When
One week in the middle of October 2015 (so we can be there for the autumn peak foliage changes along the coast). Most rentals run from Saturday to Saturday.
Who
Dorothy & Laverne Young's children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, etc. and their spouses or partners. We really hope this will be a chance for everyone to get to know family members not everyone has had a chance to meet yet, including Andy's partner Justin and Matt's wife Ana - the more the merrier. We’d love to see lots of kids, though we understand that this is right in the middle of the fall school session and they may not be able to get out of school for a week. Of course, we’re sure Anne can make it quite the educational experience for the kids providing plenty of history on Maine. If your kids have a “fall school break” during that time frame, let us know and we might be able to work with those dates.
Where
A rental property along the mid-coast of Maine, which allows for easy day trips to several popular locations in the state including Portland, Freeport, Sebago Lake, and Acadia National Park.
Why
To help re-connect with one another in a beautiful, peaceful setting.
Some Details
Mandy and I have talked to several family members about trying to get our far-flung family together in the fall of 2015. As you all know, several years ago Mandy moved up to Maine for a year and absolutely fell in love with the area (even the typical Maine winter). Anne and I also had the chance to visit her there and found the area to be beautiful and relaxing, while offering plenty to see and do every day. We know that many of you have never had the opportunity to explore this part of the country, so we thought we would try to get as many of us as possible together to share time as a family in a place that has become important to us. We've researched rentals and have attached a list of 15 potential locations on or close to the Maine coast. Since Mandy will bring Rigby and Wicklow (her dogs) and Anne and I will bring Gaby and Megan (our dogs), we’ve only included rentals that allow pets. We will probably select a rental that has separate housing (boat house, cottage, etc.) for those of us with dogs - don’t worry, we’ll segregate and control our four-footed friends for those who are not as “dog-friendly” as we are or who have allergies.
Transportation
Those flying in would come into the Portland International Jetport, which has numerous rental car options. For those not interested in having a car during the trip, Mandy and I will try to schedule airport pick-ups and drop-offs, since we will both have our cars with us on the trip, or Mandy will help coordinate arrivals so you can travel to the rental house together.
Cost for the House Rental
We propose that the shared cost of the house depend on the number of adults coming, meaning kids under 16 do not count for dividing up the cost. Under this proposed cost-sharing method, if the cost of the rental house is $2,000 for the week and 10 adults will be coming, that would be $200 per adult. (Note that this $2,000 rental cost for the week is about a median cost for the sample rental houses on the list – we won’t actually be able to select a rental until we have a headcount.) Mandy and I will be covering cleaning fees, pet costs and taxes.
Food and Food Costs
Each of the rental houses has a fully functioning kitchen. We propose to have one shared meal each day, probably the evening meal, but which meal depends on schedules for the day. We would like to have each family group be responsible for paying for/preparing one of these shared meals. Everyone would be on their own for other meals, though we will have some staples available in the kitchen to be shared. (Wouldn’t it be great to have a “New England Style Lobster/Seafood Bake” during the week? Anyone interested in taking that on?) If you have another suggestion about a way to handle food and food costs, let us know.
Additional Costs
You may also want to get a rental car, purchase souvenirs, and plan for some admission fees to parks, museums or historical sites.
Sightseeing & Activities
Learn more about Maine at Visit Maine or Maine Tourism. A few highlights of possible activities:
One week in the middle of October 2015 (so we can be there for the autumn peak foliage changes along the coast). Most rentals run from Saturday to Saturday.
Who
Dorothy & Laverne Young's children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, etc. and their spouses or partners. We really hope this will be a chance for everyone to get to know family members not everyone has had a chance to meet yet, including Andy's partner Justin and Matt's wife Ana - the more the merrier. We’d love to see lots of kids, though we understand that this is right in the middle of the fall school session and they may not be able to get out of school for a week. Of course, we’re sure Anne can make it quite the educational experience for the kids providing plenty of history on Maine. If your kids have a “fall school break” during that time frame, let us know and we might be able to work with those dates.
