Here’s to the Dads

When I was growing up, my dad loved to take my two sisters and me on bike rides, canoe trips, and camping adventures along the shores of Lake Michigan. He instilled in me a love of the outdoors and an appreciation for nature that’s stayed with me all my life. He’s in his eighties now, but he still gets excited to take his recumbent trike out when the weather turns nice. He plants a garden every year—and after decades of growing beets, he’s finally come around to eating the beet greens, too.

Matthew brings that same adventurous spirit to our own kids. From the moment our daughter could hold her head up in a trailer, he’s been taking her on bike rides. He’s the king of type two fun—like when the mud cakes the mountain bike tires so thoroughly they’re barely rideable. He’s amazing at dreaming up family adventures, whether it’s a local weekend camping trip or an unforgettable journey to Machu Picchu, like the one we took last year.

From tagging along on canoe trips as a kid to watching Matthew plan epic adventures for our family now, I’ve seen how powerful it is when dads share what they love. So this Father’s Day, I’m celebrating all of them—the dads who pack the snacks, stoke the campfires, scout the trailheads, and make time outdoors a family tradition.

Here’s to the dads—past, present, and future—who make adventure part of the story.