Arrivederci, DOL1B!
June 27, 2026
Hello from DOL1B!
We are UNWELL today after saying goodbye to this incredible group. It feels impossible that just two weeks ago, we met for the first time. This last stretch of the trip has been packed with excitement, and we couldn’t have asked for a better way to wrap up our time together.
Last you heard we were up in Refugio Tissi, our most remote mountain hut of the trip. We spent the morning hiking down from the mountain refuge to meet back with Moss before departing to Clauzetto. We had ourselves a goooood time on the commute with Reese, Kate, and Elle on AUX from the back. We arrived at our hotel and settled into one of our favorite traditions: finding a park and playing field games. Between rounds of Old Maid and Rummy, the group’s newest favorite quickly became “Dude, don’t touch my rock,” which was dominated by Tradd and Hayden. We had an incredible Moonup led by Hank and Reese where Hank classically pulled the nug jug out of the fountain overlooking the town.
The next morning we geared up for our newest and last activity: canyoneering! We got suited up in wetsuits and helmets and spent the day hiking down the water-filled canyon, rappelling down waterfalls, and jumping into crystal-clear pools. Tradd, Hank, and Lilly found frogs along the way that we happily welcomed into our group. Reese and Auggie ran back up the cliff jump as the cold water was a nice relief from the heat of Clauzetto. Once back at the hotel, we enjoyed an incredible lunch of fresh caprese salad and, of course, pasta! The crew spent the afternoon preparing for our big talent show where we had many, many impressive acts. Some top contenders include Liam’s exotic dance impressions, Tradd’s Elvis impersonation, Luci and Lilly’s drawing contest, or, my personal favorite, the magic shows from Henry, Reed, and Auggie. However, no one was able to top the dramatic Descendants remake from Hayden and Reese. After dinner, we had our long awaited girls Moonup!!! Kicking the boys to the curb! We shared an amazing last night in Clauzetto. Once we arrived back in our hotel, there was a professional guitar player and violinist on the terrace. After Hank led with the guitar, we all joined to form one big group! Trading songs from all different countries, we collaborated on a Fleetwood Mac song that had everyone singing along. And the group performed our perfected Wagon Wheel for the neighborhood! It was my favorite moment of the trip. The engagement of this group is something that I admire so much!
The next morning we piled into the vans for our last road trip as we traveled to Venice. Before long, we traded mountain peaks for canals and spent the afternoon exploring one of the most unique cities in the world. After dropping our bags in the hostel, we immediately set out for our grand gelato tour. Fortunately for us, it was love at first sight, and the “gelato tour” quickly turned into repeated appearances to our favorite spot, Suso. We wandered through narrow alleyways, crossed countless bridges, stopped at all the fruit stands, browsed little shops (and Zara of course) and somehow discovered what may become the unofficial souvenir of DOL1B: Italian T-shirts that had everyone cracking up.
After a day of walking the city, we had our final dinner on the waterfront, sharing stories and favorite memories from the trip. We stopped by the store to stock up for Reed’s belated birthday party and had our last Moonup together along the canals of Venice, led by Lilly and Liam and with a firework show to our backs. We took some time to fill everyone’s nug jug and reminisced on our perfect time here in Italy and in the Dolomites. It still hasn’t quite set in that our adventure has come to a close. The celebrations weren’t over yet, though. Reed finally got the belated birthday celebration he deserved, we spent hours together, soaking up every last minute together before our early flight.
This morning’s airport goodbyes were never going to be easy. Lots of hugs and more than a few tears were shed. Watching this group come together and grow together over the past two weeks has been incredibly impactful for us to watch as leaders. They’ve challenged themselves, encouraged one another, embraced every opportunity, and built friendships that we know will last long after this trip. I can’t tell you what a privilege it has been to lead this fun, resilient, kind-hearted, goofy, and tough group. We cannot wait to see where life takes them next. I have no doubts that our paths will cross again very soon!
Until we meet again,
Your forever friends,Sarah & Moss
Dancing Through the Dolomites!
June 24, 2026
Greetings from DOL 1B!!
