Day Six - Heading North to Kennebunkport, Maine

Good morning everyone:
Another beautiful and breezy day in Boston. Lulu and I had a quick lunch at Bloomingdales (some of you may know that Bloomingdales is in the Chestnut Hill Mall...)

Getting out of Boston after purchasing a few "necessities" for Lovely Lulu (and I'm not talking kleenex, but I'm also not talking Federick Fek...), I headed up North on Hwy 95 in my Volvo rental. About 45 minutes along my way, I see a sign "Historic Town of Newburyport". I decide since I am on my own and can do anything I want to do today, to veer onto the exit. It's worth mentioning that if Bill were traveling with me, I know he'd be up for a stop as long as I find him a cozy bench to relax at with his Blackberry or book "How to Increase Laypeople's Participation in the Catholic Church". It was the right decision, as Newburyport is the most delightful harbor town full of brick buildings and streets lined with shops, antique stores, galleries, and restaurants.. each one with window boxes full of flowers spilling over the sides. There was a Labor Day festival going on so lots of live music and food booths. Fun Fun Fun - definately a place to take Lulu when she wants to get outa-town!

Having spent more time than planned in Newburyport, I found a Friendly's for a quick dinner (those of you from NJ will recognize this fine dining establishment) and then headed up north through a teeny bit of New Hampshire, then crossed into Maine. Kennebunkport is just at the very bottom of Maine, and by the time I passed through the village it was 8pm, so it was dark but the stores were still lit (one with a huge
pile of glass pumpkins in the window) and the restaurants busy busy.

I don't want to go any further here without mentioning that I have officially figured out ON MY OWN how to work the GPS in my rental Volvo. Duly noted, if you follow the directions it's not difficult at all (Anne -stop it!)

The week ahead is supposed to be chilly and clear skies, so I'm looking forward to the next few days of R&R, as well as some exploring. I have attached some photos of beautiful Newburyport for your enjoyment!

Did you know: Maine has the largest toothpick manufacturing plant in the entire United States, producing over 20 million toothpicks in a single day! (this will be of particular interest to one of my girlfriends, who shall remain unnamed)

The donut hole maker, earmuffs, power drill and thermostat were all invented in Maine.

Maine has over 5,500 miles of coastline - more than California. The state bird is the Chickadee.

90% of American Lobsters are caught in Maine, and the springs in the western areas of Maine are the main source used to produce bottled water.

Finally, the infamous Appalachian Trail starts in Georgia and ENDS in Maine. I'll be on the lookout for you-know-who...

Day Seven - Beautiful Kennebunkport, Maine

HELLO friends & family:
I woke up in my cozy bed in my good sized baby blue room at The Breakwater Hotel in Kennebunkport, and walked onto my balcony to watch the little fishing boats putt-putt by on their way to find my lobster for dinner. After grumbling with the front desk about the internet not working in my room (the hotel is supposedly wireless), I glumly lugged my laptop down to the dining room and set up shop.

The Breakwater is a wonderful white shingle building, old with a swinging screen door New England-feeling. There are 4 floors with no elevator, but the breakfast is complimentary (however the restaurant - coffee - is not open until 8am), and the staff very nice (even with cranky LA divas).

Today my destination was the town of Kennebunkport so away I went - parking is pretty crazy but I found the one open spot in a lot where the sign said "Paying for Parking is on the Honor System.." I put $2.00 in the little box. There are all kinds of fun shops, ice cream stores, restaurants, and wonderful arts & crafts galleries all over the main drag which is Ocean Avenue. I will confess I found a "must have" glass pumpkin (ONE pumpkin Colleen), and a few this & thats.

There was an unusual store just across the bridge that sells these fantastical wind thing-a-ma-jigs (attached is a photo which will show you what I'm talking about). Bill and I saw the same artist's work
in Sedona, AZ years back, and we thought we should buy one for the backyard, but they are all so beautiful it's impossible to make a decision which to buy (kinda like glass pumpkins). Several months ago we had a pine tree taken out by our pool slide and have been looking for a replacement that won't drop leaves in the pool - I think I have found the perfect solution! Now ---which one? (hmmmm they really do look best clustered in 3's...)

