The girls were mighty amused at my disc golf throwing on the Pleasant Hill course in Scarborough last week. I have a tendency to fling my leg out when I throw my disc and there's not much finesse with my technique. But, it gets the job done. My disc usually flies a good distance (although not very accurately) down the green.
The girls took some video of my and my throwing leg so they could show me how silly I looked. But, I took some video of them to confirm they moved their back leg as well. L. made a deliberate effort not to move her leg when she threw her disc but those throws just didn't fly that far. When I turned off the video camera she went back to flinging her leg like me and managed to meet most pars.
I do feel some redemption now though. Another disc golfer commented on my YouTube video shortly after I posted it confirming I wasn't so wrong after all.
trw777 says... Nothing to be ashamed about. Proper disc golf throwing technique involves a LOT of leg "action." Search YouTube for "disc golf long distance drives" and watch how much their legs move!
Sometimes mom does know a thing or two on occasion (even if she doesn't realize she knows it). Ah, it's nice to have a little validation when living with tweens/young teens (the most fickle and critical of creatures at times - thanks YouTube).
For those of you who are not familiar with the game of disc golf, I'd highly recommend it. It's tons of fun for families and there's plenty of courses to play around the state.
Here's a short video clip of the kids playing on the Pleasant Hill course recently.
We started playing disc golf when the girls were little. Here's story about my family's first intro to game (which included a collection of sticks along the way by L. and an escape from "jail").
G. took a picture of me throwing to post on my Twitter account while we were on the course. The hazard of tech-savvy kids, although it was all in good fun and I've had my chuckles on their behalf through the years as well...
We went kayaking this weekend on Tricky Pond in Naples and believe we've put to rest our rocky history with the sport. We had a fabulous time.
It took a little fast-talking on my part to convince L. to take another kayaking adventure after her ill-fated (and front page news) day on the Saco River in New Hampshire last summer. But she was willing to try the sport again if I agreed to a tandem kayak (so she could be in the same boat as me).
Sebago Kayak Company on the causeway had both traditional tandem kayaks as well as the sit on top kind. I assured L. she could choose which one she felt most comfortable with once we got to the outfitters.
Brian at Sebago Kayak Co. was very helpful in explaining the different kayak options as well as locations he thought we'd like based on our preferred conditions of "calm waters" and "a nice place to swim."
L. decided the sit on top tandem kayak was the best choice (as did G. for her single) after it was explained they were the most stable and easy to get in and out of. We also decided Tricky Pond was our best destination option. We were told there was some boat traffic but much less than Sebago (and calmer water). Then after hearing about the rope swing on the shore that we might like to try, the deal was almost sealed.
"But there aren't gonna be any leeches there right mom?" L. asked.
Based on the description of the pond being a popular swimming place, I assured her it was highly unlikely.
The outfitters delivered our kayaks to the portage on the pond, which was included in the rental fee, and a big plus in my book.
It took L. and I a few minutes to get our paddling in-sync as that is key to tandem kayaking (it's easy to cross paddles sitting in such close proximity). But we found a rhythm and flowed across the water fairly effortlessly. Well, until I had to scratch my knee and L. lamented that I was "messing her up" by stopping my paddling without warning.
G. did great in her single kayak but L. and I had to stop a few times to wait for her to catch up.
G. was sure L. and I were paddling faster because there were two of us. But after explaining that she didn't need to dig so deep with her paddle (she learned to paddle a canoe when she was younger and the principles are different), she was able to keep a steadier pace closer to us. We spotted a rope swing on the shoreline but the girls thought it was too high. I wanted to give it a whirl but chickened-out after a closer inspection (it was about 10 feet above the water and require a second rope to reach out to grab the swinging rope above a rocky area).
We paddled close to shore for about an hour and managed to cover half the pond before we turned around to head back to the little islands we had seen earlier.
There were a few motor boats pulling wake boarders and tubers during our paddle (I was envious as I LOVE to water ski but haven't had a chance to do it in years) but the wake waves we experienced close to shore were manageable and, enjoyable (after the first couple of wake waves L. even agreed the rocking motion was fun).
We circled each small island and spotted another rope swing. This one was closer to the water and looked a lot less intimidating.
We tied up our kayaks and spent a half hour laughing, swinging and jumping in to the pond from the rope before some other kids from a motor boat swam over to play on it.
After eating lunch and seeing more kids from boats swimming toward the swing, we decided to leave the island and head back to shore.
