Final Update from CAL 2C!
July 7, 2026
Hellooooo Moondancers!!
We are still in absolute shock at how fast these last few days flew by. It’s been a crazy mix of rapids, redwoods, and some pretty ridiculous outfits, and we have loved every second of wrapping up this trip with the kiddos!
On day 9, the crew was up bright and early to hit the road for Camp Lotus, and they packed up in record time. About halfway through the drive, we pulled off at a sunny park to whip up the group’s favorite meal: bacon and pancakes. After breakfast, we finished out our drive and the kids quickly threw on their swimsuits for a dip in the river because we haven’t been that warm in awhile! Collier led the charge, going all the way under and kicking off a full-blown splash war that pulled everyone in.
When word got out that hot showers were on the schedule, the girls bolted for the front of the line before anyone else could blink. Freshly clean, the group teamed up to build nachos for dinner, with Connor and Stella on chopping duty for the veggies. After dinner, the verdict was unanimous: leader Charlie’s queso is the absolute best. Everyone crashed hard after getting a full stomach of goodness!
Day 10 came with a well-earned sleep-in before the group’s first day of rafting. Connor, Collier, Suzie, and Tricia were the brave souls who claimed the front of the rafts, taking on just about every splash. We eased in with some class 2 rapids, broke for lunch on the riverbank, and then really got moving through the class three rapids. Bouncing Rock, Hospital Bar, and Recovery Room quickly became crowd favorites.
Back at camp, the sun-soaked day rolled right into a dance party. Calabria and Shake and Pop had everyone on their feet, and Lizzie’s moves pulled the whole group into the mix, while Decourcy kept making it to the final round after final round. Our whitewater outfitters treated us to a feast that night of pastas, fresh salad, steak, grilled peppers, and chicken, and the chocolate brownies for dessert disappeared in a blink of an eye.
Another early morning, but a great one since it was the Fourth of July! We fueled up with eggs, potatoes, sausage, fruit, and the group’s beloved coffee cake (Suzie could not get enough of it). Decked out in Fourth of July bandanas and temporary tattoos, the crew tackled a fresh batch of class 3 rapids, including Triple Threat, Meat Grinder, and Troublemaker, with Decourcy, Stella, Mary Bates, and Lizzie braving the front seats.
The celebration kept going back at camp with sunbathing by the river and a splash party to cool off. Then we were off to celebrate the Fourth of July! At a local fair ground the group enjoyed Fourth of July classics like burgers and BBQ chips. They also relished in live music, ice cream, lemonades, a firework show, kettle corn, all of it! A handful of the girls even took the stage to sing before we all settled in to watch the fireworks light up the sky. Connor may or may not admit to having one lemonade too many…
The following day, we hit the road for our final big activity of the trip: sailing! On the way, we stopped in Golden Gate Park for a picnic of quesadillas for lunch and “authentic” crepes (aka tortillas and Nutella) for dessert. Somewhere between bites, a headstand contest broke out, and Connor outlasted the entire group.
From there we boarded Captain Kirk’s boat and sailed past the seals, under the Golden Gate Bridge, and by Alcatraz, with Lizzie fielding everyone’s history questions like a pro. After sailing, we made a quick grocery run for dinner supplies, and a few kids, Connor, Collier, Tricia, Hayden, and Mary Bates worked their charm, or as they would call “joy baiting,” on a very kind employee, who sent them out with free ice cream to enjoy in the parking lot. Nugs to Ms. Tara for life!! We rolled into our new campsite among the redwoods pretty late, but the group had camp set up in no time, with Decourcy pitching in all around to help get tents up. Late-night tacos followed, and then it was lights out after a long day.
The next morning brought everyone’s favorite breakfast yet again: pancakes and bacon, this time loaded with chocolate chips, whipped cream, and Nutella. After breakfast, it was all hands on deck for cleanup: dishes, coolers, and repacking the U-Haul. Stella and Mary Bates put in some serious elbow grease scrubbing the Coleman stoves spotless.
With camp broken down and tents packed away for our cowboy camping night, the group snuck in a quick power nap in a circle before piling into the car for a Goodwill run. The mission: dress as weird as possible for banquet dinner. Big patterned t-shirts, wild hats, and baggy shorts turned the whole crew into a lineup of Adam Sandler look-alikes and Hayden’s baggy shorts alone deserves their own award.
