Breaking the Stereotype of BBQing (and a Springtime Adventure)

My two favorite holidays are Summer Solstice and Daylight Savings Time, because life just shifts into a better vibe with more daylight. Here's how our family changes things up w/ this extra bit 'o sun

Mar 10, 2024

Happy Daylight Savings Time Day to all who celebrate! I really do love this day because an extra hour of daylight does so much for me, my family and the time we get to spend outdoors. Springtime is allergy season, sure, but this day is also the marker for progress towards summer. As somebody who’s overall well-being is connected to being able to be active and see sunshine, I’m thankful for each moment we get to not slink into the darkness. But there’s more I want to share this week than my own personal celebration of impending summer.

I want to share about barbequing, about remote canyons in Arizona, about learning on the open sea, and about today’s political climate and how you can simplify the complex or divisive issues (I know, heavy). Also, if you scroll down to the end, you’ll find info about joining us on an UnCruise sailing in Alaska in June. This is why I love getting to share a weekly newsletter: we have a lot happening in our worlds and lives, and sharing what’s on my mind through the week helps me process things (and hopefully others too!).

Why I Choose to Talk About Politics (I’ll keep it short)

I’m gonna talk politics for a hot sec because it’s important, and I think it’s worth just shining a light on the difference between politics and humanity.

Politics is choosing sides, humanity is positive action or emotions for others. Defending your political choices today is literally defending what you believe it means to care about your fellow man. You can see it clearly when you’re asking somebody how they feel about social programs and if fellow Americans should receive support or rights or healthcare, and you hear a definitive “Yes!” but then that same person talks about how they like the Red business mindset or they value “pro-life” stances. Um, no, not actually good for human-run businesses or living humans facing life’s struggles.

I’m seeing people say things like “but neither candidate is good” or “they’re both bad, I wish we had somebody in the middle.” Yeah no. Even if you wish it was a different person you could vote for for whatever reason, when it comes to politics, you’ve simply gotta look at somebody’s actions and what they’re doing for their fellow humans. Drum up the past, sure, but also look at what major shifts and actions somebody is taking. I’m not all about forgive and forget (that’s foolish), but I’m all for seeing what somebody is actively doing to make things better for others and acknowledging that.

And yes, I’m talking about Prez Biden being one of the most effective presidents for the regular citizen we’ve had and with such a wealth of cards and opponents stacked against him, vs 45 literally actively trying to take over America and his actions directly hurting Americans. Anyways, that’s all.

New on the Blog & Podcast

We got to release two fun pieces this week, each that shares some great travel stories and tips from some of our favorite places.

First up: UnCruise Hawaii on the Safari Explorer - in this article I breakdown just what our Hawaii sailing itinerary was like, and the highlights of the week on board the Safari Explorer. The itinerary was really vague before sailing, but once we were underway it made sense. READ IT to understand what I’m talking about and see if it’s a good option for YOU!

Second: Acadia National Park Itinerary (and podcast) - One of the things I enjoy about recording podcast episodes is getting to have my friends and travel peers on to talk about what brings them joy in life and work. In this episode my pal Colleen Miniuk (an incredible landscape photographer) joins me to talk about the overlooked side of Acadia National Park and share her experiences as a THREE TIME Artist in Residence at Acadia. Give it a read or SUBSCRIBE AND LISTEN!

Best BBQ Picks for Spring - Breaking the BBQ Stereotype

I know, I don’t write about food, LIKE EVER, but I am actually into baking and sometimes cooking when it’s for fun and I’m feeling jazzed about something. And now that Daylight Savings Time has arrived, it’s officially the start of grilling season. BBQing is NOT mutually exclusive to the suburban-white-straight-dad-of-four subculture, but is for EVERYONE. I don’t know how the stereotype of just the male breadwinner of the house is the griller, but yeah, weird.

We keep it simple and have had the same BBQ since 2009, the Weber Q. It’s not a huge grill, but it does the job for everything we need. (check it out here - yes, it’s my affiliate link)

So here’s what we’re grilling lately and I love it all. FYI, this is not a vegetarian-friendly section. While I used to be veg, I’m not anymore any my body feels better this way (we’re all different). IF YOU HAVE GREAT VEG BBQ IDEAS, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT TO SHARE!

Grilled Pineapple Everything - yes, we grill pineapple to go with lots of things, and in particular Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches. Simple chicken marinated in teriyaki, topped with lettuce, mayo and grilled pineapple. Delicious.
Bonzai Burgers - yes, this is on the menu today and is my all-time favorite burger from Red Robin. It’s just like a Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich, but is a hamburger with Johnny’s au jus mixed into the burger and it’s amazing. Yes, grilled pineapple again.
Grilled fish - it’s tricky to find a locally caught fish that grills up nicely sometimes, but it’s worth it when you find good mahi or if you’re a lucky PNWite, salmon. We need to do it more because it’s healthier than beef and 9/10 time is more enjoyable.
Sous Vide Steak - I hated steak for the longest time because a slab of meat is just gross to me (still is), but Chris has figured out how to do it in a non-gross, non-red, still tender style (this is his skill, not mine). He cooks tenderloin in a sous vide (water bath) and then does an awesome grill sear on it. Perfect for people like me who can’t do medium-rare and for people like him who can’t do overcooked.

