Mahalo, Maui!
July 5, 2026
The past five days have been filled with adventure, laughter, and plenty of unforgettable moments. It has been so much fun watching our Maui 2A family continue to grow closer as everyone becomes more comfortable trying new things and cheering each other on.
We kicked off the week with a hike along the beautiful Waiheʻe Ridge Trail. The trail rewarded us with incredible views of Maui’s lush valleys and coastline. The slightly muddy conditions also made for an interesting and silly day, for sure! Griffin and Bridger were always ready to lend a hand on the steeper sections, while Annie, Kate, and AC embraced the challenge with positive attitudes.
The following morning, we headed to the beach for a surf lesson. We were incredibly proud of the entire group for getting up on their boards and giving surfing their best effort. It was especially fun watching Charles and Ford chase wave after wave while Sophia celebrated each successful ride with a huge smile. That afternoon, we visited a local goat farm where everyone sampled a flight of goat cheeses and learned a little more about sustainable farming on Maui.
The next day brought one of our favorite adventures so far: sea kayaking along the coast. After paddling, we jumped into the water and snorkeled with dozens of sea turtles. Bridger and Sophia especially enjoyed diving beneath the surface for a closer look while the rest of the group soaked in the incredible experience. Later that afternoon, we explored the colorful town of Paia before finishing the day with a special pizza dinner at Paia Flatbread Company.
Our next adventure took us high above the trees on a ziplining course. The boys were fearless as they flew down a zipline stretching nearly half a mile long! That afternoon, we made our way to Dragon’s Teeth on West Maui, where many of the group challenged themselves by jumping into the ocean. Chrissy and Ford helped lead the way, encouraging others to take the leap, and before long, everyone was cheering each other on from the rocks. Back at camp, dinner turned into one of our most competitive activities yet with a “Chopped” cooking competition. The winning team-Sophia, Chrissy, Griffin, and Ford-impressed everyone with their creative quesadillas and surprisingly delicious Hot Cheeto/pineapple combination! The evening was full of teamwork, laughter, and plenty of taste-testing.
Today, we wrapped up another exciting day with a windsurfing lesson. We loved seeing Emerson get up on the board and continue improving throughout the session. After some downtime back at camp, we finished the afternoon with a cooking class where everyone contributed to preparing dinner. Arthur and Kate especially stepped up in the kitchen, helping organize ingredients and making sure everything came together. Andrew has continued to jump into every activity with a great attitude, and it has been wonderful watching the entire group grow more confident and connected each day.
We are having an incredible time together on Maui and can’t wait to see what the next week brings. Thank you for sharing such adventurous, kind, and enthusiastic kids with us!
Thank you,
Valarie, Duke, & Georgia
A note from your kids!
Annie- hey mom and dad! I’m so so grateful for yall sending me on this trip! I love yall so much, see you soon!
Chrissy- Hey mom and dad! Thank yall for sending me on this trip. I have had so much fun and I am excited to see yall!
AC- Hi mom and dad thank you for sending me on this trip! Love and miss yall!
Kate- Hey mom and dad! Thank you so much for sending me on this trip! I am having so much fun and am excited to see you soon! Love yall and miss yall so much!
Sophia- Hi Mom and Dad! Thank you so much for sending me to Maui, I’m having the best time! Love and miss yall so much!
Emerson- Hey Mom and Dad! Thank you so much for sending me to Maui! I have had so much fun and made so many new friends and memories. Love yall and miss yall so much!
Ford- Hello parents, thanks for sending me on this trip, can’t wait to tell yall about it. Love yall.
Charles- Hey mom and dad, thank you both for sending me to Maui. I’ve had so much funnnn! Can’t wait to see you guys, but I don’t wanna leave yet. See yall soon! Love you guys!
Andrew- Hey Mom and Dad thank you for sending me on this trip I will never forget the memories I have made
Arthur- Hi mom and dad I love yall and thank you for sending me on this trip.
Bridger- Hi mom and dad I love yall thank you for letting me go on this trip 100% doing this next year!
Griffin- Hey mom and dad and thank y’all for letting me go on this trip. Love yall and Parker and Saban. Thank you so much.
Magical Maui Moments
July 1, 2026
Hi Maui Family and Friends!!!!
The past five days have been filled with adventure, laughter, and plenty of unforgettable moments. It has been so much fun watching our Maui 2A family continue to grow closer as everyone becomes more comfortable trying new things and cheering each other on.
