Farewell from the PNW!
July 9, 2026
HI MOONDANCE FAMILIES!!!!!
After an amazing time backpacking in the North Cascades it was time to get excited and ready for the next and final adventure, Sea Kayaking! It may be true for this trip, that they leave the best for last…
As we loaded our ferry from the mainland out into the San Juan Islands National Monument, it became clear that this would be a memorable section of the trip. The San Juan’s are a special place that open themselves up only to those who know the language of the sea and its vast expanse of islands. Here lies a special place where our group gets to stop and reconnect with the beautiful nature one last time. Arriving on the island this first afternoon made this all slowly start to come into view.
As we landed on the island in Friday Harbor, the energy was ever-present. Nearing closer to our country’s 250th Birthday, the town was filled with flags and families preparing for the big day. We stopped at the store in town to prepare for a big American cookout dinner, and collect supplies for a big campfire as well. We then headed to camp to finally clean up after a few long shower-less days backpacking in the woods. Feeling clean and recharged we started to make dinner for the night, chili and bratwursts were on the menu. The LODs, Charlie and Elle, were a major help through making dinner. Everyone else used this time to goof around at the campsite, B and Tanner even built their own fishing rod using a stick, some string, and a bottle cap. Once dinner was ready we all sat around and chowed down on some delicious food! Everyone helped out with the dishes so that they would go by faster. We then set up camp and tucked in to get good sleep before the big day tomorrow!
The next day started with a bang. All the kids woke up to American music and we started the day dancing and singing along to classics like American Girl by Tom Petty. Everyone got dressed into red, white and blue, and our LODs, Caroline and Tanner began to get breakfast set up. For breakfast we had bagel sandwiches with egg, cheese, and bacon, which were delicious and good fuel for the day! After breakfast the celebrations continued, we popped some Martenelli’s sparkling apple cider and put on some tiny american hats. We then put on a ton of facepaint, consisting of american flags, 250s, and tons of red, white, and blue. Evelyn volunteered to decorate everyone’s legs and arms as well! After all of the morning celebrations we packed up and headed to meet our sea kayaking guides. We met them downtown by the boat ramp, where the energy was great, we got to see a marching band, and a donut eating competition. We had lunch with the guides and got to know them more. We then loaded up the kayaks and began our journey across the channel. The paddle was not an easy one, but everyone persevered through the hard winds. We stopped midway through to recharge with some candy and snacks. B even got buried with tiny little rocks on the beach, while Conrad, Tanner, and Charlie were extremely entertained by the bull kelp. After a good break we loaded back into the kayaks and started across the channel, the vibes were high as we reached the island! Elle became a master at paddling and her boat was cruising! We unloaded all of the boats and set up camp, with a beautiful view of the ocean! The guides started cooking a warm, yummy dinner for us while we devoured so much chips and guacamole and salsa! Once dinner was ready we all sat and enjoyed the yummy meal. After dinner everyone helped do the dishes! We then headed to find a good spot to watch the fireworks. We ended up on an outlook where we could see 3 firework shows at the same time!! We sat and watched until all 3 firework shows were over and then headed back to the campsite. When we got back Charlie eagerly started working on building a fire, with a lot of help from Tanner and B. The guides surprised us with some apple pie, which we all happily ate while watching the fire! Once the fire was done we all tucked into our tents after a long day filled with many celebrations!
