By: Annika Nygren

WOOHOOO!! After months of planning and anticipation, we are thrilled to announce the start of our thirteenth season of trips for the Summer of 2014!! We have spent the last year talking to kids all over the world, tidying up logistics and training our fabulous leaders in order to finally get these hiking and biking adventures rolling (pun intended..?). We are psyched to announce the start of our Vermont to Montreal, Caribbean Service Adventure, California Mountains and Coast, and of course, America Coast to Coast trips today! Let us check in at these four trip starts:

Vermont to Montreal (VM): The troops are gathering in Manchester, NH as we speak, which is confusing considering the trip name claims to be in Vermont. Don’t be alarmed! This is because after our students say goodbye to their parents, leaders Abby and Reuben will be driving to their first campsite in VT to play some name games, set up camp, pack some panniers, and cook their first meal together in order to prepare for their first day on the road tomorrow bright and early!!

Caribbean Service Adventure (CSA): Leaders Lucy and Will have been taunting us with pictures of soft sand and palm trees in San Juan over the past 24 hours… but we are so excited to hear and see that they are finally sharing some of that Vitamin D with their students as they arrive in sunny Puerto Rico! This portion of the group is all smiles and thumbs up in the van to their first stop in Utuado (don’t worry everyone made it – but we got only this picture.  Lots more to come tomorrow -and they won’t be from the van!).

California Mountains and Coast (CMC): Flights are touching down in San Francisco and the van is getting packed to drive to camp for dinner and a first night of sleep on the West coast. While Emma and Dylan are still anxiously awaiting the arrival of the last few students, they sent these photos of their students bonding and waiting patiently for the rest of the first CMC crew of the summer.

America Coast to Coast 1 (ACC1): Today marks the start of Josh, Laura, and their hearty co-adventurers’ 43-day epic adventure. We love seeing the ceremonial dipping of bike wheels into the Atlantic Ocean just before embarking on their journey from Charleston, South Carolina to sunny San Diego. Check out these super stars standing strong in the waters of Folly Beach! Next stop – sort of – the Pacific!

Alrighty, that’s it for day one. Stay tuned for seven more trip starts tomorrow! What a great first day it has been, and the long awaited summer countdown begins! Here’s to a summer full of sunshine, smiles and spectacular blog pictures.

Until tomorrow!