Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers - Lost Grandparents, A Donut Bear Trap, & Our First Kids Story: Listener Episode #27

Episode Date: August 27, 2026

This week on the pod, Josh records from his childhood bedroom with guest host McKenzie as they recap their East Coast travels, including the Family Trips live shows in Philadelphia and Boston and Josh’s attempt to untangle his parents’ confusing digital accounts and subscriptions. McKenzie shares a family road trip to Down East Maine for her Uncle Mark’s celebration of life, including planting a tree with his ashes and a whale-watching trip where they spotted minke whales and porpoises. Plus, they hear listener stories about grandparents repeatedly taking wrong turns into Virginia, successfully trapping a bear with Tim Hortons donuts, and three Minnesota kids enduring a brutally cold January trip to Chicago. Watch this episode on the Family Trips YouTube or Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts! 00:00 Introduction with Josh Meyers and McKenzie01:57 Back Home With McKenzie02:54 Parents Accounts Cleanup Chaos05:31 Lights Lamps And The Clapper06:14 Maine Celebration Of Life Trip16:59 Listener Road Trip To DC20:26 Virginia Five Times22:10 Grandparents Road Trips23:17 Tim Hortons Bear Trap24:29 Bear Safety Tales29:29 Kids Chicago Deep Freeze32:14 Chicago Tips and Food Talk33:43 Football Fandom Banter34:31 Wrap Up and Family Trips CologuardIf you're 45 or older and at average risk, talk to your healthcare provider about screening for colon cancer and ask if Cologuard Plus could be right for you. You can also request a Cologuard prescription online today at https://Cologuard.com ShopifyStart your free trial at https://shopify.com/tripsWhiskerTake an additional $50 off bundles with code TRIPS when you shop https://whisker.com/trips Song Title - Sweet ListenersParody Of - Sweet Virginia by The Rolling Stones Josh Meyers performs “Sweet Listeners,” a parody of The Rolling Stones’ “Sweet Virginia,” weaving three unforgettable listener vacation stories into a charming, detail-packed musical memoir. From a brutally cold Chicago trip to a bear who preferred Tim Hortons and a road trip where Grandma’s buzzer finally pushed Grandpa over the edge, the song celebrates the hilarious chaos of Family Trips. About the Show: Lifelong brothers Seth Meyers and Josh Meyers ask guests to relive childhood memories, unforgettable family trips, and other disasters! New Episodes of Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers are available every Tuesday. Family Trips is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Theme song written and performed by Jeff Tweedy. Executive Producers: Rob Holysz, Jeph Porter, Natalie Holysz Creative Producer: Sam Skelton Coordinating Producer: Derek Johnson Video Editor: Josh Windisch Mix & Master: Josh Windisch Episode Artwork: Analise Jorgensen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of Family Trips is brought to you by KoloGard, a non-invasive colon cancer screening test. You know, Pashi, once you're at 45, it's time to screen for colon cancer. No matter how young you look, Poshy, hmm, it's one of those things that's easy to put off because you think it'll be a hassle and life is so busy. Yeah, and I think a lot of people assume they need to schedule a procedure, take time off work, or deal with all the prep that comes with a colonoscopy. But that's exactly why we were interested in trying the Kullagard test. The process was honestly incredibly simple. I requested the test online via telehealth professional that was delivered right to my door.

I completed it at home. I sent it back without having to press fast or rearrange my schedule. My busy schedule. My podcast loaded schedule. Yeah, same here. It fit right into my day and it really took away a lot of the excuses people have

for putting screening off. It's non-invasive, can be completed at home in about 15 minutes, and it can detect 95% of colon cancers. We also learned the colon cancer is actually the number one cancer killer of people under 50 in the U.S. Good news, it's also one of the most preventable cancers, so keep up to date with your screenings. So if you're 45 or older and at average risk, don't wait. If you've been putting it off, you're definitely not alone.