The next day began bright and early, we packed up our camp, ate a big breakfast, and then loaded into our kayaks to begin the paddle back to the main island. The paddle was much easier than before and everyone rocked it. Martha and Sophie had the most fun boat and rocked out the whole paddle! We got to see many harbor seals and cool birds! Once we made it back to the mainland we unloaded the boats and headed to a lunch spot. The guides set up a yummy lunch of pulled pork sandwiches, and we had many snacks on the side! After lunch we said goodbye and thank you to our guides and loaded back into our van! We stopped downtown to get some souvenirs, the girls and Grace all got matching shirts!! We headed to a beach across the island for the afternoon. Once we got to the beach we set up spikeball which Sophie was great at and the guys played some frisbee. After the girls warmed up from spikeball we took a plunge in the cold ocean led by Caroline and Evelyn. Evelyn definitely jumped in the water the most times. The guys got invited by some other beachgoers to join their game of soccer, which they happily accepted. Conrad played great and everyone had tons of fun! After they finished their soccer game they all jumped in the ocean, and Charlie even got to use his float he bought earlier in the day! We all dried off and packed up to head to dinner! We had dinner at a super fun restaurant that had bowling, pool, and many arcade games. Sophie, Elle, B, and Tanner played a lot of pool while the rest of us sat and watched the England vs Mexico soccer game which was an AMAZING game! Charlie got super into the soccer game, even though he said it was the first one he had ever watched. After we finished dinner we headed to an awesome spot to watch the sunset and do Moonup. Moonup was led by Caroline and Tanner, and had everyone laughing at times, but also had everyone bonding further through the serious question. The sunset was gorgeous and we all sat and shared memories from the trip until the sun went fully down. After Moonup, we headed back to the campsite to take some hot showers to wash off all of the ocean water. After showers we set up a big campfire, led by Tanner and thanks to all of the firewood Conrad collected. We all ate smores around the campfire and had many good laughs, Caroline probably had the most laughs, but her laugh got everyone else laughing too! After smores we all got into our sleeping bags and got a good night’s sleep.
The next morning we got to sleep in a little, and then we ate a random assortment of foods from the U-haul while we packed up camp. We then headed down to the ferry, but unfortunately our ferry had gotten pushed back, but we ended up making the most of it. We got pizza and took it down to the dock, and everyone enjoyed dinner while looking out at the ocean. After pizza we found a yummy ice cream spot, and everyone got ice cream. We then went into a restaurant to watch the beginning of the next world cup game. The girls chose to walk around to other shops during this time and we all found a cool shop and talked with the owner for a while. We then headed back down to the van because it was almost time to get on the ferry. We loaded onto the ferry and began our journey back to the mainland. Everyone got many snacks and drinks from the little restaurant and we watched all of the pretty scenery. Once we got back we had tons to do because it was banquet day!! We drove up to Bellingham, everyone piled in the back of the van to watch the US game, while Evelyn sat in the front row and created a queue with amazing songs! Once we got to Bellingham we found an awesome outdoor watch party for the US game and joined in with the crowd cheering for our country. We all got yummy Shirley temples and hung out there for a while. Martha and Conrad also began to plan a very special final Moonup during this time. After the game we headed to goodwill to pick out silly outfits to wear for dinner. Charlie probably won the award for goofiest outfit, but everyone looks super silly! We headed to a yummy hibachi spot for dinner and the guys all shot water guns in the parking lot. We shared many laughs at dinner before piling back in the van to find a spot for the final Moonup. We found a spot to watch the sunset and our final LODs, Martha and Conrad led an amazing last Moonup. We sat for a while after and reminisced on special and funny moments throughout the trip and then closed off the Moonup with our last group hug. We then headed to the carwash to clean out the van and Uhaul and all of the gear, Martha definitely helped the most and was running around cleaning everything! After that was finished we headed back to the campsite and tucked in for a little while. We woke up super early and headed to the airport. After many teary goodbyes, and delayed flights everyone made it home safely!
Will and I feel so grateful to have had such an amazing group of kids, who all became best friends. I know as I wrote this final update I got to think back about all of the great memories made and all of the laughs shared. This trip was truly an extremely special and memorable one. Thank you so much for sending your kids to the Pacific Northwest for the past two weeks. What an amazing trip!!!!!
Best,
Grace and Will
Keeping Busy in the PNW!
July 4, 2026
HEY MOONDANCE FAMILIES!!!!!!!
We’ve got lots to update y’all on since the last time we talked—things have been super busy in the PNW!!
We started Day 6 with a drive up to a national park area where our campsite was for the night. Once we got there, we locked in on backpacking lessons like the duffle shuffle, splitting up group gear, packing a pack, and how to use a WhisperLite stove and bear canisters. After everyone felt confident with the skills, we made a delicious dinner of burgers and bratwursts, prepared by our LODs Martha and Charlie!! It was a great big meal to fuel us up for the start of our backpacking trip the next day.
During the evening, we had a brief wildlife sighting at a safe distance. The group did a great job staying calm and following all proper safety guidelines. Charlie was even able to capture a quick video on his GoPro. Afterward, we made sure all scented items were properly stored before heading to bed. Charlie and Martha then led a great Moonup to get everyone ready and excited for backpacking!!
