Labor Day is always set aside on our calendars: it’s an annual trip for our family friends to camp together. (We believe we’re now on our 9th year!) The kids keep growing and so does our fleet: small kayaks are replaced with bigger canoes, portable cribs are now inflatable mattresses and sleeping bags, 3-person tents have been upgraded to 6-person tents. We’ve traversed the state from Emerald Lake to Maidstone, always in search of paddling, swimming, crafts, hiking and most importantly… time. We set aside this time to enjoy our state and each other. We’re all at their best selves when outside: whether it’s during a hurricane on Burton Island (saved by an expedition to a local brewery to pass the storm!) or a glorious day watching the leaves start to turn colors on Waterbury Reservoir. I’m already nostalgic for when our small kids grow older and we remember these fond days nestled in our lean to.
– Meredith Brieland
