Maine - The Way Life Should Be

Or so the sign reads as you cross the border from New Hampshire to Maine.

This weekend we packed up the clan, and if that makes you conjure up thoughts of the Clampets, you aren't far off (why is it that small people require so much stuff?), and head north to Maine. We have a precious few weekends left in New England and it seems like an endless "places to visit" list! But, both Matt and I wanted to make sure we took in the sights in Maine. Not only does it seem like the heart of New England, but also because we have several friends from Maine who are always singing it's praises - so we had to check it out to see what's so great.

As most of you know, I haven't been thrilled about our last 6 1/2 months in New England. The weather hasn't been great and the "island" lacks some of the amenities I am used to. I have enjoyed the ability to travel to places I have never seen (or at least don't remember because it was when I was so young). But I have been knocking all of New England when maybe it was just Newport that wasn't doing it for me. So far, both Matt and I have loved Maine. Maybe we just picked a perfect weekend - it is the middle of June and it was 80 degrees today. But there is just something different here and I'm not sure I can put my finger on it. I think it should be a top 10 destination for anyone who has never been. I would love to come back - and hopefully next time we can see a moose!

The landscapes are just gorgeous - and yes we have several pictures- from the rocky coast in Portland to the beautifully manicured lawns of Kennebunkport. Heck, even the drive up 95 is lush and green and just beautiful. Maybe I'd been singing a different tune in February!

We got a late start yesterday afternoon (thanks SWOS!), and got on the road around 3pm. So, of course, we were able to enjoy a great deal of Boston's rush hour. We made it to Portland around 7pm. The kids napped in the car, so we were able to push bedtime back a bit. We stayed right next to the airport (because we wanted a suite hotel room that was cheap!) and we weren't disappointed. We were 200-300 yards from the runway and Jack had a blast watching the planes. We took a quick dip in the hotel pool and had a yummy, and low key room service dinner.

This morning we were up early -thanks Emma - and started our day at Portland Head Light. This is supposedly one of the most photographed lighthouses in the US, and the first one commissioned to be built in the "US" by George Washington. It was manned until the 80's, when it then became automated. It is still a functional lighthouse today, so we weren't able to go in the lighthouse, but you can get right next to the outside. And what a beautiful morning to visit a lighthouse - a little fog, a light mist, brisk air. We took in the outside of the lighthouse, listened to the fog horns, and then took a little walk down the path to get a better view.

After the lighthouse, we headed to the Old Port district of downtown Portland. We walked around the Promenade and headed to the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum - as you will see, most of our trip is meant to be enjoyed by a 2 year old boy. The museum offers a 20 minute train ride every hour. We were about to make the 11am train and we lucked out, there was also a Civil War reenactment today on the train ride. So, we had a ride and a show! After the ride, we took in the trains in the museum - real and wooden (Thomas table and a tot-sized play train). We were all getting hungry, so we grabbed an outdoor table at a fun looking chowder house in the Old Port area. Lunch was yummy - lobster rolls for Matt and I. The kids were getting tired and grumpy, so we loaded up in the car and headed down to Kennebunkport.

We decided to drive around Kennebunkport for a while to give the kids a nap. We headed into the main part of town with the trendy restaurants and boutiques - saw Dock Square - and then headed down Ocean to gawk at the incredible mansions and the Bush compound. Secret Service was bumping at the compound - maybe 41 was in town to celebrate Father's Day?

Once the kids had a decent nap, we headed to the Seashore Trolley Museum. Again, a big hit with Jack! We were able to see tons of restored and unrestored trolleys and buses from all over the country and the world. There was even a trolley car from Australia! We took a quick ride on a restored trolley car from Wheeling, WV. The museum (and all the trolley restoration and maintenance) is taken care of completely by volunteers. The car we rode on actually took 33 years to restore from start to finish!

Everyone was getting tired at this point so we headed down to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (which is really in Kittery, ME - but says it's in Portsmouth, NH). We are staying at the Navy Lodge tonight. Before settling in for the night, we drove to York Beach, ME and had dinner in Lobster Cove. Beautiful view of the beach and amazing food. I had the Lobster Pie - huge chunks of lobster mixed with lobster bisque and topped with bread crumbs, and baked. Big time fat girl dinner, but amazing none the less! I'm sure you all saw Matt's dinner on Facebook!

We have lots of plans for tomorrow, so check back! I put all the pictures on Facebook, so check my "Maine Trip" album.

And, last but definitely not least, Happy Father's Day to all the dads, granddads, pops, great grandads, dads -in - law, and dads to be out there. Have a wonderful day! We love you!