Trip Closeout

We really enjoyed our time in Maine.  The scenery was amazing, the campgrounds were great, and we ate lots of good food! 

The gem of the trip turned out to be Boothbay Harbor.  And we almost didn't go there - thank goodness that during my trip research I found it and then when the time came to pick a place, I remembered it and found a place to camp with no advance notice. Otherwise, the trip wouldn't have been the same.  It had a great small town feel, great places to eat, and the lobster - delicious!  We can't wait to go back there and spend more time.  Heck, I'm ready to buy a condo there!

We liked Acadia, but I think it would be better in the fall when the crowds are lighter.  It's a small national park, so when the people pour in, you definitely notice.

If we had it to do all over again, we'd probably have spent more time around Rockport and Marblehead and a day or two less in Old Orchard Beach.  And a day in Portland would have been nice, too.  I think both Jeff and I would agree that a car is a necessity when camping in New England if you want to check out places off the beaten path, like Kennebunkport, where there is no RV parking.

My memories of the trip will be the scenery and the food.  The waves crashing on the rocks in Acadia, the trees on the coastline, the New England churches, and the harbor towns.  And I have to say it again, the lobster!  I loved getting lobster in Boothbay Harbor, fresh from the fishermen.  The lobster club, the lobster roll, and steamed lobsters with corn.  And the homemade ice cream in Boothbay Harbor - the Maine blueberry ice cream was divine.

I'd highly recommend the trip, and look forward to doing it again in the years to come.  Now to start planning our next adventure...

Henry's Vacation Thoughts

My favorite parts of the vacation were:

Boothbay Harbor. I liked everything there. I liked the ice cream and the boat rides although the whale watching one made me seasick. The vanilla milkshake was really good.

Acadia. I thought Thunder Hole was great and I liked our tour bus driver Dick Fox. I liked the boat tour on the catamaran.

Bayley's Campground. I liked riding banana bikes, swimming in the pool and miniature golf. I bought a football and liked playing catch in the pool with Dad.

I liked the pier at Old Orchard Beach, the Dairy Queen and the rides. I liked driving the bumper car.

It was cool to stand on the spot where Paul Revere, William Dawes and Dr. Prescott met up during their midnight run, and where Revere was captured.

I liked eating lobster and whoopie pies. Mom let me crack the claws on the lobster.

I liked climbing the rocks at the Bar Harbor campground and looking for sea creatures in the tidepools at the Maine State Aquarium.

Dinner and a Movie

The good news is that the rain didn't kill our fire, and once it stopped, we added dry wood and got it roaring.

I wrapped the garlic bread in numerous layers of aluminum foil and laid it on a piece of wood that was surrounded by fire. It didn't come out perfectly baked, but it was good enough.

The spaghetti and meatballs made for a good dinner. I packed a bag of frozen Ikea meatballs in the freezer, and I have to say, they're pretty easy to work with - either doing the Swedish version or in spaghetti sauce. I'll definitely be packing those again.

We introduced the kids to the tv show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" with Drew Carey and other comics and they loved it. They didn't understand all of it (and neither Jeff nor I were ready to volunteer explaining what "porn" was) but they liked the adlibbing and nuttiness of it. The kids didn't ask any questions, unlike earlier in the trip when, while watching golf on ESPN, Henry asked why you should have your heart checked before having sex. (And fortunately for me, didn't ask what sex was.) I was cooking and shrugged it off - and Jeff owes me for not saying: "go ask your father." Thank you ESPN and Viagra commercials.

I brought two books along for the trip, a bargain book I picked up at Barnes and Noble and "My Life in Paris" by Julia Child and Alex Prud'homme. I liked the Child book, and it made me want to pick up one of her cookbooks and learn how to make a proper French omelet and roast chicken. As for the aspic, terrines and certain fish dishes, I think I'll pass.

After the kids and Jeff fell asleep, I put the "Julia and Julie" DVD in the tv and watched a movie in bed. The movie is partly based on the book, so I thought it might be fun to watch. I liked the movie and thought Meryl Streep did a great job playing Julia Child.

We agreed before going to bed that we would hit the road at 8:00 a.m., and we held pretty close to that. Jeff was up first and packed up everything on the outside and disconnected the water, electric and sewer hoses. So as not to mess up the kitchen, we picked up pancakes at the campground cafe. KOA campgrounds often have very good pancake breakfasts and the kids like to take advantage of them whenever they can.

It was an uneventful drive home. Since we were on Route 287 near my parents' house, we dropped in for a quick visit. By 10:30 a.m., we were back on the road and were home by 3:30 p.m. after hitting a little traffic the closer we got to home.

It was a nice vacation. As always, we wish we had more time, but there's always the opportunity for another trip.

And So It Goes

We thought the storm had blown away, and it sure was sunny on our walk to the camp store to get supplies. But just minutes after I started our campfire, the rain started. First it was a drizzle, but now it's fairly steady. Jeff and the kids are still out there, watching tv under the awning, while my fire fights to stay alive under the onslaught of rain drops. I have a feeling they'll be inside soon.

I planned to cook the spaghetti and meatballs on the propane stove, but with the rain, I moved indoors. Now I'm consternated on how I will heat the garlic bread since the oven isn't too reliable and my fire is probably doomed.

Rain and Rest

We woke to a cloudy and humid morning here in Plattekill, NY.  The weather reports threatened thunderstorms today, so we covered the kids favorite activities into the morning:  miniature golf and pool.  I skipped the pool since it was pretty chilly.

I made chicken quesadillas for lunch in the RV since it was sticky outside, and because of the rain last night and impending rain, we hadn't unpacked anything.  They were a huge hit.

