Surfing Through The Session!
July 18, 2026
As we drive home from a long day of ziplining and bodysurfing, we want to reiterate how amazing, epic, and caring your kids are. They have created such a strong bond with each other and us. Their kindness and love for the outdoors does not go unnoticed. They make us believe in the MOONDANCE MAGIC MORE EVERY SINGLE DAY!!
Day 5: The day started bright and early as we headed down to rafting/snorkeling just as the sun rose. The kids were excited to snorkel and see more fish/turtles, and even a turtle feeding center. We saw many Manta Rays and swam right along next to them! The kids especially loved riding around on the boat- seeing and learning more about Hawaii. Afterwards, we headed back to camp where the majority of the kids napped. The others played guitar and/or basketball on the court at camp. Cook crew (Nora, Bowen, Micheal, and Sam) made beef nachos for dinner, which was a HIT! We closed the night with a great Moonup led by LODs, Catherine and Thomas.
Day 6: WINDSURFINGGGGG! Our most challenging activity seemed like a breeze (haha get it) for our crew. The kids learned more about the technicality of the activity before jumping into the water. We discussed rip currents, ocean safety, risk management AND applying sunscreen!!! They CRUSHED it; words can’t describe how proud we felt watching them go from zero to a hundred (ability wise)! We had four great instructors who coached us through each wave caught. They took the time to explain the logistics with us and learning about the board. The highlight was watching Henry and Arden tack and jibe, which tends to be the hardest part of the activity. While this is a hard activity, the kids did amazing and had great group morale! Thomas was an incredible wind surfer and even received the nickname “buncha barrels” after catching so many. Afterwards, we drove back to camp to have lunch, showered and regrouped before heading into town. We spent our town day strolling through local Hawaiian shops, and Catherine and Hazel found an açaí bowl cafe! We had some daylight left, so we played wavelength and imposter outside. We finished the night with meatball subs and a great Moonup where Jackson asked “if you could be any object what would you be”, and he said A DISCOOOO BALL. A disco ball encompasses our group spirit and character to a tee. No better words to describe this trip.
Day 7: We started the morning with one of the most beautiful hikes of the trip! The hike took us about two hours, and every single camper rose to the challenge. There were definitely some steep and muddy sections, but everyone kept a great attitude from start to finish. Will was such a natural leader throughout the hike, always encouraging others and keeping spirits high. Nora lived up to her cross country reputation by leading the pack for most of the hike, while Michael stayed in the back making sure everyone had someone to walk with and cheering people on along the way. It was so fun watching everyone push themselves and celebrate at the top together.
After the hike, we headed to our cooking class at the farm for an afternoon full of fresh food. We kicked things off by making sugarcane and lime drinks before taking a tour of the farm, where one of the biggest highlights was getting to snack on fresh cherry tomatoes growing right in the garden. We also harvested basil, native finger limes, and cilantro to use in our tacos, making the meal feel even more special.
The cooking class lasted about an hour and a half, with everyone split into groups of three to prepare different parts of the meal. Once everything was finished, we all gathered around the picnic tables to enjoy the tacos we had made together.
These past 7 days with them capture what this trip is all about—trying new things, encouraging one another, and making best friends for the long run.
Love hanging out with them!
With love,
Holland Miller, Mason Wellons, Austin Edwards
Below, everyone wants to thank you for your support and sending them to Maui!!
Thomas -Hey Mom and Dad! Thank you for sending me on this unforgettable experience in Maui!
Michael – Thank you Mother and Father for sending me on this amazing trip. I’m having so much fun!
Hazel – Hi Mom and Dad. I’ve had a great time here in Maui, and I am so so excited to tell you guys everything. I can’t wait to come home to see y’all and Cannelli!!
Bowen – Hi Mom and Dad! Thank you for sending me on this trip. Hope Italy was fun and excited to see you guys.
Jackson – Hey Mom and Dad! I miss you guys! It feels weird typing on a phone, but I hope y’all are having fun and ma woonie is ok. Thanks for sending me on this trip it’s worth it love you guys!!!!
Arden – Hey Mom and Dad! I miss you guys so much. Thank you so much for sending me on this trip! I hope yall are having a great time in Tampa, and I cannot wait to see yall in four days!! 💕💕
Catherine – Hi Mom and Dad!!! I am having so so so much fun! Thank you so much for sending me on this trip. See you soon! I hope Laney is doing well. Love you
Nora – Hello Mom and Dad!!!! I’m having a whole bunch of fun, but I’m also excited to see you any day now. Thank you and miss you!!
Sam – Hey Mom and Dad. How’s Ted? I miss him sooo much much. I also hope Alex and Rox are having fun in Cali too! The water is so clear here it’s insane! Ok, Mom and Dad, have fun😎😎 love you guys
Will – Hey!! I am having so much fun on this trip, the people are nice and fun. Maui is awesome, and it was so worth it. I can’t wait to see yall though. Thanks so much for giving me this opportunity!! I love yall!!
Henry- Hey Mom and Dad, I miss you guys so much. They woke me up from my nap to write this. I am having so much fun and cannot wait to see you and tell you how much fun I had. I have figured out how to actually surf, which is really fun, and we’ve seen so many turtles.
Fun in the Sun!
