Parks and Paths: Does apple pie count as a fruit serving?

If you are near Freeport, ME you don't want to miss L.L. Bean's Flagship store, open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Pat and the kids played on the L.L. Bean provided hammocks while I went in their home store.

A kind neighbor found this under her trailer and thought the kids might like it.

They did some research on microwave/convection ovens versus a regular oven.

It was sooo good!

The Paint by Sticker books for kids have been a hit and were very doable in the car today. There's two more on order!

Each book comes with around 10 pictures and corresponding sheet of stickers. The picture has between 70-100 numbered shapes and the sticker page has corresponding numbered colorful, and with the unicorn book glittery, stickers. I was concerned I would be helping to take off all those stickers but the kids, ages 6 and 8, were able to easily remove them. I even got kudos for selecting the right books for each of them. I thought it looked like a kids version of Diamond Painting.

Cyrus got his forested hike on the campground nature trail.

Beaver dam on none other than Beaver Pond.

Samira's hat blew off and into the pond right after this picture, but she managed to rescue it.

Lots of blooming lily pads.

Meadowbrook Campground in Phippsburg was laid out a little strange. It felt like we were parked in a field, but the pool was right behind us and the playground close by which was nice. With those and the bouncy house, Samira didn't want us to leave because "we would never find another campground as good."

This is how we zoom. The stool we view the Bostonians from and our table they "sit" on. This past Tues. Pat put our computer above the TV though so the kids could sit on either side and watch the zoom on the TV.

Story time from Boston.

Wednesday we moved on to Smuggler's Den Campground in Southwest Harbor, ME, near Acadia National Park. Since we have two youngsters with us we planned our trip not too far from their home, longer stays at each place, and short travel days. Phippsburg, ME to Smuggler's Den was only 123 miles. When Pat actually looked at it a day or two ago that 123 miles would take us 3 hours on the coastal road, or with more miles, about the same time on the Interstate. We chose the Interstate.

The kids ride with me in the car and they were great. Josh set us up with podcasts from Flip and Mozi's Guide to How to Become an Earthling, which we all have enjoyed. Flip and Mozi have crash landed on Earth. It's a musical and very funny approach to teach kids about animals, other creatures, and a few other things you find on earth. Today we listened to several podcasts of around 30 minutes each, including one on the camel. They found sand (the Sahara desert) and were looking for a beach. I think Mozi is the one who doesn't get what's going on. In this episode Mozi referred to a giant fish bowl and had to be reminded that earthlings call it an ocean. Yes,the time passed faster for me too. We did make 4 spread-out stops on the way to our next campground.

It was a little warmer today at 84° but it's supposed to cool off to 59° tonight. It's nice to be able to open up.

First break = lunch in the RV

Beautiful, shaded, fairly large, and private sites at Smuggler's Den. Once again we're very close to the pool and playground. We couldn't check-in until 3 but with much urging we went swimming, had a fire, roasted hot dogs, had s'mores, went to the playground, and watched a few minutes of a Disney show. Of course nothing happens until camp is set-up and Cyrus and Samira fully participate.