For lunch I stopped into a corner restaurant and ordered up a cup of lobster chowder to start, followed by a lobster roll sandwich, and topped off with a root beer. With re-newed energy I decided to break away from the shopping and take a drive over to the nearby beaches. Unlike ours in LA, these beaches have very wide flat expanses and there are people and dogs everywhere enjoying the day. The water was supposedly unusually warm, but it sure felt freezing COLD to me. A local told me the ocean in Maine is only warm enough to swim in 2 weeks a year, but this year was amazing as it's been warm enough 3 weeks in a row! I took a long walk and took photos of seaweed ... another crafts project in the works.

All over town there are tall colorful street signs (see photo) directing you to this store, or that park. There are also trolleys you can jump on for a tour, and many boats that take you out in the harbor to cruise around looking for whales (which I'm told are plentiful this time of year) and BIG BIG beautiful houses.

Speaking of the later, I decided to take a drive up Ocean Avenue away from town & my hotel to get a look-see at President & Barbara Bush's summer home "Walkers Point". I stopped on the side of the road to take in this beautiful home, compound really as there are maybe 5 or 6 buildings that stretch across this slip of land that juts into the ocean. As I zeroed in with my zoom lense... what do I see - but a black boat trolling behind a motor boat that is pulling up to the dock...I zoom in a bit closer and realize the black boat is secret service detail for the motor boat which has President Bush in it (wearing a red jacket). He hobbled out of his boat, moving slowly and hunched over. He IS 85 or something, right? Anyway, Walkers Point is simply magnificient in every way - the home and it's dramatic location.

Next stop was the Lobster Shack across the road from my hotel, where I indulged in a $22.00 dinner of salad, blueberry cornbread, summer squash, and a 1 1/4 lb. lobster. It was all I could do not to grab a few more chunks of that cornbread for my midnight snack... The menu by the way stated "Lobster is highly nutritious and a dieter's dream - low in fat, calories, and cholesterol...lower than lean ground beef or skinless chicken" Hmmm... maybe I'll have another one tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, on the schedule is a 20 minute drive south to what I am told (by Denni at the office) is the picture-perfect postcard town of Ogunquit. After stopping in a few of the lovely shops, I plan on walking along The Marginal Way, the 1 1/4 mile paved footpath that meanders through the rocky edge of cliffs lining the Bay. I've been so blessed with nice weather - I hope tomorrow continues this trend as I'm charging my camera battery overtime tonight! Bye for now!
Until then...

Day Eight - Ogunquit, Maine

Hi everyone - I woke up to another beautiful & crisp autumn morning, and after my "complimentary" breakfast of the most delicious quiche & right out of the oven coconut muffin, and a quick reading of the Boston Herald to catch up on the news (front page focused on the nonsense about the criticism of President Obama's A+ motivational speech to our school children) I set off for the nearby town of Ogunquit.

Heading south of town, I saw a sign for Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, and turned into the parking lot. Since the light was particularly beautiful this morning, I knew I'd be likely to get some
good photos. (quiz - who is Rachel Carson?)

The refuge stretches along 50 miles of Maine's coastline and was established in 1966"to protect valuable salt marshes and estuaries for migratory birds". The Carson Trail is a one-mile loop that meanders through pine woods and offers beautiful views of expansive, tidal salt marshes. OK, I won't keep you wondering any longer: Rachel Carson was a world-renowned marine biologist who through summering in Southport, Maine as a child, became particularly interested in the beach and it's tide pools. She is famous for having written a book called "Silent Spring" (1962) where she linked the unrestrained use of post-World War II chemical pesticides with fearsome, biological consequences. The government pressured her to abandon her research, but she perservered...and we all can be grateful for that.

Resuming my travels to Ogunquit I thought I would never make it to this lovely little town, as the drive along Route 9 is simply lined with art galleries, and huge barn size antique stores. At the first barn called Antiques on Nine, I literally could have taken out a second mortgage and purchased half the store!! Colleen would still be there...I must say I was in there for well over a couple of hours myself. But as I am in the downsizing stage of life, I had to be disciplined and move on my way - but not without making my souvenir purchases for my neighborhood lady friends!!!