The last few days have been unbelievably exciting and challenging. We started this section with a brand new activity for most… rock climbing!! We hiked a short way to climb between the walls of the Cinque Torri. This was a favorite day for the group, with the whole gang completing multiple routes. The first to step up to the plate were Hayden and Tradd, absolutely crushing it off the bat. This crew climbed for nearly 5 hours, before we could get them off the walls. Tradd earned the trophy of best belayer with the most unique and personal ways to encourage his climbers. Hayden and Hank made friends with a child climbing prodigy beside us. Luci gave us a firsthand glimpse of her daredevil side, climbing one of the more difficult routes entirely barefoot—shocking our guides as well! After a morning of climbing, we had lunch at Scoiatolli Rifugio before taking to the trail again. Once we got up to our next hut, Averau, we played a very intense game of birdie on a perch, with Reed and Henry as reigning champions—and Reed committing perhaps too hard. We settled room placements the only way we know how, with a very dysfunctional “plank-trivia” and a classic moo-off. At dinner, Reed surprised the table ordering completely in Italian. We crossed paths with another teenage travel group, Wilderness Adventures, who we joined for a post-dinner game of Dude Don’t Touch My Rock, where the Moondance crew—to no one’s surprise—carried every win. Hayden, Elle, Reese, and Kate developed a teamwork strategy that stumped us all. Our LODs (leaders of the day), Liam and Luci led a beautiful Fathers-Day-Moonup, and we all shared our favorite memories with our dads. The group gave us another Moonup performance of Wagon Wheel with the guitar, harmonica, and all of them singing together.
The next morning we began our trekking section, hiking from Averau over to Passo Stalaunza. We hiked nearly 12 miles under the Pelmo mountain which passed in no time. Along the way we saw hundreds of cows, and Tradd became the cow-whisperer, chilling in the grass with his new friend, Wilma. We arrived at our mountain hut, finally reunited with our duffels after 5 nights apart, thankful to have some clean clothes! That night Henry and Kate led our Moonup, followed by a performance on guitar by Auggie. We ended the night with a game of Ships and Sailors introduced to us by Reese, and dominated by Liam and Hank.
The next morning, the group woke up ready to conquer our hardest day of trekking yet. These kids are STRONG, and our guide, Michele, did not hesitate to push them. We completed our hike in nearly half the time that our guide had allotted for us. We hiked to one of the most remote alpine refuges, Rifugio Tissi, in the shadow of Monte Civetta—one of the highest peaks in the Dolomite range. Upon arrival, the crew continued to the very peak where we overlooked a lake nearly 500 feet below us with many photos to show for it. We spent the afternoon drinking tea and cappuccinos and playing cards in the cozy mountain hut. Lilly and Luci taught us how to play Rummy, a new favorite of mine. After the afternoon rains, Tradd and Elle found the nug jug at the end of a rainbow, and we had a Moonup warm in our bunks.
Every day is getting better and better with this crew. We love you guys, DOL 1B, and we’re going to be so sad to see them go.
And, of course, some words from the crew:
Hi Mom and Dad!! Thank you both so much for this incredible trip that the two of you gave me the opportunity to take. Words cannot describe how fortunate I feel to be here and especially with this group. I will be so sad to leave because this experience was like no other but I love and miss you both so much and can’t wait to see you guys soon! – Hayden
Thank you Mom and Dad for giving me this opportunity again! I’ve had soo much fun on this trip and have made so many new memories. Miss you both very much! – Elle
Thank you Mom and Dad for signing me up for this incredible experience!! I have made so many amazing friends and memories throughout these past couple days. I cannot wait to tell you all about it soon! Love yall so much! -Reese
Thank you Mom and Dad for this opportunity! I am having the best time and I have so many pictures to show y’all. I am sad to leave but I am excited to see both of you guys soon! -Kate
Thank you Mom and Dad for planning such a fun trip for me, this is such a unique experience. I’m going to so many new places that I’ll take us too next time we visit. P.S can you guys plan a day for a LuLis with the Wagners before the 4th? We have many ideas and want to do it before Luci leaves. Love and miss you both!! -Lilly
Thank you Mom and Dad for giving this amazing opportunity to travel across the world and see so many new things and go on so many adventures. I’m having such a great time and will be sad to leave, but I also can’t wait to come home and get back at it! P.S. look at Lilly’s P.S. Love and miss you!! -Luci
Thank you so much Mom and Dad for letting me go on this amazing experience to Italy. I have had a fantastic time hiking through the Dolomites and eating great food. Excited to see y’all soon. -Auggie
Thank you Mom and dad for letting me go to Italy. I climbed the towers and ate lots of pasta in the mountains. The Taramisu is very good here and I love you just as much as I loved that piece of cake. -Liam
Thank you so much mom and dad for giving me this opportunity! I am having so much fun in Italy and am constantly trying new things along the way. I can’t wait to see yall! Love and miss you guys! -Hank
Thank you so much mom and dad for letting me go on this trip! I’ve met so many new people and had tons of great memories. Can’t wait to see y’all and tell you about it when I get back. Love you both! -Reed
Thank you mom and dad for letting me go on this amazing trip, I’ve had a lot of fun, and met a bunch of new people. Hope James had fun, and that Andrew is having a good time at home. We’ve done a lot of climbing and hiking, excited to see yall soon. -Henry.
