Well, in my family it’s not an adventure that is six years old. Rather, it is a special trip that you take with your child (or grandchild now) when they are in their sixth year. When my oldest child turned six in August, 32 years ago, we embarked on our first. The picture above is him on this inaugural Six-year-old adventure on the top of the highest mountain in New England. The trip started with a flight to Portland, Maine, where we grabbed a state tourist map, rented a car, and started driving. We camped, fished, and hiked in three states. We walked for a short distance on the Appalachian Trail in Baxter State Park, Maine, near its northern terminus on Mount Katahdin. We drove for long distances on logging roads looking for the perfect fishing hole. One time we drove a little too far; so much so, that when we stopped to ask for directions, the men were speaking French. Fortunately, we had plenty of gas, a fuel-efficient car, and enough daylight to backtrack our way out of our unplanned trip to Quebec. On the last day of the trip, we went fishing in the ocean. Luck would have it that we caught enough cod that it made sense to buy a bunch of lobsters and pack the cooler with ice. We had the makings for a seafood feast back home, and we knew it was fresh.
I had a professor in one of the education classes that I took while in college who said the three best things about being a teacher were: June, July, and August. I took advantage of those three months when my other three children turned six and I certainly look back on those summers as something wonderful to be repeated. I asked my daughter’s son (my oldest grandchild) a couple of years ago where he wanted to go. He chose camping and fishing in the mountains of West Virginia; including a steam-train ride on the Cass Scenic Railroad. This past summer, my oldest granddaughter turned six and chose Michigan, with a little coaching from her dad. So the boy in the picture above, now a teacher himself, (and still a fan of fishing, camping, and hiking) planned a trip, and I was invited. The tradition continues.
If you would like to see the public photos from the latest Six-year-old Adventure click here.
If you are family or a friend with a password, you can view the private photos in the members-only area. Check out all the photos from the kids’ adventures there. If you are a friend or family member without a password and you would like one, contact me.