On the short paddle back to the portage, L. asked G. to switch kayaks so she could do a solo paddle. It was then I knew L. was feeling confident about kayaking and I deemed the day a big success.
The "third time's a charm" saying was apropos with kayaking for us as we truly had a fabulous day on Tricky Pond and both girls are eager visit again.
The summer of 2009 will be remembered as a short and wet one but in some ways it has been much better than our 2008, at least for fresh water sports.
The farm where Sparkles (G.'s cow) lives was doing some haying this weekend and my family went over to help out.
Haying season has been significantly shortened this year due to such a wet summer (to store square bales of hay in a barn loft, the hay must be dry or it will start a fire) so there was a big effort to do as much haying as possible on this rare (for this summer) stretch of dry weather.
Last year I posted my 10 learnings about haying (it was my first introduction to it) and this year I have a couple of updates about this aspect of my farming education.
Last year I wrote: Wear long pants and a long sleeved shirt even if it is wicked hot outside. Last night G. and I were nursing cuts and a rash from the constant contact of hay on our forearms. This year: I wore long pants but still chose a short sleeve shirt because even though it was cooler in the hay loft this year, I can't stand to be any hotter than I have to be. I'm nursing another hay rash and cuts on my arms but not complaining about it this time around.
Last year: Bring lots and lots of water. It might have been the upper 80s outside, but on the roof of a barn, it gets a whole lot hotter. This year: We froze our water bottles the night before and they stayed cold for the duration of our work at the barn. It was wonderfully refreshing so we plan to do this again next year.
Last year: People with pollen allergies should plan to have an extra dose of antihistamine and eye drops on hand along with access to an air conditioned room for the night to fight off their body’s reaction to being around that much hay. (G. and I had a rough night sleeping last night but we were feeling much better today.) This year: The extra dose of antihistamine and eye drops didn't help much. I still spent the night wheezing and coughing and G. coughed and sneezed all night. We both agreed it was par for the course and opted to indulge ourselves with frozen slush as our feel-better remedy.
Last year: Hay bales are slippery when you climb on them. Swinging a heavy bale while balancing on a few bales of hay (we had to build from the floor up) took some coordination. Both G. and I took a header off the hay stack but were unhurt (unless you count the painful blush each of us conjured after the tumble). This year: I'm happy to report there were no novice falls for either G or I this time! But I have to admit that I whacked my head on the barn rafters while stacking the bales in an almost full barn. My head has a nice knot now but at least my faux pas was a little less obvious this time.
Last year: There is a science to stacking the bales of hay. I was instructed to use the momentum of the bale to squash it in to place in the stack and could not seem to get the hang of it. The rest of the stacking crew made it look easy (years of experience will do that). This year: My technique was still sorely lacking and I needed a bit more coaching on my swing. I think I improved slightly by the end of the 4+ hour day but an expert I am still not.
Last year: It takes about 5 1/2 hours to load and stack 1,400 bales of hay in the hayloft... This year: We loaded hay in to two different barn lofts and spent about 4 1/2 hours between the two locations stacking bales before the machinery experienced a mechanical glitch and we called it a day.
Last year: 1,400 bales of hay will feed about 20-25 beef cows during winter. I knew cows ate a lot but I have a whole new perspective about how much that "a lot" actually looks like now. This year: We were reminded again about the amount of work it takes to feed a couple of dozen cows in the winter.
G. took a bit of video of the square baler in the field and Fino giggled the whole time she was recording. It makes me laugh to hear how much he enjoyed that piece of machinery.
Here's a peek inside the hayloft with some video G. took last year.
My family hid a geocache a while back that was special. In the geocache box was a stamp that L. had carved herself. Unfortunately the geocache, along with the stamp, were stolen last summer.
In the game of geocaching (you use a GPS unit and coordinates listed on the web to find a hidden treasure box in the woods - read about our intro to game here), there are a variety of classifications for a box from tiny "micro" boxes (the size of an old 35-mm film canister or smaller) to larger boxes in all shapes and sizes to "mystery" boxes that require riddles to be solved in order to find the prize to "hybrids" that combine the letterboxing and geocaching games.
My family has played the game of letterboxing (like geocaching there is a box hidden in the woods but instead of trinkets to trade there is a hand-carved stamp inside) and the kids enjoyed finding the stamps to make impressions in their log books of their finds. But, we don't care so much for the directions to find these boxes (instructions to find letterboxes are not great, nor designed to be easy most times, so we find geocaching more family-friendly (i.e., better chances of finding one and keeping the kids motivated to do it again) with the bonus of an active online community even when we can't get outdoors).
