Well I finally made it to Maine, and boy was it worth every second of waiting!!!! After mulling it over for quite a bit and being a little nervous, I set out for Maine....all by myself! Well obviously I had my SUV which I have now named Sammy (Samantha if she is acting up). I did some research and took a few local polls of what to do and what order makes sense. Looked up a few key things like restaurants of interest and lodging. You know, important things!
Set out on Friday after work, headed into the unknown! The people at the little toll hut around the Maine border probably think I have lost my mind because I was hands up in the air cheering when I hit the big bridge to cross into Maine. I had it mapped out to eat lobster in Kennebunkport, ME at a little restaurant, but "Betty", my GPS lady, I think has also lost her mind! So I just stopped at a random place and ordered a stuffed lobster and a Samuel Adams. WOW how good fresh lobster tastes with a side of lobster stew and new potatoes! Let me also say that Maine is in it's "off season" right now as far as tourism, so I may have been the only tourist in all of Maine this weekend. So this particular restaurant had 5 locals, gentlemen, well sort of, sitting around me trying to teach me how to break into that lobster! It was quite funny for all of us! They tried to put that stupid bib on me, the plastic one with the lobster on the front! I said do not take another step closer to me with that thing! The waiter said, well you will get your shirt messy. I say, "I have lots of changes of clothes, but no changes of my dignity"! He set the bib down.
Well I narrowly escaped Kennebunkport without 5 strange men ridding along with me to Portland, ME. Portland is a rather large city, approximately 65,000 people said the taxi man, and their main business used to be fishing, but now.....tourism! Again, I am the only tourist in Maine this whole weekend! Headed downtown Portland to a brew pub where I quickly realized that Portland is a major college town. College town where they travel in massive herds from bar to bar and get quite obnoxious. I was taken into conversation by 2 older individuals (45-55yr) and was glad to have the company. There is only so long that you can pretend to watch the TV when you have no clue what team is playing and at what point should I pretend to cheer for one team or the other! The highlight of encounters this night was a Great Dane, Zeus at my hotel that was the largest dog or smallest Shutlen pony I have ever seen in my life! Its owner says he is quite the "lap dog", and she was serious!!
Saturday morning up early to head out. The couple at the pub the night before gave me a fabulous tip on a lighthouse right outside Portland, at Cape Elizabeth in Fort Williams Park. I have seen these on movies and puzzles and even calenders, but standing there looking at the bluffs and this amazing lighthouse facing the sea.......there are no words! So I pick my jaw up off the ground and get back in the truck. About 3.5hrs up to Bar Harbor, ME. Very neat drive, which would have been more so beautiful about 2 weeks ago when the leaves were still attached to the branches! And I would have also paid someone to drive so that I could actually look around, safely!
Bar Harbor is actually an island and is surrounded or part of the Acadia National Park. Folks, I wish that I could say this any differently without sounding so conceded.....I am the luckiest person to get to see all of these amazing places. I found a hotel right on the point of the harbor and checked into this quaint little room with a patio that faced the ocean (although I didn't pay for the ocean view....I didn't tell them that I could actually see water, hehe). about 2 seconds later I was out the door and 20ft from my patio was the most breath taking view imaginable!! Ocean waters, lapping onto big bluffs of rocks, rocky/tree filled islands, boats anchored in a gorgeous harbor with long docks and lobster fishing boats and walking trails along the ocean and a cute little downtown with rows of shops along the bluff. So again, catch my breath to go get some food! Found a fun spot for lunch, tried the crab meat roll which was really good, and a Samuel Adams :) Talked to another couple that led me to my next couple adventures....
Headed to the room to regroup and change into hiking gear. There is an ocean trail that leads you around bar harbor and then through town which was very peaceful and serene. I just kept thinking of the opening part of the movie Grease! I think it must have been filmed here, or should have been for that matter!! So ended up in town at the Thirsty Whale, and I was thirsty. This is also a good way to meet locals and get ideas for the next adventure. Well they sent me to the liquor store to get a beer and go sit on the bluffs to catch the sunset.....one problem.....no bottle opener! So I sat on the bluff holding a beer and watched the sunset! Just as good! That night, took a Jacuzzi bath, walked around town for a bit, met some strange locals and headed to bed to rest for my early morning adventure.
