Grandpa Doesn’t Have to Deal with Kids

Now the vacation state of mind here in Vacationland has fully sunken in. But I don’t recall ever being more happy not to be a parent, as I navigate my own space among five kids including two babies who take turns striking each other and boys who delight in high-decibel wails for no particular reason.  This is punctuatated by frequent sobs and outbreaks of terrible fights and separation in neutral quarters.  But happily, I walk away, not needed in this scrim of parental authority challenged by tiny independent souls.

I can’t wait to go up to Portland and meet Pamela Laskey, who runs Maine Foodie Tours.

Ahh, what a relief…time to get back to work. I can’t visit anywhere without wanting a tour, a history lesson, or someone to tell me what’s cool, new and worth seeing.  There was a time when this was much harder; but now it’s as natural as breathing.

The city of Portland brings back terrific memories for me….it was the site of where I started the Portland Chronicle, in 1981, where I ran my own paper and grew to love this city by the sea. Our house on Munjoy Hill had a sliver of ocean you could see from the second floor. I always loved living there, despite how bitter and long the winters were.

There’s also a bike trail that navigates the Eastern Promenade and today I’ll pedal the length of it, getting a bit of an appetite up for my food tour.  Come with me, dear readers, as I travel back to the scene of the most exciting time of my life. But I gotta admit it’s pretty damn good now too!