Jeff took the kids up to the campground cafe for snow cones while I tinkered on my computer.  When they came back, they reported that the thunderstorm was indeed on its way and we should hunker down.  In a few minutes, the lightning and thunder started and the wind picked up.  It wasn't too bad, and we all had things to to in the RV.  Jeff and Ruth watched a Star Wars movie, Henry read a book, and I played Freecell on my laptop.

It was nice to relax and just hang out. 

A second storm blew through, and this one was interesting because about halfway through, the sun came out.  We could see the sunlight reflecting off the tree and bush leaves while the rain fell and thunder grumbled.

Now the sun is out, and we're getting ready to walk up to the camp store to pick up some firewood for a campfire tonight.  Dinner will be a salad, spaghetti and meatballs and garlic bread, and roasted marshmallows for dessert.

From Minutemen to a New York State of Mind

We're in rainy Plattekill, NY. Where's Plattekill, you might ask. It's just north of Newburgh, NY, in the Hudson River Valley just a few miles from I-87.

We left Old Orchard Beach this morning, and headed to Minuteman National Historic Park in Concord, Massachusetts. Henry asked to go visit the place where the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired, and I'm always up for visiting a spot important in American history.

The park covers the township of Concord over to Lexington. Following the address the park gave on its website, we started our tour at the North Bridge, where the first British troops were killed by the colonists. There is a Minuteman statue that was erected to note the spot where shots were fired, and a man in a British solider costume stands near the graves of the fallen British soldiers. The Park Service has rebuilt the bridge the British walked over to look as it might have in April 1775.

Wed then drove the route the local militias and the British "regulars" walked and fought as they headed east, back toward Boston. We learned while watching a great educational presentation at the main Minuteman NHP Visitor Center that while Lexington and Concord was where the fighting started, the worst of the fighting happened along the Bay Road as the soldiers and militiamen headed east.

We also visited the spot where Paul Revere was captured. He was eventually released, but the British kept his horse. Henry wanted to touch the spot where Revere was, and posed for a picture.

Henry earned his Junior Ranger badge at the park, adding to his growing badge collection.
Here's a slideshow of some of the pictures from our visit:



It was getting late, so we went back to the RV to head to our final destination for the day, the KOA campground near Newburgh, New York. The campground has a pool, miniature golf and a jumping pillow (think moon bounce with no roof or walls), so we knew the kids would enjoy it. Jeff needs to get some work done, so he'll be happy with the wifi connection. I'm hoping to go visit one of the local farmers markets - the campground newsletter says there's two big ones near here.

Since it was raining and outdoor cooking was out of the question, I cooked up some ground turkey with chili seasoning and we had tacos. I had made a blueberry crisp with blueberries we picked up in Maine, but we had trouble with the RV oven - the pilot light kept going out. The crisp wasn't so crispy, although the blueberries cooked through and got juicy. Almost there...

OOB: Beach, Arcade, Rides and Food

Old Orchard Beach is a smaller version of Point Pleasant, NJ or Ocean City, Maryland. It's quieter too, which I liked.

Instead of a boardwalk, Old Orchard Beach has a long pier that juts out into the ocean. I heard the trolley driver say that it used to be much longer, but part of it got washed away during a storm and they just left it as it was. The Pier has some games, souvenir shops and places to eat. We at at the end of the pier the first day we went - it was okay, but not great. Henry's steak sandwich was very good. Ruth and I split a sampler plate with onion rings, chicken fingers, chicken wings, fries and mozzarella sticks, and Jeff had a burger. I also took the opportunity to have a glass of Shipyard's Summer Ale - very good.

We took the campground trolley down to Old Orchard Beach (hereon called OOB) three times during our stay. We only went on the beach once - in addition to the water being ice cold, it was absolutely packed. The kids were more interested in the arcade, food and rides, so that helped not only keep the visits to a reasonable length, but also reduced the issue of getting the sand out and putting on dry clothes to walk around afterward.

No matter what state you're in, if there's a beach, you will find walk-up windows with pizza, steak sandwiches, hand cut fries, real lemonade, fudge and ice cream. OOB did not disappoint, and even added one of my favorite treats from my hometown church carnival: fried dough. Imagine pizza dough stretched out into a circle and then tossed in hot oil. It comes out crispy and chewy, and is topped with powdered sugar. Here in Maine, their twist on it is as soon as they pull it out of the oil, they brush it with butter and then sprinkle it with powdered sugar and cinnamon. It sounded delicious, but I went with powdered sugar only. I had to share it with Henry because his eyes bulged out of his head when he saw it.

One other thing we saw at OOB was advertisements for "poutine," but we didn't try that. French fries and cheese curds covered in brown gravy - not my cup of tea. It's a favorite of the Canadians, and they can have it.

The second day, Ruth and I sampled pizza at Rocco's Pizza, which we both thought was delicious. Henry gave it a third thumbs up. We violated the "try local" mantra for ice cream, and visited Dairy Queen a few times.

I also found a small candy store next door and the owners asked me to sample their new recipe for Sea Salt Fudge that they were trying to finalize. They were inspired by the salted caramel craze currently underway. Earlier recipes had been to salty, but I thought the one I tried was fabulous, and they agreed. It's not quite a chocolate covered pretzel, but it was delicious. I might have to make some at home when we get back.

They also recommended their s'more, which was a two graham crackers filled with marshmallow cream, dipped in wonderful chocolate. I picked up two and we all loved them.

On our last visit to OOB, Ruth wanted to try Bill's Pizza, whose claim to fame was being in operation since 1949. My friend Jay from Portland had recommended it. Jeff took her to get a slice and he got one too. Jeff proclaimed it the best pizza he's ever eaten. Ruth loved it too. Well, with a comment like that, Henry and I had to give it a try. Henry liked it alot, but I didn't love it. I thought Rocco's Pizza was better, and Manville Pizza is still my all time favorite.

Well, that's enough about food.