Geocache hybrids are boxes found by GPS coordinates but instead of prizes inside the box for people to trade, there is a stamp that stays with the box like letterboxing. Geocachers can make an impression of the box's stamp and add their own personalized stamp (if they have one, sometimes we saw hand-drawn pictures in our log book that were just as much fun). It's the combination of both games' best features (stamps and GPS directions) that my crew really likes.
Our hybrid, Ski Away, was made in honor of the location being one of our favorite places to cross country ski and we took it off-line after it was stolen. It wasn't until recently that we got things put together to activate this box again.
G. took on the task of making a new stamp for Ski Away in the same design (a ski theme of course) as the original one. And because it's been a while since we've done any stamp-making (we're still novices at this craft), the kids and Fino were inspired to make some new ones.
To make our stamps the kids draw something on a piece of paper the size of the eraser they plan to use.
Then we use a pencil to scribble lead on the opposite side of the drawing so we can trace that drawing (with a pencil) on to the eraser (we use 'chunky' erasers but art supply stores have higher quality erasers and/or special material for making stamps).
The girls use one of Fino's small, not-so-sharp woodworking tools to carve their stamps and it works well for them.
A closer look at the the girls' carving tool.
Fino uses sharper implements to carve but the girls are still not keen on these tools and they get similar results with their own tool with less worry about cutting themselves.
The bird stamp is L.'s latest creation and the rooster is Fino's, which reminds me of his other rooster image that I still chuckle about. I think he made this particular stamp because of that.)
In the photo with the text above is my family's stamps that we use to sign log books. Each of us has made their own along with a small pouch to store them in our backpacks.
Kids have their own ideas about what makes hiking enjoyable, and that generally includes running, jumping, making lots of noise and the ultimate fun – playing in the ocean.
If you're looking for a trail where your kids can do all of the above this summer, my family has a few suggestions.
MACKWORTH ISLAND IN FALMOUTH
THIS TRAIL around the small island is a little over a mile and the easy, flat terrain works well for strollers. Shells found along the beach, the fairy house village and pet cemetery give kids plenty to explore.
WHY WE LIKE IT: My daughters have been building fairy houses on the island since they were preschoolers. Now they are both older, yet the magical village still continues to capture their imaginations. My animal-loving 13-year-old also enjoys visiting Gov. Percival Baxter's pet cemetery to read the stone markers, while my 11-year-old cannot resist adding to her collection of purple seashells.
TRAIL MAP:www.trails.org FEE: None GETTING THERE: From I-295 in Portland, take Exit 9 North to
Route 1 and cross Martins Point Bridge. Take third right onto Andrews Road, continue over the causeway and onto Mackworth (follow the Gov. Baxter School for the Deaf signs). GPS coordinates: 43.689893, -70.234834
BATHROOM: Yes DOG-FRIENDLY: Yes, on a leash
WELLS RESERVE AT LAUDHOLM FARM IN WELLS
A TRIP TO the beach via the trails at the reserve make this a great destination-oriented hike for those kids who need a little extra motivation. The looping trails, which also include several boardwalks, make it easy to choose a distance right for your family (the shortest distance to the beach on these trails is a little less than a mile). The visitor center, located in the main farmhouse by the trail head, has educational exhibits that feature local ecology and geology information and is worth a stop to explore with the kids.
WHY WE LIKE IT: The long, winding boardwalk on the Laird-Norton Trail holds a lot of appeal for kids of all ages, and mine are no exception. And my kids enjoy a stop to the visitor center exhibits because, even though the girls are older now, pressing the buttons and peeking behind the little knob windows to learn more about the history, plants and wildlife of the area is still fun for them. Oh, and a stop at the Maine Diner is always a "requirement" for the Almeida kids after a hike at the reserve (it's near the corner of Laudholm Farm Road and Route 1, so there's no missing it on our ride home).
