Try to visit Maine before school starts

I know what you're probably thinking -- you're worried that summer is going to be over soon. I know you don't want to go to school, but you should first do something fun before school starts. What I do is go to Monson, Maine, one of the most fun places I've been to. Most things I do there you can do, too.

Our family likes to get our own maple syrup from the trees. There are even caves that have ice in them. You won't believe the next part, but it actually gets cold sometimes at night in the middle of summer!

My favorite things to do in Maine are swimming in lakes because my cottage is right next to one, and waterfalls and streams. There's even a waterfall we slide down called Toby Falls. Just don't get carried away by the current.

Another thing to do there is hike up a mountain such as the Borestone or South Turner mountain. We climb once every year. Going up Borestone is a tradition. If you're really a daredevil, you can climb up the biggest mountain in Maine, Mount Katahdin, which is 5,269 feet high -- almost a mile. Hope you're ready to sweat!

At least one of you reading this should like lobster. Have you ever asked your parents to have lobster for dinner and they said it was too expensive? Well, in Maine, lobster sometimes cost a lot less than lobster in New York.

One reason we go to Maine is to see our cousins, aunts and uncles on my mom's side, and before you ask what that has to do with this, read the next part: Every year, we buy lots of lobsters and have a big family reunion or what I call Cousinfest. (Cousinfest is, just so you know, a made-up word.) It's a big celebration, since we only get to see some cousins once a year.