The kids enjoyed the arcade, where we played some skeeball, basketball, and then finally a game where you aim your quarter in a chute and try to land it on a strip of tickets with varying values from 25 to 125. It turned out to a be a great way to accumulate tickets. In total, we ended up with about 2200 points.



The rides at OOB are the standard boardwalk/fair type. The kids asked to ride the bumper cars, which they had never done before, and they LOVED it. I drove Ruth the first time and we cruised around and slammed into Henry a few times. Another day, she rode with Henry and they had a ball. They also liked a rollercoaster-like ride they call the Dragon, and the tall, wavy slide that you go down on a sack. Lastly, Ruth wanted to ride the carousel, one of her favorites.

Due to communications error between Jeff and I (I assumed that when I gave them to him that he would put them in his wallet, but he didn't), we left the arcade tickets in the RV on our last day, so if anyone is headed to OOB in the future, let us know and you can have our tickets.

Portland Head Light

My friend Jay had recommended that we go check out the Portland Head Light, one of the most photographed lighthouses - if not the most - on the east coast.  It was an easy drive from the campground, and he told us there would be plenty of parking for the RV.

It was a sunny day and perfect weather.  Not too hot, but warm with a nice breeze since we were close to the ocean.

The lighthouse is marvelous - white, with a red roof and black trim around the light.  Down below, waves crash on the rocks and seagulls fly up above.

After checking out the lighthouse, we took a walk along a cliff path with beautiful views of the shore and then down to a beach.  We all searched for treasures.  Both Henry and I found sea glass and I found some shells, while Ruth and Jeff found some shells as well.

Afterward, Henry, Ruth and I built a sculpture of sorts with the rocks on the beach after seeing some that other beachcombers had built. 

Then we headed back to the RV and fixed ourselves lunch.  It was a buffet of sorts:  we picked our way through crackers, kielbasa, cheese, grapes, cherries, peanut butter sandwiches, apples and drinks. Bellies full, Jeff started the RV and we headed back to the campground.

Dinner with a Friend

Back during a job I had in the 90's, I traveled to Portland, Maine for business.  We had a local consultant in Portland, who still lives there.  I hadn't seen him since 1998, but thanks to Facebook, we've reconnected and arranged to meet in Old Orchard Beach. 

Jay recommended the Clambake Restaurant in Scarborough, Maine, noting it was an Old Orchard Beach institution.

We had to drive there in the RV, and found a place to park it across the street.

The Clambake is set up so that you wait in line to place your order at the counter and then go find a seat.  Then when your number is called, you go pick up the food and bring it to your table.  They also have a salad bar where you serve yourself.  It's a pretty big place, and has a nice view of the marsh behind the restaurant.

Ruth ordered her favorite, fried shrimp and Henry, our landlubber, ordered a grilled cheese and asked to share some lobster with me.  Jeff went for a steak with lobster tail, and knowing I would be sharing, I ordered the twin lobster dinner.  Two lobsters!!!!

The food was delicious, with the only problem being that they forgot to give Jeff his lobster tail, which he didn't notice until he got to the table and unloaded the tray.  When he went back, because they had taken his receipt when he got the tray, he had no proof that he ordered a lobster tail or that he didn't already get it and was just trying to scam another.  I guess people try to pull that kind of stuff.  I gave Jeff one of my lobster tails, so it was good I ordered two lobsters after all.

It was great to reconnect with Jay and learn about his bike race across the state of Maine.  It's a fundraising effort to raise money for a medical cause, and is about 180 miles across the state.

It's great when a vacation also helps you meet up with old friends and colleagues.

Beach Day!

We had a leisurely morning today. Jeff did his P90X workout and I made some blueberry pancakes (plain for Henry).

Then we took the trolley to the beach to check it out. We're just a half mile from a beach, but about a mile and a half from Old Orchard Beach, which has a pier with pizza places, ice cream shops, an arcade and rides. We didn't tell the kids about the pier and amusements, so they whined about going to the beach today. They wanted to stay at the campground and go to the pool and play miniature golf.

But when we said we were going to the beach, they reluctantly agreed to come along. It was worth it to see the looks on their faces when they saw the ferris wheel and Dairy Queen. There were squeals of delight.

It was sunny, but chilly, so even the lifeguards were wearing sweats up on the stand. The kids were unfazed by this and went right in the water, which was also cold. They had a ball playing in the waves.

After a bit, we went up on the pier and had lunch. The pier juts out into the water, which gives you a great view while you eat.

Then it was on to the arcade to play some skee ball. We all took turns, and the kids were reminded that it's harder in real life than it is on the game on my iPod.

After a stop at Dairy Queen, we headed back to the trolley stop to go back to the campground. The kids jammed pool time, miniature golf and banana bike riding into the rest of the afternoon, and then we had burgers and chips for dinner.

The mosquitoes are worse here than anywhere else on our trip. I have some citronella candles, lots of bug spray, the new Off fan things and mosquito coils. Yesterday, even with the candles, Jeff and the kids got eaten alive while playing Uno. Tonight, while I was sitting at the fire pit reading my Julia Child book, mosquito fan hooked to the chair, bug spray all over me, two citronella candles near my feet, I looked up and saw a swarm of bugs flying overhead. Eww..... When the light got too dim, I headed in to read some more and write this post.

All in all, I think the kids would say they had a fine day.

Old Orchard Beach and Bayley's Camping Resort

We said goodbye to the Bar Harbor KOA this morning and headed west, then south, down to Old Orchard Beach, Maine. We made our way over to 95 South around Bangor, which looked like a nice little city.

Unlike Route 1, 95 is pretty boring because you don't pass through little towns or along the coast. But the benefit and reason we chose 95 was to get to our day's final destination in Old Orchard Beach around lunchtime.