GETTING THERE: From Exit 2 (Wells) off the Maine Turnpike, follow signs to Route 1 in Wells. Follow Route 1 north 1.5 miles to Laudholm Farm Road (just north of the Lighthouse Depot and south of the Maine Diner, at the second flashing traffic signal). Turn right and follow signs to the reserve. There is parking at the trail head. GPS coordinates: 43.338384, -70.551018
TRAIL MAP:www.wellsreserve.org FEE: None; donations accepted BATHROOM: Yes DOG-FRIENDLY: No
WOLFE'S NECK WOODS IN FREEPORT
THE TRAILS at the state park are well-marked with kiosks identifying the wildlife and plants in the area. Along with the daily ranger programs offered in the summer, a visit to the park can offer a great educational experience for everyone in the family. There are also multiple looping trails so families can choose longer or shorter hikes depending on their children's fitness level.
WHY WE LIKE IT: The osprey nest on Googins Island is always an exciting bird sighting for my family, so bringing binoculars is a must (per the kids' request) when we hike here. The close-up view of these beautiful birds flying around the island – as well as the nest, which is facing the park's shore – is great.
TRAIL MAP: Available at the park's ranger station FEE: $3/adults, $1/under 12 GETTING THERE: From Route 1 in Freeport, take Bow Street to Wolfe's Neck Road. GPS coordinates: 43.830603, -70.082173 BATHROOM: Yes DOG-FRIENDLY: Yes, on a leash
MORSE MOUNTAIN IN PHIPPSBURG
THIS TWO-MILE HIKE (one way) at the Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area is on a mostly paved trail (there are a couple of spots of hard-packed gravel) and is stroller-friendly. With a total elevation gain of about 100 feet – there's a bit of up and down on this trail, but nothing too strenuous – the little ones can claim a summit visit about a mile in to the trail. And if that isn't enough incentive for young hikers, swimming and wave-jumping in the ocean at Sewall Beach at the end of the trail will be, for sure.
WHY WE LIKE IT: Having a picnic at the summit is a nice halfway stop on the trail, and the view is one you won't be eager to leave. Seawall Beach is not as busy as other more popular ocean beach destinations, and that really appeals to my crew. But bring bug spray, because you'll need it on this wooded trail. Also bring sunscreen for the beach, and towels – they are a must, because it's unlikely anyone will be able to resist a dip in the ocean.
TRAIL MAP:tinyurl.com/kvh5rd (my family's map of the trail) FEE: None GETTING THERE: From Route 1 in Bath, take Route 290 (High Street) to Route 216 (Small Point Road). Turn left at Morse Mountain Road. GPS coordinates: 43.74518, -69.83751 BATHROOM: No DOG-FRIENDLY: No
Mackworth Island
Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park
Morse Mountain
Wells Reserve
This column originally appeared in the Maine Sunday Telegram, August 2, 2009
Hiking with children takes some extra planning to anticipate what you'll need on the trail. Add a large dog (or two) into the mix and you'll discover, as we did, that the combination becomes a test of organizational skills in packing and a go-with-the-flow type of attitude for the adventure.
We are not dog owners, but the girls were dog-sitting for friends and decided to take their two furry charges on a hike with us to Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park in Freeport (Maine state parks, with only a few exceptions, are pet-friendly).
At 11 and 13 years old, the girls are well versed in organizing their backpacks for a hike, but they figured out quickly that a few hours with a couple of large dogs was really going to weigh them down. In addition to their usual binoculars, water bottle and snacks, they had to pack a large water dish (with a towel to keep their packs dry after the dish was used), a couple of extra water bottles, doggie treats and poop pickup bags. But my 13-year-old, the driving force behind taking the dogs hiking, took the heavier load of water without complaint.
Once we arrived at the park, everyone had to use the bathroom (an amenity we appreciate about state parks) before we started on the trail. The girls led the dogs to a spot to take care of business as well. They were grateful that the dogs only peed, but it wasn't two minutes on the trail before the messier business came along.
That's when a debate ensued about who was going to pick up the poop, because neither was keen on the idea. There were a couple of whines – "Oh mom, this is sooooo gross!" This from kids who regularly clean up after cats, as well as cows, pigs and chickens. Apparently the gross factor is all about what you're not used to.
Daddy came to the rescue by agreeing to do the job. By default (i.e., he was already holding the bag), he became the designated dog-poop carrier until a trash can could be found to dispose of it (which turned out to be near the end of the hike). A couple of times I heard my 13-year-old tell the dogs, "please, no more poop" (between the two dogs they'd managed to do their business at least a four times within the first 15 minutes of the hike). She started to worry that the number of dog poop bags she'd packed (which included a couple from the ranger at the entrance gate) wasn't going to last long enough for our hike. But her estimate turned out, thankfully, to be just right.
