Summer Vacation 2012--Introduction

Summer Vacation 2012

Gorman Chairback AMC Lodge

Sometime last winter I got an email from my brother Fred asking if Ann and I would like to spend a week with him and his wife Cindy in the Maine woods.  We would be staying at an Appalachian Mountain Club lodge in northern Maine.  AMC operates lodges for hikers throughout New England, notably in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and, as I discovered from Fred's email, in the north woods of Maine.  It would be rustic, but we would have beds, other people would do the cooking and we could spend our days hiking, fishing, reading books and napping. 

To me this sounded great.  When Fred and I have gotten together in past summers we have gone backpacking and fly fishing in the Rockies (something we had been doing on and off since we were 8 years old on trips with our father).  However, at age 58 and 57, respectively, the prospect of riding a horse 25 miles into the wilderness then putting a 50 pound pack on our backs and climbing up and down mountains for a week had become more daunting.  To me, the week in the Maine woods at AMC sounded luxurious and decadent. 

However, in a lesson that perceptions are relative to one's experience, I discovered that Ann did not share my view that AMC would be the lap of luxury.  It seems she has an aversion to the words "rustic" and "vacation" in the same sentence.  This unfortunate conjugation in Fred's initial email had put her on high alert.  I had described our destination to her as a "nice lodge in Maine" and in her mind, this implied flowers, terrycloth monogrammed bathrobes and a large staff.   She became suspicious when she saw Fred's email and began to research AMC on the internet.  There she found "helpful tips" (as the AMC website called them) about bringing one's own sheets and towels, preparing for foul weather, warding off insects, hiking treacherous trails and participating in "family dining".  This helpful information set off more alarm bells and I began to sense some resistance from my spouse, a self-described "delicate flower" and "urbanite".  As in (and I quote) "You bet your ass I'm a delicate flower!!"

To make matters worse, Fred sent a follow up email titled "Bugs in Maine" which discussed black flies in detail, including the need to wear a headnet, long sleeved shirts tucked into gloves and long sleeved pants tucked into socks.  Words like "swarms", "bites" and "relentless" appeared frequently.  This did not go over well.

For fun and relaxation I tend to gravitate towards hiking and fishing, while Ann tends to gravitate towards yoga studios and spas.  The way she thinks of it, I like bugs and sleeping on the ground while she likes to act like a normal human being.  She has a paranoid fantasy that my goal on vacation is to kill her, which is not true.  That would be no fun. 

During our courtship,  Ann was a remarkably good sport and would cheerfully go on ski trips, mountain bike rides and once even a fly fishing trip (in this latter case the cheerfulness was short lived).  Interestingly, since we were married two years ago she seems less open to such activities.  Bait and switch?

Ultimately we decided that four days at the AMC lodge would be perfect--enough time for me to get the hiking, fishing and "family dining" out of my system but not long enough for her to have lost the will to live.  We then realized that we could use the rest of the week to visit her sister and brother in law, who have a cottage on Matinicus Island off the coast of Maine.  We had been wanting to visit Peggy and Alan at their summer place for years but had never been able to make it work.  This seemed like the perfect opportunity.

Matinicus Island, Maine

Sadly, Ann's dog Daisy was not invited on this trip.  The AMC lodge was not pet-friendly and we would be flying (Daisy is also a delicate flower--she does not do luggage compartment).  Ann arranged for two of her colleagues from her office at LAND-Studio to stay at our house for the week and take Daisy to work (yes, Daisy works). 

Daisy

We made our reservations.  The die was cast.  Summer vacation in Maine, 2012.