme and Matthew led the group in games and drawing on the van windows! Ice cream sandwiches in the car on the way home were the perfect addition. To refuel after a long hard day of play, Matthew and Mayme made us burgers and then we did moon-up (our nightly reconvene, universal across all Moondance trips) under the Maui stars.
Sincerely,
Davis, Mary Claire, and Parker
Davis: Hey guys, my councilors are so great! We have done a bunch of fun stuff! The food is so good! My favorite so far is the stir fry that we had today. There’s also this guy named Ricardo? I love you guys!
Colt: Hi Mom, Dad, and Chaz. Having lots of fun. Can’t wait to see you soon.
Logan: hey fam, I’m chill I’m having fun I have friends and stuff see u next week. Say hi to fin gram granpa and Bridget
Stephen: Hi Mom and Dad! I love you guys and miss you so much. Say hi to Emily and Tucker for me! I hope Camille is is having fun on her trip!
Matthew:
Hi mom, what’s up? Miss you. I miss the dogs more though I love you bye.
Henry: hi guys what’s up miss you guys. say hi to Winnie for me and Poppy. all the counselors are chill made a few new friends. There’s this guy named Matt in her group who’s chill. I saw Hallsey and Hallsey’s friend. Flight was super smooth and we got here pretty fast. Love you so much miss you can’t wait to tell you about the trip. I’m also eating very well. I had a burger tonight that was made by my friend Matt. With a lettuce bun and it was also made with lots of love.
Reed: yo what’s good! This place is amazing. Tell Francie I miss her. I made a bunch of new friends that are super chill. The activities we’ve been doing have been so awesome. Also, can you update my debit card? I’m on like no money. Please and thank you. Sorry I forgot to say bye the other day. They took my phone. But I will say bye now. Love you see ya.
Josie: hi hi family!! I’m literally thriving over here, there’s so many cool things we’re doing can’t wait to tell u all about this. Say hello to bobo for me along with Cleo and Lulu. Also text Elisha and Charlotte and tell them I miss them so much. I love you guys!! Farewell.
Mary Harper: hey mom, dad, clay, reed and Jannie I love yall I hope you aren’t going out to dinner without me and don’t eat my pickles! I’m having so much fun!!! I love my counselors they are so funny! See you soon!! 😁😁
Blair: hi mom I need someone to cover my shift the 24th and 25th so will you check the schedule also I just broke a hammock with mayme and brylee. Love yall I say hi tell friends I miss them
Brylee: hey mom!!! I miss you and Winnie! I hope Italy is so fun! Tell Corbin I miss him and can’t wait to see you guys I saw Abby Kate and they’re family but I’m having so much fun! love you guys so much 💘💘
Mayme: heyyyyyy mom!!!!! I love you and miss u! Having fun!
Safe Arrival in Maui!
July 11, 2025
Hello Maui Families!
We heard from our leaders this morning that the group has landed safely in Maui! 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