An unexpected challenge my 11-year-old faced hiking with dogs was our stop to view the osprey on Googins Island. She wanted to take a closer look at the nest, but the dog she was holding had different ideas and was tugging on the leash so she couldn't keep her binoculars steady. The leash was turned over to me so my daughter could take some time to look at the nesting birds. She commented several times it was hard to do her usual birding on this hike because the dogs "move around too much" (although it should be noted that these dogs were trained and very well-behaved and the issue was with my daughter, not the dogs) and she couldn't focus on listening and looking out for the birds as she usually does.
After a detour down some stairs leading to the water's edge, the girls found another challenge of hiking with dogs. Their furry friends had a hard time walking on the uneven rocky surface, yet were tugging on their leashes to get closer to the water. The girls were feeling as unsteady as their charges and opted to encourage the dogs to sit down. And as dogs will prefer, they flopped themselves into a puddle of water and the girls decided that wet, messy dogs were not going to be so great on the car ride home. They made haste back to the main trail.
The whole family agreed the highlight of this hike was meeting other dog owners. Every single person with a dog stopped to say hello and chitchat with us. After years of greeting other hikers with children, we all concurred that we'd never stopped to talk so much while hiking. But then again, a greeting that usually includes a question about the breed of your dog doesn't exactly translate well to parents of human children.
This hike was also a particularly good workout even though we were on mostly level ground because the dogs took us on a much faster pace than we're used to (but the stopping to chitchat helped us catch our breath). This was a plus for my older daughter, who has a lot more stamina for fast-walking and was just plain happy to be out with the dogs. But my younger child felt it was too fast and lamented that she couldn't "look around at everything as much."
Fino and I listened to the girls' various comments during the hike and had a chuckle about something we already knew. Our 13-year-old is a true dog-oriented person and happy to follow a furry friend's lead. And even though our 11-year-old likes dogs, she's not likely to share her life with one when she's older because she's just not wired for accommodating a pet's needs over her own.
Overall we had a very enjoyable day on this trail system and my 13-year-old was eager to bring the well-behaved dogs on another hike with the caveat that her dad also come along to scoop the poop again (though she conceded she could take care of that business on her own next time). My 11-year-old was less eager to take the dogs because they interfered with her hiking pace and her usual birding activities, but she enjoyed chitchatting with other hikers so she's still on the fence about it.
Fino and I enjoyed the dogs, and although it took a bit more work to plan a day on the trail with two kids and two dogs, we agreed we'd definitely bring our friend's dogs along again. We could continue to enjoy the dog culture without having to actually own one. That's a compromise with our 13-year-old we all liked.
Originally published in Raising Maine Magazine, August 2009
We went cruising on the Merrimack River with Grandma and Papa Guy for our annual visit to The Treehouse (a houseboat). And thankfully, the weather cooperated beautifully for a great day on the river.
Both of the girls were offered their chance to drive the boat and G. served as captain for a significant distance on the river (to and from Newburyport from the Treehouse's mooring is about 15 miles round trip) and was a competent driver this year. Captain G. had a handle on the river's buoys and navigated the faster boats' wakes well and with very little assistance. L. spent less time as captain (her choice) and still had to use the step stool to see over the helm. But she was just as happy to be the passenger kicking back in the deck chair instead to enjoy the ride.
Newburyport is a favorite summer destination (by boat of course) for the girls because they love to visit the 'fairy store' and then stop off next store at Gram's Ice Cream for an Italian slush (a family favorite that we always indulge in time and time again when we're in MA).
I took some video of G. driving the boat and even caught the bridge opening for a passing sailboat.
One of the more interesting anecdotes on this trip was a man approaching The Treehouse at the Newburyport public docks and chatting it up with Papa Guy about watching a video that featured the boat. At first Guy thought it might have been the video of he and my mom's wedding last year that got some press because they were married on the unique-looking boat at the public docks (and the ceremony included bagpipes and bell ringers so this was not an unfounded assumption). But no, apparently he ran across a silly little video I took back in 2007 of L. driving the Treehouse and posted on my family's YouTube channel.
This social media stuff makes the world a much smaller place some days -- and gives boasting rights to a boat captain who seemed pleased to have a fan of his special boat.
We hid a geocache box at the Lowell Preserve hiking trails in Windham many moons ago (May 2005 to be more precise) when we were first learned how to geocache. It was our very first geocache hide.