But this is one of the things that's easy to take care of. If you're 45 or older and at average risk, talk to your health care provider about screening for colon cancer and ask if KoloGard could be right for you. You can also request a KoloGard prescription today at KoloGard.com. Coligard products are intended to screen adults 45 and older at average risk for colorectal cancer. Do not use if you have had a personal history of colorectal cancer or polyps, have inflammatory bowel disease, a family history of colorectal cancer, or certain hereditary syndromes or a positive result from another colon cancer screening method within that test's recommended screening interval. Colergard results should be interpreted with caution as false positive and false negatives do occur. available by prescription only

Family trips with the mice brothers Hey everybody We've got a guest host again today And we're in my childhood bedroom So the only person who would be allowed in here Morally is my wife So McKenzie, welcome back, honey

Thanks honey We have been on the East Coast we've been doing a lot of family time. We did those shows in Philadelphia and Boston. Really fun. I went to the Boston one. It was fun. Yeah, it was great.

And yeah, you had like a real family vacation. I've sort of been doing a lot of stuff at home. I've been trying to clean up my parents. I don't know if digital footprints the right word, but they have. Consolidating accounts that are all. on multiple emails with multiple passwords. Some of them are your father's email and your mother's password or phone number. It's very convoluted.

Yeah. And we've both been at it. If you think you're going to break into my parents' Xfinity account by using my father's phone number and my mother's email, that has been rectified. So don't even try. Yeah. But it has been hours. And then we were, you actually, I had to take a shower to get ready for this.

And I've been trying to sort out their New York Times subscriptions, which the New York Times. Yeah. I mean, the gray lady, a great newspaper, great organization. I read the New York Times. But my parents each have digital subscriptions. And then they receive home delivery on a different subscription. Which they don't receive. But they do receive it.

And it is the actual home delivery paper was associated with an email address that my mother hasn't used for maybe 20 years. Yeah. And the other thing, for anybody else that might be doing this for their parents, this is what I just learned. When I was after, what, like 45 minutes talking to an AI bot, then I finally got a phone number to call the New York Times to get on a queue, to talk. to somebody because the bot was like, yeah, this is too complicated. Bots. Don't trust the bots. The bots are not helpful.

So I finally get on the phone with somebody and we're talking about the email accounts. And it is possible to have your New York Times subscription, but access to the games through Apple. So now I have to go into Apple to cancel your mother's and your father's account for New York Time games so then I can go back to New York Times to consolidate, or basically I think I'm going to open a new account, new family account for both of them. I'll tell you this. My parents are never accessing the New York Times through Apple. So if they got to go through Apple, it's- If anybody needs help with this in the future, you can message us because I'm sure that we have

all the numbers and all the contacts for all of the different accounts that exist in the world and how to consolidate. Also, like, it's not just things like digital. things. Even trying to turn off all the lights in my parents' house before coming to bed last night, it is a challenge. Every light turns off individually. It seems like there's about 26 lamps. You know what they need. Remember, I got you for Christmas when here. I got Josh a clapper for Christmas. It was so funny. Yeah, we used it briefly. Yeah, we did. It's a good idea. But if you had everything linked to a clapper, uh, but then I feel like my mom would like clap poorly and it would just Yeah, it would only create more problems. Your father would probably clap and then punch it.

Yeah. Which I felt like doing last night. Yeah. But you, I mean, I've been on a journey. You've been on a journey. It was a melancholy journey. There was a celebration of life for your uncle who passed away about a year and a half ago, your uncle Mark. Yep. And he and his wife and his daughters had this summer place, have this summer place way up in Maine. But I'll let you tell it. Yeah. I've been up and down the coast, the east coast, this trip. But yeah, I started, well, I'll just start from the beginning. So I came to Boston. I met you in Boston for your live show. But I had the whole day to kill. So my friend Caleb, who we've mentioned before, we had a picture on the bridge of flowers together. But he picked me up and we went out to Crane's Beach, which was