Aside from some construction, it was a non-eventful drive. We stopped at a grocery store for a few things and then went next door to a sub shop to pick up lunch. Twenty minutes later, we were at the campground, and a huge campground it is. The last one we were at might have had 80 campsites. This one has hundreds, plus three pools and three or four hot tubs. They have activities scheduled throughout the day, from t-shirt painting to jewelry making to karaoke. And as if that wasn't enough, there's also mini golf, bike and kayak rentals and a trolley that takes you to the beach, about a half mile away.

The kids are pretty excited about being here - they missed having a swimming pool. After setting up, we all went down to the pool for a swim. The pool is heated, but it's not that warm. Refreshing would be the positive spin on it.

For dinner, I threw some burgers on the grill and made a shrimp boil with local corn. For once, we made it through a day without ice cream.

Tomorrow we think we'll venture to the beach in the morning to see what it's like, and then spend the afternoon back at the campground relaxing.

Technology is a Wonderful Thing

Jeff has turned the RV into a wireless hotspot so he can work from anywhere we are on the road, and today I'm testing it out.  I'm writing from the front seat of the RV as we head south on Interstate 295 in Maine, on our way to Old Orchard Beach.  Pretty cool.

Jack Sighting

We’re often amazed at the capabilities of Henry’s brain. He can never seem to remember where he left his shoes, and then one day he’ll point out some piece of history from a trip two years ago.


Yesterday at the campground, he swore he saw he saw someone from Ruth’s class riding their bike through the campground. He even said he had seen the boy wear that shirt at school.

So the next time the boy rode by, we yelled “Jack!” and he looked over at us. Yup, it was Jack from Ruth’s class. Go figure – we come all the way up to Maine and meet someone from home.

Henry and Ruth played with him for a bit, and then they went down to the beach to show him the crabs in the tidepool. This morning, he came by to say hi as we were packing up to head south. He was leaving today too, on his way to New Hampshire.

Our Last Dinner in Bar Harbor

Seeing the cruise ship in Bar Harbor, we knew it would be best to skip going into Bar Harbor today. 

When we picked up the firewood and ice at the camp store, we saw the sign for lobster dinners right here at the campground.  We had seen the big red lobster in the distance toward the middle of the campground, but hadn't gone by there.

Turns out that for $36, we could get two nice sized lobsters, two ears of corn and cole slaw cooked to order and ready to be brought back to our campsite. 

So I built a charcoal fire in the firepit to grill steaks for the kids and Jeff put in an order for a lobster dinner for us, plus two extra ears of corn.  I also boiled some red potatoes for Jeff and I and microwaved some mashed potatoes for the kids, who have just started taking a liking to them.

The lobster dinner was delicious, and better than the last meal we ate in Bar Harbor.  I wish we had thought of this sooner - it was delicious!  The kids got into the lobster cracking business too - They each took turns cracking a claw.

Acadia, Part Two: Hot and Crowded

Tonight's Campfire

I'm writing from the dry comfort of our RV, while outside the rain is falling.  Can't beat it when it's sunny all day and then rains at night, although I was enjoying the fire until the rain started falling.

Today we decided to take the bus to Acadia and check out some of the places we didn't stop yesterday.  Apparently, so did everyone else in the Bar Harbor area.  We should have taken it as a bad sign when we saw the huge cruise ship in the harbor on the way to our first stop at Sand Beach.  Shortly after we saw the cruise ship, the traffic started.  Cars everywhere.  A cop directing traffic.  The bus was 10 minutes behind schedule because of a traffic jam. Where did all these people come from????

I remember looking at Sand Beach from Thunder Hole yesterday.  It was practically empty.  Today, it was like Seaside Heights Beach in New Jersey on an August weekend - packed.  There were people everywhere.  Even in the water, despite the water temperature being around 55 degrees!  Jeff and I decided they were probably all Canadians who thought 55 was balmy.

The kids and I took our shoes off and walked along the shoreline.  The water was cold, but refreshing because it was pretty warm out.  Jeff got caught by an unexpected wave and got his sneakers soaked.  The bus was due in 30 minutes, so we didn't stay long.  If it wasn't so crowded, we might have hung out longer, but this wasn't our idea of time well spent in a national park.

The tide was high, so I'm sure Thunder Hole was pretty active, but we skipped that stop because of the crowds and headed toward Jordan Pond.  There was no fog today, and we noted that today would have been a better day for both the bus tour and the boat tour of the area.  But what can you do...

We saw hikers at the top of Champlain Mountain and people rappelling down other mountains.  The waves were crashing upon the granite coast and the sky was clear blue and it was gorgeous.  We just couldn't stop anywhere to enjoy it.

Our next stop was Jordan Pond.  We were hungry, and there's a restaurant there that is famous for its popovers.  I wasn't sure what the kids would eat there, but to be honest, I didn't really care.  Popovers!

Even though there were people everywhere, the wait was only 20 minutes for first available, indoors or out.  Most people wanted outside, but we didn't care.  We got a great table inside with a view of the lake, which was great.

I ordered the lobster salad, keeping with my all lobster, all the time mantra.  Jeff ordered a panini sandwich, as did Henry.  Ruth, what a shocker - went for macaroni and cheese.  Jeff ordered strawberry lemonade and Ruth ordered raspberry lemonade - fresh squeezed.  When the drinks came, the lemonades came with little cups of simple syrup to sweeten the drink to your liking.  Nice touch.  I used some for my iced tea.

And then the popovers came.  Henry's eyes went huge.  I had told them what popovers were to get them excited for the restaurant.  They were not disappointed.  We only wish there were more of them.  I might have to look for a recipe when I get home...

We capped off lunch with ice cream for the kids and a wild Maine blueberry crisp with ice cream for Jeff and I to split.  It was delicious.

