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.