From there we headed to Kirk’s Steakburgers for burgers, chicken tenders, onion rings, and fries, drawing more than a few confused looks from fellow diners watching the USA World Cup game. After dinner and plenty of debate over everyone’s hypothetical last meal ever, we made our way to Salt & Straw in downtown Palo Alto for one final round of ice cream, savoring every unique flavor together outside.
After a sentimental final car ride back to camp, filled with Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers, we gathered for our last moonup. Journals were passed around so everyone could leave each other a few final words. For one of our closing questions, LODs Connor and Tricia asked the group: “What is something you want to take home with you that you’ve learned on Moondance?” So many answers circled back to LITMO (living in the moment) and making space to truly be where you are. We couldn’t be prouder of how far this group has come. Seeing them make such wonderful memories and friendships with one another truly fills our hearts and we can’t wait to see what they carry home with them.
Parents, thank you so much for sharing your wonderful children with us these past few weeks. It has been such a blessing getting to know them and watching them push themselves outside of their comfort zones. We hope Moondance sees them again next summer!
With love,
Katherine, Ella, & Charlie
Rock Climbing Rockstars!
July 3, 2026
Hello Moondance family and friends!
We can’t believe how fast this week has flown by. Here’s everything we’ve been up to!
We woke up to celebrate Tricia’s 13th birthday and hit the road for Yosemite! We stopped at an overlook of Lake Tahoe for a truly stunning view, then found a cozy bay along the lake for lunch before continuing our trek into Yosemite. Suzy brought the energy in the car, singing and dancing to each song. After a long drive, we explored our beautiful campground in the forest, then our LODS, Tricia and Stella, made the group dinner before we bundled up for the chilly mountain climate. Despite the cold weather, we celebrated Tricia by singing Happy Birthday and enjoying ice cream cake before bed!
Our first full day in the park started bright and early with a drive through winding roads, lush greenery, and towering peaks. We reached the base of our hike to Cathedral Rock and geared up for a challenging 8-mile trek to the lake. The group kept spirits high the whole way with riddles, jokes, and plenty of conversation that brought everyone closer together. DeCourcy’s infectious positivity and enthusiasm kept everyone pushing through the incline, and we were rewarded at the top with a breathtaking alpine lake tucked between the peaks. Mary Bates, Collier, and Connor bravely took the polar plunge into the icy water before we hiked back down. Our LODs, Hayden and Stella, treated us to homemade spring rolls that night, and we wrapped things up with the group’s favorite game, Shake and Pop (a dancing game). Connor walked away group champion with two wins and some seriously smooth moves.
Next up: our first day of rock climbing! We hiked to meet our guides, who had five routes set up for the day. Mary Bates impressed everyone with her sheer determination to reach the top, while Stella became the group’s go-to belayer, happily offering to belay anyone who wanted to climb. We practically had to peel the group off the rock when it was time to leave. From there, we cooled off at Tenaya Lake, soaking up the sun and dipping into the chilly water. Back at camp, the group threw down in an intense card game of Egyptian Rat Slap, Lizzie and Mary Bates helped chop vegetables for chicken piccata orzo, and we closed the night celebrating Mary Bates’s birthday with chocolate cake and a lovely Moonup.
Our second day of climbing took us to more technical terrain, with routes along challenging cracks that tested everyone’s limits. Suzy took on the hardest route of the day and scaled it to the top. Collier worked his way up a tricky rock face wedged between two boulders and helped direct each climber up behind him. When time was up, we decided the group’s perseverance and grit while climbing earned them a well-deserved ice cream stop in the park. We spent a few hours hanging out and Lizzie started a fun game of pinecone-and-stick baseball. Hayden won multiple rounds of camouflage with her agile hiding abilities and we all spent the afternoon laughing until our stomachs hurt. Laughter has honestly been in endless supply this week. Back at camp, we played Spicy Uno, and DeCourcy’s love for any group game inspired a fun evening of “Calibri” (another group dancing game) before heading into June Lake for sunset pizza at a park along the water. The drive home was a full-volume singalong of “Unwritten,” “California Girls,” and every Zach Bryan song we know. We ended the night with a special Moonup, reflecting on how much everyone has grown together so far.
Thank you so much for sharing your kids with us this summer in California. We’ve had the best time together and can’t wait for everything still to come this next week!
