Daddy Days: A Recipe for a Life of Adventure and Relationship With Your Family

We live in an era where strong relationships between parents and children are more essential than ever, where too many Dads fail to build great relationships with their kids. Our society has seen epidemics of loneliness, cultural divisions, and the proverbial strains of time and distance pull families apart. Still, the love of a parent should know no bounds. As John Turner details through dozens of anecdotes in Daddy Days, the recipe for creating a healthy parent-child bond is not particularly complicated.

Turner, a New Hampshire-based engineer, Christmas tree farmer, and indefatigable adventurer, offers his family's story about how one-on-one time shared between father and child—a concept he calls "Daddy Days"—has the power to transform family dynamics. He also shares similar strategies to help maintain a marriage through what he calls "Tarzan Days." Together with friend and journalist Jay Bouchard, whose bylines include Outside and TIME among many other publications, Turner presents a blueprint for building lasting memories and strengthening the ties that hold families together. Throughout these pages Turner hikes many miles, enjoys playing with his children, sails coastal water, and hatches schemes he never imagined possible as he and his loved ones teach each other lessons they might never have learned on their own.

John Turner (AKA JT or “Rock Iron”) is known for his energy, generosity, adventurous spirit and capable can-do attitude. While the adventures that inspired this book start with his role as son and then Dad, it also extends into his roles as husband, family member, business owner, mentor, colleague, and friend. John’s many interests and passions range from engineering design, sailing and hiking to back-country and downhill skiing. He serves as a volunteer firefighter in his community. John and his wife Renee recently opened a Christmas tree farm, focusing on building special family experiences, combining his love of the outdoors, children and faith. John graduated from University of Maine with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. He earned multiple engineering licenses (Architectural and Electrical Engineering) and is a National Pro-Board-Certified Firefighter. He has held a number of leadership positions in Business Network International, various Catholic Churches, Amherst Fire Rescue Association and the Knights of Columbus. He is currently serving on the NH Diocesan Real Estate and Capital Projects Committee.

Jay Bouchard is a Denver-based journalist, writer, editor, and teacher. Born and raised in New Hampshire, he moved west to attend Carroll College in Helena, Montana before earning a masters degree in journalism from Northwestern University. Over the past decade, his writing has been published in Outside magazine, TIME, SKI magazine and many other publications. He spent several years as an editor at Denver's award-winning city-regional magazine, 5280, and now teaches writing courses while working as a full-time freelance journalist and editor. Like Turner, Jay is an enthusiastic skier, sailor, and all-around outdoorsman at home in the natural world. As a new dad, he can most often be found enjoying the blessings of the Rocky Mountains and New England with his wife and daughter.