Cup O‘ Joe
Why is it that for so many people a vacation is needed after taking vacation? Such was the case for our family after a busy four-day trip to the southern part of the state this past weekend that found me more tired than before I left.
Maybe it is the drain of trying to cram as many activities as possible into a short window? Or perhaps it is the fact that sleep often comes difficult for me while traveling. Either way, when we rolled back into town Sunday evening, it wasn’t long after unpacking the car and doing the laundry that I was ready to crash for the night.
Apparently my wife and kids felt the same way because it was not much past 8 p.m. when the lights went out in our home and we all retired to our bedrooms.
Vacations, even mini ones, often come with a great deal of stress for me. It is probably because I am a planner. I need to have my day planned out, knowing what we will be doing, where we will be eating and when we will be returning.
And when things don’t go the way I planned, I tend to get a bit frazzled. Just ask my wife.
I sometimes envy those people who are not wired this way. My brother-in-law is one such person. My wife’s side of the family got together for a group get-a-way to Popham Beach State Park and two nights of camping in Phippsburg. While we came with enough stuff to completely fill the back of our vehicle – and outfit a small armada with stuff – my brother-in-law showed up with only a smattering of items. He even managed to leave out sleeping bags and pillows.
Thankfully, we had selected a small cabin instead of a tent, and therefore sleeping bags were not a necessity. I know, it’s not really camping if you are in a cabin with a refrigerator and satellite television, but it actually worked out for the best considering it rained both Friday and Saturday night.
Our trip began on Thursday with a planned stop in Gray to visit the Maine Wildlife Park. My youngest daughter had wanted to go there to see all of the various animals for some time, and it fit perfectly with our planned get-a-way.
The first thing to go unplanned was minor. As we started rolling down the Interstate, I discovered the fan for the air-conditioner was on the fritz and only worked on the high setting. Seeing as how it was a steamy 90-plus degrees outside, full blast was fine with me.
Faced with the choice of “Siberia or Sauna” I opted for the cooler end of things. My wife, however, would get cold and thus began a constant search for the “just right” in between setting on the temperature dial. I think we eventually reached a happy medium just outside of Augusta.
Our trip to the wildlife park was wonderful, but a bit on the hot side. My children finally got to see what a moose looked like. Amazingly in the seven years since we moved back home, we have never encountered a moose. I suppose that is a good thing.
The hot weather was clearly impacting the animals as well, as many hunkered down into whatever shade they could find, or parked themselves underneath a rotating sprinkler. Clearly, these animals were on to something.
The next day involved a trip to Saco for an adventure at the water park. I was perfectly content to spend the time floating in the shallow pool, but my youngest did manage to coax me down a couple of the tamer water slides. My oldest, being a bit more daring, went on two of the massive slides, while I had all I could do just to watch.
Even with a double dose of dramamine, there was no way I was going to squeeze myself into a tube and be dropped 100 feet straight down. But she did it, and loved every minute of it.
The next day was spent lounging at the beach, under much cooler conditions. That actually turned out to be a good thing as there were no crowds to speak of. There was plenty of searching for seashells and sand dollars, and a few small sand castles were erected. It was a perfect time to recharge our batteries after two scorchingly hot days.
Our trip home Sunday featured a quick stop at Blackbeard’s in Bangor for a round of miniature golf. My wife pointed out that the last time we had been there we were not yet married, which our two kids seemed to get a kick out of.
As nice as it was to get away, it was even nicer to finally land home Sunday evening. Now, I just need a vacation from the vacation.
Joseph Cyr is a staff writer for the Houlton Pioneer Times. His opinions are his alone and do not reflect those of the newspaper. He can be reached at 532-2281 or by email at jcyr@pioneertimes-me.com.
