As Fourth of July fireworks sparkled over the waters of Bar Harbor, Maine, I looked around at the faces of three generations of my family. With wide eyes and huge grins, their faces were as bright as the lights in the sky. Tomorrow, we’d scatter again to our homes thousands of miles apart, but tonight felt timeless, a magic moment of togetherness that multigenerational travel creates.
A Celebration Trip
When my mother announced she wanted to spend her 80th birthday on a Backroads trip, I wasn’t surprised. We’d recently shared a delightful Dolce Tempo walking trip through Scotland, and she had heard every detail of my “trip of a lifetime” biking through Japan.
But this would be the first time all three generations—my mother, brother, husband and our two kids—would go on a Backroads trip together. Choosing Maine was easy, but the real comfort came from knowing Backroads would make the logistics effortless. Every member of our family could move at their own pace, each of us enjoying activities that suited us and trusting the leaders to support everyone from age eight to eighty. That confidence was a gift before the trip even began.
Activities for All
Our Backroads Multi-Adventure Trip really lived up to its name. Our kid- and adult-friendly itinerary included hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, lobster-boating and biking. Each day brought something different, and each activity offered just-right levels for the kids, parents, uncles and grandparents in our family.
My brother hadn’t been on a bicycle since a long-ago youth-hostel trip to Amsterdam, so I wasn’t sure what to expect as we set off on our e-bikes along Acadia’s famed carriage roads. What I didn’t expect was to watch him gleefully pedal ahead, completely in his element.
My oldest daughter and I were perfectly paced partners. We rode side-by-side for hours, talking and laughing, only hopping off our bikes once to push them up a bigger hill. My husband and youngest daughter—who turned out to be the youngest kid riding their own bike on that tour—brought up the rear with one of our amazing Trip Leaders shepherding them in. I won’t forget the look of utter pride on my youngest child’s face as she cycled up to us at the end of the route.
Help When We Needed It
Our Mount Battie Tower hike happened on a day that was as sunny, hot and humid as if we had visited Florida instead of Maine. My mother, armed with her trusty walking poles, made her way up the rocky trail. She has always been an active person, but halfway up Mount Battie, it was clear that the heat of the day was too much.
Our Trip Leaders swooped in with a solution. At the next road crossing, they picked her up and drove her to the top. The rest of us climbed on, and when we reached the summit, we found her smiling and already enjoying her picnic lunch and the breeze off Penobscot Bay.
This was, after all, one of the main reasons she chose Backroads. It’s not easy to find travel activities that suit everyone, let alone members of every generation. She knew she could count on Backroads to provide flexibility so that each member of our family could enjoy themselves.
Time Together, Time Apart
My husband and I share the same favorite memory from the trip. Our daughters were off with the Trip Leaders and the other kids, trying their hand at rock climbing. My mother was enjoying a day by the pool in Bar Harbor and my brother had already bicycled ahead.
That meant my husband and I were left alone to bike to the top of Cadillac Mountain. This was a white whale of sorts for us; a destination we had tried to visit before on our own but couldn't, given the popularity of the spot. But today was different since Backroads had already taken care of the logistics and permits.
With a route mapped for us and a picnic lunch in our packs, my husband and I set off on our e-bikes. It was a beautiful day of blue skies, white puffy clouds and perfect Maine summer temperatures. As we rode along a coastal road, we spotted the Backroads van and took an impromptu detour in the hope of spying our children. We found them readying their rock-climbing gear, faces equal parts frightened and excited. As much as they might have liked us to stay, we knew they were in good hands with the expertly trained Trip Leaders.
So the two of us pedaled on, beginning our ascent up Cadillac. While I’m sure the challenge of a regular bike is satisfying to many, I was glad to have my e-bike. As we tackled switchback after switchback, I had the time (and the breath) to soak up the sweeping vistas that surrounded me. At the summit, we parked our bikes and strode out to the rocks, marveling at the endless views of the ocean. We ate our picnic lunch, just the two of us, appreciating this time to be together not as parents but as best friends.
The Gift of Adventuring Together
Our final excursion turned out to be a short hike to Sand Beach, one of the crown jewels of Acadia. We’d been told to wear our swimsuits, although it was hard to imagine swimming in the ocean mere hours before boarding a flight home. Still, we wore our suits under our clothes, and I’m so glad we did.
When we reached the beach, our daughters raced straight into the frigid Atlantic. Their joy was infectious and before I knew it, my brother and I were wading in after them, inch by inch, until we finally dunked our heads and surfaced gasping from the bracing cold.
My husband joined the girls in the water while my brother and I stood waist-deep, waving back at my mother on the sand. Tomorrow, we’d all be back home, my mother on the East Coast, my brother on the West Coast and my husband and kids in Texas. But today, we were together.
Shivering in the Atlantic with the warm sun already drying my hair, I knew we’d just shared the kind of unforgettable moment Backroads seems to create, a day our family would reminisce about for years.
