Maine=One Gorgeous, Calming Place

When we left on our week long trip to the other five New England States we didn't have a lot of preconceived notions about Maine. About all we knew was that Maine is mostly wilderness area with nearly all of the settlements along the Eastern coast line. We knew there was something going on with mooses, meese, or whatever they are called, we knew the Lobster was king, and there are lots of lighthouses. (OK, I had to look it up...it is moose as in sheep and deer.)
We knew that the Senior George Bushes have a summer home in Kennebunkport, Portland is the largest city, and that if you want the best lobster in the state you should go to Barnacles Billy's in Ogunquit, according to a most reliable source...Lorelei Gilmore. Yes, I know you probably shouldn't rely on a TV series to get your referrals but, have you ever tried planning a trip to six states? You take it where you can get it at a certain point. Lorelei has never let me down, so what the heck!

That coupled with the amazing Visitors' Center that we found in Kittery, just over the border and pictured above, was all we needed. They had pamphlets on everything imaginable to do in Maine.

We took the back roads to Portland and along the way there were so many delightful shops. Jim said, "OK , anyone can "pull the chain on the bus" whenever they see something and would like to stop. Laura and I jumped on that one, much to the chagrin of the boys who HATE shopping. But look at the fun place they could hang out while they waiting the 15 minutes for us.

They kept looking for a Mc Donald's so they could
pull the chain for their favorite treat,
a soft serve ice cream cone.
Finally they found one!

This was the first of the lovely nurseries...
I had to pull the chain for a photo or two.

We absolutely fell in love with Ogunquit
and really enjoyed Perkin's Cove
where we were led by Lorelei
to find Billy's on the harbor there.
They have a spectacular little harbor
indeed, and a lot more!*

I love these boys,
they can always find something to
keep them interested and occupied.

They had a great time checking
out all the stuff with Grampa.
They loved seeing the draw bridge in action!

Across the harbor and draw bridge you
can see this~Lovely homes.*

The little village of shops in Perkin's Cove

Grampa, Grampa......

There is this legend that Grampa once held, our son, Christopher over the railing of the Golden Gate Bridge by his belt loop when he was a kid. Ross is hanging on for dear life after the way that fabricated story has been embellished over the years! There is a little too much glee on his Grampa's face, don't ya think?

Spencer's bird!

The guys had a great time at the beach on the other side of Perkins Cove which was basically just across the street. The above photo of the seagull was taken by Spencer. Love it, Spence!

Little boys and rocks equate to hours
of endless rock throwing.
This is something they do everywhere
they can find water and rocks. ??

I wonder how much the beaches of New England
will have receded by the time they move on??
I think a good portion of it in RI
is in their rock collection at home.
(Hopefully to be recycled at some point
for the next boys who come along!)

This was one beautiful afternoon
in one amazing place.
The Ocean was so blue!
There was a cliff walk around the cove.

Before we got to Portland for the night,
we wanted to stop at none other than...Barnacle Billy's!*
As I had mentioned, this is how we found
Perkin's Cove in the first place.
Serendipity!

Now back to the Gilmore's.

The above lovely couple is Luke and Lorelei. They were working on falling in love for seven years, surmounting obstacle after obstacle. Just when things were about to look very promising for them...the series ended its run, leaving a billion fans going...what the...? That crazy production company left the whole thing up to our imaginations. Go figure!

Well, I have decided, being an incurable romantic, that they eventually got married and honeymooned along the coast of Maine, stopping at Barnacle Billy's for lobster. After all she was the one recommending it, saying it was the best!

So very picturesque, isn't it?*

So when we get there we discover that on each side of this lovely lawn is a Barnacle Billy's. On the left of the grassy area is a very casual one, to the right is the white table cloth one. Same company, just different venues. So knowing Luke and Lorelei, who spent most of their seven years in Luke's Diner, we are pretty sure they picked the more casual one...so we did too!

This is the patio between the two and
the outside of the fancy one.*

So here is the down home side where we went.

No tablecloth, no plates, no glass....just lobster!

Of course you know I am not nearly as goofy as I sound, but it was fun to think of Luke and Lorelei while we traveled in New England. OK, maybe a little goofier than you thought or just very easily entertained...you choose! Anyway, the lobster was good but I have to admit I have a hard time getting past that carcass. I tried really hard not to let the phrase, "You are what you eat" pass through my mind.


I found this cute mosaic on flickr that had permission to share it, so I am. I have been waiting for Laura to send me the photos off her camera for this part of the trip but she has been so busy. So the photos with the * have been borrowed temporarily until ours arrive.

The mosaic is so fun and I got a kick out of the last one in the southeast corner...All the wires are above ground in New England due to freezing ground during the winter. They are a bit of an eyesore while trying to get decent photos.

So that is a wrap for this day. Thought I'd never get it done with a power outage today and then connectivity problems. However, when all that was happening I was with Jim at AT&T getting an iPhone. I didn't want to go there but the day of the dinosaur is over. I swore I wouldn't get one but in a moment of weakness, I caved. Honestly, the things we do to stay connected to our family. They cost us a bloomin' fortune, but they are worth it. If they like texting, well then, I'll commit.

So then, tomorrow Portland, Maine in all its splendor. Stay tuned for the most photographed lighthouse in the world. Thanks to all of you for your wonderful responses to the trip posts. I am so glad you are enjoying them.