Our first summer trip!

The ESCAPE club did something we have never done before: a most epic summer adventure across California. This 4 day once-in-a-club’s-lifetime trip took us to TWO national parks, a mission, a university, an aquarium, and horseback riding. Still can’t believe it!

Our first day started early by boarding the bus that would take us across the state for the next few days. First stop: Pinnacles National Park. This place is BEAUTIFUL, but as we started a hike we very quickly realized that the near 100 degree weather would be our greatest challenge. The trail took us into the Bear Gulch Caves, over and around rocks and jumping across little streams. In some corners we saw bats flying around! Once we emerged from the caves, however, the high temperatures had us heading back to the bus sooner than we had planned. Everyone made it back safely and we settled in for a looong drive down to Ventura. After a quick dinner, we got checked into the hotel and ended our first day.

Day 2: The big Channel Islands day! Getting to and from the island involves a ferry from Ventura to Santa Cruz Island. Once there, you don’t have access to anything you didn’t bring with you. So we loaded up with food and water, boarded our boat, and set off for the island. Major highlight of the boat ride: DOLPHINS! The captain slowed us down to watch the dolphins playing all around us. So fun! On the island, we hiked, ate lunch, sat by the beach. It was a challenging hike for many students but they persevered.

Day 3 was a little bit of everything: tours of UC Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara Mission, horseback riding in Santa Ynez Valley. It was fun to include a college campus and historical site into our trip. But for most students, riding horses was the high point. The bus ride back to dinner was filled with conversations about their horses name and personality. Everyone did a fantastic job! We ended the day with a super fun dinner in Solvang and learned a bit about its Danish heritage.

On the final day, we drove back up towards home with a stop at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Students got to explore independently with their friends for a couple of hours before we were back on our way home. A wonderful wrap up to an exciting (and exhausting) week!

This trip was full of ESCAPE club firsts! Every stop was new for the club, as well as staying in a hotel and traveling during the summer months. We are grateful for all the circumstances and unexpected funding that came together to make this happen. Next week, we welcome new and returning students to our schools for another year. We look forward to seeing the familiar faces as well as meeting the new crop of ESCAPE club members!

Check out the video if you have a few extra minutes!