Bellies full, we got back on the bus and decided that we had enough with the crowds and were going home.  We saw Bubble Rock from the bus, and ditched the idea of getting out to hike up to see it.  Too hot and too many people.  And lunch had made us sleepy.

We rode back to the Visitor Center and picked up the bus back to the campground.  We got back around 3:00 p.m.  The kids and I went down to the beach to explore and Jeff got on his computer and did some work.  Gotta pay for the trip somehow...

We found snails and some glass that wasn't quite seaglass, and met up with a family that had found starfish and some crabs.  The kids enjoyed seeing them in the tidepool. It was a nice, quiet ending to a bit of a hectic, crowded day.

Acadia

Today we saw Acadia National Park by land and by sea.  We also saw lots of fog, and a bit of rain.  I've loaded a bunch of pictures into the slide show.

We all woke up very early:  5:33 a.m. for Jeff, shortly followed by me, and Henry at 6:45.  Painful.  The weather is great - cool and breezy, but we just didn't have a good night's sleep.

But getting up early had its advantages, which included getting ready without having to push and prod the kids to get moving.  They had time to get moving.

We were on the 8:05 a.m. bus to Bar Harbor to catch our bus tour of Acadia.  We got there in time to grab bagels and sit down to watch the bay before we had to get on the bus.  The bus tour was 2.5 hours, and perfect for a family who didn't want to lug their RV through the park.  We knew it meant we wouldn't be able to stop whenever we wanted and would limit our stops, but it was worth it for the history of bar Harbor and Acadia and bits of information we picked up along the way. 

After the rain went out to sea, the fog came in.  The fog blocked in Cadillac Mountain, but we still managed to get a good view of Bar Harbor halfway up the mountain.  The tour guide was excellent.

The kids loved Thunder Hole, which thankfully wasn't too thunderous today at low tide.  It was still amazing to watch the water come in and go out.  Henry wanted to climb all the rocks, but knowing that would lead to certain disaster, we kept him to a safe area.  We picked up some souvenirs at Jordan Pond, and I pored over the menu there, which includes popovers and a variety of soups.  They also have afternoon tea.

I forgot to note in earlier posts how many Newfoundland dogs we've seen so far on this trip.  I think my count is at six.  Yesterday, a family brought their Newfoundland onto the bus to go to Bar Harbor. Today, we saw tons of Portugese Water Dogs, like the one the First Family has.  It might be the way some are groomed, but I liked the ones I saw today at Thunder Hole better than Bo - no offense to the First Dog - after all, he doesn't groom himself.

With our bus tour over, we were starving.  We found a pizzeria and had lunch.

We had little time to spare before our lighthouse boat tour.  The rain had ended and the sun was out, but as soon as we got on the boat, we go two bits of not-so-good news.  First, we noticed that we were on one of the whale watching catamarans instead of the smaller boat we were supposed to be on.  The captain said that it was because there were some big waves on the water, so the bigger boat would be better.  Ruth's eyes nearly popped out of her head.  And then they told us there was some fog out there, so we probably wouldn't get to see the five lighthouses we should have, but the captain would do his best.  They offered a rain check to anyone who wanted to get off the boat, but we stuck it out. 

It did get pretty foggy, and we only saw three lighthouses.  But the captain, trying to make it up to us, coasted alongside of Acadia for a good bit so we saw Thunder Hold and the Sand Beach from the water, along with other Acadia coastline.  He also took us to Egg Island, where we not only saw a lighthouse, but some seals and bald eagles as well.  Henry got complimented by the guide when he found the eagles the captain was referring to, and he was so proud.

We did run into some rough seas, and I agreed with the comparison of the guide who said it was like being on a rollercoaster.  It wasn't as bad as the whale watching boat ride, but at times I felt like we were flying over hills.  Toward the end, Jeff got hit pretty hard with seasickness and went off to the side of the boat by himself.  Mental toughness won out, and he didn't throw up.  But he wanted to...

Needless to say, between the fog and the waves, there won't be any more boat tours in our future here at Bar Harbor.

We made our way to Testa's for dinner.  It's run by a family who live in Bar Harbor in the summer and run their other restaurant in Palm Beach, Florida.  Then we walked around Bar Harbor for a bit and then made our way home on the bus. 

Ruth and I walked along the campground beach and watched the sunset, and accidentally got stranded on a sandbar when the tide came in.  I could hop rocks most of the way, but Ruth's legs aren't as long, so she had to go in the water.  She took off her socks and went through in her sneakers.  She loved it, and also loved telling Henry all about it.

Rain, Rain Go Away

We woke up this morning to the pitter patter of rain on the RV rooftop.  Jeff was out at 5:30 doing his P90X workout but had to come in because it was raining on his computer.  He wasn't out there alone - there were walkers and joggers and even some ladies doing yoga outside as well.

Back in Boothbay Harbor, a woman had yer yoga mat and ball out in front of her campsite and was getting her workout in along the water.  The first time I saw her laying there motionless on the mat when I took a walk down to the water, I must admit that I thought she was passed out or had passed away while exercising.  But on my way back from my walk, she was happily bouncing up and down on her balance ball.

The plan for today is a bus tour of Acadia and then an afternoon lighthouse boat tour.  The bus goes rain or shine - the only disappointment will be the picture taking challenges in the rain.  I'm not sure about the boat - the website says they could cancel in bad weather.  It's a 50% chance of rain and thunderstorms today, and also chances of rain for tomorrow.  On the bright side, that means there's a 50% chance it will be nice out.

The rain gear is coming out and we'll be on our way to enjoy the day shortly.

Bar Harbor, Day One

Early evening at the campground

We arrived at the KOA campground in Bar Harbor around noon and lucky for us, our campsite was available.  Our site sits near the water - we're not right on top of it, but we have a view from just about every part of our spot.

