Somerville, Mass – A few weeks ago, as a part of my research for Lonely Planet USA, I visited the Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut–one of the highlights of this round of research. For starters, there was a special temporary exhibit…
Chocolate Cherry Crisp
Somerville, Mass – Our neighbors’ cherry tree has several low branches that hang over the fence and into our air space. So those are technically our cherries, right? Last week, the twins enthusiastically helped the neighbors pick the cherries on…
Finnish Midsummer Feast
Somerville, Mass – We don’t get to go to Finland this summer, so we decided we better host our own summer solstice celebration. I wrote to my Finnish family get advice on exactly what this should entail. The Finns wrote back: “Midsummer…
Cape Cod for Kids
Somerville, Mass – This is a follow-up to my post about places in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Western Mass that I intend to return with the twins. I have since spent a week or so doing research on Cape Cod and the islands–mostly…
Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge
Chatham, Mass – Daddio and I decided to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary on Cape Cod, which is something we used to like to do BT. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get a babysitter. So, we made a rash and questionable decision…
Heritage Night
Somerville, Mass – Question: When is going to school like a trip around the world? Answer: When it’s Heritage Night This event was organized by the PTA and the arts council at the twins’ school. The tag line was…
Mystic Seaport Museum
Mystic, Connecticut – Some mothers go out to brunch, or they get jewelry or a massage for Mother’s Day. I got a visit to the Mystic Seaport Museum. Who’s jealous? Well… you should be! Here’s what the Lonely Planet New…
Tadpoles
Stann Creek, Belize – This has been a pretty amazing week, filled with wild adventures and incomparable experiences. The twins loved it, and so did I. But just for the record, this is how we spent part of the afternoon…
Snorkeling Lighthouse Reef
Lighthouse Reef, Belize – When we were in Florida, the twins practiced using their new masks and snorkels in the swimming pool. Now we’re in the midst of the Belize Barrier Reef, the second-largest reef system in the world and…
Hermit Crabs
Half Moon Caye, Belize – This island is crawling with hermit crabs. During the day, you see them here or there. But as the sun sets, they emerge from their hiding places and litter the pathways and beaches. The main…