Bodega Bay, California – Everybody knows that Alaska used to belong to Russia. But most people don’t realize that the Russians were actively exploring, hunting, trading and settling the Pacific Northwest, starting in the late 18th century. Yes, settling–like Russian…
Highlights from Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – We only spent a few days in Pittsburgh, but I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by this unheralded city. There are vibrant, bustling neighborhoods, a hip and happening university district, excellent restaurants, and an authentic…
Road Trip to Pittsburgh
Scranton, Pennsylvania – It’s our first family vacation in over a year! And we’re going to… (drumroll)… Pittsburgh? Yes! Road trip to Pittsburgh! Somehow, I have not been able to tell anybody about our vacation plans without giving an explanation,…
Summer Vacation
Gloucester, Mass – (Cue Alice Cooper.) School’s out for summer! School’s out for-ever! Time for our annual first-day-of-summer-vacation trip to Wingaersheek Beach. Best way to kick off summer vacation! There’s a few things you can say for certain about going…
Minute Man Bikeway
Arlington, Mass – As I mentioned in my previous post, we are opting out of MCAS so we can spend our time on more useful endeavors. Like going for bike rides, for example. With all of our pandemic biking, we…
Basquiat at the MFA
Boston, Mass – The twins will have a total of 30-something days of in-school school this year. And they are going to spend three of those days taking standardized tests. Really? (Those of us who have been overhearing 5th-grade homeschooling…
TreeTop Adventures
Canton, Mass – Here’s an advantage of having twins: two birthdays for the price of one. Since we only celebrate one birthday per year, we do our best to make it good. We have had some pretty fabulous parties over…
Borderland State Park
North Easton, Mass – The snow has all melted. Spring has sprung. Ski season is officially over, but we’re still hankering for a pandemic field trip (especially during April vacation week). Fortunately, some friends invited us to go hiking at…
Where to Stay in Boston and Portland
Boston, Mass – I did a travel writing thing! For the first time in more than a year! It’s not the most exciting topic in the world – where to stay in Boston, Mass, and Portland, Maine – but still……
Snowy Owls on Plum Island
Newburyport, Mass – Daddio doesn’t like skiing or scuba-diving. But he does like to play golf. And more than anything, he loves birdwatching. For Daddio’s birthday, we should do what Daddio likes to do. So I planned a birdwatching outing…