About five hours from Holly Springs is a unique adventure spot worth every minute of the drive, according to our MAP students and teachers who made the recent journey. Set at 3,000 feet in the Blue Ridge mountains, Earthshine Lodge was their Appalachian home from May 17-20th.

Bonfire bonding and twilight chats near the horseshoe sandboxes imprinted lifelong memories and friendships in the minds and hearts of all 14 who traveled to this magical place. With a view to leadership and team building, their outdoor education itinerary was bursting with imparting new survival skills.

For both students and teachers, shelter building and orienteering, bow-fire starting and hatchet throwing were just the beginning of their new skill set development. Corn grinding, wool carding, pottery and candle making were also enthusiastically received along with blacksmithing, archery, and rock climbing. They somehow even found a way to work in about 5-6 miles of hiking in between!