Where
A rental property along the mid-coast of Maine, which allows for easy day trips to several popular locations in the state including Portland, Freeport, Sebago Lake, and Acadia National Park.
Why
To help re-connect with one another in a beautiful, peaceful setting.
Some Details
Mandy and I have talked to several family members about trying to get our far-flung family together in the fall of 2015. As you all know, several years ago Mandy moved up to Maine for a year and absolutely fell in love with the area (even the typical Maine winter). Anne and I also had the chance to visit her there and found the area to be beautiful and relaxing, while offering plenty to see and do every day. We know that many of you have never had the opportunity to explore this part of the country, so we thought we would try to get as many of us as possible together to share time as a family in a place that has become important to us. We've researched rentals and have attached a list of 15 potential locations on or close to the Maine coast. Since Mandy will bring Rigby and Wicklow (her dogs) and Anne and I will bring Gaby and Megan (our dogs), we’ve only included rentals that allow pets. We will probably select a rental that has separate housing (boat house, cottage, etc.) for those of us with dogs - don’t worry, we’ll segregate and control our four-footed friends for those who are not as “dog-friendly” as we are or who have allergies.
Transportation
Those flying in would come into the Portland International Jetport, which has numerous rental car options. For those not interested in having a car during the trip, Mandy and I will try to schedule airport pick-ups and drop-offs, since we will both have our cars with us on the trip, or Mandy will help coordinate arrivals so you can travel to the rental house together.
Cost for the House Rental
We propose that the shared cost of the house depend on the number of adults coming, meaning kids under 16 do not count for dividing up the cost. Under this proposed cost-sharing method, if the cost of the rental house is $2,000 for the week and 10 adults will be coming, that would be $200 per adult. (Note that this $2,000 rental cost for the week is about a median cost for the sample rental houses on the list – we won’t actually be able to select a rental until we have a headcount.) Mandy and I will be covering cleaning fees, pet costs and taxes.
Food and Food Costs
Each of the rental houses has a fully functioning kitchen. We propose to have one shared meal each day, probably the evening meal, but which meal depends on schedules for the day. We would like to have each family group be responsible for paying for/preparing one of these shared meals. Everyone would be on their own for other meals, though we will have some staples available in the kitchen to be shared. (Wouldn’t it be great to have a “New England Style Lobster/Seafood Bake” during the week? Anyone interested in taking that on?) If you have another suggestion about a way to handle food and food costs, let us know.
Additional Costs
You may also want to get a rental car, purchase souvenirs, and plan for some admission fees to parks, museums or historical sites.
Sightseeing & Activities
Learn more about Maine at Visit Maine or Maine Tourism. A few highlights of possible activities:
- Enjoying the fall foliage along the Atlantic coast or inland.
- Maine's coast offers both rocky shorelines and sandy beaches, perfect for gathering sea glass, sand dollars, and shells, or enjoying sunrise on the on the eastern edge of the US. You may also want to explore opportunities for whale watching or seal sightings.
- Acadia National Park, the first national park of the east coast, is home to the highest mountain on the Atlantic coast.
- Maine has 65 lighthouses along 5,000 miles of coastline and several will be close to where we will be staying, including the Portland Head Light, commissioned by George Washington and the oldest lighthouse in the state.
- Explore unique shopping opportunities at dozens of shops offering locally made artwork, goods, and food. For those with gourmet tastes, you might want to explore the Old Port in Portland, which offers fresh seafood, artisan cheeses, bakeries and cocktails. You won't want to miss out on the lobster or blueberries in particular (well, Mandy will miss out on the lobster but that just leaves more for the rest of us!). Freeport, Maine, voted the best shopping town in New England, is home to the LL Bean flagship store as well as dozens of other stores representing national brands and local artisans.
- There are many museums to visit, including the Portland Museum of Art housing many pieces by Winslow Homer, the Maine Maritime Museum, and the Maine Discovery Center (perfect for kids).
- The Nature Conservancy, where Mandy has worked for the last 16 years, has more than 75 preserves in Maine and many are open to the public. Mandy would be happy to reach out to her peers in the state to arrange visits to some of these preserves.