Back I get on the road for another 15 minutes, and I finally enter Ogunquit, which is a town similar to Kennebunkport but smaller...the real attraction here is Perkins Cove and Marginal Way, a mile long scenic cliff-walk that winds its way along the ocean. There are plenty of stone benches for one to rest on to take in the view, read a book, or just relax. At one turn I looked down on the rocky beach and someone had built over 20 tall towers of rocks... I attached a photo. It looked like a fun project and I would have liked to join them! On the one side of Marginal Way is the ocean and on the other side are big private homes. While the ocean is a beautiful scene, I will say that it is a junior cousin to California's Monterey or Big Sur.

During my peaceful walk amongst nature at it's finest, I received a phone call from Bill (who is doing an exceptional job holding down the fort at home I must say) reporting that he took Willie to the ENT and he has a terrible ear infection. For some reason his ear bothered him 2 days ago and he did the smart thing by going next door to Auntie Teresa's for some medical advice, but then yesterday when Cary suggested to take him to Disneyland for the day miraculously his ear was FINE! But alas today it was hurting, so now he is on antibiotics and can't fly back to school until FRIDAY...sooooooo I'm in Maine for another full day on my own. Oh I have a lot planned...but I digress.

After a quick tour of the little Ogunquit Museum of American Art and it's wonderful outdoor sculpture garden (see the tall wooden horse photo ), I drove back to Kennebunkport, but not without stopping for dinner at a homemade ice cream store where I ate 2 scoops of cappuchino crunch in a fresh waffle cone. It was a delicious dinner, and very healthy.

Maybe it was the sugar in the ice cream but I got lost finding my way back to the hotel but ended up fortuitously at Cape Porpoise just as the light over the bay was at it's most dramatic. There were many people relaxing on the deck at restaurant Pier 77, watching the red and
orange sunset. I on the other hand decided I had better get back to the hotel before it was dark and I'd really be lost, so I headed back after getting directions, making one quick stop for a visit at the local Franciscan Monastery which holds outdoor services on Sunday under a stone Madonna lit up with Christmas tree lights.

After coming out of my sugar induced stupor and realizing that an ice cream cone is not a proper dinner after all, I stopped at The Clam Shack where the Bush's longtime chef orders all his seafood (according to the magazine article prominently posted on the door). I felt much better after a basket of fried shrimp and side of cole slaw - forgoing the french fries naturally.

So I arrived back at the hotel safe & sound, and checked in on the home front to see how Griffy's first day of school went at HW as a Junior ("fine...I gotta go"), how Willie was feeling (Anne dropped off Matzo Ball soup), how Lulu was adjusting at BC ("Mom you won't believe it - my psychology teacher looks just like Colleen! She was wearing a fancy black dress, and fancy black shoes, and has lots of blond hair"), how Cary survived a full day at Disneyland with Willie yesterday ("When can we go again?"), how the doggies and kitties were (after a visit from Brad Nelson, the carpet cleaner), and finally how Bill was holding up ("Great!"). I know exactly what my FULL day tomorrow will consist of...a visit to the BIG CITY. What big city? You'll have to log on tomorrow to find out... (but then you would anyway)

Did you know:
Margaret Chase Smith (1897 -1995) the first woman elected to both houses of Congress, was born in Skowhegan, Maine
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (1908 - 1979...and we remember where HE died) former NY Gov & VP of the U.S. was born in Bar Harbor, Maine
Stephen King (1947 - ) writer whose novels often were made into major motion pictures (The Shining, Carrie, Pet Sematary...)
was born in Portland, Maine
Percy Lebaron Spencer (1894 - 1970) inventor of the Microwave oven, was born in Howland, Maine

Day Nine - Portland, Maine

Hello everyone: Today is my last FULL day in Maine, as tomorrow I drive down to Boston to pick up Willie at Logan Airport and we go to Cape Cod to get him settled into his second year of the GROW program at Riverview School. This year his dorm is OFF campus, as is typical with the older students. He's just down the road about 1/2 a mile (and it has a pool!) but they are always on campus or at Cape Cod Community College so it's not that big a deal. In any event, time will tell.

