Closer to home

We got an early start this Thursday morning for the long drive toward Maryland, spending the night in PA.  It's a good thing we did!  Not far along I-95 South, Charlie was not able to avoid some road debris.  About a minute later, the low tire pressure light flashes -- darn!  The really, really good news is that we were able to take an exit within 1/2 mile of the alarm.  (Charlie did not like the idea of changing a tire on the shoulder of 95 -- yikes!!  Three minutes later, the tire was completely flat.  Charlie was able to change the tire with no problem, and we were back on the road in a flash.  I've got my fingers crossed that we have no further tire problems this trip.  The flat tire is virtually brand new and, luckily, is covered for repair or replacement.  So we prefer to take care of it when we get home.

Apparently, the New England states all got together and decided to repair the road surfaces, bridges, shoulders, exit ramps etc of I-95 south this summer.  Charlie had to navigate nearly constant construction zones and backups today.  It didn't help that tonight's KOA, although very nice, is a bit off the beaten path.  Charlie was ready to stop driving for the night!

A good night's sleep (please) and tomorrow we drive to Maryland's Eastern Shore!

Mysterious Mystic

River view from road

Why would a beautiful town on the banks of a river not let you see it?  It's a mystery to me.  In truth, you can if you're willing to buy a ticket like one of the many school children who come in groups to visit the Mystic Seaport Museum, walk along the boardwalk, climb onboard old ship replicas, and develop an understanding of our country's maritime past.  Fine for them, but this couple of baby boomers out for dinner and a stroll along the water was disappointed.  I guess it cuts down on tourists.  We won't be back to Mystic CT, despite the delicious meal we enjoyed on the patio of the Latitude 41 restaurant.  (If you go, order the grilled asparagus.  You will not be disappointed!)

Has an eye on dinner!

A work boat on display

Charlie with an old anchor

Jackpot in Haddam CT

Our last genealogy stop on this trip was Haddam CT.  And it was the best!  Charlie's 7th great-grandfather was one of the founders of the town.  In 1630 Gerard Spencer, then 16 years old, came with his brothers to America from Bedfordshire England as part of a migration of Puritans.   He first lived in what is now Cambridge, MA, but lived most of his life in Haddam on the banks of the Connecticut River.












We went to the Haddam Historical Society and met with a very helpful and knowledgeable staffer, Lisa.  (Thank you again!)  Their office is in a cool old building from the 1700's.  There Charlie was able to get copies of various family histories that have been compiled by the Society.  Some of the original documents such as land records and wills are held in the Haddam town vault.  (Let's hear it for those oft unappreciated government administrators!)  Charlie didn't see the originals but was given a copy of the land plots.  Very neat.

Haddam's Thirty Mile Plantation cemetery is where the original meeting house stood in the late 1600's, and this is where the earliest residents are buried.  Not surprisingly, markers for the earliest graves no longer exist, but Charlie did find a marker dated 1715.  That's pretty impressive given it's nearly 300 years ago.

Our last stop in Haddam was the First Congregational Church.  Unfortunately, the church office is not open on Wednesday and I didn't think genealogy qualified as a "pastoral" issue, so I didn't call the Pastor.  In Gerard Spencer's will, he gave the church a "flagon and urim" which is still displayed in a place of honor in the present church building.  (My plan is to contact the Pastor, during office hours of course, and ask him to send me a picture.) 

As much fun as it was to visit Haddam, our visit suggested many more avenues of genealogical sleuthing about Gerard's siblings and their children, one of whom was Major General Nathanial Spencer who worked with George Washington.  I guess we'd better get Charlie's application filed for the Sons of the American Revolution, huh?

Old Orchard Beach

The trip to Old Orchard Beach was great!  I found the quilt shop in Nobleboro ME that I hoped to visit -- Main-ly Sewing Quilt Shop.  I had previously visited their booth at the quilt show in Chantilly VA this year.  What a cute shop, stocked full of luscious fabric!

We checked in at the Saco/Old Orchard Beach KOA, and quickly set out to explore Old Orchard Beach.  My first impression?  This is the anti-Maine.  What I mean is that this place is so different from the New England feel.  It's more like Ocean City MD or perhaps Rehoboth Beach DE.  But it's a very popular summer destination, and we plan to spend time in the sun there tomorrow.





We drove south on Route 1 to Kennebunkport to check out the George and Barbara Bush beach town.  Very nice.

Camden Hills State Park

We took a sightseeing ride on the Mt Battie auto road overlooking Penobscot Bay.  What a beautiful view! 

Then we took a hike along the Shore Trail in the Park.  The trail was really different.  It hugs the cliff overlooking the Bay and is equipped with picnic tables and charcoal grills along the trail.  I liked it because it felt serene.

 

After enjoying the woods, we headed to Lincolnville Beach to enjoy the sun.  This public beach is just a spit of sand along Route 1.  But the mothers and their children were having a fun time, and it was a pleasant place to sit.

After a bowl of chowder in Camden (again!) we drove into Rockland ME.  While we were there, we spotted an old "woody" car.  Unfortunately, the front wheels were wiggling badly and the driver had to stop to investigate.  But it was fun to see.