spectacular. In Ipswich. In Ipswich. Yeah, which is beautiful. We had a looked at maybe getting married there, but I think it was going to be a little too pricey. Yeah. So I suggest if you're in the area or if you're doing coastal visits, I would start there. It was lovely. Then we had your live show. That was awesome. Then I went to my hometown, Shelburne Falls. I was there for four days. I think I made a point to walk across the Bridge of Flowers at least twice a day. I got a lot of videos. I got a lot of it. Like to walk across the Bridge of Flowers is maybe like a minute 20, minute 30. And I got a lot of minute 30 long videos on Marco Polo, an app that we use to sort of send videos back and forth. And you can't fast forward through them. So a lot of times I would be like, oh, this is,

if you have the membership. I don't have a paid membership. I do. Yeah. So I got to watch a minute 30 or I got to put my phone down and be like, that was great, honey. Yeah. But anyways, I got some hometown time, say that three times fast. I got a lot of good dog walks with my mom. Then I was at my dad's. My stepmom and I then drove from Shelburne Falls to Machias Port, Maine. That's in an area of Maine they call down east. And it's like an eight-hour drive up the coast.

It's right near the Canadian border. It feels like only Canadians should call it down east. I know. I was like, why is it called Down East Maine? And it's called Down East Maine because it's in a little down eastern like blip. Little peninsula. On the coast of Maine.

Yeah. Okay. So there we were or there we went. So we had a very long road trip. It was fun. We stopped in Portland, Maine for lunch, and then continued our drive. And we had Thursday night, just the three of us together. And we went on a really nice walk, like a hike.

I think it was loon long. I can't remember the name of the trail. But the next day, my stepbrother, Jamie, and my step-sister, Katie, met us up there. And then we went to my uncle's sort of family compound, the homestead, which I think they've owned since like the early 80s. And I hadn't been there since I was in middle school. And it was awesome. My cousins, Abby and Allison, like, along with their mom, my aunt Joanne, they put

together like a really amazing ceremony for my own. uncle and I told them they, I said my cousin Abigail works or has worked in like ballet production and stuff. And I told her that was an excellent production for your father. Yeah, that sounds like it was all around. It was cool. It was beautiful. It was like a tree planting. Yep, we did a tree planting where we had a number of people like reading different poems. And then we placed some of my uncle's ashes under a plum tree and had like a beautiful ceremony for that. And then we went on a whale watch out of Lubeck, Maine. And it was like a perfect main day. It was like warm in the morning and beautiful for this tree planting. And then we drove to Lubek and it got dark and gray and cold. And we

went out in this tiny boat. It was a whale watching boat. But I think it only fit like 28 people. And so, yeah, we just, like, shot right out into the ocean. Main style. Main style. And we saw some minky whales and we saw some porpoises. And then my cousins had planned to have, like, a ceremony at sea for my uncle. And we sent him off in between these two beautiful islands and a bald eagle was looking. I mean, it was just, you couldn't have.

It was wild. how beautiful and perfect it was. And it was really fun to be there all together with family. And my sister said in the car, she was like, when was the last time the five of us were in the car so much together? Yeah. And it's been a while, you know, because they all have kids and I live in California. And it was a, it was just a really lovely weekend and a classic family road trip. Yeah. It, uh, You know, it was a while ago that your uncle Mark passed, and I know that it sort of was weighing on your father, his brother, that this was coming up. It sort of obviously all the emotions are brought back to the surface. And so I know your father was nervous about giving his remarks.

You said he got a lot of laughs. He did such a great job. Yeah. I mean, it was really an upbeat weekend. And I think that helped my. My dad, with his remarks, and he got a lot of great laughs and shared a lot of great memories. And it was a celebration of my uncle's life. And it was really lovely.

Yeah. I mean, Maine is, they call it vacation land for a reason. And, yeah, it had been, you said, maybe since fourth grade was the last time you were there. I think middle school. Middle school, all right? Well. Sixth grade, seventh grade, something like that. How dare I?

