Public School Updates and Adventures in Maine - Wrapping up Summer

Now that we're deep in public school, it feels more normal, but it still makes my heart hurt a bit. And with everything happening in Florida this week I feel like family and work are my happy places

So it’s been an interesting week to live in Florida. One day they’re announcing that a judge is shutting down that vile detention camp in the Everglades (yay!) and the next day they’re villainizing vaccines at the state level… Oh, and arresting people for re-coloring the rainbow crosswalks with chalk. What even is happening?! I’m definitely back in the zone of feeling like I’m helpless. But that’s when I pour myself into family stuff and writing because those are the things I can directly influence or bring the most joy.

Speaking of joy, I’m really excited to finally be heading up to Maine this week. I actually planned the basis of this trip back in January, so finally going feels like some closure to my obsessive forward thinking. I’ve got the full scoop on the Maine and some other stuff to share for when you’re ready to plan some trips and put something to look forward to on your calendar.

Here’s what’s new this week when it comes to articles and fun stuff I’ve been working on:

2TravelDads.com - The latest here on 2TravelDads is a handy guide to choosing between an Alaska trip based out of Juneau or Anchorage. Which sounds better: land based road trip or Alaskan island hopping? Also, I published a guide to Universal Orlando’s newest theme park: EPIC UNIVERSE. Is it epic? Ehh, maybe to some… Sorry, was that too much of a spoiler? I’ve got more info below.

MyAlaskaTrip.com - One of the more unique things we’ve gotten to do in Alaska, Juneau’s Treadwell Mine tour is a cool combo of AR tech and guided history tour. You’ll have to read about it, cuz it’s pretty neat. Also, a few fun things to do in Haines, which is a really beautiful town, have made it to the blog. Chilkoot Lake State Park is one of the best places to see wildlife on the Inside Passage (bears, eagles, fish…) and then also Fort William Henry Seward National Landmark is a great place to go strolling, see a Chilkat Tlingit clan house and more.

TheKeysExplored.com - One of the places we always spend some time when we’re going through the Keys is Curry Hammock State Park. It’s some of the best kayaking in the Florida Keys (mangrove tunnels) and it’s got lots of wildlife. And it also has a beach, which isn’t common in the Keys. Check it out for when you’re on Marathon!

MaineExplored.com - One of the biggest costs whenever you’re traveling is the lodging, so I’ve been thoughtfully working on articles about where to stay when you’re traveling in Maine. This week I shared a wonderful boutique hotel in Rockland, the 250 Main Hotel, and then a fun campground with cabins near Camden, the Sea Swell Megunticook Campground. There’s going to be a lot of glamping coming to the blog, so stay tuned.

MyAlohaTrip.com - I love how much I get to write about birdwatching when I’m working on the Hawaii website. There are so many wonderful places for it, and this week I’m sharing the Kaulana Manu Trail at Mauna Kea for seeing i’iwi, apapane and more endemic birds. Another beautiful spot is on Kauai at the Allerton National Tropical Botanical Gardens. The last thing I wrote about for the Hawaii site is the weekly Friday night Fireworks Sailings in Honolulu. Did you know that each Friday on Waikiki there are fireworks? True story.

There won’t be anything to share next weekend because I’m going to be traveling, but hopefully for the last newsletter of September I’ll have some really great fall weekend trip ideas to share!

Public School Update: How We’re Adjusting

I really do think that Oliver being in high school is harder on me than him. He really is doing great with his classes and he likes everything he’s learning. He doesn’t mind his daily bus rides and he’s even gotten to join the afterschool D&D Club. I got to volunteer at school last week in the school store and interact with a bunch of the kids and see him in his environment, and that was actually really hard. He still hasn’t made friends to eat lunch with, and it breaks my heart.

I know that not everyone is out there to be social or even wants to get to know people, but as a parent observing their kiddo in what I always loved during high school, lunch time with friends, it’s really hard to see him alone and not interacting with others, nearly shrinking away from anyone who comes close. He says he’s fine, but it’s difficult to see. I’m not going to press the issue, but hopefully he’ll connect more with some of the kids from his afterschool clubs to eat lunch together.

Elliott is loving elementary school at a public school. He really loves getting to have a big music room and a very different sort of art program. He enjoys recess on the big playground and PE with a new coach. He’s said that he misses his old teachers a lot, but he’s so happy-go-lucky that he just enjoys the newness of his school at each turn. And he’s gotten to see friends who used to go to school with him and switched to public school over the years, which makes him happy.

On a side note, I went to the first elementary school PTO meeting last week and it was fascinating. With a big school it’s a big organization and they have a lot planned and dialed in for the year. I have accepted the role of Classroom Parent, which I’m still not sure what it means. I do know that I am responsible for some sort of booth for the fall festival and there’s an element of coordinating classroom needs through parents, but I’m still not fully sure.

Maine Adventures!!! Here we go!

This week I’m heading back up to Maine for a really fun trip. Back in January I found a boat tour that just sounded so cool that I booked it months in advance, and it’s actually the basis of this whole project. It’s an 18 lighthouse tour that goes from Bar Harbor out through DownEast Maine and up into the Canadian boundary waters. 18 lighthouses and hopefully some ocean sunfish, maybe some whales, some cool birds…

And then with the rest of the visit we’re on a project with Visit Maine, the state tourism board. We’re digging into glamping and will be visiting three different “glamping grounds” from Freeport to Millinocket. We get to enjoy Acadia National Park, Mt Baxter State Park, and Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. There’s going to be museums in Portland and Bar Harbor, and we get to enjoy the DownEast Scenic Railroad. It’s all coming to the blogs in the next few weeks and I can’t wait!

But there’s more… At the end of the month there’s one more trip up to Maine, but it’s going to focus on Southern Maine. A few days in Kennebunkport and then Casco and Old Orchard Beach will make for the final trip of the summer. It’s going to be wonderful staying at the Breakwater Inn in Kennebunkport and then we have more glamping at Sandy Pines Campground. I just love these different sorts of Maine experiences the month is bringing.

That’s it for this week! There won’t be a newsletter next week since I’ll be exploring Maine, but then there’ll be lots to share after that. Have a great week, stay healthy and safe, and happy travels!