My children are eight and ten, both have their own mindsets, abilities and things they enjoy. Rarely do all of those things work together. But it seems that whenever we get away, away from stuff, tech and comfort, it seems to really blend. Normally the road trip is what drives me insane because they want to be there "now" and so do I, but you cannot rush through the wonderful New England area, just so much to take in and enjoy.
We ended up stopping on the way up at an off the beaten track hotel, with a pool, wifi and breakfast. The kids were thrilled, but not greedy, which was a nice change of pace. They were happy, appreciative and enjoyed being there. We paid next to nothing for the room considering that we got a suite with two king size beds, one twin in a separate room and the above mentioned amenities. My wife and I did some work while the kids snacked and played or watched TV. Everyone got a good nights sleep and we got up and made our way further down the road to Maine.
It was a great drive, kids were happy, weather was nice, scenery was great. My parents were meeting us in Maine, a first for them, and I was excited but terrified as to what the week would hold in store for us. I wanted to do certain things with my kids and parents, but wasn't really sure what they had in mind. They more or less said, whatever you want to do, but we're fine staying put. We got there later than they did, they had already checked in to Eagle Lodge and Camps, a wonderful sportsman's camp in the fairly remote area of Lincoln, ME. Weather couldn't be better. The forecast looked amazing. Unpacked and settled in, the kids already found the lake, fishing poles and paddle boat. They were living their dream and so was I, I've always wanted them to enjoy the things I do.
The week involved a lot of baiting hooks and removing blue gills from hooks. My kids, to my surprise and shock, love to fish, at least they did there. My daughter said she was going to catch that big bass, every day we were there. The camp owners have children my children's age and both were more than happy to see each other and have someone new to play with. It was great to see them bond, they immediately were making plans to return and see their friend's that they've known for all of 20 hours again.
My wife had one goal, relax, and she did just that.
I had relaxation, exploration and photography on my mind.
I never got to do some of the many things I try to pack into a trip, like taking my dad to Baxter State Park, or a wilderness area in the general Lincoln area, but that's ok. He had a good time. They spent a lot of time bonding with our kids, we got to explore on the way to the camps places none of us have ever been to, ironically ran into people that grew up near us when they were younger. I find it always to be a small world when you travel, whether 1000 miles away or 100, you can always run into someone you live close to back home.
The only downside, none of us realized that we were booked for one day earlier. So when my wife said she wished she had one more day, we actually did, but instead stayed at a hotel. A lesson for next time.
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