I wrote a story for the Sunday Telegram about our first experiences and how to get started with the game. When prepping our first hide I asked our staff designer to create a treasure map to find the cache without a GPS for those people who were curious about the game but didn't want to invest in a GPS unit without learning a bit more about it.
[If you are a geocacher, you can find this geocache listing here] About two years ago we had to replace the log book in the cache because it was full (and a most enjoyable read) but haven't been back since. Then over the winter a geocacher admitted to breaking the top of the container when he tried to pry it from it's hiding spot in the snow and ice (I very much appreciated his honesty in letting me know the cache was damaged) and I knew the container needed to be replaced.
I had it on my list of things to do since that email back in December but it wasn't until this past weekend that I got around to actually driving over to the trail to replace the container with a new one (which just goes to show that writing my lists does not always ensure the doing part).
We decided to replace the broken plastic container with a much sturdier and nearly unbreakable ammo box I picked up at the Army Surplus store in South Portland (it's the box of choice among geocachers because of it's sturdiness and color to blend in to the environment).
The one thing about the ammo box I don't like is carrying it on the trail. It looks a little suspicious and requires an explanation to non-geocachers. But we didn't run in to anyone and I was able to replace the old container, which was in very sad shape and full of water, without incident.
L. was the one who actually chose the hiding spot for this geocache because she thought all the kids who might visit our family's geocache would like the "fun rocks." The rocks are on a low-lying part of the trail and since they were a good landmark, they were identified on the treasure map per her request.
The Almeida family has a few suggestions for you of activities and places to explore this summer with your family.
Mining for gems
You don't have to know anything about rocks and geology to take your kids on a mining adventure. Just gather a couple of simple supplies and hike to a public quarry. Oh, and be prepared to bring home a large bag of treasures, because the kids are going to want to keep everything they find.
Get a full listing of public quarries at the state's website (www.maine.gov/doc/nrimc/mgs/explore/mining). Below are a couple of places my family has visited and really enjoyed.
A suggested supply list:
Hammer; chisel; sturdy canvas bag to carry treasures home; safety glasses (There can be a lot of flying debris when kids are splitting rocks with hammers, so be sure to protect their eyes. If you don't have safety glasses, sunglasses work OK in a pinch).
MOUNT APATITE, AUBURN
There are two quarries at Mount Apatite open to the public, the Maine Feldspar and Greenlaw quarries. Quartz, feldspar and mica are plentiful here and for families new to mining, these gems are easy to identify and can be quite pretty. My family has also found small pieces of tourmaline and apatite and the kids covet those finds. (Read previous blog entry about this area)
PERHAM'S, WEST PARIS
Perham's is a jewelry store (800-371-GEMS), but it also has a mineral display of uncut gems from the mines of Maine. It's a great stop to learn more about identifying rocks and gems you might find while mining. Perham's also owns several quarries and you can request a free map at the store to visit its public quarries. My family has visited the Waisanen Quarry and the 1/4-mile hike from the trail head is an easy trek with our gear (it's the outbound trip with our bag full of treasures that would make anything longer more difficult for us to manage). When we have visited this quarry there have been both coarse and fine screens next to a nearby pond. This is a great way to gather, rinse and identify various gems – not something found at many other public quarries.
WESTERN MAINE MINERAL ADVENTURES, PARIS
This mining experience is a bit different because it is a screening location. Here you screen a bucket of mine run material containing different gemstones from local mines. Visitors are assigned a worktable to screen and wash the contents of their bucket to find gems. What we like about this experience is that there are knowledgeable people on hand to help identify the gems you find. But be warned that screening can be addicting and it can get a bit pricey if you fill multiple buckets (prices start at $10 per bucket). Check out the website for pricing details - www.diggems.com. (Read previous blog entry about this place)
Hiking
During the summer, a hike that leads to a quiet swimming hole or another special destination motivates everyone in the family to take a trek together.
A suggested supply list: Bathing suit and beach towel (if there's water anywhere along the trail the kids are going to want to go for a dip); binoculars; sunscreen and bug spray; bird and/or tree identification guides; water (frozen overnight so it stays cold in backpack); picnic lunch.
DIANA'S BATH, WHITE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL FOREST, NORTH CONWAY, N.H.
