Sideline Stories: Rubys on the Road

In the fall of 2016, before our first child was to be born that December, we came up with what we thought was a silly “family” mission. What was it? Visit every state park in Maine as a family and camp at all of the family campgrounds. Maybe at the same time, encourage other families to do the same along the way, while also promoting much of what our beloved home-state had to offer.

Why? It would no longer just be the two of us and big changes were on the way for an independent couple. As we thought things through, we asked ourselves, why do we have to completely change or put our lives on pause as we enter this new stage? Just because we will be parents, why couldn’t we continue doing what we loved and at the same time expose our daughter to all, right out of the gate.

28 state parks later and let’s just say we’ve learned a thing or two. A second daughter has also been added along the way! Let’s forget the kids for a moment because the benefits for them deserve a book or two; so what do we get out of it? We both work full time and this our opportunity to derail the groundhog day/weekly routines and reconnect. Yes, it’s a ton of work to pull off at times but the reward always wins in the end and never do we end up in a pile of regret. Mainly because at this point we know when to adjust and how to adapt as a family. The quicker you realize that not everything is going to go Instagram perfect when you step outdoors the better, especially when you toss kids in the mix. Yes, there are plenty of “ah-ha” moments but when you stop chasing life with a filter, you’ll see that the unedited version in front of you is more than enough.

Feel free to follow along at www.rubysontheroad.com as we wrap up our journey this year and who knows, maybe the Public Lands are next!