July 13, 2026
We are so thankful to have your kids with us on Maui this summer! A huge thank you and congrats to all the parents for ensuring the kids arrived safely! Below is a brief synopsis of our trip.
Day 1: Maria arrived first in the afternoon and Masie was at the airport to greet her. The rest of the students began trickling in, and we had some sandwiches and snacks for lunch before heading to camp to get settled in. The kids hit it off immediately and started playing basketball in the rain at camp!! We ate pizza our first dinner all together! Everyone is getting along great. We ended the night with Moonup, a Moondance tradition that values “nugs” (moments in the day we are thankful for) and LOD (leaders of the day) for tomorrow. Sam and Nora stood out as especially inclusive campers who had gone the extra mile to make our first day special, so we picked them as our first LODs!
Day 2: We started the morning slow as our activity did not start til mid-morning. We had a big breakfast consisting of waffles, eggs, and strawberries, then packed up for repelling! We got to drive on the Road to Hana and it was great seeing the kids reactions to the highway and views! This highway is known for its cascading cliffs and lush forest we drive through, making it one of the most famous highways in America. We rappelled down three different repels in the pouring rain. The kids still really enjoyed the activity and had good spirits about the rain. The highlight was seeing Jackson, Catherine, and Arden crushing the repel- every student killed it! We then ate lunch at a beach where we enjoyed sandwiches and fruit- the perfect beach lunch. Afterwards we made our first Costco run with the kids and headed back to camp to cook burgers and hotdogs. We finished the day with Moonup- howling at the moon!!
Day 3: The day started out early for our first conservation activity- LODs Hazel and Will making sure everyone was wearing pants, long sleeves, closed toed shoes and lots of water! At the conservation activity, we picked invasive species on their land and learned more about the Hawaiian culture – we even got to try some fruits picked right off the trees. The outfitters were amazing and engaged the students with both educational and labor-like tasks. Michael and Bowen tried different fruits, which I believe was the highlight of the activity. Afterwards, we had lunch at a beach and swam with the kids after conducting their swim test. We walked through a local market where we got to see a goat and feed it as well. Our last activity of the day was lei making and hula dancing that all the kids (especially the boys) really engaged in and loved! We had opportunities to take great pictures by the water with the leis we made! We learned some hula dances that engage every single one of the students- we even got to wear fun skirts provided by the outfitter. Henry needs to sign up for Dancing With The Stars, he’s great! We finished the day with tacos and Moonup!
Day 4: The day started out at surfing, an activity all of the kids were looking forward to. Only a few people from this group had never surfed before, but it was awesome catching some waves- especially if it was their first ones ever! Thomas spotted two turtles in the water, and they became surf buddies. We finished this activity and went to our local ice cream stop and walked around the town across the street from the surf shack. Afterwards, we headed to the Goat Dairy Farm where the kids fed the goats and tried different types of goat cheese! Everyone loved it!! We headed back to camp- watched the sunset, cooked a yummy dinner and had a great Moonup!
Thank you again for sending your wonderful kids to Moondance! We will check back in shortly.
With love,
Holland, Mason, Austin
Here’s a shoutout from the kids!
Maria – hi mom and dad! I miss yall so much. I’m having having a great time and I miss yall so much see yall soon love Maria
Nora- Hi mom and dad! I’m having a really good time here and it’s so sick. I miss yall a lot and can’t wait to see you yall in a few days! Love yall and miss yall so much. Love, Nora
Arden – hi mom and dad! I miss you guys so so much but I am also having such an amazing time!! so far, I have been doing so many fun activities while I’m here and I am so excited to tell you more about it when I get home!! Love yall so much.
Catherine -Hi mom, dad and dogs. I miss you guys so much! I am having a great time. The girls in my group r awesome! We have been doing super cool stuff. Today we snorkeled and I saw a sea turtle and manta ray swam under me! I hope drew is having a great time at camp. Bye love you sm!!!
Hazel – hi mom and dad!! today I swam with a manta ray and a sea turtle at the same time. I’m having some life changing experiences and I can’t wait to tell you everything. I’m unbelievably grateful I have the opportunity to be here. I miss you guys more than ever. tell cannella I’m counting down the days to see her again and how I love her so much . love yall.
Sam- Hey mom and dad how’s cali?? Hey dad thanks for apologizing to teddy… ok I wanna go and have SO much fun here! Love you
Jackson – hey mom and dad I love you so much and I learned how to play broken window serenade on guitar
Will – What’s up greeny 7, most likely parents and Adelle. Maui is awesome today we went snorkeling and saw a manta-ray and 5 turtles. We’ve been doing a lot of fun stuff and I’m having a lot of fun. I love yall and miss yall, hope yall are having fun. Love, Will
Michael – salutations mother and father I’m having an amazing time in this beautiful country on this exquisite excursion tell my loved ones fair well as I am MIA love yall
Bowen – Hey mom and dad l love you and miss you, hope Italy is fun. Sincerely Bowen
Thomas – hey mom and dad What’s up how’s the beach going I am haven fun the the ATL BOYS and miss all yall hope to see yall back in the 252 sincerely thomas
Henry- Hey mom van and dad I miss you all and I can’t wait to see you. Maui is so fun and we saw tons of cool things while snorkeling. Can’t wait to see you all. Love, Henry
Safe Arrival!
July 9, 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