We had a quick snack and set up some of our camp gear and then took a walk down to the beach.  The beach here isn't sandy - it's rocky and very similar to the area of Boothbay Harbor that Henry and I went tidepool hunting in.  There's lots of colorful rocks and snail/hermit crab shells, along with mussel shells and clam shells.

This campground is on the Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park bus system, which was created to cut down on the number of cars on the road system here.  The bus is free, and from the campground, we can get to the Visitor Center at Acadia and downtown Bar Harbor.  From downtown Bar Harbor, you can catch buses to places all over the island, which is great. 
This afternoon, we took the bus to Bar Harbor.  It's a 45 minute ride when you account for about five stops at other campgrounds along the way.  We walked around a bit, and then had a late lunch/early dinner at a restaurant on the water.  I had yet another lobster roll and Jeff also repeated the fried seafood platter.  Both delicious once again. 

We had two goals for the Acadia stop: to see the park and do some other boat tours.  We went to the pier and since we couldn't convince Ruth to try another whale watch, we picked the lighthouse tour for tomorrow, which runs for about three hours and goes by five lighthouses.  Jeff liked that one because it also goes by parts of Acadia National Park, so we can see the park from both land and water.  The whale watching cruises this afternoon were cancelled because of rough seas, so Ruth might be onto something... 

On the beach by our campsite

Ruth spotted an ice cream parlor and both she and Henry claimed to be STARVING, so we went in.  I went for the coffee ice cream with fundge and toffee chunks, Henry got cookies and cream, Ruth got mint chocolate chip and Jeff got soft serve vanilla.

After ice cream, we walked over to the bus stop and headed back to the campsite.  It was perfect timing to walk on the beach during a cloudy sunset look for treasures, and take some pictures.  I've added some to the slideshow.

More from Bar Harbor tomorrow.

A Splendid Day

Day two in Boothbay Harbor was fabulous. We took the noon shuttle bus in at noon and headed straight for lunch.  We chose McSeagull's Restaurant and Pub.  How would I have my lobster today?  Jeff and I both had lobster club sandwiches and they were delicious.  We all shared the fried calamari appetizer, which McSeagull's served with three dipping sauces, my favorite being the wasabi one.

I loved the pint glass so much (it has a lobster sitting in an Adirondack chair drinking a beer!) so we asked if we could buy one, and the server gave us one for free.  That's Maine hospitality for you. 

After lunch, we took a taxi to the Maine Aquarium so Henry could pet a shark.  He was not disappointed - he got to pet two sharks and a ray.  Technically, it was a dogfish, but it's part of the shark family and it looked liked like shark to me.

It was a pretty tiny aquarium and we were done in about 20 minutes.  But then they announced a tidal pool class and Henry wanted to do it.  So he and I walked down with the marine biologist and went looking in the tidal pools by the aquarium for hermit crabs, regular crabs, snails and other creatures.

We came back and found Jeff and Ruth lounging in the shade waiting for us.  The grounds of the aquarium (which also houses a center studying phytoplankton, some NASA research and other marine research) also provide a great view of Boothbay Harbor, so Henry and I took some pictures. 

Stan, our can driver, was there to pick us up at 3 and took us back to Boothbay Harbor. We headed straight back to the ice cream parlor, and not just because the kids begged to do it.  This time, I tried the Blueberry Cheesecake.  Jeff had Banana, Henry had Cookies and Cream, and Ruth stuck with watermelon sherbet, but this time on a cone.  Everyone was happy all around.

Ice cream gone, it was time to head to the boat for our lighthouse, seals and lobstering cruise.  It was a little over an hour and we liked it very much.  We saw two lighthouses, seals hanging out on rocks, ospreys - and the best part - no seasickness this time around.  It gets chilly on the water, so the kids had hot chocolate and enjoyed the treat.

Jeff and I are looking for eight other people to go in on a house rental we saw on the cruise.  (My picture doesn't do it justice.) It's a stone house on it's own island (Fisherman's Island), full of meadows, wild berry bushes, rocky shores and a private beach.  The house comes with two boats, a boat captain, a maid and butler, and includes food and drink.  It also has a salt water pool, pool table, foos ball table and three fireplaces.  And it can be ours for just $25,000 per week.  Just seeing it has made me commit to buying lottery tickets for the rest of my life so I can stay there.  Just looking at it made me feel total relaxation.  Forget about a week - I'd love to stay there an entire summer. 

After a wonderful and informative cruise we had about ninety minutes to kill, so we walked around to the other side of the harbor and settled on dinner at the Lobster Wharf.  Stan recommended the Lobster Wharf because lobstermen own it and they have the biggest lobster rolls in the area.  It's a casual place - you go up to a window and order your food, and then find a picnic table and wait for your number to be called.  Jeff went with another fried seafood platter, Ruth stuck to her fried shrimp plan, Henry went with grilled cheese (he's a landlubber) and I made my way to the lobster window.  Heaven. 

The Lobster Wharf

They had soft and hard shelled lobsters, and the woman recommended the soft shelled to me.  I got a 1.5 pound one plus corn on the cob.  The woman took the lobster and the corn and put it in a mesh bad, and walked it over to the steamer.  Fifteen minutes later, I was staring at the best lobster dinner ever. My only regret was not taking a picture of it.  It was magnificent - and beyond delicious. 

Lobster steamers

We could have lounged on the deck for hours, eating seafood, having drinks, and listening to the musician playing Buffet and other seaside music.  But we had a shuttle bus to catch, so we walked on back.

Now, we're sitting in front of a roaring campfire.  There's some kind of party across the river and we can hear the music.  The kids have danced the Cha Cha Slide and some other song I don't know. We've all filled our bellies with roasted marshmallows, and Jeff and I are still talking about that house on Fisherman's Island.

Boothbay Harbor was an unexpected gem in this vacation, and I hope we get to come back here again. 