We kicked off the week with a hike along the beautiful Waiheʻe Ridge Trail. The trail rewarded us with incredible views of Maui’s lush valleys and coastline. The slightly muddy conditions also made for an interesting and silly day, for sure! Griffin and Bridger were always ready to lend a hand on the steeper sections, while Annie, Kate, and AC embraced the challenge with positive attitudes.
The following morning, we headed to the beach for a surf lesson. We were incredibly proud of the entire group for getting up on their boards and giving surfing their best effort. It was especially fun watching Charles and Ford chase wave after wave while Sophia celebrated each successful ride with a huge smile. That afternoon, we visited a local goat farm where everyone sampled a flight of goat cheeses and learned a little more about sustainable farming on Maui.
The next day brought one of our favorite adventures so far: sea kayaking along the coast. After paddling, we jumped into the water and snorkeled with dozens of sea turtles. Bridger and Sophia especially enjoyed diving beneath the surface for a closer look while the rest of the group soaked in the incredible experience. Later that afternoon, we explored the colorful town of Paia before finishing the day with a special pizza dinner at Paia Flatbread Company.
Our next adventure took us high above the trees on a ziplining course. The boys were fearless as they flew down a zipline stretching nearly half a mile long! That afternoon, we made our way to Dragon’s Teeth on West Maui, where many of the group challenged themselves by jumping into the ocean. Chrissy and Ford helped lead the way, encouraging others to take the leap, and before long, everyone was cheering each other on from the rocks.
Back at camp, dinner turned into one of our most competitive activities yet with a “Chopped” cooking competition. The winning team-Sophia, Chrissy, Griffin, and Ford-impressed everyone with their creative quesadillas and surprisingly delicious Hot Cheeto/pineapple combination! The evening was full of teamwork, laughter, and plenty of taste-testing.
Today, we wrapped up another exciting day with a windsurfing lesson. We loved seeing Emerson get up on the board and continue improving throughout the session. After some downtime back at camp, we finished the afternoon with a cooking class where everyone contributed to preparing dinner. Arthur and Kate especially stepped up in the kitchen, helping organize ingredients and making sure everything came together. Andrew has continued to jump into every activity with a great attitude, and it has been wonderful watching the entire group grow more confident and connected each day.
We are having an incredible time together on Maui and can’t wait to see what the next week brings. Thank you for sharing such adventurous, kind, and enthusiastic kids with us!
Thank you,
Valarie, Duke, & Georgia
A note from your kids!
Annie- hey mom and dad! I’m so so grateful for yall sending me on this trip! I love yall so much, see you soon!
Chrissy- Hey mom and dad! Thank yall for sending me on this trip. I have had so much fun and I am excited to see yall!
AC- Hi mom and dad thank you for sending me on this trip! Love and miss yall!
Kate- Hey mom and dad! Thank you so much for sending me on this trip! I am having so much fun and am excited to see you soon! Love yall and miss yall so much!
Sophia- Hi Mom and Dad! Thank you so much for sending me to Maui, I’m having the best time! Love and miss yall so much!
Emerson- Hey Mom and Dad! Thank you so much for sending me to Maui! I have had so much fun and made so many new friends and memories. Love yall and miss yall so much!
Ford- Hello parents, thanks for sending me on this trip, can’t wait to tell yall about it. Love yall.
Charles- Hey mom and dad, thank you both for sending me to Maui. I’ve had so much funnnn! Can’t wait to see you guys, but I don’t wanna leave yet. See yall soon! Love you guys!
Andrew- Hey Mom and Dad thank you for sending me on this trip I will never forget the memories I have made
Arthur- Hi mom and dad I love yall and thank you for sending me on this trip.
Bridger- Hi mom and dad I love yall thank you for letting me go on this trip 100% doing this next year!
Griffin- Hey mom and dad and thank y’all for letting me go on this trip. Love yall and Parker and Saban. Thank you so much.
Fun in the Sun!
June 26, 2026
The past few days have been filled with joy and connection! Despite the numerous flight delays, every member of our Maui 2A family made it to camp by day two. Sophia, Annie, AC, Kate, Charles, Bridger, and Griffin were the first group to get to camp. They spent the afternoon unpacking, playing basketball, and having an intense handstand competition! Duke showed up a bit later with Arthur and Ford, along with many delicious pizzas. The crew enjoyed sharing a meal together and debriefing their travel days.
Once Emerson arrived, we held our first end-of-the-day debrief, “Moonup”. During Moonup, we selected our first leaders of the day (LODs), who would help coordinate activities for the next day. Emerson and Charles were selected as the first LODs. Both of them were thrilled to take on the role. They both jumped into planning their Moonup for the following day, coming up with insightful questions to ask the group and a fun game.
