As long as I can remember, I have loved everything about traveling, and it has been so fun watching that same love of travel grow in our daughter, Abby James. When it was time to decide where to go for this year's family vacay, my husband, Adam, and I knew we wanted to go somewhere we had never been to before.

Abby James has been curious about Maine for several years, so we spent half the week in Boston and the other half in Maine. Boston was amazing, and we loved walking around the city, especially at night. We ate lobster rolls and clam chowder almost every day of the trip and decided Boston had the best clam chowder. If you’re ever there, order a cup of clam chowder at The Boston Sail Loft Restaurant! One of my favorite moments in Boston was walking down the cobblestone road on Acorn Street in the Beacon Hill neighborhood, which dates back to the 1820s. Seaport was our overall favorite area of Boston, where we explored before disembarking on our first-ever sailboat ride!

We haven't visited many National Parks but fell in love with Acadia near Bar Harbor, ME. I don't know if it's Abby James' age (12), but vacations where we can unplug are becoming my favorite type of vacation. The carefree, childlike wonder isn't seen as much during the preteen years, but hiking Jordan Pond in Acadia National Park brought out the fun-loving side for all of us! Cell phone service was non-existent, so we truly enjoyed our uninterrupted time together.

God's creation is so beautiful, but "Vacationland," as Maine is called, was exceptional. Maine is in the top five states with the most coastline (above California), so there were beautiful ocean views everywhere! Maine is also known for their blueberries, so we had to try a slice of blueberry pie at West Street Cafe in Bar Harbor. Yummo! The icing on the cake for Maine was the scenic flight over Acadia National Park. Looking down on miles and miles of God's beautiful creation is a moment I will never forget.

We are so thankful for the time we spent reconnecting and making memories as a family. The day will come when our family vacations look very different, so we treasure these moments when Abby James is still young, we are all healthy, and we can celebrate our love for one another and the wonder that comes with exploring somewhere new together!