Charlie found a sea glass hunting spot along the coast of Route 1 near a picnic and rest spot.  So while I took a lovely nap, Charlie collected a bounty of glass.

Back at the campground, Charlie picked up a burger at one of the ubiquitous roadside stands.  It was fantastic; he said there's no such thing as bad food in this area!

One last comment about Camden Hills State Park.  Hands down, it has the best WIFI and shower temperature & pressure of any of our stops so far.

Jewel of the Maine Coast

We arrived in the Camden-Rockland Region at the Camden Hills State Park.  Immediately after setting up, we headed to probably our favorite New England town, Camden.  There we visited the shops before heading for the Marriner's Grill, "On the falls since 1942", owned and operated by the Gabriele family.  Located right on Main Street Camden, this is the place to get Charlie's absolute favorite clam chowder and biscuit.  He was not disappointed!

Charlie had company looking for sea glass



Breakwater and lighthouse in Rockland

We visited a few art galleries and the local craft festival before heading out of town to search for likely sea glass hunting spots.  He did find a few.  But I also found a wonderful quilt shop in Rockland called Quilt Divas.  It's a really nice shop where I just had to buy some fabric that called to me to make a quilt for my beautiful granddaughter.











Beautiful foot bridge in Camden

After a stop at a lovely coffee shop in Camden called Zoot, we headed back to Camden Hills for a tasty chicken salad dinner that Charlie made with scallions, pecans, grapes, and celery.  Thanks, hon.



Trivia:  Camden was the setting for 1956 movie Peyton Place.  Also, it was featured in scenes from Casper the Friendly Ghost.  Who knew?

Bye Bar Harbor

Eagle on a rock

We had plans to take a ferry to Cranberry Island today.  Unfortunately, it was very foggy and soggy this morning so we decided against the trip.  Instead, we stopped for a good breakfast and then drove around the area.  On our way back to the campsite, we came upon a group of drivers who had either pulled off the side of the road or were driving very slowly.  Then we saw what everyone was looking at -- an eagle!!  I've pretty much given up any hope of seeing a moose, but I never thought we'd see an eagle.  Very cool.



Not much to say about our last day in Bar Harbor, other than we've really enjoyed our stay.  So I decided to take some more pictures of all those sweet flower boxes we've seen during our stay.  Enjoy!

 

Tonight - Lobster!

Searching for sea glass

Today we drove to the our prime sea glass beach.  We did have success, but didn't find as much as we'd hoped.  Either our memory of last year's haul has inflated with time, or there is actually less to find this year.  No matter, Charlie especially found some pretty pieces to add to the collection.



Flowers on porch railing

Since we went to the coast before having breakfast, by 11:15 we were hungry!  Surely we'd passed many breakfast joints in the past couple of days.  We'll just stop into one of those.  Hmmm, now where exactly are those little restaurants?  So we drove into Bar Harbor where we knew there was a place called Jeannie's Great Maine Breakfast.  It's located on Cottage Street directly across from yesterday's lunch restaurant called Epi Pizza.  That name really doesn't do it justice.  Anyway, our breakfast was really good.  I had an omelet  with Jack cheese and spinach, accompanied by homemade toasted bread.  So, two of the things I like about the Bar Harbor area is the homemade breads and rolls that are served in the restaurants and all the flower boxes that adorn the businesses, the houses, the fences, the bridge railings ... you get the idea.  Very nice to see.  Why don't we do that in Maryland so much?



The lobster pound

A long nap, clean laundry, and we're ready to go to a local lobster pound for dinner.  Curious about what a lobster pound is?  Check this out:  http://ouracadia.wordpress.com/2008/06/15/what-is-a-lobster-pound-why-have-i-only-heard-this-term-around-acadia-national-park/

My first time ever eating a whole lobster was fun and delicious!


Charlie applying his ninja blue-crab skills to lobster



Boiling lobsters



Searching for sea glass

Sand Beach

Today we drove in search of sea glass hunting spots.  First, we went to Sand Beach, purportedly a good location for finding those tumbled gems.  Wrong.  Not a one in sight.  But, it is a lovely beach with a nice breeze and pretty views, so much more interesting than my usual view of the Atlantic Ocean.

Not discouraged, we drove into Bar Harbor to check out the sandbar that connects Bar Island with Bar Harbor at low tide.  We enjoyed this popular destination for families and kayakers, even though much of any sea glass that may have been here were gone by the time we arrived.  Sigh.

Flowers are everywhere!

After lunch of haddock chowder and a half sandwich on homemade bread, we went in search of a spot that we remembered visiting during our trip here last year.  Only problem?  We couldn't remember exactly where that spot was!  So we toured the Acadia National Park loop road and many of the island's roads along the beach to no avail.  Discouraged, we returned to our campsite.  Then I thought of using Google Maps earth view to see if maybe we could find the spot by looking along the coast line.  Eureka!  Found it!  After a dinner of salmon and salad, we drove out and found the beach we remembered.  Better yet, Charlie found some sea glass while we were there even though it was approaching high tide.  So guess where we're going tomorrow morning after coffee?



