PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

• ServeMealstoSanFrancisco’sHomelessattheGlideFoun-

dation

• HelpBuildTrailsintheLakeTahoeBasin

• DedicateTimetoMaintainYosemiteNationalPark

• PaddleandSurfthePicture-PerfectWavesofNorthernCali-

fornia

• LearnabouttheProblemsFacingSanFrancisco’sUnderprivi-

legedatSt.Anthony’sFoundation

• WhitewaterKayaktheThrillingClassIIIRapidsofCache

Creek

• 30HoursCommunityService

ARCCPrograms|California:Urban&WildernessService

Days 1: Travel DayParticipantsaremetbytheirleadersatSanFranciscoInternationalAirport.Fromtheairport,wedrivenorthtotheredwoodtrees,tuckedintoscenicMarinCounty.Itisherethatwehaveourfirsteveningorientation.Throughgames,teambuildingactivitiesandcookingourfirstmealtogether,theadventuretrulybegins.Wealsointro-ducetheroleof“LeaderoftheDay”whichisanessentialcomponentofeveryARCCtrip. Accommodations: Campground

Day 2: Glide Foundation and San Francisco

WewakeupearlyandheadintotheheartofSanFranciscotospendafewhoursservingfoodtothehomelessat

Glide’sSoupKitchen.Featuredinthemovie,“ThePursuitofHappiness,”wejointheGlideFoundationtofeedthe

impoverishedofSanFrancisco.Glidehelpsthoselessfortunatetoriseabovetheircurrentcircumstancesthrough

afreemealprogramandtechnicaljobtraining.Thefreemealprogram,served365daysayear,isanintegralpartof

helpingalleviatepovertyandsufferingforpeopleofallages.Spendingthemorningsharingmealsandsmileswith

thesemen,womenandchildren,webrightentheirday,andourown!

WespendtheafternoonexploringthefamoussightsofSanFrancisco,whichincludevisitingtheever-popularFish-

erman’sWharfandthesealionsthatcallPier39theirhome,andGhirardelliSquare,famousforitschocolate.Aday

inSanFranciscoisnotcompletewithouttakingarideontheiconiccablecarsandgettingabreathtakingviewof

the“CitybytheBay.”Accommodations: Campground

Day 3: St. Anthony’s Foundation

JoiningforceswithSt.Anthony’sFoundation,wecontinueourcommunity

outreachinSanFrancisco.Throughpreparingmeals,sortingdonatedcloth-

ingandsharingstorieswithcommunitymembersinneed,wetakethetime

tomakeadifferenceinthelivesofmany.Participatinginthe“JusticeEduca-

tionProgram”welearnfirst-handaboutSanFrancisco’sTenderloinneigh-

borhoodandthewidespreadissuesofpovertyandhomelessness. Accom-

modations: Campground

Day 4: Food Outreach Program and Beach Bonfire

Takingwhatwehavelearnedinthepastcoupledays,weheadouttomake

adifferenceourselves.WiththeARCCleaders’guidance,studentsaregiven

abudget,createamenu,shopandthencreatefoodbags.WorkingatARCC

headquarters,we assemblemeal packages and researchwhat neighbor-

hoods in theBayArea are inmost need.Onceeverything is loadedand

ready,wework together to deliver these healthy andwelcomedgifts to

hungryresidents.Armedwiththeskillstomakeadifferencefromstartto

finish,wecelebrateouraccomplishmentswithabonfireonthebeach.Ac-

commodations: Campground

ARCCPrograms|California:Urban&WildernessService

Day 5: Golden Gate Bridge and Travel

Taking timetovisit theGoldenGateBridge,wesoak in thesaltyairand

beautifulcityskylineaswewalkacrossthisfamousbridge.Afterlunch,we

departSanFranciscoanddriveacrossCalifornia’s“breadbasket,”theCen-

tralValley,andupintothefoothillsoftheSierramountainrange.Aftera

scenicdrive,wearriveatYosemiteNationalPark.Hometoremotemoun-

tainwaterfallsandsheergranitewalls,YosemiteValleyisourbasecampas

weexplorethisnaturalfantasyland. Accommodations: Campground

Days 6 - 7: Yosemite National Park

Perhapsthemostfamousglacially-carvedlandscapeintheworld,Yosemite

isthejeweloftheSierra.YosemitecoversahugeareaofthewesternSierra

inCentralCaliforniaandhasinnumerablelakes,meadows,forestsandrocky

summitswithendlessandawe-inspiringalpinescenery.Wesettleintoour

campsiteinthemeadowsofYosemiteValleyasthegranitemonolithstower

aboveus.