Talk to you all soon!
Ella, Charlie, and Katherine
Connor: Thank you Mom and Dad for sending me to Moondance. I have had so much fun with all of the activities. I have made so many new friends, and they have been so nice. Love you so much and thank you.
Collier: Thanks Mom and Dad for sending me to Moondance. I’m having a great time and I had so much fun surfing and rock climbing. I’m on the way to whitewater rafting. Love you so much.
Hayden: Mammasita and Dadadoodoo, I am having a great time! Thank y’all so much for sending me on this trip! Love y’all so much! Thank you!
Tricia: Mammasita and Dadaddoodoo, Thank you soooo much for sending me on this trip. Truly I have had a BLAST. You guys mean so much to me, and I cant wait to give you a HUGE hug. Love you soooo much. xoxo your fav <3 T-bone<3
Lizzie: Dear Mom and Dad, Helllooo! How have y’all been? I miss y’all so much! Thank y’all so much for sending me on this trip b/c I have had a blast! Check out the surfing photos! Love y’all so much!
Mary: Dear Mom and Dad, Hiii! I miss y’all so much! I’m having the best time everrr! Thank you guys so much for sending me on this trip! I have made so many new life long friends and memories! I love y’all so much.
Suzie: Dear Mom + Dad, Moondance has been a very fun and new experience. I can’t wait to tell you about it when I get home. Yesterday, I learned how to belay (when you do the rope thing while climbing) and climbed real rocks for the first time. Everyone here is super duper nice to everyone. I’ve tried surfing too which was fun. We also went on an 8 mile hike. My leaders are also all super nice. We have a thing called LOD (Leader of the day) and I’ve been it twice! I miss y’all! Love you
DeCourcy: Dear Mom, Dad, Patrick, and Walker, I’ve been having the time of my life! Yesterday, we went rock climbing on actual rocks! This one time I was super scared and wanted to come down, but I kept going and made it to the top. Thank you for sending me on Moondance.
Stella: Dear Mom + Dad + Wyatt, I have been having a great time on Moondance! I have tried so many new and exciting things. I loved surfing, rock climbing, hiking, and I have made so many memories! It has been a lot of fun! I also reached the top of the rock 4 times! Love y’all so much!
Shoutouts!
June 29, 2026
Decourcy: Dear Mom, Dad, and Walker, thank you so much for letting me come to Moondance! I miss you a lot but I’m having so much fun. We went surfing and I surfed 6 waves standing up! I am making so many new friends. And I had a wipeout the first day of surfing but I got back up and caught a wave. We are hiking and seeing incredible views
Elizabeth: Hi it’s liz here and I want to thank you so much for sending me on this trip. I have had so much fun and I loved surfing. I also have tried so new foods! Love yall sooo much
Stella: Dear Parents + Wyatt I am having a lot of fun on this trip and I have tried a lot of new things. Its been really cold but we have stayed warm. We went surfing and to lake tahoe, scavenger hunt, hiking, and more! Miss y’all so much, Love Y’all.
Suzie: Dear Mommy + Daddy I’m having a lot of fun here in California, I’m super happy I packed warm clothes. We went surfing a couple days ago which was super fun. I have been camping in a tent which has been so fun! Miss y’all tons and love yall
Collier: Hi mom and dad Im having a great time here, I have met so many new people and I’m having a great time doing all the activities
Connor: Hi mom and dad I am having an amazing time here. I made a lot of new friends and we are doing fun activities. The long drives feel short without knowing the time. Love y’all
Tricia: Mom, Dad, Yesterday was my birthday and we had the oreo cake so good. I’ve learned to apperiacte all the little things; sugar, a fire, etc. Yesterday we showered for the first time and it felt like heaven. I love and miss y’all so much!
Hayden: Hi mom and dad, I am having a great time. We showered for the first time all trip and it was great. I can’t wait to see y”all and tell you so much about it. Love Y’all so much- Hayden
Mary Bates: Hey Mom and Dad, I am having soooo much fun! We went on a little hike yesterday and saw the most beautiful view of lake tahoe. Also surfiing was so much fun and I caught a lot of waves. I love y’all so much and cant wait to tell you more!
Patrick: Hi mom and dad I miss you a lot first we went surfing and I had a great time, then we went to Lake tahoe and it was pretty. I miss you guys a lot and thank you again!