When the tide is low in the early mornings, you can actually walk along an "ocean bottom path" out to an island! This is where I called my mother and said, "mom, I'm hiking to an Island tomorrow morning". Mom says, "how are you going to get there dear, if it is an island?" Becky says, "well supposedly when the tide is low I can just walk over there" Mom says, "Do you know how long the tide will be low so you can get back?" Becky says, "No actually I have no idea, this is why I'm calling you now to tell you that I'm doing this. If you don't hear from me.....send a boat!" haha. Well I made it over there and it was the coolest thing to walk along the "ocean bottom" that is exposed for only a few hours. There were so many mussels that make a bond of some kind with snails and rocks and seaweed to form a long chain that holds together quite firmly! I also found a star fish and a neat rock. I did a little hiking on the island, but I did have in the back of my mind this fear of having to swim back to shore!!! It was the neatest thing for sure!
Packed up the room and jumped back in Sammy for another traveling day. With a tip from a friend, headed to Freeport, ME for lunch, expecting a cute little town on the water...hence the word port. Well I now know that this friend just wanted me to stop at the LL Bean outlet store to buy him a kayak I do believe! :) Actually it is a cute town, but blocks and blocks of outlet stores! So this friend says to me, "what's wrong with that?" I say, "whatever I buy has to fit into my SUV again, and it barely fit before these outlet stores!" Had a really good lunch, crab cake sandwich and headed off to the next spot. Another friendly tip landed me on a wonderful beach right at sunset, Ogunquit, ME. Now this is like a beach one would think of originally. It has sandy beaches with people playing in the water and houses/hotels along the bluffs. It was really gorgeous to see the sunset on a sandy beach, again thinking to myself.....how the heck do I get to be the one to do this today???? I then sadly got back into the truck and headed to Worcester.
My first solo mission, one of many this year I am sure. I am so thankful to be able to do this right now in my life. It is truly one of the most amazing places on earth and I'm lucky to have experienced it. This was the first weekend that it hasn't rained! I am trying to get pictures on this blog, but I am technically challenged. So look at them on facebook for now or email me and I can send you some on your email. Enjoy, book your trips now to Maine. I may start working at the visitors center, except I was the only visitor, wonder how that would work........
Set out on Friday after work, headed into the unknown! The people at the little toll hut around the Maine border probably think I have lost my mind because I was hands up in the air cheering when I hit the big bridge to cross into Maine. I had it mapped out to eat lobster in Kennebunkport, ME at a little restaurant, but "Betty", my GPS lady, I think has also lost her mind! So I just stopped at a random place and ordered a stuffed lobster and a Samuel Adams. WOW how good fresh lobster tastes with a side of lobster stew and new potatoes! Let me also say that Maine is in it's "off season" right now as far as tourism, so I may have been the only tourist in all of Maine this weekend. So this particular restaurant had 5 locals, gentlemen, well sort of, sitting around me trying to teach me how to break into that lobster! It was quite funny for all of us! They tried to put that stupid bib on me, the plastic one with the lobster on the front! I said do not take another step closer to me with that thing! The waiter said, well you will get your shirt messy. I say, "I have lots of changes of clothes, but no changes of my dignity"! He set the bib down.
Well I narrowly escaped Kennebunkport without 5 strange men ridding along with me to Portland, ME. Portland is a rather large city, approximately 65,000 people said the taxi man, and their main business used to be fishing, but now.....tourism! Again, I am the only tourist in Maine this whole weekend! Headed downtown Portland to a brew pub where I quickly realized that Portland is a major college town. College town where they travel in massive herds from bar to bar and get quite obnoxious. I was taken into conversation by 2 older individuals (45-55yr) and was glad to have the company. There is only so long that you can pretend to watch the TV when you have no clue what team is playing and at what point should I pretend to cheer for one team or the other! The highlight of encounters this night was a Great Dane, Zeus at my hotel that was the largest dog or smallest Shutlen pony I have ever seen in my life! Its owner says he is quite the "lap dog", and she was serious!!
