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: [email protected]
Day 14: Departure
Eventuallyallgoodthingsmustcometoanend.Afteranearlyrise,we
drivetotheairporttosayourgoodbyesandboardourflightshome.The
memoriesoftheexperienceandourgroupwillcarryusthroughtonext
summer!
ARCCPrograms|California:Urban&WildernessService
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