The next day, we had an early wake-up. We ate breakfast muffins and drank yogurt drinks. After breakfast, we got in the van and made our way to the beach to go standup paddleboarding. The LODs made sure everyone had their supplies for the day, including towels, sunscreen, and water. Ford, Sophia, and Charles had a blast attempting to do headstands on the board. Our guide discussed the history of Hawaii while we paddled, even sharing about a hidden treasure nearby and caves guarded by reef sharks.
After paddleboarding, we went back to camp, and the girls made everyone chicken and cheese quesadillas. Later, we played a game of basketball and made our way to Pono Grown Farm! At the farm, we learned about environmental health and renewable energy. The group also moved eucalyptus branches to make room for new crops. Next, we went down the farm’s homemade waterslide. For the last round of the slide, our whole group went down it at the same time!
Later, we were joined by Chrissy and Andrew 🙂 It was amazing having the whole group all together. Chrissy and Andrew jumped into things, helping the crew make Mediterranean bowls for dinner and setting up hammocks. In our “hammock city,” we have five residents! Everyone loved the pita bread and tzatziki dip at dinner. After dinner, we played card games and got to know each other more.
The following day, we did a few conservation activities, focusing on the health of sea turtles and coral. Bridger, Charles, and Griffin were quick to pick up trash at the beach when we walked to the shore to spot sea turtles. Afterwards, we ate shaved ice and explored the sharks at the aquarium. Chrissy got a delicious chocolate chip cookie dough scoop that made the councilors get the flavor, too. The girls also got fidget toys at a shop near the aquarium. Emerson and Annie were ecstatic about their pink cube fidget toys! On the way back to camp, the crew sang “American Pie” and laughed about funny moments from the past few days.
We are getting into the groove of things here at camp and are excited for the days to come. We are grateful to be on the beautiful island of Maui together!
Thank you,
Valarie, Duke, & Georgia 🌺🐢✨🌴🤙
——
Shoutouts
Georgia, Val, & Duke
- Mau 1A, we hope you are doing amazing post-trip! Our broccoli from Pono Grow Farm is doing amazing. Thank you to the other Maui groups for being such amazing supports and to Moondance Headquarters for their terrific guidance. #maui is the best!!!
Kate
- Hey mom and dad! I am having SO much fun and my group is so amazing and are the most funny people I have ever met! And hey to my friends and other people, I miss y’all so much and think about y’all everyday. Love, Kate🤙🏻
Bridger
- Hi mom and dad! This place is lit and everyone is really nice we went repelling through a waterfall and it was super cool and really scary! Miss y’all!🤙🏻
Anne Catherine
- Hi mom and dad! I miss y’all so much and cant wait to see y’all! Also happy belated birthday dad! Tell rocky and Meredith I miss them. Love y’all!🤙🏻
Chrissy
- Hey mom, dad, JD, and Brady! Maui is AMAZING!! I have made so many memories and I cant wait to tell y’all everything. Love y’all and see you soon!!🤙🏻
Charles
- Hi mom hey dad, I hope you both are well. Im having so much fun! See you both soon. 🤙🏻
Griffin
- Mom and dad, maui has been a blast and my group is mostly from NC and Tennessee. Give Saban a piece of cheese and love y’all, bye. 🤙🏻
Andrew
- Hi Mom and Dad. I am having a great time here in Maui. See you soon. 🤙🏻
Sophia
- Hi mom and dad, love you guys so much and cant wait to see you! Im having the best time here. Please hug the dogs for me and tell lulu I say hi.🤙🏻
Emerson
- Hey mom and dad and Tatom, I miss y’all so much and love y’all so much!! I am having the best time here and I love the scenery and my new friends I have made. Please hug bodie and Penelope for me. Also tell Virginia, Emerson,and Pressley that I miss them! Love y’all!!🤙🏻
Annie
- Hey mom dad and baker!(I know Robbie and Claire are on vacation right now) I miss y’all so much and love y’all so much! Im having the time of my life in maui! Tell Olivia and Rosie and everyone I say hi! Love y’all!🤙🏻
Ford
- Happy birthday mom, hope it was good. Having a great time. Shoutout buster and penny.🤙🏻
Arthur
- Hi mom and dad. Having fun. Love y’all. Bye 🤙🏻
Safe Arrival!
June 24, 2026
Hello Maui Families!
We heard from our leaders last night that the group has landed safely in Maui! Please remember that our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will post trip updates throughout the trip! This will allow you to follow along with their adventure. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
