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Friday, October 17, 2008

Maine


Our second night we stayed in the coolest hotel in South Portland, called the Wyndham. We were on the seventh floor, and had an amazing view of the mall across the street. Marc just about fainted when he opened the curtains to find that the entire outside wall was all window.

The rooms in this place were very comfortable and clean. The cylindrical pillows even had "Be Well" embroidered on them. I think this was our favorite hotel, by far.

Right outside our hotel, we noticed this box van-turned-truck across the intersection from us. Isn't that awesome?!


This is the Two Rivers Lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. We enjoyed the most incredible lobster dinner just next to this lighthouse at The Lobster Shack.

The other view from the Lobster Shack:

For some reason that I can't recall, I have always dreamed of eating a lobster on the coast of Maine. I couldn't have asked for anything more perfect than this setting - we were literally on the coast of Maine, eating a lobster that had probably just been caught that day. We were lucky enough to enjoy this lobster meal with the Lawsons, who were instructing me every step of the way how to eat a lobster. If they had told me to chomp down on the outer shell, I seriously would have followed their lead. I LOVED it! This was one of my most favorite moments from this trip, especially since we were able to connect with another couple who has recently experienced their own loss. It's incredible the immediate bond you feel with others who have experienced similar things in life.


Later on that same night, after we got back to our hotel, we decided to go out for ice cream. When the waitress came to get our order, I swear that she said, "Can I put coffee in your water?" We didn't even have any water yet, so I didn't know how to answer her. After repeating herself two more times, I finally understood that she was asking if we wanting coffee, tea or water. I'm sure she was laughing behind our backs at our crazy Western accents, just like we were amused with her thick New England accent. Once our ice cream came, Marc was disgusted to find a half eaten cherry on top of his Strawberry Shortcake Sundae. Weird. So, they made him something new.

Here are some of the cobblestone streets in Old Port - in downtown Portland.


We found a deli for lunch. I ordered a Turkey BLT... only, they forgot to put the bacon on the sandwich. My first thought, though, was that maybe the "B" means something else to people back East. So, I let the waitress know and they had just forgotten to put it on. I was happy to learn that BLT means the same anywhere you go in the States.

We climbed to the top of Bradbury Mountain, to enjoy this awesome view of Maine! Isn't it gorgeous?!







This is just outside of Augusta, Maine. 





Massachusetts


In downtown Boston, our first stop was to snap a shot of the Cheers restaurant... or at least some sign that makes you think you're at the real thing. Who knows.

Then, we started down the Freedom Trail, which weaves you through downtown Boston for about three miles, to see many of the historical sites of the city. 

Here is the supposed burial of Benjamin Franklin:


Some other sites of the city... don't remember what they are, though:





This was the North End of Boston, which is basically a Little Italy! It was cool to wander in and out of little Italian stores, finding all kinds of REAL Italian products... like, PANNA... my favorite!

Statue of Paul Revere:

The Bunker Hill Monument from a distance:



This is me with my jelly-legs after climbing up the 294 steps of the Bunker Hill Monument, and then back down. Can you believe I forgot to take my camera up there with me? I almost went back up a second time, just to get some photos of the view. Almost. My legs probably would have collapsed under me at some point going up or coming back down. 



We were so happy that we were able to make it to the Boston Temple. It had the most gorgeous stained glass in shades of blue. It was beautiful!







We were able to meet up with one of my childhood friends, Christine, and her husband Ross. We enjoyed their company and had some good laughs with them. They are both incredible musicians, and we had hoped to attend one of their gigs while we were in Boston, but that didn't work out this time. If you're interested, you can check out Christine's first solo album here. I was excited to hear that she'll have her next CD out next summer. We were so happy to meet up with her and Ross! It was the perfect way to end our stay in Boston.

Rhode Island


On our last afternoon, we decided to finish off our trip with a quick road trip to see more of the countryside of New England. We found some awesome views that afternoon, stopping along the side of the road, and taking little detours that looked inviting. It was wonderful to do some exploring... and perhaps a little dreaming of living in some of these houses found along the way. I don't think there is much more to say about these photos... Rhode Island was just so beautiful! 

































Connecticut


Our drive through Connecticut was very brief, but we did find this view from a mobile home park. It was spectacular!










I love photos of pathways...  imagining all the adventures that await the curious traveler.

I know this photo is blurry, but it's meant to be of the moon... it was such a beautiful evening.

You wouldn't believe the beautiful view that is on the other side of this lady's very large SUV... sorry you missed it.