A short hike (less than a mile) on an easy, packed gravel trail brings visitors to waterfalls at Lucy Brook that includes rocky basins to take a dip. There is an outhouse at the trail head but not at the waterfalls so plan accordingly with kids. And bring a change of clothes to do a bit of shopping at the outlet stores a short distance away. Also note there is a $3 parking fee at the trail head. (Read previous blog entries about this place)
MORSE MOUNTAIN, PHIPPSBURG
The two-mile (one way) trail, which is mostly paved, takes hikers to the summit of Morse Mountain and then on to Seawall Beach. The elevation gain on this hike is around 100 feet total, so it's not a difficult climb – and it's stroller-friendly for those with little ones who might not be able to walk the full distance on their own. Be sure to bring both bug spray (for the wooded trail) and sunscreen (for the beach) on this hike as well as beach towels, because no one will be able to resist hanging out at the beach and taking a dip in the ocean. (Read previous blog entry about this place)
GRAFTON NOTCH STATE PARK, NEWRY
The trail to Table Rock is approximately a three-mile hike (a round-trip loop) that's well suited for children with some experience hiking (the elevation gain is about 900 feet, so be sure your child is ready for that) and includes some time on the Appalachian Trail. My kids enjoy chatting with thru-hikers they meet on the AT and it makes for an interesting geography (and history) lesson about the trail. If you are not up for hiking a mountain, there are some shorter (with less elevation gain) hiking trails that will appeal to younger family members at the park. Screw Auger Falls is an interesting place for kids to explore with its exposed rock and pools of water (good for dipping feet). And Moose Cave is also a fun stop to explore and learn a bit about the geology of the area as well. (Read previous blog entries about this place)
PINE TREE STATE ARBORETUM, AUGUSTA
There are several miles of hiking trails on fairly level terrain so families can choose a loop that suits their fitness level. The hosta garden is particularly entertaining and features "Abba Dabba Do" and "Elvis Lives" varieties (yes, those are real hosta plant names). The Almeida kids love reading the plant identification plaques on this trail and the hosta garden is a great incentive to get the kids excited about this trail system.
(Read previous blog entries about this place)
Orienteering
Orienteering is a treasure hunt using a map and compass – only instead of a treasure chest, participants try to find various control stations. Each control station has a unique hole punch, which participants use to mark a course card before moving on to the next station. Control stations are positioned both on and off trail but are always located on a distinct feature like a large boulder, the top of a knoll or near a stream. It's a great way to teach the kids about maps, and even if mom and dad aren't fluent with using a compass, these courses offer maps that are easy for novices (and using a compass is not required).
One suggested supply apart from hiking gear: compass.
The weather held out (mostly) for our overnight camping adventure to Maine 4-H Days and everyone in the family gave the trip a big thumbs up. It was not however without a few bits of drama -- and humor.
We got a late start leaving the house even though the car was packed, the pigs, chickens and cats had their respective food supplies prepped the night before and our neighbor on board to check on them to ensure everyone had enough food until we got home.
But L., in her half asleep state at 6 a.m., went out to clean up the pig's pen one last time before leaving and followed her usual routine and opened the chicken coop (we were planning to keep the coop closed while we were gone). After 20 minutes of trying to direct the 25+ chickens back in to the coop along with a couple of uncooperative of ducks (typical for them) and a guinea, we gave up. I talked to our neighbor again and asked her to close our coop that night (the chickens always go in at dusk so round up then is much easier; the ducks are another matter and we told her to ignore them) and she agreed to take on the extra duty.
We got on the road an hour later than planned and arrived at the fairgrounds in time for the girls to start their first workshop (this was a 4-H event with overnight camping at the fairgrounds).
L. had an NXT robotics class in the morning and programmed the robot she and her partner built to bounce off walls and redirect itself. There were several modifications to the design during the 3-hour workshop and L. really enjoyed herself.
G. had an all-day silk painting class (it was a modern way to batik) and Fino was hanging out with her (I wanted to go to the robotics class with L.). A little while in to the class G. told me Fino fell asleep in his chair and when G. nudged him awake, the teacher suggested he do some painting. He likes to doodle so decided to take her up on the offer and painted a rooster. After some bantering with a friend about his painting, I couldn't resist making a quick Tweet.
Sarah suggested Fino draw a hen to go with rooster to fill page. Fino said no, his rooster is happy without the female. Funny guy.
We set up our tent next to friends (the girls' 4-H club decided to camp as a group) in a great spot under some tall trees in a grassy area with an electrical outlet nearby that my friend Nicole had picked out. It was an ideal location.
