By Morgan Pratt
The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and Apogee trips are out exploring the world! With the wide range of opportunities and experiences that Apogee offers, some of you reading this at home may be thinking, “What exactly makes the perfect Apogee trip? What are the ingredients?! I need to know!!!” Well, ponder no more. I am here to answer this burning question that I’m sure has kept you tossing and turning into the wee hours of the night. In today’s featured recipe blog post titled All Things Apogee we will be examining all the measured moments and secret ingredients that give each Apogee trip its unique flavor and individual spice.
Skip to a Specific Trip: MCJ, CI, NEMCA, NEMCB, CRMA, CRMB, CS, MCCE, MCP, MFT, DEXA, DEXB, VMA, VMB, CRLS, CRMC, CMCA, CMCB, NWXA, NWXB, PCA, PCB, PMC, SH, AXA, AXB, ECC, ACC1, ACC2
Maine Coast Junior (MCJ)
Maine Coast Junior is a recipe fit for kings (and queens!). The key to this delicious trip is to start your day with a healthy dose of community service – these MCJ’ers went to Tom Settlemere Community Garden to clock in some hours of giving back! Later, the cherry on top to this week-long journey was a celebratory dinner out in Portland… well deserved!
Final celebratory dinner in Portland… woo hoo!Cape Cod & the Islands (CI)
CI is a sought after recipe, and one that is hard to master. A rare ingredient, which was essential for today, is the semi-annual Apogee Olympics. While the events vary from one Apo-lympics to the next, the CI crew says it was a highlight of the day. At 77 degrees Fahrenheit, its was beautiful day for some athleticism on the cape!
New England Mountains & Coast A (NEMCA)
New England Mountains and Coast had an absolutely amazing day! Their perfect recipe was made up of swimming in Echo Lake and a short day hike. With a splash of blue skies and scenic swimming holes in the White Mountains, its no wonder why the recipe for NEMCA is a fan favorite.
Colorado’s Rocky Mountains A (CRMA)
Today there was one secret ingredient that made CRMA so successful: carrots, carrots and more carrots! They spent their day doing community service at Harvest of Hope Food Share and walking around Boulder, exploring the city. Smiling all the while!
Colorado’s Rocky Mountains B (CRMB)
To create the fun mix of CRMB all you need to do is spend the morning doing community service, then rock climb and zip line! Did you know about 40% of household food is thrown away? (Yikes!) That’s what they found out while working with Community Food Share. There they generated a whopping ~1260 meals for hungry families, and we couldn’t be more proud of their hard work. They also did some amazing zip lining, and the photos below are here to prove it. Needless to say this recipe covers all the bases and makes for an action packed day.
Caribbean Service (CS)
Caribbean Service brings a unique taste into the Apogee Recipe Book with a hint of Caribbean flare. This crew took the ferry into Vieques and spent the day exploring the city, no doubt soaking in the local culture. Whether by the shore or in the city, this group knows how to enjoy all that Puerto Rico has to offer!
Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEXA)
DEXA woke up on an island, packed their bags, and paddled towards the main(e)land. While they’ll miss the relaxing lull of lapping waves putting them to sleep each night, they’re excited to set up their next camp and spend the coming days exploring the beautiful Acadia National Park by foot!
Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEXB)
To start making the perfect DEXB, whisk together 2 cups of soft sunlight, 4 tablespoons of sleepy eyes, and a large dose of excitement. This crew is heading for the back country! Katahdin is calling, and they must go. They spent today hiking on the Appalachian Trail, headed for their rustic camp with peeks at Katahdin along the way.
Vermont to Montréal A (VMA)
VMA swapped dry land for the open water, spicing up their recipe with a little bit of kayaking on Lake Champlain. It was blue skies and easy sailing! They then hopped back on the bikes and made it to their destination of Burlington, Vermont, and look forward to a day of rest and community service tomorrow. Great work, team!
Vermont to Montréal B (VMB)
This recipe brings a lot of quintessential Vermont flavors. The VMB crew spent today enjoying 28 miles of beautiful biking on back roads and is already looking forward to kayaking on Lake Champlain tomorrow – Burlington is on the horizon! The beautiful blue skies and farmland that this group toured through truly did make it the perfect Vermont day.
Costa Rica Language & Service (CRLS)
The chefs of CRLS went their seperate ways today, as the trip came to an end and everyone headed home. It was a bittersweet recipe filled with last laughs and goodbyes. We will miss all of the CRLS crew!
Costa Rica Mountains & Coast (CRMC)
CRMC had a busy day as they blasted off to south-central CR — San Gerardo de Rivas, a sleepy village in the shadow of Costa Rica’s tallest mountain, Chirripó! Throughout this fun-filled day the crew still had time to sit back, soak in a beautiful river,waterfall, and wave to the fans back home.
California Mountains & Coast (CMCA)
Along with the beautiful backdrops and evenings under the stars, what makes a perfect CMCA day is pretty much one ingredient… the students! The crew got outside, dirtied their hiking boots, and tackled the tough terrain that lied ahead. No matter how tough the terrain, though, it’s clearly no match for this crew. Check out that photo below!
California Mountains & Coast (CMCB)
Our CMCB squad added a dash of flare to their itinerary… Calaveras Big Tree State Park! Not only did they get to explore with a beautiful day hike, but they also incorporated a very special recipe. The classic, hard to master, donut birthday cake! Those birthday hats are literally the cherry on top of a great day.
Pyrenees Mountains & Coast (PMC)
There are some recipes which you, yourself, must travel the distance in order to enjoy. Today, PMC is one of those trips. Due to their remote location, photos today remained elusive, but we have heard through the grapevine that this group spent their day hiking through the beautiful Pyrenees into Refugi d’Estany Llong. Fingers crossed for photos of the breathtaking backdrop and smiling faces tomorrow!
Scottish Highlands (SH)
To master the recipe of SH you must have the following ingredients on hand: fog, every shade of green (literally… every. single. one.), and 7 miles of beautiful Scottish terrain. That’s what this crew put together today as they headed into more beautiful moors and crossed over the Bridge of Orchy, one of the finest white water rivers in the United Kingdom. They also added a dash of sunshine to this fine feast!
Europe Coast to Coast (ECC)
The recipe for the perfect ECC day includes natural water parks, a fair bit of biking, and scenic views as far as the eye can see. ECC entered into the Alps this afternoon and crossed off day 20 of their beautiful adventure! With many miles ahead, they look prepared and ready for the challenge.
America Coast to Coast (ACC1)
The perfect ACC1 recipe starts with completing 88 miles of riding and crossing the HALFWAY MARK of their entire voyage! This recipe is oh so sweet. This group is now closer to San Diego than they are to Charleston – a major accomplishment to say the least. Waahooo ACC1!
America Coast to Coast (ACC2)
This dish may have complex flavors and take time, but trust me – it’s worth it. With their helmets, matching apparel, and smiles, this group headed out for their ride this morning. Although they sure do love biking, they’re no doubt looking forward to tomorrow’s rest day. Well deserved!
