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More Than a Meal: Summer Vacation

July 10, 2017
4 min. read

Ah, the summer vacation season is upon us! Many of us anticipate and prepare for these trips several months, or even a year, ahead of time. Perhaps your family rents a beach house every year, or visits a particular lake, or maybe you simply take a week off to spend quality time in your hometown. Whatever your destination, we hope you get a chance to relax, unwind, and make some memories with those you love most.

Have you ever noticed that many cherished memories are connected with food in some way? For example, does your family have a favorite restaurant to visit at the beach, or a secret recipe you make on the campfire, or maybe a picnic spot you always frequent? If you’re like most families, you have a particular tradition of summertime and/or vacation foods that spell fun and cultivate relaxation for your mind and body. If not, this summer is the perfect time to start a new family tradition!

Whether you go on a new adventure or relax in your own neighborhood, we wish you an exciting and refreshing summer filled with lots of laughs, happy memories, and great food!


A Martin Family Vacation

Ever wondered how the Martin family spends their summer?

Get a firsthand glimpse at the Martin family’s recent vacation as told by Julie Martin, social media manager and daughter of Martin’s current president, Jim Martin.

Every few years we try to take a big Martin family vacation. We pack up our campers, and we travel around this wonderful country of ours. In the recent past we’ve gone westward, so this year we decided to head north into New England, specifically New York, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. With a caravan of 5 campers, filled with 19 Martin family members, we journeyed to historical sights—Boston Harbor, the USS Constitution, Bunker Hill Monument, the National Monument for the Forefathers, and the Plimouth Plantation, for example—as well as natural wonders like the Adirondacks, Ausable Chasm, Mount Washington, and the beautiful rocky coast of Maine. We visited some of our “favorite things” like the Trapp Family Lodge in Vermont—operated by the family made famous by the classic film, The Sound of Music and where the Martin family may or may not have become the Von Martin Family Singers, haha—sampled local maple syrup and Vermont cheeses, and enjoyed the scenic beauty of the Portland Head Light lighthouse in Maine.


Click the left and right arrow to scroll through the pictures

After an unusually sweltering day of touring Boston, we saw one of our “favorite things” in the distance. When you have a big group of hot, tired, and hungry kids (and adults), and you see that there’s a Shake Shack two blocks away, well, forget “raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,” and forget trying to eat where Paul Revere ate… Trust me, all we wanted in that moment was Milkshakes, Concretes, and Shackburgers! Now that hit the spot!


Martin’s president, Jim Martin at Shake Shack in Boston

This Smokeshack from Shake Shack helped us replenish our energy while touring Boston.

A ChickenShack on a Martin’s Potato Roll!

Martin’s president, Jim Martin, his wife Donna, and grandson (and the whole family) enjoyed their Shake Shack meal.

We went fishing, hiking, swimming, jumping (on huge inflatables), played ping pong, went zip lining, climbed some walls, had picnics at roadside rests, and built campfires in the evenings.

Over the campfires we made mountain pies, hot dogs, burgers…on Martin’s bread and potato rolls, of course…and also roasted some marshmallows and made s’mores.


Julie Martin’s favorite campfire meal: mountain pies!

Campfire burger ingredients!

Some of us added bacon to mountain pies because, well, bacon makes everything better!

Jackie Martin’s campfire creation: fire-grilled burger, brie cheese, fresh tomato, avocado, & special sauce…on a Martin’s Potato Roll, of course!

Most importantly, we spent time together…3 generations of Martin family members…traveling, learning, having fun, strengthening family bonds, and making memories together.


Where does your family like to travel on vacation? Let us know in the comments section below, or connect with us on social media. We’d love to hear from you!

No vacations planned for this summer? Check out our Staycation Resource Page for some easy and fun day trips and activities to try right in your own backyard or neighborhood!

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