Then, yeah, I mean, I would love to get up. there. I was unable to make this trip, but yeah, I feel like the family wants to make it more of a regular thing, and hopefully we can get up there next summer and see some other friends in Maine that we wanted to see this time around, but didn't get a chance to. But yeah, the summer is busy for people out there. Yeah. And then I got back to New Hampshire last night, and your parents and I had a great dinner. We went to Not the Copper Door, which is your mother's favorite. Yeah, we did. We We went across the street from the copper door to the Bedford Village in, and it was lovely. And so, yeah, it's been great.

It's been great having you here. And it is going to be great to get home. But summer vacations, everybody. People do a lot of traveling. And I think we've got some stories from some of our listeners. Maybe there's summer vacation stories. Maybe not. We'll find out.

Hey, we're going to take a quick break and hear from some of our sponsors. This episode of Family Trips is brought to you by Kolo Guard, a non-invasive colon cancer screening test. You know, Pashi, once you're at 45, it's time to screen for colon cancer, no matter how young you look, Pashi, hmm, it's one of those things that's easy to put off because you think it'll be a hassle and life is so busy. Yeah, and I think a lot of people assume they need to schedule a procedure, take time off work, or deal with all the prep that comes with a colonoscopy. But that's exactly why we were interested in trying the Cullagard test. The process was honestly incredibly simple. I requested the test online via telehealth professional that's delivered right to my

door. I completed it at home. I sent it back without having to press fast or rearrange my schedule, my busy schedule, my podcast loaded schedule. Yes, same here. It fit right into my day and it really took away a lot of the excuses people have for putting screening off. It's non-invasive, can be completed at home in about 15 minutes, and it can detect 95% of colon cancers. We also learned that colon cancer is actually the number one cancer killer of people under 50 in the U.S. Good news, It's also one of the most preventable cancers, so keep up to date with your screenings. So if you're 45 or older and at average risk, don't wait. If you've been putting it off, you're definitely not alone.

But this is one of the things that's easy to take care of. If you're 45 or older and at average risk, talk to your health care provider about screening for colon cancer and ask if KoloGard could be right for you. You can also request a KoloGard prescription today at KoloGuard.com. Colagard products are intended to screen adults 45 and older at average risk. for colorectal cancer. Do not use if you have had a personal history of colorectal cancer or polyps, have inflammatory bowel disease,

a family history of colorectal cancer, or certain hereditary syndromes or a positive result from another colon cancer screening method within that test's recommended screening interval. Coligard results should be interpreted with caution as false positive and false negatives do occur.

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It's just getting started. Okay. Are the sharks trying to get you and you have to run away from them? Yeah, so it's a tank-based... This is my idea. It's a tank-based gym, right? It's no weights, no bands. You basically just get into your part of the tank.

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Oh, share it with me. And then everybody else can listen. Yeah, well, I went down to San Diego Comic-Con recently. And I didn't, you know, I'm not such a Comic-Con guy. So I knew that I wanted to have a great place that I could go to get away from sort of the hustle and bustle of the convention. And I found this beautiful little apartment right on Balboa Park. Ooh.

I had these great hosts that I saw when I got there and I saw when I left and I did not see them in between at all. I was in this cozy little hideaway. I had a lovely patio that was all mine. You love a patio. I love a patio. I had a little kitchenette. I had a little table to do some work at. I had a couch that was very comfortable that I could have slept on.

But I also had a little bed and a loft. and it just put me in a neighborhood in San Diego that I've never spent any time in. I would get home in the evening, walk around. I found great restaurants. I found a great record shop. And I just felt like a local, and I was not a local. And it was only possible through Airbnb. It's a wonderful story.

If a table's in a kitchenette, can I call it table at? Sure. Okay, you're going to allow it? I will allow it. Oh, thank you, Pudson. It was truly exceptional. It's my favorite way to say. stay in a city that I'm not really familiar with.

Well, you know what? On behalf of my brother, who had such a nice trip, thanks Airbnb. Support comes from Boar's Head, you know, in the summer. Very nice. We send our kids off to camp every day. Day camps, but we've got to put a sandwich with them in their backpacks. And Bor's Head is the deli meats and cheeses we turned to. And you know what?