Saturday morning up early to head out. The couple at the pub the night before gave me a fabulous tip on a lighthouse right outside Portland, at Cape Elizabeth in Fort Williams Park. I have seen these on movies and puzzles and even calenders, but standing there looking at the bluffs and this amazing lighthouse facing the sea.......there are no words! So I pick my jaw up off the ground and get back in the truck. About 3.5hrs up to Bar Harbor, ME. Very neat drive, which would have been more so beautiful about 2 weeks ago when the leaves were still attached to the branches! And I would have also paid someone to drive so that I could actually look around, safely!
Bar Harbor is actually an island and is surrounded or part of the Acadia National Park. Folks, I wish that I could say this any differently without sounding so conceded.....I am the luckiest person to get to see all of these amazing places. I found a hotel right on the point of the harbor and checked into this quaint little room with a patio that faced the ocean (although I didn't pay for the ocean view....I didn't tell them that I could actually see water, hehe). about 2 seconds later I was out the door and 20ft from my patio was the most breath taking view imaginable!! Ocean waters, lapping onto big bluffs of rocks, rocky/tree filled islands, boats anchored in a gorgeous harbor with long docks and lobster fishing boats and walking trails along the ocean and a cute little downtown with rows of shops along the bluff. So again, catch my breath to go get some food! Found a fun spot for lunch, tried the crab meat roll which was really good, and a Samuel Adams :) Talked to another couple that led me to my next couple adventures....
Headed to the room to regroup and change into hiking gear. There is an ocean trail that leads you around bar harbor and then through town which was very peaceful and serene. I just kept thinking of the opening part of the movie Grease! I think it must have been filmed here, or should have been for that matter!! So ended up in town at the Thirsty Whale, and I was thirsty. This is also a good way to meet locals and get ideas for the next adventure. Well they sent me to the liquor store to get a beer and go sit on the bluffs to catch the sunset.....one problem.....no bottle opener! So I sat on the bluff holding a beer and watched the sunset! Just as good! That night, took a Jacuzzi bath, walked around town for a bit, met some strange locals and headed to bed to rest for my early morning adventure.
When the tide is low in the early mornings, you can actually walk along an "ocean bottom path" out to an island! This is where I called my mother and said, "mom, I'm hiking to an Island tomorrow morning". Mom says, "how are you going to get there dear, if it is an island?" Becky says, "well supposedly when the tide is low I can just walk over there" Mom says, "Do you know how long the tide will be low so you can get back?" Becky says, "No actually I have no idea, this is why I'm calling you now to tell you that I'm doing this. If you don't hear from me.....send a boat!" haha. Well I made it over there and it was the coolest thing to walk along the "ocean bottom" that is exposed for only a few hours. There were so many mussels that make a bond of some kind with snails and rocks and seaweed to form a long chain that holds together quite firmly! I also found a star fish and a neat rock. I did a little hiking on the island, but I did have in the back of my mind this fear of having to swim back to shore!!! It was the neatest thing for sure!
Packed up the room and jumped back in Sammy for another traveling day. With a tip from a friend, headed to Freeport, ME for lunch, expecting a cute little town on the water...hence the word port. Well I now know that this friend just wanted me to stop at the LL Bean outlet store to buy him a kayak I do believe! :) Actually it is a cute town, but blocks and blocks of outlet stores! So this friend says to me, "what's wrong with that?" I say, "whatever I buy has to fit into my SUV again, and it barely fit before these outlet stores!" Had a really good lunch, crab cake sandwich and headed off to the next spot. Another friendly tip landed me on a wonderful beach right at sunset, Ogunquit, ME. Now this is like a beach one would think of originally. It has sandy beaches with people playing in the water and houses/hotels along the bluffs. It was really gorgeous to see the sunset on a sandy beach, again thinking to myself.....how the heck do I get to be the one to do this today???? I then sadly got back into the truck and headed to Worcester.
My first solo mission, one of many this year I am sure. I am so thankful to be able to do this right now in my life. It is truly one of the most amazing places on earth and I'm lucky to have experienced it. This was the first weekend that it hasn't rained! I am trying to get pictures on this blog, but I am technically challenged. So look at them on facebook for now or email me and I can send you some on your email. Enjoy, book your trips now to Maine. I may start working at the visitors center, except I was the only visitor, wonder how that would work........