Boothbay Harbor, Maine

After our adventure on the high seas, we had a delicious lunch at the Lobster Dock, as you saw in the previous post. We were careful not to stuff ourselves, since we saw a "Homemade Ice Cream" shop and a candy shop on our way there.

After a 10 minute walk back from the Lobster Dock to downtown Boothbay Harbor, we stopped by the taffy shop, where you can watch them pull the taffy and see the machine that chops off little pieces and wraps them.

The surprise of the day was next to the taffy shop - there's a duckpin bowling alley next door! The duckpins are tall and thin, and instead of regular bowling balls, you roll smaller ones with no holes in them. There were no open lanes, but we might give it a try tomorrow.

And then it was on to the ice cream parlor. There were so many flavors, it was hard to choose. I went with Maine Blueberry, Jeff got Cookies and Cream, Henry got mango sherbet and Ruth got watermelon sherbet. Two thumbs up all around. We're already thinking about what we'll get tomorrow. I'm thinking Black Cherry or Blueberry Cheesecake. Henry and Ruth both agreed their grandfather would love it there.

We then hit the souvenir shops and picked up a few things. We all got a t-shirt, and Henry and I found a lobster boat Christmas ornament.

While the coals got hot, Ruth and I walked down by the water at the campground and took some pictures. Here's one of my favorites.

Dinner tonight was turkey burgers and hot dogs back at the campsite. I also threw some foil-wrapped potatoes into the fire, and they came out perfect. For dessert: roasted marshmallows.

Tomorrow we plan to head back to Boothbay Harbor to check out the aquarium (Henry swears they'll let him pet a shark there), eat more seafood, and take a harbor boat tour to learn about lobstering and check out the seals who live on rocks along a nearby island. That is, if Ruth will get back on a boat. Henry's working on getting her to yes.

Lobster Roll of the Day and Other Goodness

Today's lobster roll had warm lobster, tossed in butter and stuffed into a toasted roll.  Delicious!

Jeff went with the fried seafood dinner - he gave it outstanding reviews. 

We ate at the Lobster Dock, which was recently featured on the Food Network on the Throwdown with Bobby Flay show. 

Lots of Queasiness But No Whales

Unlike Jeff, I've never been seasick before. I don't get carsick either. So today was something of a first.

We took the campground's shuttle into Boothbay Harbor, 10 minutes down the road. Boothbay Harbor is a lovely little seaside village, made up of shops, restaurants, inns and boat companies. There's also lots of lobstering done here.

We decided to take a whale watching tour, which would run for four hours. The weather was nice - no strong winds.

The first 30 minutes were fine. We sat outside in the front of the boat and enjoyed the scenery: lighthouses, sailboats, beach houses and tons of lobster buoys floating in the water. No one else said anything, but the roughness of the water was starting to get to me so I went inside where it wasn't so rocky. Then Henry came in, and then Ruth. I had given them Dramamine (along with Jeff) first thing in the morning, but for some reason, I didn't take any myself. Probably because I've never been seasick. Bad move, because there's always a first time.

The battle against seasickness became a battle of wills, a matter of mental toughness. I have had bed spins and I have had hangovers where I wanted the earth to stop moving. Seasickness is pretty much like bed spins that go up and down instead of round and round. I was determined to hold things together, but now having two kids who were saying they were going to get sick was making it tough. I just kept telling myself I would not get sick.

Maybe it sounds strange, but I often believe I can eat my way though nausea. So I bought a bottle of ginger ale and pretzels from the ship snack bar, and the kids got Doritos. Both snarfed them down. We played "Can you guess what number I'm thinking of?" and I asked them about school to distract them. Ruth went into her "don't talk to me; don't touch me" mood, which I tool for her own attempt at mental toughness.

We were two hours in. Two potentially pukey hours to go.

I'll admit, it was touch and go for awhile. I looked out the side windows - the water looked less wavy there, and I couldn't see the front of the boat bobbing up and down over the waves. Then Ruth had to go to the bathroom because of all the ginger ale she was drinking. Two new problems: 1) the bathroom smelled like vomit. 2) it is even worse to be rocking all over the place and not see anything.

And then we saw the dolphins. Yes, we were on a whale watching cruise, but a creature in the water at that point was a sight to behold. The boat cut the engines and we bobbed around, looking for fins popping up out of the water. And then the captain said we'd be turning back.

I often note signs that there is indeed a God. This was one of them. The dolphins made the seasickness go away. We looked for the dolphins for about 10 minutes and forgot about our queasiness. And then it got better - the entire ride back was smooth sailing - no waves, so feeling my stomach go up into my throat and back down to my knees.

Jeff stayed out on the front deck the entire time, and despite his past seasickness issues, he made it through just fine. The two people beside him - not so much. There was aparently puking going on all around him. But he said he found a place where he was fine and he wasn't going to move from it. Can't argue with that.

We never did see a whale. Because they guarantee a whale sighting, we have tickets for another cruise, anytime we want. Ruth refuses to go, and I can't blame her.

Whoopie Pies

When in New England, eat as the New Englanders eat, I say.  So today, while picking up some lobster rolls, we also picked up two Whoopie Pies.  I've heard of them before, but have never had one. 

I looked on Wikipedia, and the story goes that when Amish men opened their lunchboxes and saw this chocolate, cream filled treat inside, they said "whoopie!" 

The looks I got from my children when I put them on the counter were nothing short of indignant.  Henry wanted chocolate cake.  Ruth wanted ice cream.  But I stuck with my guns and got the Whoopie Pies. They looked like they were made locally - big as softballs and wrapped simply in Saran Wrap.

Let's just say they were a huge hit as dessert for tonight.  After I talked Henry and Ruth into trying some, I had to fight for a piece myself.  Even Jeff was loving them.