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For Borishead, head to your local deli counter. Hi guys, this is Jenny from Wisconsin. So my family trip story takes place in the late 80s when my grandparents decided to take my sister and I on an east coast tour in my grandpa's Oldsmobile, while our parents went on an anniversary getaway to the Caribbean. It was an incredible trip, taking us from Wisconsin to Gettysburg, Washington, D.S. Filly, Boston, New York, and Niagara Falls, with all four of us loaded in the boat of his car, making our way at grandparents' style speed through some of the biggest and most crowded cities in our path.

I have vivid memories of us driving down the streets of Manhattan in bumper-to-bumper traffic, looking for parking so we could get on the ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. I need to point out that my grandpa was not always the most patient man and often had choice words for other drivers while on the road, even back home. And I think my mom was concerned that driving halfway across the country with eight and 11-year-old girls in the back seat for 10 days might add some stress to our road trip. To remedy this, she bought him a small noise machine toy

that made a buzzing sound when you push the buttons, kind of like what you'd find in the game of taboo. To this day, I'm still not sure if he was supposed to press it in place of swearing or if he was supposed to press it to cover up the swearing. But either way, it sat in a place of honor in the front seat between my grandparents for most of the trip. While there are many stories from this road trip that I could share, the best one took place during our time in Washington, D.C. I don't know if it is still the same today, but back then,

there were about five lanes of traffic in a roundabout near the Lincoln Memorial. And if memory serves me right, only one of those lanes actually got you to the Memorial. The other four lanes took you on a 10-minute detour across the river to Virginia. We just didn't know it at the time. The first trip across the river was no big deal. We picked a lane. It was the wrong lane. And we ended up in Virginia.

My sister and I stayed quiet in the back. And honestly, maybe didn't even realize it was a mistake. We turned around and came back to D.C. and the roundabout. Take two. Grandpa picked a lane. And again, we found ourselves crossing the river and in Virginia. At this point, my sister and I could tell this was definitely a mistake and made eyes at each other,

but did our best to suppress our giggles as my grandma shushed us quietly from the front. By the third and fourth times across the bridge, my grandpa was understandably fed up, and the curses began to fly. And my grandma grabbed the buzzer and started jokingly pushing buttons every time he uttered some profanity under his breath.

Whether we picked the wrong lane or couldn't get in the right lane due to the roundabout traffic, we even crossed the bridge to Virginia a fifth time. And at this point, my grandpa had reached his limit. While my grandma pushed the buzzer with a vengeance, my grandpa swiftly grabbed that thing right out of her hands and tossed it out the window and into the river.

At this point, my sister and I were rolling in the back seat, and my grandparents couldn't help but laugh along with us. We did finally get to the Lincoln Memorial that day, along with all the rest of the monuments we had planned to see. And while the buzzer did not finish the trip with us, my mom still likes to take credit for helping ease grandpa's stress on the trip, even if not the way she intended. Thanks for letting me share the story and keep up the great work. Oh, my gosh, Jenny. That's amazing.

Five times to Virginia. Five times. I was leaving the Steeler game a couple years ago, and my dad was driving. And we, maybe I was driving. I don't remember, but it's so, the traffic is so bad and gnarly and redirected. And we ended up going, like crossing this bridge and leaving Pittsburgh. And it was, it was so funny. But to do it five times is just amazing.

And at least you had the, like, little kid giggles in the back seat to sort of, like, top it off. Yeah. I think, like, I'm sure if your grandfather was the kind of person who gets, gets stressed out and maybe swears. I wouldn't know anything about that. Nor would I. But having his wife there, your grandmother, to then take that buzzer away from him and be using it

and to have his granddaughter is laughing, I'm sure at some point when that stress and frustration gives way to comedy, it has to be such a delight. And well and then it becomes such a wonderful memory. Yeah, exactly. And I'm sure like in years after that, it's like, remember that time we went to Virginia five times by accident? Which is, it has to be a stronger memory for you than the Lincoln Memorial.

