Tags: Hiking with kids, Richard Wiese, Kate Boehm Jerome, Arcadia Publishing, Maine lodges, lake lodges in Maine
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Into the Woods: Hiking With Kids
Hiking is one of the best things you can do with your family—no matter how young or old the kids, no matter how many there are. Not only is it healthy to get out in the fresh air and exercise, but it gives you a chance to have serious quality time as a family.  Best of all? It’s one of the cheapest things you can do AND you can hike almost anywhere you go.
Below, Richard Wiese (pictured here with his wife, Nicci Young, and their 3 children), our go-to person for anything outdoors and active, has shared some of his tried-and-true tips for hiking with kids. The father of a two-year-old girl and twin baby boys, he is also an explorer (past president of The Explorers Club) and the author of "Born to Explore," which was published last year.
Know your limits. Carrying around a 25-pound toddler and a bit of gear can exhaust even a fit person. Do yourself a huge favor and keep something in reserve (translation: don’t push yourself to your limit). You may find you need the energy to deal with anything that might come along, such as getting lost or dealing with a meltdown.
Keep it simple and keep it short. Traveling with babies or toddlers is not the time to bushwhack or head off the beaten trail.
Take frequent breaks. Remove your packs, drink water, skip rocks. Give kids plenty of time to play in the great outdoors.
Hike light. Loading your minivan for every possible situation with gear is one thing but since you will be lugging it on your back, keep it to the necessities like a spare diaper ( and plastic bag to put it in), sunscreen, water and baby bottles (plastic are lighter than glass). I like using lightweight carabineers to clip things onto my pack.
Dress smartly. In all likelihood, if you are using a Baby Bjorn or backpack you are going to sweat. I prefer wool as it can dry on you and has the ability to stay warm when wet. Cotton is my last choice as once it gets wet, it stays wet and can make you dangerously cold. In cooler weather, always be sure to cover the little one's extremes. Of course, you’ll also want to be wearing sturdy hiking boots and if there’s a chance of rain, by all means, pack a lightweight rain poncho.
The more the merrier. Don’t leave the older kids behind. Get the whole gang out on the trail. And if you have friends that want to join you, merge forces! Kids love hiking with other kids.
Make older children part of the planning process. I used to hike up giant sand dunes with my nephews when they were 3 and 4 and to this day they will swear they climbed Mt .Everest. Everything was an”expedition”. The little ones get to look up to the big kids and big kids get to show off their “skills.”
Be flexible. Be prepared to shorten a trip. Things like bad weather or buggy terrain might necessitate a plan B.
Get dirty. Surrender to the Zen of dirt as you are outside and everything is dirty ( but usually good dirt).
Take along drinks and snacks. Nuts, fruit (dried and fresh), sandwiches, cookies and other goodies are important to have on hand. Just avoid things that melt or are easily squished to smithereens!
Make it a voyage of discovery. Kids are interested in the smallest things, so while a pine cone or a shell might seem mundane, these little keepsakes can make a big impression.
Take pictures. You’ll not regret taking a camera along. Shoot close-ups of the kids as well as scenery, signs, etc.
Have fun. Sing songs, count trees and howl at the moon.
Cool Travel Ed for Kids
By Sloane Williams
Did you know that some states have their own muffins listed right up there alongside the state flag, bird, and tree? New York does. It’s the Apple Muffin. And did you know that  Gatorade was developed to help the University of Florida football team—the Gators—stay hydrated? What about this one…while on New Year’s Eve, people around the world watch the ball drop in Times Square to mark the new year, in Georgia, the Peach State, thousands watch a huge fiberglass peach drop from an Atlanta tower.
This is just a sampling of what you and your kids can chat about with the new series of books, “Cool Stuff Every Kid Should Know” by Kate Boehm Jerome. They’re handy to have at home if you live in one of the cities featured (so far there’s Houston, Orlando, Dallas, Cincinnati, Tampa, Buffalo, Atlanta and Charleston) or you’re driving to or through them.
The thin softcovers are easy to read, full of great visuals and are educational as well as FUN. And while they’re geared to kids ages 7-11, chances are anyone older stands to learn quite a bit as well. You can find them ($9.99 each) at bookstores, Amazon.com or get them directly through the publisher, Arcadia Publishing.
Maine's Lake Lodges
By Susan Farewell
Some people go to Maine for the craggy coastline, the salt air. Others seek the serenity of the woods. I go for two reasons at least once a summer. To have a lobster roll and to plunge into an icy cold freshwater lake. Otherwise, my summer’s not complete.
While there are many places to get great lobster rolls (and every local and summer visitor has his or her own favorite), there are just a few lake lodges that stand out from the crowd. Here are my top choices.
Migis Lodge
One of the state’s oldest resorts, Migis is anything but worn looking. It is made up of a classic main lodge and thirty-five cottages, and set on 125 lakefront acres. All of the cottages—which have been fully renovated over the last couple of years--are exquisitely decorated and range from all-in-one studios to 4-bedroom/4-bathroom homes-away-from-home. They each feature a living room, a fireplace and at least one porch overlooking the water. Some have cathedral ceilings and all have pine-paneled walls and gleaming floors.
Migis (which is pronounced “MY-giss” with a hard G) in the Abenaki Indian language means “place to steal away to rest.” Let's just say, the order is more than filled when visiting.
Three meals a day are served and there’s unlimited use of all the lodge’s boats, beaches, tennis courts, you name it.
Details: On Sebago Lake, South Casco. Open June 14 to Columbus Day.
Attean Lake Lodge
Very remotely located, in northwestern Maine is the magnificently situated Attean Lake Lodge. There are fifteen log cottages set amid towering pines, spruce and birch trees. Each one has a private porch and a wood-burning stove and can’t-t ake-your-eyes-off-it view of the lake and White Mountains that loom all around.
Activities include fishing, kayaking, canoeing, sailing and hiking as well as swimming at sandy beaches. Three home-style meals a day are served here including box lunches for mid-day adventures and a couple of sunset cookouts as well.
Details: Birch Island on Attean Lake, Jackman. Open Memorial Day until end of September..
Kawanhee Inn
One of the most beautiful Maine lodges you’ll ever see, the Kawanhee Inn is set on a hill overlooking Lake Webb. It has all the details you’d expect in a Maine lodge: exposed timber beams, an immense stone fireplace, woodsy rooms. You can stay in one of 11 rooms with basic furnishings in the main lodge or settle into a cabin for a week. All 8 cabins have their own fireplaces and screened-in porches along with one to three bedrooms.
Guests can use the small beach and boats and explore the many hiking trails of the spectacularly scenic Mt. Blue State Park right across the lake. The food is really special here as well with all three meals served in the dining room. Though it seems worlds away, the inn is actually just two hours from Portland.
Details: Located in Weld. Open Memorial Day until end of September.
Quisisana
Set on the shores of Lake Kezar opposite New Hampshire’s Presidential Mountain Range, Quisisana is an amazing find. It was founded in1917 as a retreat for music students and music lovers to relax in the cool Maine woods and continues on today, attracting musicians from around the country.
Guest rooms range from lodge rooms to cabins and are spread out over forty-seven acres. Every evening, after a great meal, there’s a musical performance in the lakeside hall (from chamber music concerts to opera). This season’s opera is Don Giovanni; the musical is Damn Yankees. Performances are made up of staff members who are recruited from top music schools such as Juilliard, Oberlin and the New England School of Music. By day they may carry your luggage, by night, perform an aria.
Details: Lake Kezar, Center Lovell. Open mid-June through August.
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