We woke up early the next morning to finish packing and had a quick breakfast of bagels and cream cheese. Once all of our packs were ready, we headed down to meet our water taxi. The hike down was about a mile, and this group moved with great energy—led by Conrad and Tanner, we made it down in no time! We split into two groups for the boat ride, and the second group (the girls) got to play hackysack and relax in the sun while waiting for the shuttle to return. Caroline even made some big improvements in her hackysack skills during this time!!
Once everyone made it to the trailhead, we enjoyed a classic backpacking lunch of tortillas with summer sausage and cheese. After lunch, we began our first hike of the trip, which everyone crushed, and we made it to camp earlier than expected! We set up tents, and a few of the guys decided to jump into the cold water for a quick refresh after hiking—Tanner, B, and Conrad were the brave ones! We also created a new group game called “stick game,” which kept everyone laughing and entertained for quite a while before dinner.
For dinner, our LODs B and Sophie helped cook taco bowls for the group, which were a huge hit after a big day on trail. After dinner, the LODs led a great Moonup, and we all enjoyed hanging out together before heading into our tents to rest up for the next day.
We slept in until about 9:30 the next morning since it was a lighter hiking day ahead. Everyone was especially excited because it was Martha’s birthday!!!!!!!! She wore a birthday crown all day and even received birthday wishes from passing hikers! Once everyone was up, we had oatmeal for breakfast and packed up our gear.
We started the day with a solid uphill climb, and the group handled it really well. Evelyn and Sophie helped set a strong pace for the girls, while the boys kept morale high by singing songs along the way! At a water source, we learned how to properly filter water on trail, and everyone enjoyed some cold mountain water. Later, Elle kept the group entertained with stories as we hiked.
We stopped for lunch halfway through, then pushed through the rest of the miles and arrived at a beautiful riverside campsite. Everyone immediately cooled off by dipping feet—and a few brave swimmers even jumped in to fully refresh in the chilly water!
While camp was being set up, Elle and Caroline helped distract Martha while the rest of the group worked on a birthday surprise. Sophie and Evelyn set up decorations, and Evelyn made a very special cookie cake decoration. When Martha returned, the group surprised her with balloons, streamers, and noisemakers—she was completely surprised!! Later, Conrad and Evelyn (LODs) helped cook chicken pesto pasta for dinner. We wrapped up the celebration with a cookie cake, singing happy birthday, and lots of smiles all around. It was a really special night, and the LODs led a thoughtful Moonup to close out the day.
The next morning, we slept in again before starting the day with chocolate chip pancakes made by Martha and Tanner (LODs). Breakfast was a big hit, and everyone was in great spirits for the hike ahead. We climbed steadily, and the group felt strong after the previous days of hiking. Midway through the day, we stopped at a waterfall where everyone got to cool off and dip their heads in the water—an awesome trail moment!!
We continued hiking to lunch, then pushed through the final stretch to a stunning campsite. Once we arrived, everyone explored and took in the view. The girls jumped into the water in their hiking clothes, while the boys went to scout a nearby lookout point. Dinner was mac and cheese with chicken, cooked up by the girls, and it was the perfect end to a beautiful day. After dishes were cleaned, we had a special Moonup led by Tanner and Martha before heading to bed early.
We woke up early the next morning for our hike out. Everyone packed efficiently and moved quickly on trail. We enjoyed the final miles together, with Caroline sharing stories from school that kept the group laughing. We made it down quickly, and while the boys took the first boat, the girls relaxed in the sun, played hackysack, and snacked while waiting for the return trip. We soaked in the final views of the area and took lots of photos to remember the trip.
After the boat ride back, we had a quick hype circle before our final hike up to the van. Once we reached the parking area, we met up, loaded in, and headed to celebrate with a well-earned burger stop—everyone crushed burgers, fries, and milkshakes after a strong few days on trail!
We then continued on to our next adventure in the San Juan Islands!!!!
It’s hard to believe we only have a few days left with this incredible group. They’ve all grown so close, and Will and I care about each of them so much—it’s going to be really hard to say goodbye soon. Luckily, we still have more adventures ahead as we head into sea kayaking over the next few days, and we can’t wait to share more in the next update!!
Talk soon!!!
Grace and Will 🌲🥾🏔️
Martha: Dear Mom and Dad, Thank you so so so so much for sending me on this awesome trip. I have had so much fun and cannot wait to tell y’all about it.
