Somerville, Mass – The twins are turning 10 and here we are in the middle of a global pandemic. I know I am not the first parent to confront this dilemma. But I *might* be the first parent to come…
Hiking at Blue Hills Reservation
Milton, Mass – Less than 10 miles south of Boston, Blue Hills Reservation is a 7000-acre state park with myriad opportunities for hiking, biking, swimming, and even skiing. The state park offers 125 miles of hiking trails (of which, the…
The Future of Travel
Somerville, Mass – This year marks my 20-year anniversary writing for Lonely Planet (read all about it!). Earlier this week, the publisher announced the closure of their offices in Melbourne and London, calling into question the future of the company…
Harold Parker State Forest
Andover, Mass – We took our first pandemic field trip to Harold Parker State Forest. Unlike some other states, in Massachusetts, we are not stuck at home. At least not yet. State parks and some private reserves are still open…
At-Home Yoga Practice
Somerville, Mass – Kids are home from school for the foreseeable future. One of my coping mechanisms is my at-home yoga practice (thanks to be.in Union!). Here I am, sharing it with the kiddos. Cow pose and angry cat pose,…
Phantom of the Opera
New York City – We decided to celebrate Daddio’s birthday in NYC. He has been wanting to come down to visit his sister, so I planned a sort-of surprise and sort-of spontaneous getaway. We love to go to the theater…
Sox vs O’s
Sarasota, Florida – Last year we went to JetBlue Stadium in Fort Meyer to see the Red Sox beat the Twins on their first day of spring training. This year, the boys came to us and we watched the Sox…
Return to the Ringling
Sarasota, Florida – It has been several years since we visited the local circus museum, so this year we decided to return to the Ringling. The last time I wrote about this fantastic outing, the twins were four years old.…
Birding at the Venice Rookery
Venice, Florida – One of our favorite annual activities is birding at the Venice Rookery. Just before sunset, hundreds of birds come home to roost on this tiny island, managed by the Venice Audubon Society. This outing offers prime bird…
Winter Break Escape
Sarasota, Florida – It’s that time of year again, when we fly south for a winter break escape with the grandparents in Florida. Poor Daddio was sick as a dog when we left. He managed to drop us at the…