Grazie for sending me to Italy! Yes, they do call me the Italian cow whisperer- and there are pictures. I can also not stress the importance of the good ole harmonica. It’s gonna be extremely painful to leave but I am excited to tell you all about how much new things I’ve seen and tried out. I am thriving! Love y’all and see ya monday.🐮🇮🇪🤠-Tradd
Dreamy Dolomites!
June 20, 2026
Hey Moondance Families!
We have been covering some ground out here in the Dolomites and thankfully we’ve got some absolute athletes in our crew! Since day 1, jet lag and all, nothing has been able stop this group. We checked into our hotel in a beautiful small town and immediately set out for some pizza—when in Italy! Luckily we landed the most perfect field beside our hotel and played several rounds of capture the flag, leaving nothing on the field. We had our first moonup under the dramatic walls of the Dolomite mountains, with Reese and Hank as our first leaders of the day (LODs)! And Hank and Auggie hosted a pizza party in their room.
The LODs started the trip with a bang, teaching us lessons in hydration and sun protection and led the group through our first Via Ferrata (iron path) where we hiked and climbed to overlook the town. Our guide led the charge. Later, we hiked down into town, sure to stop off for a well-earned gelato break. On day 3 we set out for our longest hike. After 10 miles of hiking, the group wasn’t quite done. We played a large-scale game of sardines. We enjoyed a relaxing afternoon hanging out by the lake and playing cards on the “deck.” The moonup was kicked off by a group performance of Broken Window Serenade with Hank on the guitar, Tradd on the harmonica, and vocals by Auggie, Reed, Hayden, and Elle! Kate transformed into BayMax with the LOD pit vipers as her and Tradd led our moonup.
The next day we did another via ferrata, hiking and climbing up to the peak. The “monica boys,” Tradd and Hank, gave us some mid-way encouragement with their harmonicas. We had a picnic and an impromptu group nap at the top. On the way Liam started a group snow ball fight that everyone joined—which may or may not be still ongoing. Lilly led the charge in an afternoon tanning session, and we ended the night with the most beautiful moon up spot I’ve seen to date. Tradd and I (Sarah) blessed the group with a pre-moonup performance of Bob Dylan, playing Blowin in the Wind with an electric harmonica solo. The next day we set out to a new rifugio, taking the Tram up and hiking down the tunnels through the inside of the mountain! This was a big day of WWI history and learning about the craziness of alpine combat. Liam showed us he really can sleep anywhere: taking naps along the route. The crew locked in for an afternoon of hacky sack under the sun, (many photos and videos to share) and we have been having the BEST meals in our cozy mountain refuge. Today, we hiked and Via Ferrata-ed up to the peak of a mountain overlooking the our little mountain home. Moss set out with Hayden, Elle, and Lilly for an explorative side quest. With rainy afternoon showers, we are hanging out at our refuge, playing cards, making bracelets, and catching up on some much needed rest. As we write, Hank is giving guitar lessons to Reed, Auggie, and Henry, and I’d say we’re just about ready to start a band. We are sooo happy to have this crew, and couldn’t have dreamed up a better team to accompany us in our first session here in the Dolomites! We’re the luckiest leaders in the world! Thanks for sharing your people with us! We’re looking forward to the fun to come!