During the afternoon workshops though (L. at a mechanical robotics class, G. and Fino still in painting class) we started hearing the Emergency Broadcast System warnings about severe thunderstorms and hail.
Our group made the decision to scope out a barn to move our tents to and settled on the pulling ring (part of relocation effort was finding a barn that was not already in use with animals, had a dirt floor (no cement dairy barn floors) and didn't have a scheduled show the following morning).
Moving our gear, which was plentiful among the group, to a new location across the fairgrounds was a chore (but funny in retrospect) and prompted another Tweet.
Moved tents to pulling ring in anticipation of storms, hail. Quite a site moving set up tent to new locale. No pics of that. HA!
After relocating we found a silver lining in moving from our original (and much nicer) spot - we were closer to the bathrooms and the cement blocks used in the pulling ring were helpful in setting up the grills.
Before we fired up the grills though, we had some pre-dinner entertainment with a Zumba class and that required another Tweet.
We're taking a Zumba class at 4H days and even got Fino to shake it up. Video to come later for sure. G is on job.
Sarah organized a dinner plan that included an old club tradition (she's been involved in the club since she was little) - make-you-own chicken and veggie tinfoil packet. It's the perfect campsite meal when feeding a group of kids with different food preferences. My family marinated chicken strips and others brought a wide variety of veggies. The kids were given a section of tinfoil and directed to butter a square in the center of the foil (to prevent sticking) and add whatever ingredients they wanted. Afterward the foil was folded closed, names written on the top with a permanent marker and then set on the grill. It took about 15 minutes to cook the packets (the chicken was cut thinly, as were the potatoes to ensure shorter cooking time) and it was really tasty.
Sarah also brought supplies to make homemade ice cream and of course that was another big hit. L. had a bit of trouble because she didn't close the inside baggie correctly and the salt from the ice on the outside leaked in to the cream and well, that batch was a salty concoction no one wanted to eat. But they got another serving going and it came out just right.
The after dinner activities included bean bag tossing, biking, jump roping (with light up ropes) and a bunch of other outdoor games Nicole brought (she brought tons of fun stuff for the kids to do) and I was very appreciative she had a variety of ways to keep the kids entertained since sleeping was the last thing on their minds.
There was some evening rain (an affirmation moving to the shelter of the pulling ring was a good thing) and we woke up early (in part for me because the bleating goats were so loud even though they were several barns away - and L. can debate all she wants, we aren't getting goats) to get breakfast rolling before more workshops.
L. woofed down her pop-tart and then broke out her "Bad Cats" book. This is a book that is not exactly appropriate for her age-group (some adult humor) but most goes over her head. I do not however encourage L. to share this book her friends but she ignores this advice because it's a favorite (she blogged about this book if you're unfamiliar with it) and this prompted another Tweet.
L just broke out her 'bad cats' book at breakfast. Now corrupting her friends with potty humor. Good thing lots goes over their heads.
After 15 minutes of hysterical laughing on L.'s part with her friend S. about various cats in this book and S. trying to convince his mom he had to get a copy for himself (sorry Nicole!), the group digressed into more colorful breakfast conversation that prompted yet another Tweet.
Breakfast conversation at campsite also includes story from friend of beer drinking goat. Then, cats don't lay eggs.
After much laughing the group headed off to their various workshops. G. worked with a group of younger 4-Hers in a digital photography class in the morning and L. had a blast (literally) with her Rocketry class with the NASA Challenger Learning Center instructors. The rocketry class was so successful with their various designs that an announcement had to be made to ensure everyone on the fairgrounds was aware of flying rockets and to keep an eye out to avoid them (one rocket shot over several barns and landed several hundred yards away from its launch pad). L.'s rocket only shot 10.5 meters high but I think naming her rocket, "Piggy Titus" (after her pig Titus, which she explains to people means "giant" in Latin), was actually the highlight for her.
My kids said several times during this trip that they really liked camping with friends and Fino and I agreed. Both Sarah and Nicole has brought all kinds of 'extras' we don't typically bring on a camping trip. My kids were happy to have other moms around who had the planning skills (and energy) to pack all those things that made a trip extra special and this prompted another Tweet.
Everything we forgot camping our friend Nicole had. Her car and trailer held all, along w/3 kids and a chicken. My kind of mom friend.
We don't have any other firm plans to go camping again this summer but if it ever stops raining I know the kids will be calling their friends and trying to talk their parents in to planning another trip.