Yeah. It is the journey a lot of times. That is the story. That's so, oh my gosh, that's so funny. Five times. Yeah. Roundabouts will get you. Roundabouts will get you.

They do that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Get in the right lane. Well, I also applaud your grandparents for taking you on that trip. That just sounds great for an 8-year-old and an 11-year-old. They must have loved it so much.

And to get you girls for a trip like that while your parents probably needed a much-needed trip away, maybe some time away from the girls. Yeah. Awesome. Yeah, really good on them. Jamie and Katie would do. do like a one trip per summer with their grandparents in a camper. Oh, wow.

Yeah. And they would just like head out for a week. I never, I mean, our grandparents visited us and we visited our grandparents, but Seth and I never took trips with just them. Yeah, I don't think I did either. Yeah. Yeah. But in a big old Oldsmobile in New York City, that also strikes me as a good visual.

And also as little kids, first time in New York City. Yeah. That's exciting. Great story. Thank you for sharing. Yeah, thanks so much. Five times. That's awesome.

All right, what's the next day? Hi, Seth and Josh. It's Lisa from Oakville, Ontario, Canada. I love your podcast and listen to it every week. After I heard Will Forte talk about his bear encounter, I was reminded of one my husband and I had during a trip we took before we had kids. We were RV camps. camping at Grundy Provincial Park in Ontario, and we saw some commotion a few campsites away.

We noticed a smallish bear walking through the site. Everyone gave the bear plenty of space, and eventually it went back into the woods. That evening, the park warden set up a bear trap so they could catch it and relocate it. The first night, they put some bread in the trap. The bear didn't come. The next night, they put some meat in the trap. The bear didn't come. The third night, they put in some Tim Horton's donuts in the trap, and they caught the bear. It's a very Canadian story. Thanks again for all the laughs, and I hope you have a great day. Oh, my gosh, Tim Hortons.

That's how you cut a bear. Respect. Yeah. My good buddy, Scott Speedman, famous Canadian, for his 50th birthday, I got him a commemorative Tim Horton's mug. I did. Yeah, with a maple leaf on it, because, yeah. That's him. That's him. Have you ever had a bear encounter? I've seen a bear, but I wouldn't say that I've had a bear encounter.

Yeah. Oh, sorry. I'm too far away from the mic. Yeah. Well, I did ask before we started this. I was like, do you want the comfy chair or the chair that's breaking? That is the chair that's in my childhood bedroom. And she said, I think I'll have the comfy chair. But now she's getting so comfy. I'm getting too comfortable. kicking back. Yeah, no, I've seen bears, but not. Not. Not. super up close. My mother, at this house where we are right now, she told me, I've probably told this story on the pod, but there was a bear. And back when we had two dogs, she said the dogs were going crazy. So we had the dogs inside, and then I didn't want to let him outside because of the bear. So I went and I walked the property to make sure the bear was gone. And I said,

mother what with what like we're not we're not gun people uh we i mean i said like what what would you have done if you saw a bear she's like i don't know but it was gone it's like well that's not a good plan so funny yeah my mom and i when we go on dog walks we go to this field and it's surrounded by a forest and a lot of times when we get to the field and you know we're making the dog sit and give them treats, we'll start yelling, no bears, no deer, no bears, because we don't want the dot, like if the dogs see a deer in the meadow, they might run after it. So we make a big commotion before, but I've never had a bear encounter. But there is one in my mom's neighborhood. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. We, there's a fox on our property here, which I saw the other day,

which I hope that our dog Albert is friends with. But, yeah, I had a friend also, my friend, Doug Stradley talking about Maine guys. I told him I was going to be hiking in Glacier National Park and I was worried about bears and moose. And he wrote me in a text he wrote the word hyalik, a very long word. And I thought, oh, maybe that is the call that has bears and moose to go away. So I kept hiking on these like amazing trails. And every now and again, I would just go, hyal leak and then i told him that i was doing it uh the next time i saw him i was like oh i did hi alec and i had no encounters and he was like oh i just that's not that's nothing i was just i something i texted you uh he didn't it's not like a call was it like an accidental

text no i think it was just like a random thing stradley being rando stradley being stradley um so uh well thank you for that lisa uh that is That is. That doesn't do anything, although it worked for me. Thank you for that story. I'm glad that Tim Horton's to the rescue again. Yeah. Hey, we're going to take a quick break and hear from some of our sponsors.