Forthenextdayandahalf,wepartnerwithYosemiteNationalParkandpar-

ticipateinavaluableserviceproject.Wedemolisholdstructures,buildpic-

nictablesorcreatenewcampsites,knowingourservicewillbenefitfuture

visitorstoYosemite,oneoftheUnitedStatesmost-visitedNationalParks.

Whenourworkisdone,wehavetimetoexplorethevalleyfloor,hometo

thefamedBridalVeilFalls,YosemiteFalls, thetoweringrockmonolith,El

Capitan,andthedistinctiveHalfDome.Dominatingthevalley,HalfDome

rises 4,733 feet from the valley floor, and is the park’smostwell-known

naturalfeature.Accommodations: Campground

Days 8 - 11: Lake Tahoe and Truckee Donner Land Trust

TodaywepackourbagsanddepartYosemitethroughtheeasternfrontof

theSierra,drivingnorthtotheLakeTahoeBasin.Oneofthedeepestand

mostbeautiful lakes in theworld,LakeTahoe isnotonlyanadventurer’s

paradise,butanincrediblenaturalhabitatforfloraandfaunaalike.

Thenextthreedayshaveawonderfulbalanceofhardworkandhardplay.

Themountains,canyons,meadows,lakesandriversthatmakeLakeTahoe

anoutstandingareacontinuetofacethreatsfromgrowthanddevelopment

spillingontothesetreasurednaturalareas.Wejoinforceswithourfriends

attheTruckeeDonnerLandTrustwhohavesuccessfullyprotected22,000

acresofland.Pickingupourshovelsandworkgloves,wecreateandhelp

maintaintrailssothateveryonecanaccessthesesplendidwildernessareas.

OnourlastdayinTahoe,wetakeadipintherefreshingalpinelakebefore

drivingwestintothecoastalmountainsofNorthernCalifornia.Arrivingat

ourownlittlesliceofheaven,wecampalongthebanksofCacheCreek,our

“put-in”fortomorrow’sexcitingdayofwhitewaterkayaking.Accommoda-

tions: Campground

ARCCPrograms|California:Urban&WildernessService

Day 12: Cache Creek Kayaking

TodaywehaveafulldayofwhitewaterkayakingdownCacheCreek.To-

getherwithourriverguides,wepaddleinflatablekayaksdownClassIIand

IIIrapidsofthisscenicriver.Perfectingourpaddlingskillsthroughrapids

suchas“Mother”and“Jaws,”CacheCreekistheidealriverforasummer

dayinCalifornia.Tonight,wetravelbacktotheSanFranciscoBaywherewe

restupbeforeourdayofsurfing!Accommodations: Campground

Day 13: Surfing

WespendourlastfulldaytogethersurfingatafamousNorthernCalifornia

surfbreak.Oursurfinglessonsbeginwithanearlymorningmeetingwith

our surf instructorson thebeach. After anocean awareness and safety

class,wejumpintothewatertotryoutsurfingandboogieboardingalong

thebeautifulPacificCoast.Rippingthecurl,learningtheartofthecutback,

hangingtenor justhavingablast inthePacific,we indulge inourocean

time.

Afterafulldaylearningtherhythmsoftheocean,wefinishwithasunset

beachbarbeque,aperfectclosetoanepicCaliforniaadventure.Tonightwe

campamongsttheredwoodsandcelebratewithlotsofstorytelling,tears

andlaughter.Accommodations: Campground

Want to Learn More? Contact the Regional Director:

Eben Coenen | Regional Director: CaliforniaEben@adventurescrosscountry.com415-332-5075Ext.227

Day 14: Departure

Eventuallyallgoodthingsmustcometoanend.Afteranearlyrise,we

drivetotheairporttosayourgoodbyesandboardourflightshome.The

memoriesoftheexperienceandourgroupwillcarryusthroughtonext

summer!

ARCCPrograms|California:Urban&WildernessService