So this morning was glorious and I put on my walking shoes and hiked up the bike path along Ocean Avenue with one side big beautiful stately homes, and the other side the crashing ocean. Many people were out & about, most with their dogs. I would describe the homes as some old and big, and others new and big...but all BIG. Most have wide front porches and upper balconies, and some have "widow walks" on the very top. I attached a few photos.

Today I took a drive to Portland, Maine which is about 45 minutes north. Portland is the largest city in Maine with 64,000 people. It was named the state capital in 1820, but then in 1832 it was switched to Augusta. The city is a pennisula that is surrounded by the Casco Bay, and began as a vibrant fishing and trading village. Interesting to note that in 1851 a law was passed prohibiting the sale of Alcohol, and 18 other states quickly followed. On June 2, 1855 the Portland Rum Riot broke out !!! -not surprising since rum was it's #1 import.

The section of Portland that I visited was the Old Port, one of the country's most successful warehouse revitalization efforts. Apparently in the 1990's this area was in a big decline, as the Maine Indoor Mall was built just over the bridge and drew people away from downtown (I guess I'd rather be inside shopping during a Maine winter!). Luckily the city did not let this area sink into oblivion, and instead developed it into a Soho kind of feel with many art galleries, small shops, children's boutiques, and restaurants. The streets are original graystone brick (a bit hard to walk on), and the buildings are red brick - it's really quite charming. One of the stores though took me aback - it was located next to a quaint garden shop, and was called CONDOM SENSE (www.qualitycondoms.com) EKKKKKK!!! A whole store - I peeked inside...it was kinda packed...

After a quick lunch of chicken curry at a small Indian restuarant ($7.95 buffet all you can eat!) I visited a few wonderful "made by Maine artists" pottery shops - the best in my view was the Edgecomb Potters Gallery. Feeling it was time for a little culture, I walked a few blocks over and took a very quick tour of The Portland Museum of Art. Founded in 1882 it is the largest and oldest art museum in Maine, and is full of Edward Hopper, Andrew Wyeth and Winslow Homer among many other world reknown artists.

After buying a few postcards I headed back to Kennebunkport. Am I glad I visited Portland, Maine? Yes. Would I go again? No. I must say that despite a real effort on behalf of the city government and local chamber of commerce to create a vibrant and happening vibe, the city just has that old, dull and dreary industrial stuck in the past feel. There are so many colleges in the Portland area - Bard, Bowdoin, Bates, and Colby...I think Lulu should be grateful that she has hopping Boston to party in as Portland is just not happening. (Although I am sure this would not matter to Lulu who spends most of her time in the library).

Upon entering Kennebunkport, I stopped by St Ann's Episcopal Church, a beautiful stone church located right on the cliffs overlooking the ocean. What a setting - it was really quite spectacular. There is also an outdoor chapel where the congregation sits on wooden chairs that face the ocean, and the pulpit is situated so that the priest has his back to the ocean. So you are listening to God's word while gazing out at the sparkling ocean and crashing waves. Pretty special! A local told me that "rumor has it young Barbara Bush (age 27) is perched on the edge about to announce her engagement to longtime boyfriend Jay Blount ", and the townsfolk are hoping the wedding will be held here (the stained glass windows are by Tiffany).

Soooo tomorrow's day is pretty much up in the air. My #1 duty is to be at Virgin Airways baggage claim at Logan airport by 7:00pm to meet young Willie. I think Bill is ready for a little R&R this weekend!

Did you know:
Portland is 91% white...there is large Muslim population

The movies The Preacher's Wife and Message in a Bottle were filmed in Portland, Maine

I neglected to mention earlier that another famous person from Portland is Kevin Eastman, co-creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Breaking News!!

Hello Everyone.. Tony Winston here. Cindy wanted me to let everyone know that she is experiencing technical difficulties with her I-Photo program at the moment and cannot add photos to the blog. But she is busy working on solving this glitch so do not despair!!