August 14-15               Maine            

Our journey to Portland, our final destination, was again by US 1.  The day was beautiful and the traffic was light.  We enjoyed passing through the charming small towns along our route.

We were amazed by the huge port on the outskirts of Portland with its myriad of equipment and facilities ready to serve the large ships docked there.  The nearby downtown area was pristine and we easily found our hotel, the Hilton Canopy.  Again, Pretzel was warmly greeted and provided with a special bed, food dishes and a toy.  The room was spacious, modern and convenient to the waterfront and the old town area.

After a long nap, we walked down the street, perused the shops and found a lovely restaurant on one of the cobblestoned streets.  Vis Vecchio was crowded but graciously found us a great table.  Fried artichokes were our appetizer followed by salads and delicious seafood entrees.  We would recommend this place to others.

We returned to the hotel and visited their rooftop bar for drinks and desserts.  As it was dark, our view was limited but it was fun to experience the ambiance.

Rain began as we exited the hotel the following morning so David took me to the entrance of the Portland Art Museum.  It was a delight to once again see their collection of art and artifacts.  Their Impressionist paintings included works by Monet, Renoir, Pissarro and Cezanne.  N.C. Wyeth was well represented by several scenes of Maine.

Our trip home initially was in heavy rain but after an hour, we saw the sun.  We chose to stay on Interstate 95 all the distance to Wickford, hoping to avoid heavy traffic.  Once again, the area near Boston became very congested.  Too many people and too many cars!  We safely arrived at the boat about 5:30. We had traveled more than 700 miles on this trip.  Too weary to unpack everything, we collapsed on the sofa for a long nap.  Good to be home!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August 12-13                                           Maine      

Soon we were in familiar territory as we reached Ellsworth and began the long drive to Acadia National Park.  This was a route we had travelled many times during our five years stay in Southwest Harbor.  We chose not to stay in Bar Harbor but found a small, pet-friendly accommodation in Northeast Harbor.  The rooms were recently remodeled but basic.  The location was great for our visit to familiar haunts.

We went into Bar Harbor to dine at a new French restaurant, Le Brun.  David had an appetizer of foie gras and I enjoyed a delicious mushroom tart.  The pomme frites were small and crisp just like the ones we loved in Paris. The following day, we returned to Bar Harbor and joined the crowds walking on Main Street.  Cruise ships come daily and offload more than two thousand people who are eager to experience Maine.  My favorite book store was thriving but my beloved Christmas shop was gone.

A visit to Southwest Harbor brought happy memories of our years docked at the marina.  Micah, the dockmaster gave us a warm greeting and we learned Jonah, his son would soon be graduating from Maine Maritime Academy.  We were fond of Jonah who often helped and became a basketball buddy to Tripp Galier when he and his parents visited us. Southwest Harbor’s quaint little library, one of my favorite places, was still the same as was Beal’s Lobster Pier, another great memory.

Dinner was at Copita, a new upscale restaurant in Northeast Harbor.  Located in a converted storefront, the décor was basic but the food was outstanding.  We lingered over dessert and people-watched.  Northeast Harbor is noted for its affluent and sometimes famous residents.  We recognized no one.

Leaving Acadia, we passed lines of cars parked on the side of the road by hikers who were taking advantage of the many exceptional trails thorough the woods.  Bicyclists were heading for the lovely carriage roads that go for many miles through the park.  Built by the generosity of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in the 1930’s to facilitate his love of carriage driving, the roads are a marvel of design and beauty.

 

 

 

August 2-11                    Maine

The weather was lovely, our projects on the boat were completed and we were eager to start our motor trip to Maine; therefore, we left a day earlier than planned.  David is an excellent driver who stays relaxed and patient despite the circumstances (although he will occasionally have an uncouth word for a reckless driver who crosses his path).

Our challenge in planning our trip was to find accommodations that allowed pets.  We had decided to take Pretzel with us.  August is a busy month in Maine for tourists so we were limited in our choices.

 Although we had chosen to take the loop around Boston, we encountered heavy traffic for more than an hour.  We finally were able to leave the interstate for the more picturesque and interesting US 1. We enjoyed Bath and Wiscasset, lovely places with many large older homes and antique stores.

 Our first stop was Rockland, Maine.  We were fortunate to have a lovely room at the Rockland Talbot House, a restored nineteenth century mansion.  Dinner was at Primo, a beautiful restaurant that was highly recommended.  The chef, Melissa Kelly, had twice won the James Beard award.  We were not disappointed—food and service were exceptional.

The following day, I visited the Farnsworth Art Museum and was once again thrilled to see their small but select collection of Maine scenes and artists.  My favorite was a painting by Will Barnet of women looking out to the sea.  We own three lithographs of his paintings which are displayed in our home.

Our next stop was Camden where we stayed at the lovely Lord Camden Inn located in the busy downtown area.  They greeted Pretzel with a sign in the lobby, a special bed in our room and treats.  Camden is noted for being one of the most beautiful towns in Maine and it has many lovely shops and restaurants.  We chose Sea Dog, a casual place for dinner (they allowed pets) for delicious steamed clams.

Driving northward, we were always near the water (Maine has the largest coastline of any state because of numerous inlets).  After passing Bristol (another lovely town) and Searsport, we suddenly encountered the magnificent Penobscot Narrows Bridge.  It is truly awesome.  Although designed by local engineers, it resembles bridges by Santiago Calatrava, the noted Spanish architect.

 

 

July 15-August 1                   North Kingstown Rhode Island

Summer in Rhode Island is beach time, The state has large lovely white sand beaches with wonderful conveniences, changing facilities, concessions, lifeguards, and close parking.  Smaller and more private beaches lack those conveniences but are perfect for the lazy sunbather or for intimate family outings.  We enjoyed going with Maria to Moonstone Beach and join in her quest for small stones washed ashore with the tide.  Maria needs 700 stones for her current craft project.  The waves were crashing onto the beach and it was delightful to walk in the surf.

We have enjoyed dining with Maria and John (steaks on the boat) and with Cecil and Bob, our neighbors.  We joined the latter at Circe, a lovely restaurant on the grounds of East Greenwich Country Club.  We watched the flocks of Canadian geese stroll on the greens.  The food and service were exceptional as was the conversation.  We enjoyed having the opportunity to learn about our neighbors’ life in California and their boating adventures.

Jill, our boating friend who lives in Canton, came for lunch at Matunuck Oyster Bar.  Since Jerry’s demise in October, she has made an amazing and positive change in her life.  She credits much of this to her new acquisition, a large Tuxedo male cat which fills het life with joy.  She came to the boat with beautiful flowers and wine to celebrate our soon to be 70^th wedding anniversary (and then treated us to lunch).

Three hot (90 degrees) days have kept us inside the boat with the AC going full time.  Lots of time to watch the Olympics, read and nap.  BORING.  Looking forward to our road trip to Maine next week.