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In partnership with Airbnb, I'd like to share travel story, Sufi. Oh, share it with me. And then everybody else can listen. Yeah, well, I went down to San Diego Comic-Con recently. And I didn't, you know, I'm not such a Comic-Con guy. So I knew that I wanted to have a great place that I could go to get away from sort of the hustle and bustle of the convention. and I found this beautiful little apartment right on Balboa Park.

I had these great hosts that I saw when I got there and I saw when I left and I did not see them in between at all. I was in this cozy little hideaway. I had a lovely patio that was all mine. You love a patio. I love a patio. I had a little kitchenette. I had a little table to do some work at.

I had a couch that was very comfortable that I could have slept on. But I also had a little bed and a loft. and it just put me in a neighborhood in San Diego that I've never spent any time in. I would get home in the evening, walk around. I found great restaurants. I found a great record shop. And I just felt like a local, and I was not a local, and it was only possible through Airbnb. It's a wonderful story.

If a table is in a kitchenette, can I call it a table at? Sure. Okay, you're going to allow it? I will allow it. Oh, thank you, Potsie. It was truly exceptional. It's my favorite way to say. stay in a city that I'm not really familiar with.

Well, you know what? On behalf of my brother, who had such a nice trip, thanks Airbnb. Support comes from Boar's Head, you know, in the summer. Very nice. We send our kids off to camp every day. Day camps, but we've got to put a sandwich with them in their backpacks. And Boar's Head is the deli meats and cheeses we turned to. And you know what?

It was the lunchmeat I got excited about when I was a kid. It was the first time I saw Maple Honey ham. maple honey turkey first time i even knew maple and honey could be a part of my deli meat uh experience and look you get him on sandwiches in the summer then you transition right back to sandwiches when it comes to the school year this is a family-owned company committed to the craft since 1905 and you can tell you can tell it's 115 years of lunch meat every slice lunch meat history it's a brand parents trust and can feel good about it's the lunch you're proud to pack and they're happy to finish for lunchtime inspiration.

Visit borishead.com slash back to school. For Borishead, head to your local deli counter. All right, I think we got one more story, Sam. Hi, Seth and Josh. My name is Fiona, and I'm 11 years old. I'm Stuart, and I'm nine years old. I'm Mareth, and I'm six years old. We are from Burnsville, Minnesota,

and we want to share with you the time our mom planned a family trip for all of us to Chicago. What you need to know is that this trip was a Christmas gift. I don't know if you've ever been to Minnesota during the winter, but it's cold. The other thing you need to know is that she planned this trip for January over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. And we know, you know, how cold it is in Chicago during the winter. A particular weekend we went, and it was even colder in Chicago than I was back home, like minus 30 degrees with the wind chill. Yeah, there was like extreme cold mornings. You know, for kind of where you're not

even supposed to be outside or like you'll die. And our parents insisted on making us take the buses and subways around the city the entire time. The first day we were there, we were going to the wheel's power, but we got there and it was quality so you couldn't see anything, just all right. Then we did a walking foodie tour outside of a cold and wind, and it was freezing. Same. Yeah, but the food was pretty good, though. Hot dogs and hot beefs and stuff. Oh, yeah, and the brownie at the end. Ooh, that was the best. But then we had to walk back home to the hotel.

We watched the Bears in the NFC playoffs against Los Angeles Rams. And even though they lost, it was an awesome game. There was an ultra-mega pass at the end of the game to send the bears into overtime, but they lost. Except we had to sit outside at that restaurant because they didn't have any tables. Yeah. And we had to walk home in the cold. Yeah. But I think Dad took us to the pool that night.