I have a feeling these won't be the last Whoopie Pies consumed on this trip.

Kennebunkport and Lobster Rolls

The book Roadfood recommends two places to get great lobster rolls in Kennebunkport, so we decided get off 95 North and head there for lunch  on our way to our stop for tonight - Boothbay, ME.  Henry also heard that President George H.W. Bush lives there, so he wanted to see his house.

It's not very easy to maneuver through Kennebunkport in a 28 foot motorhome on a good day, and this wasn't a good day.  It was packed with people.  We couldn't find anywhere to park the RV, so we drove around a bit and headed back to the highway.  On the way, we passed a deli advertising "huge" lobster rolls, and it had parking for the RV, so we stopped.  Great call.  Delicious lobster rolls and I picked up a sixpack of a local beer:  Shipyard Summer Ale, made in Portland, Maine.  Jeff also got a cup of clam chowder and said it was awesome.

For those unfamiliar with lobster rolls, there are a few versions.  All involve a large amount of lobster meat.  Some places toss the lobster in mayonnaise and some coat it in melted butter.  This deli just stuffed the hot dog-like roll with huge chunks of lobster, which was just fine by us.  Yum!

We'll eventually head back south past Kennebunkport, and a bit too late I found a place we can park the RV and take a trolley around town, so we might stop there on our way back.

Rockport

We knew going in that one of the challenges on this trip would be having a 28 foot RV and no car in tow. That makes parking in little villages along the coast quite challenging.

It was my idea to visit Rockport since I loved it 20 years ago. Jeff made it through the winding roads and a wrong turn, and despite a shopkeeper's concern, tucked the RV into parking spots covered by two meters.

Rockport has gotten built up a bit in the past 20 years, but it's still a nice little place to walk around and spend some time. And some money.

This time, our money went toward food and drink. There was a Strudel place that advertised authentic Austrian strudel, and Henry and I thought it was fabulous. Jeff went for the ham and cheese croissant. Then it was off to the candy store, where Ruth got some taffy. And last but not least, we stopped at a bakery/ice cream parlor and the kids got italian ice. I got an iced coffee.

Because the area attracts artists, there are lots of galleries in Rockport. We looked, but kept our wallets in our pockets.

We walked on the beach a bit and then went off to find one of the Rockport landmarks I remembered - a red lobster shanty that artists love to paint pictures of. With all the development in the area, it doesn't stand out as much, but we still saw a woman setting up her easel and paints to paint a picture of it.

I hope to make it back here before another 20 years goes by. It would be a nice place for a relaxing seaside vacation.

I'm not sure if it's the internet connection or what, but I'm having issues with uploading my pictures to the slideshow and into posts. Hope to have some more posted soon.

On the Road Again...

A quick overview: we've got about two weeks to spend on vacation this year and we're planning to spend most of it along the New England coast, mostly in Maine.

We left Virginia yesterday late afternoon and spent the night with my parents in New Jersey. That saved us four hours of driving time today, plus we got to see my folks and had my favorite pizza - Manville Pizza - for a late night snack. And this morning, I picked up a dozen fabulous donuts and six hard rolls from Manville Bakery. There really is nothing like a good local New Jersey bakery.

Okay, back to the trip. We have reservations for most of the trip, minus the first five days. We're flexible until Sunday, when we need to show up at the KOA campground in Bar Harbor, Maine. So this morning, we headed north with the goal of finding a place in Massachusetts to stop along the way and go from there.

We had an unventful drive into New York and then Connecticut on Route 287 to 87 to 84. We stopped for lunch at Cracker Barrel (and made it out without the kids buying anything!) and topped off the gas tank. Then we got onto Route 90 toward Boston, heading to our decided stop of Gloucester, Massachusetts, along the coast, about 30 miles north of Boston. As soon as we got closer to Boston, the traffic jam started. There are reasons one should not drive in Boston, and I'll extend that to no one should drive within about 20 miles of Boston either. Too many cars on the road for some people to try to bob and weave their way through traffic.

It was a crawl for awhile, but then we turned off on Route 128 toward Gloucester and the ride was much more pleasant.

I found the Cape Ann Camp Site online using the terrific RV.net website. They have web forums with campground reviews and other great tips. We called the campground from the road and booked a site for the night, figuring if we wanted to stay another night, we would.

The campground has been around since 1949. It's not like a KOA campground with lots of activities and amenities, but it sits right across from a watery marsh and just down the road from a public beach. It's very wooded and has large boulders scattered throughout, including near our campsite. Very relaxing and quiet - and perfect for tonight.

The lady who drove Jeff through the campground in a golf cart to show him a few sites from which to pick pointed out one site with five little tents and said that group is made up of a bunch of guys who are riding their bikes from Quebec to Florida. Ambitious...

We arrived around 5:00 p.m. and took some time to stretch our legs from the long drive. We had been in the RV since 9:45 a.m., not counting the hour for lunch. We didn't set up much - just pulled out some chairs and rolled out the awning.

The kids climbed on boulders and kicked the soccer ball around while Jeff did some work (he's not technically on vacation). It was still hot and humid here, so instead of cooking, everyone got to pick from leftover pizza, sandwiches and fruit. Ruth made microwave popcorn. Jeff and Henry threw the football around until the mosquitos showed up, and then the kids laid down to watch a movie before bed.

Tomorrow we'll go check out Gloucester and visit Rockport, one of my favorite little seaside towns. I haven't been there for about 20 years, and Jeff has never been there. Then we'll continue to head north and find a place to stay, maybe in the midcoast of Maine, for a couple days on our way north to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. After Acadia, we'll come back south and spend some time at Old Orchard Beach in Maine, and then make our way back home.

I put two pictures in the slide show box over on the right, and will add some more tomorrow.

Thanks for checking out the blog and following our trip.