Sophie: Hey Mom and Dad. Thank you so much for sending me on this trip, I have met amazing people and seen the coolest stuff! I can’t wait to tell y’all all about it soon. Love y’all!
Evelyn: Hi Mom and Dad! Thank you so much for sending me on this amazing trip! I love my group and have had so much fun. Excited to tell you guys about it when I get home!
Conrad: Hey Mom and Dad. Thanks so much for sending me on this trip! I’m having an amazing time and having so much fun. My group is amazing. So exited to see you all soon. Bye!
Tanner: Hey Mom and Dad! I’m having a lot of fun, and I’m super grateful for y’all sending me on this trip. I miss you and love you guys.
Charlie: Hey Mom and Dad. I’m having fun! I’m super grateful for you sending me here, and I’m having fun. Thank you and I miss you!!!! (Please buy dried mango for when I get home love you)
B: What’s up parents, thanks you so much for sending me on this amazing trip. I don’t want to leave. I have made the best friends here and made so many amazing and unforgettable memories. We summited a mountain and it was sick. Miss y’all and see y’all soon
Elle: Hi Mom and Dad! I’m having the best time and miss y’all so much. I hiked a lot and am on the way to an island to sea kayak. Love y’all and see you soon.😆💗
Caroline- Hi Mom and Dad! Thank you so much for sending me on this trip. I love my group so much, and I’m having the best time ever. We have done so much cool stuff, and I’m excited to tell you about all of it! Have fun at the lake! Miss and love y’all!
Rafting and Rappelling!
June 29, 2026
HI MOONDANCE FAMILIES!!!!!
WOOOO!!!!! It’s been an electric few days in PNW with this group!! They all quickly clicked after meeting just a few days ago! We began our journey in the Seattle airport where all of the kids landed on day 1. We played lots of card games as we waited for everyone to land. After everyone had made it and had all of their bags we started our first drive. We had a long-ish drive for our first day, but they kids all had great attitudes. They played many get to know you games and we jammed out to some of their favorite songs, tons of country was played! We stopped for pizza along the way, a Moondance special! We eventually made it to our first camp and the kids all got acquainted with the camping lifestyle. After a sweet opening Moonup all of the kids tucked in after a long day of travel!
We woke up pretty early the next day for our first adventure, rafting the White Salmon!! We had a fresh breakfast of yogurt, fruit, granola, and honey and then headed to meet our rafting guides. We had a full day of rafting ahead of us, but we first started at the cafe where Charlie got a yummy hot chocolate!! We then headed to the rafts and Tanner immediately volunteered to go in the front of the raft! We rafted a lot of class 4 rapids which everyone loved and then took a break for a quick lunch. After lunch we continued down the river and through a lot of class 3 rapids. The views were gorgeous as we paddled through the canyon, which we learned was originally a lava tube for Mt. Adams! We finished our rafting and took a bus back up to where our van was. We then got warm and headed to the beach to hang out before dinner. We hacky sacked for about an hour. Sophie and Evelyn had crazy good hacky sack skills! We then took a quick break for gummy bears and Tanner caught 18 in his mouth in a row!!!! Then we headed back to camp to make dinner. The LODs, Sophie and Charlie, helped cook up some Annie’s Mac and cheese and we added sausage to it. After dinner, the camp owner came over and played some games with us and then told us some crazy stories!! The LODs led a great moonup and then we all headed to bed.
The next day began with another drive down to Smith Rock State Park. When we arrived we met our climbing guides and got all suited up with gear. We hiked down to where we would be climbing for the day and got a quick safety talk. Elle and B crushed all of the climbs, and didn’t give up when it got hard! Everyone climbed multiple of the routes and we all had a great time! Conrad even got on all 3 of the routes despite having braces on both wrists! When we finished climbing we hiked back to camp and started setting up dinner. Our LODs, Tanner and Evelyn, helped cook some delicious fajitas while we watched a gorgeous sunset over the cliffs. Tanner and Evelyn then led a perfect Moonup to close off an incredible first day of climbing!