Tahoe Tales
June 29, 2026
Hello from sunny but chilly Lake Tahoe!
After saying goodbye to the other California groups, we packed up our U-haul and headed to our first campsite of the trip in Half Moon Bay. We threw up our tents and had a quick safety chat before heading down to the beach to watch the chilly Pacific waves hit the sand! A game of chicken involving who could be the last one to run back from the water on the sand quickly transpired and the group began to bond over soggy shoes and wet pant ankles. After the beach the kids got their first surprise of their trip and a Moondance tradition of pizza on the first night. We then had our nightly Moonup where we introduced the Nug jug, or as Collier put it the “Chug Jug” (a Fortnite reference apparently). We talked about how thankful and lucky we all were to be in California and to have such an amazing group of people.
Our second day got off to a very relaxed start with avocado toast, eggs, and bacon with this being an introduction to the art of an avo toast for many. We headed back down to the beach where Connor and Collier played a game of mixed toss and kickball with a mini soccer ball left by one of our past students. We then hit the road to Pacifica for our first day of surfing! We met our amazing guide Steven and had some on the sand instruction about how to shred the nar before actually diving into the chilly pacific water. Everyone had an amazing first day and caught a few waves. Mary Bates and Elizabeth especially were excited to show off their skills and taught everyone a thing or two from their experiences back east. While everyone was surfing Hayden and Tricia and one of the leaders played a few heated games of UNO, talked to some firefighters about firework safety before the 4th of July, and admired the Taco Bell Cantina on the beach from afar. After surfing and an always amazing lunch, we headed back to camp to chill a little before dinner. Patrick and some of the girls found a tree in our campsite with a branch that made a surprisingly comfortable seat and chatted while everyone else listened to some jams and took in the sights Half Moon Bay had to offer, including a group of people riding horses that strolled right by our site. Our second day concluded with a Dinner cooked by our amazing LOD’s.
Our third day started just like our second but swap Avo toast for pancakes and bacon for sausage, we went back down to the beach and looked back over the ocean we would be plunging into later for another great day of surfing. In the car back to Pacifica, we all discovered just how much Suzanne loved the band Weezer and it became a quick hit. The water was even warmer the second day and the waves were even more perfect for us beginners. Everyone managed to catch a wave and stand up, which our outfitter said was a remarkable sight for a group their age. Decourcy killed it after a rocky start on the first day and stood up 7 times! She even told us that she was so glad she got back in the water! After surfing, we loaded back up into the cars for a long drive to Tahoe! We stopped for a California classic, In and Out, which Stella told us was one of her new favorite fast foods after having it for the first time! We got to Tahoe very late so a quick tent set up and moonup was the first step before hitting the hay.
Our first day in Tahoe was quite windy, so we decided with our guides to pivot from kayaking to an equally fun mission of geocaching. Connor hyped everyone up by talking about how he found 5 in one day back home and we got to see the sights of one of Northern Tahoe’s best parks. The trail our geocache was on had amazing views of the lake and we got to warm up our legs before our Yosemite hike in the coming days. After geocaching, we made a quick lunch then hit the quaint town of Tahoe City for a town day. All of the kids were stoked to burn through their spending money at the ice cream shop, coffee shop, and got many souvenirs to bring back home with them. Hayden and Tricia managed to find a movie theater that sold candy and stocked up before we headed back to camp to make some nachos, watch the sunset, and sit around the fire that Collier was instrumental in making.
Our second day in Tahoe was still pretty chilly, so we swapped the water for the trail again by doing a couple mile hike to an overlook where everyone could see from the north to south tips of the lake. More important than our activities, we got to celebrate Tricia’s 13th birthday with songs, cinnamon rolls, and an Oreo ice cream cake. During our hike we passed by an Italian Greyhound and Mary Bates was thrilled because that’s her favorite dog and the whole group stopped for one of their favorite activities: petting cute dogs. After our hike, we hit the road to Yosemite to start our days of rock climbing. On the road we drove through Nevada and saw the beauty and rugged desert mountains. Once we arrived at camp the kids set up tents before playing a game of manhunt around our massive site. Dinner was a Moondance classic of chicken pesto pasta and a surprise cake as dessert. We had an amazing Moonup and got to bed early for our long hiking day tomorrow.
Safe Arrival!
June 24, 2026
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