Anyways, that’s what we’ve got happening on the BBQ now that it’s easier to cook outside thanks to extra daylight and warmer weather. If you have fun stuff you like to grill THAT’S EASY, tell me about it because I get into dinner ruts really easy and am always down to try new things.

New Daily Routine for Spring

Ahh, and this is what get’s me to loudest eyerolls from the kids: evening walks! I love my morning walks and take lots of breaks during my work day just to do quick walks through the neighborhood, but daylight savings time also restarts our post-dinner walks. For some reason going for a walk on the beach after dinner is an absolute burden on the boys. They are so put-out by having to walk one block to the sand, and then they mope for 30 seconds… and then they are running and playing and usually end up in the water even if it’s not hot.

This is what I love about where we live. Last year when we moved up-island to St Augustine Beach people asked if it would really make a difference to be closer to the beach, because it just “couldn’t be that important” or as one person put it, “Would you really be at the beach every day? I don’t think so.” Um, yes, actually. It does so much good, both for mental and physical health to be outside walking, and feeling the sand in between your toes or getting a little bit splashed by the ocean really brings so much joy.

As I said on Tiktok the other day: “Sand in our toes, sand in our shoes, sand in our car, sand in our house, sand in our drawers, sand in our devices… and it’s perfect.” (okay, it’s a bummer to get sand in your phone ports, but we just know to be careful)

WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY?

I talk a lot about JOY and what brings me and others joy, and even if everyone is over our travels, they bring us so much joy that I'm going to keep shouting it from the rooftops... or my desk. And our UnCruise sailing last month and the memories from it bring me SO MUCH JOY!

When I think about when I started 2traveldads.com ten years ago, I did it because I was burning out on the monotony of being a parent with tiny kids. Being a parent is incredible, but it also messes with your mind, and it's different for everyone. Despite spending my days taking care of our tiny guys, which is the most important job I could ever have, it was wearing on me and I was losing myself. And THAT is why I started the blog. Having a creative venture that was fun and didn't involve being needed by others saved me (like I said, parenting is different for everyone).

Today, I still enjoy getting to blog about life and now travel is my actual business, which is amazing as the kids just keep getting older and moving into their own lives and I'm less and less needed as I once was. I never thought that making a decision to start a pet-project to keep my sanity would turn into world travel and growing as a person. With that…

Are you feeling like you’re losing a bit of yourself for some reason? A lot of people don’t feel that way or acknowledge that they might be feeling like that, but I think we all face it at some point in our lives. The reason I bring this up is because my observation of the people in my life is that very few of them have a hobby or do something on the regular that is simply for the purpose of happiness. I don’t want to call anyone out, but I do know several people very well who live to work/parent and nothing else.

That may be perfectly fine for them, and maybe at this point in their lives that’s how it has to be, but I just wanted to encourage anyone who’s feeling like they’ve lost a bit of themselves to carve out time for a hobby or something that is just for you and nobody else. Sometimes I sit on the side of our house where there are no windows and nobody knows where I am, and sometimes I write stuff that nobody will ever see. Both of these actions are simple, make me happy, don’t take me away from where I’m needed, and do me a world of good.

This Week’s Adventure: Las Vegas and Northern AZ

That’s right! I’m on a project in Las Vegas this upcoming week and it’s going to be awesome. While my time there is mainly to experience fun stuff off the Las Vegas strip and find family-friendly activities to share, I also will be doing a tour getting picked up from my hotel in Vegas and heading to Antelope Canyon and the Grand Canyon. (TOUR DETAILS HERE)

I’m heading out with MaxTour who does quite a few different multi-day trips out of Vegas to all kinds of cool sites and National Parks. I’ve never gotten to visit Antelope Canyon, so this is super exciting for me. We’ll also be stopping at Hoover Dam and Horseshoe Bend, so checking off some epic Southwest sights all in a few days is going to be a blast!

After that, I’ll be digging into the city checking out some free attractions, doing the FlyOver experiences, squeezing in a little pool time, and ultimately doing Las Vegas differently than most might experience it. I’ll share all the details when I get home from it.

Join us in Alaska in June!

We're pretty stoked about this incredible UnCruise Adventure! Hawaii blew us away, and that region isn't even UnCruise's primary destination. When it comes to Alaska trips, our Kid in Nature UnCruise is going to be one of the coolest experiences possible. Stay tuned as our Summer 2024 Alaska UnCruise takes shape. **Cabins still available for booking! Book this Kids in Nature Sailing here! (Use code TWODADS500 for a booking discount)

If you have questions about either the upcoming sailing through the Inside Passage, our recent Hawaii adventure or you want to hear about our land tour on the Kenai and up to Denali, leave a comment or send us a note and we’ll fill you in!

As always, I’d love to have you subscribe to our podcast wherever YOU like to listen, and if there’s something you want us to talk about in an episode, complete our form and we’ll get to it in our next season!

Check out the podcast!

Thank you for follow along on our adventures. It’s a joy to share them with everyone, and hopefully we’re inspiring people to go explore and pursue happy things in life. Anyways, have a great day and thank you for tuning in. :)