Beautiful view of boats at anchor

One note about being away from home for an extended period.  I start missing those things that I just can't do on the road.  Like going to the awesome monthly sale at Chartreuse & Co with Jenny (check them out at www.chartreuseandco.com) and going to quilt shops and shows with Susan (love her blog by the way!  www.quixoticcrafter.blogspot.com)  And of course there is Ladies Cocktail Hour!  All the same, I'm enjoying living in the moment in Maine with my man!

Sea glass bounty from Eastport & Bar Harbor

Anniversary in Bar Harbor

Street-scape in Bar Harbor

We escaped the mosquito-infested woods of Cobscook Bay State Park.  It was a very hot but that didn't stop Charlie from lighting a camp fire.  It was too hot to sit in the camper -- way too hot.  But there were so many mosquitoes we thought maybe the fire and smoke would distract them from munching on us.  We bathed in Deet and didn't get bit, but it was very annoying.  Luckily, it cooled off nicely and we slept well, even without the benefit of AC.  (Note to self:  Resist the urge to stay at a campground, regardless of how picturesque, without electric service.) 

Sand bar off shore of Bar Harbor

We stopped for a nice breakfast, resisting the unbelievably awesome homemade pies, and drove to the Bar Harbor Woodland KOA.  After quickly setting up, we drove into town and strolled the streets, checking out the shops and potential sea glass-hunting spots along the shore.  After a delicious bowl of haddock chowder and a homemade roll, we were back at the campground.  That's when we realized that we had no WIFI connection at our site.  Four days here and no WIFI?  No way.  So we moved to another site.  Now I'm happy.




Speaking of happy, today is our 36th wedding anniversary.  Today I thought about the girls in my college dorm who were sure we would never last - Ha!  And how hot it was the day we married, like today!  And how much I love him - awww!  And my friends who were at our wedding and are still my friends today and whom I love!  And the new friends I've had in my life since then!  And the bad times and the good times and our daughters and son-in-laws and grandchildren!  And my brothers and sisters!  And how blessed I am!



Ship in port of Bar Harbor

This evening I'd like to say a special hello to my friend Margaret Preston.  Hope you enjoyed your recent visit with Jan!

Into Maine

We drove through the mountains of New Hampshire and visited the Washington Resort at Bretton Woods.  What a fantastic place!  Quiet surroundings, Old World grandeur, picturesque, very nice.

On the way back to the campground we stopped at the Twin Mountain Country Store and shared a terrific steak and cheese sub.  The café itself was decorated, on every wall not occupied by sales items, with political posters and cartoons.  I love the American spirit of the shop owners and the way they've involved themselves in the political process.  They had handouts printed for the taking sharing background information on a few topics about which they felt their customers (i.e., fellow citizens) most urgently needed to be informed.  This store, along with the American flags flying from telephone polls in town after small town made me glad that the love for our country is alive and well.  Now if we can just work together to inform ourselves and others about the important issues facing our Nation and demand action, we will assuredly remain proud of our government.

So we were having a relaxing Sunday afternoon -- soaking in the pool, lounging in the sun -- when Charlie realized that our drive to Eastport ME was going to be waaay too long for us to have enough time to enjoy ourselves.  So the decision was made that we would quickly pack up and drive part of the way to our next destination.  Since we were not successful in making a reservation at a KOA, we elected to stay in the Bangor Walmart parking lot overnight.  Wasn't bad!  We had the company of about 10 other campers, the store was open til midnight and opened again at 7 a.m. so we were able to get ice for the coolers (since we couldn't use the frig), and there was a tire store located right across the street.  Hmmm, why did we need a tire store?  Turns out that the second tire was also worn unevenly, so we replaced two tires (with less than 10,000 miles on them!) for about a $100 a piece ... Safety first!

Because we literally awoke at the crack of dawn, we arrived at the Cobscook Bay State Park by 11:00 a.m.  We had this idea that we might try clamming, until we realized that it was already nearly 90 degrees out and that we would be up to our knees in mud.  So we decided that the much better plan was to drive to Eastport (east-most town in the US) and order some clams.  Boy, was that a good idea.  We were directed by a local to the Quoody Bay Lobster café where we ordered fresh steamed clams and split a lobster roll.  Now I have to admit that when we were last in the area, we tried a lobster roll a couple of times and, frankly, didn't get what the big deal was.  To me, it was just lobster salad, not much different than a chicken salad.  My opinion of lobster rolls has been changed forever after the one we had for lunch today.  Nothing but lobster meat on a roll with butter -- what's not to love!  Now I get it.




We strolled along the Main Street of Eastport and enjoyed the cute shops and old architecture.  Charlie trolled the seashore for sea glass, with some success! 












Tonight will be our second night without electricity in the camper.  Our stay in the parking lot turned out fine because it cooled down so nicely; I'm hoping for the same in the woods of the State park.

Missing my family and friends, but loving the time spent with my Charlie.  Tomorrow we will have been married for 36 years!  You're still the one.