Day 17: It’s all Pun and Games!

Welcome back to the blog, folks! We know that our most loyal blog followers don’t just skip down to a single trip, but read the whole thing! That is why we’ve hidden a secret message in today’s post. You can only find it by reading about all 12 trips out in the field right now. Can you find the clues to figure out the phrase? Come back tomorrow for the answer!

Skip to a Specific Trip: MCJ, CI, NEMCCRMMCCE, MCPNWXPC, AXA, AXB, ECC1, ECC2,

Maine Coast Junior (MCJ)

The MCJ students kicked off their first full day by heading north to Acadia, Maine’s famous national park. After a picnic lunch and some games, the group went on their first hike up Acadia Mountain! Leaders Josh, Emma, and Clare report that the students did an amazing job! After a big day full of hiking, amazing food, and glorious games, it’s off to bed — they have another day of fun tomorrow!

Cape Cod & the Islands (CI)

Can you believe it’s already day three for our CI team? These folks spent the day in Vineyard Haven doing some community service with the Island Grown Institute. There, they worked around the farm, in addition to cleaning, harvesting, and renovating the chicken coop! Fun fact: this farm uses hydroponics to grow their crops (they don’t use any soil, just water!) which is the same technology NASA uses on their space station!!  Afterward, they had some time to explore Martha’s Vineyard before heading to the beach! Nice job team!

 

New England Mountains & Coast (NEMC)

There is nothing quite like White Mountains! Our NEMC students had their first hike today and we’ve heard from leaders that the group killed it! They saw some awesome waterfalls and got great views from the summit during a snack break!

Colorado’s Rocky Mountains (CRM)

It’s the first full day for CRM! The group had an awesome time hiking around Grand Lake and even saw some waterfalls! After exploring the Rockies, they ate lunch at a park in town and headed back to camp for games. What could be better?! Well, it’s about to get even more fun as they head to Estes Park tomorrow!

Maine Coast College Essay (MCCE)

The MCCE team started their day with their first essay-writing workshop with Leah! They spent the morning as a group, brainstorming ideas and getting the writing juices flowing! After a picnic lunch, they spent the afternoon swimming, playing badminton, and relaxing.

Maine Coast Photo (MCP)

The MCP students also had workshop time this morning. Jaimie and the crew spent some time in their cozy cottage learning about editing their photos. After lunch, they headed to Barrett Park to spend some time swimming before going thrifting for some sick outfits for a surprise photo session. Most importantly, they are spending the day celebrating Coby’s birthday with cake and a party! WOOHOO!

 

Northwest Explorer (NWX)

The NWX crew is on day two of hiking and camping in the backcountry of the Northern Cascades (NoCa for short)! On their first full day in NoCa, they feasted their eyes on Hidden Meadows, with towering pines and dainty wildflowers. There, they set up camp for the night with views of the Cascades. Good job on your backcountry portion, folks! Since they are still in the beautiful, cell-service-less backcountry, we will just have to wait with bated breath for some sweet photos.

Pacific Coast (PC)

It’s not a competition, but PC may have some of the best views of any bikers in the country today! Could it get any better than emerging from a lush California forest to clear skies and the beautiful Pacific Coast? The team absolutely crushed a big day of biking today and will celebrate with a well-deserved rest day tomorrow. Congrats, team!

Alps Explorer A (AXA)

Rest day best day! This group of hard-working students deserves it! The AXA crew had a lovely sunny day exploring Courmayeur and eating some tasty gelato. Yum! Rest days also mean laundry and calls home before the next part of their adventure!

Alps Explorer B (AXB)

Big day in the Alps! It was AXB’s last full day on the Tour de Mont Blanc. It was a gorgeous, blue-skied day to hike through forests and around the lake. Once they finished their descent into Champex, they cooled off with a swim and took a break in town.

Europe Coast to Coast 1 (ECC1)

After a couple of days of rest around Paris, it is back on the bikes for ECC1! In the morning, they had a relaxed ride next to a classic, picturesque French canal. Eventually, they made their way into the peaceful flower-filled countryside for their afternoon ride. What a perfect way to start the next portion of their trip!

Europe Coast to Coast 2 (ECC2)

Another day of rest for ECC2! After laundry and calls home, they took it easy relaxing in their tents, having a bike mechanics session, napping, and playing cards and frisbee. You deserve it, ECC2! Enjoy some sweet photos of the crew enjoying some quality time together on their rest day.