June 29-July 4                              Southwest Harbor, Maine

We were pleased Winn adapted so quickly to the boat.  He readily mastered the stairs going below and was soon happily exploring from bow to stern.  He never tried to venture alone out of open doors onto the deck.  On a rainy, cold day when we were kept inside, he was easily placated by toys and TV.  We enjoyed watching his antics and listening to his inquiries.  He especially loved walking the three blocks into town and getting ice cream cones and playing in the park.

A new experience for all of us was a visit to the Classic Car Museum in Seal Cove.  Formed from the private collection of Robert Cushing Paine, a wealthy Bostonian who loved this area, the small museum of mostly Victorian era automobiles is one of the finest we have seen.  Magnificent touring cars, sporty convertibles, wooden trucks and buses, and splendid prototypes of vehicles that had limited production were on display.  Staffed by volunteers, the modest entrance fee supports youth projects on MDI.

Friday was a gorgeous day and we were fortunate to have reservations for a two-hour tour of “Mr. Rockefeller’s Roads,” For more than twenty-six years, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. employed 300 men from the area to build carriage roads and bridges on his considerable property.  As part of this time was during the Depression when employment was scarce, he endeared himself to MDI residents.  Since those early times, the family has steadily donated land to Acadia National Park (a recent gift on the occasion of David Rockefeller’s 100^th birthday was 1,000 acres of some of their most pristine and scenic property.)  The carriage roads are open to horses, bikers, hikers, and, of course, carriages.  We rode behind a lovely team of horses as we explored the interior of the park without distraction from automobiles.  Winn quickly tired of the experience but remained patient. 

Blake takes great delight in his son, watches him carefully, and never shows any frustration with his very active two-year old.  Winn is a loving child and always open for new experiences.  We had a wonderful week with them.  

Blake was very helpful in setting up David’s new phone and completing some small projects.  Most of all, they were both great company.  Their departure on the Fourth of July seemed much too soon.  We were pleased they arrived in Fort Worth in time to see the fireworks from Stephanie and Joe’s place overlooking downtown and the Trinity River.

We watched three firework displays (mostly simultaneously) from the bridge of our boat.  This required some seat shifting and neck craning but it was worth it!  For more than thirty minutes, a spectacular display of brilliant colors exploded above us.