Some words from the crew:
Hey mom and dad! I’m having soo much fun in the Dolomites and have met so many new friends. I love my leaders and we’re having a great time. I miss and love you both so much, and happy Father’s Day! -Elle
Hi mom and dad! I’m having the best time and am seeing so many new things. I love my group so much and our counselors are amazing. P.S dad – were staying at one of the rifugio we visited with cuno, And my counselor Sarah used to work at Matilda! Happy bday mom and Father’s Day dad love you both -Lilly
Hi Mom and Dad! I’m having such a great time here and I love Moondance! I love my group so much and everyone is so nice and fun to be around. Although I’m having so much fun I really miss biking and am excited to come home and bike every day. Happy Father’s Day dad and love and miss you both!! -Luci
Hey Mom and Dad! Italy has been so fun. I have the best group and leaders. We have hiked a lot and done many via ferratas. We have stayed at 3 different places and we are going to a new one tomorrow. I miss you all so much! Happy fathers’s day! Love y’all!! -Kate
What’s up. This is such a GREAT group. Tell Susanna that her harmonica has been put to EXTENSIVE use and has been used by me for multiple moonup solos. Very fun. Lots of cards playing. Great food for sure. We are doing lots of Via Ferrata- look that up as well. 2 postcards sent to y’all (one to both grandparents as well). Hope they make it. Not too much merch in Dolomites so Venice will be prime. Disposable cameras are super fun. Love ya all and see ya next Sunday. I am doing great. – Tradd 🤠
Hey Mom and Dad! Happy Father’s Day! This is the best group I could’ve had and Italy is so cool. I ran out of photos on one of the disposable cameras in two days but it was for sure worth it. When I get back I’m gonna start playing the guitar more and everyone is so much better at hacky sack than the beginning. I don’t think Duolingo taught me the right Italian because nobody understands me but it’s fun to try. Miss y’all and can’t wait to see you when I get back. Arrivederci. -Reed
Hey Mom and Dad, it’s Hank! I am having so much fun in Italy! I couldn’t ask for a better group. The food here is amazing and so are the views. My only complaint is that time is going too fast and my harmonica broke 😂 Love you and can’t wait to see you! – Hank
Hey Mom and Dad, happy Father’s Day, we have a really good group, I like all the people. We’ve played a lot of hacky sack, and done so much climbing. Most days it’s a mix of hiking and climbing, but I’m much better than I thought I would be at rock climbing, it’s a lot of fun. Tell Andrew and James I said hi. -Henry
Hi Mom and Dad!! First of all, Happy Father’s Day to you Dad! I cannot thank you both enough for signing me up for this trip. This group is just amazing and I love everyone. The Dolomites truly feel like a fairy tail that I get to live in everyday with the best people. Not only are the other kids in my group amazing, I could not ask for better leaders than Moss and Sarah. Every day just keeps getting better and better. From summiting mountains, hiking from Refugio to Refugio, climbing Via Ferratas from WWI, and even the food, all of it has been amazing. I miss and love you guys so much and I can’t wait to tell you guys everything😊 – Hayden
Hi Mom, Dad, Maggie, Avery, AL, and Elle!! I am having so much fun and I am so grateful that y’all signed me up for this. We have done so many activities that I have never done before like Via Ferrata, hiking to different rifugios, and climbing through WW1 bunkers. I have met so many amazing friends and we are already planning a reunion! The food has been so good after long days of hiking and everywhere we have stayed has had amazing showers. We are trekking through the mountains right now and it is such a cool and unique experience. I love and miss y’all and can’t wait to tell you guys everything!! -Reese
Hi Mom and Dad, I am having a fantastic time in the Dolomites. We have summited several mountains; I’ve seen beautiful views and cool World War One trenches. The food is over the top, last night I had venison pasta. Hope y’all are doing well and everyone is ok. Also happy Father’s Day. -Auggie
Hello mom and father I love you very deeply and pondering about if Lola peaked Kilimanjaro. Right now I’m at a nice ski restaurant and hotel. It has mechanical doors. I have gone into the World War One tunnels which were so cool. I have peaked several mountains and done the way of steel in Italian which is very good. Happy Father’s Day to papa and I hope Panama makes it to the round of 32. – Liam
Safe Arrival!
June 15, 2026
Hello Dolomites Families!
We heard from our leaders early this morning that the group has landed safely in Venice! 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