We started the next day cooking eggs, bacon, and cheese croissants for breakfast, led by our LODs, Elle and B. We met our guides for climbing and then headed to our spot for the day. We practiced rappelling for the next day, which Sophie and Martha killed. Everyone made it to the top of at least one climb, and Charlie made it to the top of his first wall of the trip! Caroline was the last to do the practice rappel, but she probably made it up the wall the fastest, she zoomed up!! After everyone was finished climbing we hacky-sacked by the river for a while and Tanner showed us his skills. We then headed back to camp before heading into Bend to explore. In Bend, we went to a super awesome used gear store where we bought some more hackysacks so we could be extra prepared. We then headed to the food trucks to grab dinner and most people got burgers, which were delicious!! After dinner we headed to REI to get some last minute gear, and Conrad got a bunch of cool stickers for his water bottle. We went back to camp after and practiced hacky sacking some more! Caroline and Evelyn mastered some more hacky sack moves!! We have all gotten so much better than the first day! We sat on the cliffs, while B and Elle led a super awesome Moonup to close off a super awesome day!!
The next day began bright and early with a steep hike up to Monkey’s Face for our big rappel!! Evelyn and Martha were both big motivators during the hike and kept everyone moving. We made it up to Monkey’s Face in record time even the guides were shocked. We began the rappelling process and Elle jumped at the chance to go first! Everyone crushed it, no fears held anyone back! Conrad did it in both of his braces, proving nothing can hold him back! Sophie did the whole thing so impressively fast, and didn’t even seem phased by the heights!! Charlie pushed past his fears and did an amazing job and even stopped mid-rappel to get a sick GoPro video!! After wrapping up we had some well deserved gummies and began our hike down! Evelyn has mastered speed walking and led the way on the hike back. Once we made it back we said bye to our guides and packed up camp. We loaded into the van and headed to our next destination. About halfway through the drive we stopped at a cool ski town and got some well deserved ice cream!! We got back on the road and made it to our campsite for the night! Caroline and Conrad, our LODs for the day cooked a yummy tortellini dinner and then we had a silly Moonup. We got to take some well deserved showers and then we got tucked into our tents!! Everyone is super excited to begin our backpacking section of the trip in a few days!! The energy has been so great and I am sure that will carry into backpacking!!
Will and I have had such a great time getting to know all of these amazing kids!! These last few days have flown by and I’m sure the next few will as well!! This group has clicked so well and everyone has such good jokes and stories!! I am so so so excited to keep making memories with this incredible group of kids!! Off to backpacking!!!
Talk soon!!
Grace and Will 🌲🏔️🥾🪻
Shout outs:
Conrad: Hey mom and dad and Vivi the trip has been amazing so far! I’ve met a ton of great people and I am excited for the next week. So far we did rock climbing and rappelled down 200 feet. My wrists are ok. Love you – Conrad
Charlie: Hey Mom and Dad! I’m doing good I’ve got a good group and the activities are fun! We are about to start our backpacking segment of the trip. Love you guys tell bailey (and peppin when she gets back) that I’m thinking of them!
Martha: Hi guys! I am having so much fun and have met so many great friends. We have white water rafted and went rock climbing. Miss yall and tell Sally that I say hi!
Sophie: WHATS UPPPP!!! Moondance is very fun. We went white water rafting and it was freezing, I was the only one that fell in. We repelled 200 feet off of monkeys face it was the coolest! I hope Rocco had a good time at church camp and I can’t wait to see yall!!! Love you guys!
Caroline: Hi mom and dad! I’m having the best time ever! I love and miss yall so much! I have made so many great friends and memories. We went white water rafting and repelling and it was so fun! My leaders are awesome! I hope Andrew is having a great trip. Love yall!
Evelyn: hi mom and dad! I’m having a great time! We have gone rappelling and white water rafting and they were both so fun. I love my group! Love you!
Tanner: Hi mom and dad it’s fun and the leaders are awesome. I miss Preston. I’ll tell yall about when I’m home!
Elle: Hi mom and dad!! I miss yall and Duke so much! I’m having so much fun doing rock climbing and whitewater rafting. I made so many new friends and my leaders are nice too! I hope lucy is having fun on her trip too.😄💗
B: What’s up mom and dad. I miss yall everyday and miss my bed. We went on a white water rafting trip and we jumped off a cliff. I self belayed myself down monkeys face that was 200 feet tall. I am making so much new friends and love Moondance. Love yall
Safe Arrival!
June 24, 2026
Hello Pacific Northwest Families!
We heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely in Seattle! 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
