A lthough my parents live a mile away from us and see us all the time during the week, we don't get to spend much quality time together that doesn't involve helping us with the kids. So, we usually try to plan one vacation a year that gives us that important time together. In August 2016, that roadtrip took the shape of a two-week New England and Canada roadtrip. We drove through New Hampshire, and stayed in Vermont, Montreal, Quebec, and Maine.

Our favorite part of the trip was Vermont. We stayed in a wonderful farmhouse, and the kids loved seeing big red barns literally everywhere we drove through the state. We spent a lot of time with farm animals, as any parent of toddlers would expect, loved it. We also really loved the tours of Cider Mills, eating Vermont cheese, and touring the Ben and Jerry Factory. Two other highlights were our hike to Moss Glen Falls, which even our 1-year old loved, and our day exploring the covered bridges of Vermont.

Staying in small towns in Vermont and Maine allowed us to really experience the personality and slow pace of life there. My husband had just sustained a major injury to his hand a couple of days prior to this trip, and despite our reservations about traveling with the injury, we were so glad to have gone through with it and come together as a family.