Yeah. We did get to do fun stuff, like go to an aquarium and amusing, which was awesome. Yeah. Overall, it was a good trip, and we think your kids would like to go. But maybe consider going in December. Yeah, duh. Our mom is planning a road trip for us to Niagara Falls, so we will put back on how that goes. Love the podcast.

Bye. Oh, so good. The story. Is that the first three-time, three-person story? I don't know if it's the first three-person story, but it's, I think that's the first children's story we have. And my gosh, you guys, that was spectacular. It was really well-told. Good production.

That was a great story, well-told. Yeah, kudos to you, and I'm sure your parents must be glowing to hear how well you just told that story. Yeah, Chicago is no joke. in the winter. But it sounds like you did so many fun things. You really, like, crossed a lot of things off your list. I would also warn you against summer in Chicago. It can be so hot.

It can be the flip side. My preference is, you know, I went to Northwestern and was born just north of the city, the fall. Anytime I'm back there for a homecoming, it is just, yeah, just an excellent, excellent place to be. Yeah. But yeah, I feel like you guys have done more things in Chicago than I've done. And you've only been there once. Have you done a walking food tour? No, but I'm also vegan, so they'll be like...

It's harder. Yeah. I mean, it's not harder, it's just more bleak, especially in Chicago because they're going to have amazing, like, sausages and they're going to have, like, great pizza. And I would just be like, no, I'm fine. Do you have a salad? Do you have like a tofu? Chip peas. Do you have a can of chickpeas that I can just eat?

Have you been to the, did they say aquarium? I have been to the, yeah, the Shet Aquarium. It's amazing. Cool. Well, now we have things to add to our list the next time we go to Chicago. Yeah. And Niagara Falls, that's going to be a cool one. Seth always says the Canadian side is the side to check out. So be sure you do that when you go. That was awesome.

Yeah. Yeah, also going to a football game. You've been to one football game, and it was a Bears game. It was? Yeah, it was a Bears New Orleans. It was in New Orleans. Yeah. And we have friends who are Saints fans and season ticket holders, and we were down doing something with them.

So that's fun. It's always fun to see a game. Yeah. And it sounds like they weren't necessarily your teams, which also takes a lot of the stress out of it. That's how I felt. Yeah. I was there for the beer and the snacks. Yeah.

Who is your team? Well, I feel like I have to say the Steelers because I'm in a Steelers house. I don't want to get in trouble. Well, just how long it took you to say who your team was, I think, means you don't really have a team. Yeah, I don't. Well, you guys, you know, Seth will be back next week. Oh, no. Which a light bulb just went off in my room because it's not just the chair that's breaking everyone.

It's also the lamp. Yeah, but you also have some really funny decorative western spurs in your room. And I don't know where those came from. I think maybe my mother put those in here when I started dating you as a hint to be like, hey, keep this horse girl around. Or if she'll help in any way she can to help me ensnare you into a life of love and happiness, honey. Yeah. Yeah.

Well, thanks for listening, everyone. And thank you for your stories, not to, I mean, look, Jenny, Lisa, you guys were incredible, but Fiona Stewart, Meredith, you guys, you stole our hearts. Yeah. And let your story be an encouragement to other kids out there who listen to the pod to maybe send in some stories of your own. Yeah. Maybe we'll have a listener episode once that is all kid stories. Oh, that's such a good idea.

Yeah, you should do that. And I'll try to keep swears out of the songs for those in particular. That's a good idea, too. But also, you guys are living in the world. You hear some swears. Just don't use them yourself. Yeah. Unless you're with your friends. And also, I just want to say, like, it's this, I've been on the East Coast for like 10 days and it's been so fun just like hanging out with family, your family, my family, my mom, my dad, my stepmom, everybody. And I think it's really important. Sometimes it feels like you don't have time to fit those kinds of trips in. And it's really important to do that. It's fun and everybody has a great time. So take an extra trip and go visit your family. All right, everybody. Thank you.

Bye.