9/6/2013

weekly update - The Maine Tour

 I flew up to Portland Maine, through LaGuardia, on Thursday, August 29. Donna, who owns a condo in the development where I live in Savannah, has a home in Maine, and has frequently invited me to come visit while she's there in the summer. I got tired of saying that I wouldn't come, and she got tired of hearing it, so I bought a ticket and made my travel plans. Travel days are hard. I flew out of Charleston, SC, which is a 2-hour drive from Savannah, and didn't get in to Portland until almost midnight. Flights were delayed, I was reminded why I hate Delta airlines, but there was nothing that fretting would get me, so I just waited and waited. Donna was waiting with a big smile when I arrived, and although it was too late to do anything that day, it was wonderful to be together again.

 

Friday she toured me around Portland. There are several lighthouses near Portland, and we visited Head Light, one of the most photographed lighthouses in the US. We enjoyed a very good fish fry on the pier (Savannah doesn't have good fish fries like Rochester does, and I often miss them). We shopped in some of the boutiques and shops in old town Portland, and then went to happy hour a bar, where I could catch up a little on the US Open scores. On Fridays, the Portland Art Museum has free admission, so we went there. I was amazed at the collection: Winslow Homer & Andrew Wyeth, two famous American painters, had homes and studios near Portland, but the museum also has paintings by Degas, Monet, Munch, Picasso & Renoir. Driving back to Donna's house after the gallery, we went past a Trader Joes. I told her that I'd never been in a Trader Joes store, so we stopped and got some wine. 

the rocky Maine coast

Head Light House

 

Saturday we had been invited for a lobster dinner at the home of one of Donna's brothers and his wife. Oh, man, the lobstahs were to die for. They also cooked some mussels for us, and had corn on the cob, fresh tomatoes from their garden, salt potatoes. They have a beautiful home on five acres of woods and gardens, and it was very enjoyable to visit with them in their grand surroundings.

Greg steaming the mussels

this is what Maine is known for - and it didn't disappoint

 

We headed out for a nice drive on Sunday. Our first stop was at Ogunquit, Maine, which is a a town located on Perkins Cove, not far from Portland. I am rather accustomed to having sandy beaches and salt marshes along the ocean in Georgia, and it was very different to see that same ocean with waves crashing onto granite rocks and steep cliffs. We continued to Kennebunk, Maine, another seasonal town that has many little shops and restaurants. And, it has the family summer home the George HW Bush family, which can be seen across the water from the shoreline. On the drive back to Donna's house, we drove through Old Orchard Beach. There is a big amusement park there, and Donna used to take her children there for day trips when they were young.

in Kennebunk

Bush's home

Monday was the Labor Day holiday, and it rained all day long. It wasn't a very good day for sight seeing, so we did a little shopping and saw a movie. I haven't been in a Christmas Tree Shop since I lived in Rochester, and the one in Portland is exactly the same. We went to matinee of Lee Daniels' The Butler. We had both said we wanted to see that movie, so we decided a rainy, wet day would be a good time to see it. Everyone else must have thought so, too, because the first showing was sold out, and we went to the later one.

Tuesday we went to tour the Victorian Mansion. The house was built as a summer home by wealthy New Orleans hotel owner Ruggles Sylvester Morse the late 1850's. It was purchased from his widow following his death in 1894 by the J R Libby family. They were the only people who ever lived in the house. It is in amazing condition, and has many of the original carpets, furniture and artwork. It's a fabulous Victorian Mansion. Our Guide was Lahhy, which I guess is how you pronounce LARRY with no R's. We drove to south Portland next, and visited the Portland Breakwater Light, affectionate known and “Bud Light”, and the nearby Liberty Ship Park. When we got back to Donna's we had a visit with another sister, Nancy, and it was wonderful to meet her. In the evening we took the Casco Bay Sunset Run on the boat that cruises between the mainland and several off shore islands. Lobster traps boobed on the water, and fishing boats were moored for the night in the coves and small harbors. Luckily it didn't rain. The sunset was magnificent! 

Victorian Mansion

Bud Light - so cute!

 

Wednesday was going to be my last full day in Maine, so we made the most of it. We drove north to the towns of Freeport (although the town is completely made up of outlets stores, the store fronts are all old houses and buildings so there is a charm about it that you don't find when generally searching for bargains at Gap or L L Bean or Old Navy), Brunswick (college town and home to Bowdoin College) and Boothbay (where we visited a wonderful Botanical Garden). The weather was perfect for a nice drive. On the way back, we stopped at Donna's daughter's house to meet Tanya and her sons, Andrew & Zach. It was my last night, and I’d wanted to treat Donna to a dinner at a nice restaurant to thank her for the hospitality. We went to a restaurant in downtown Portland that was a converted fetty boat, and ate pasta overlooking the harbor. It was really great until we got back home, and Donna noticed her phone was missing. After a time of panic and searching, the restaurant found it and we were able to drive back to pick it up. What could have ruined the entire trip turned out to be not so bad, after all. 

the flowers at the botanical gardens were lovely

the visitors were lovely as well

 

Then it was Thursday and time to fly back to Charleston. (I flew from South Carolina because the airfares were a little cheaper, but it probably wasn't worth it. It was expensive to park my car for a week, and the drive getting to and from the airport was long. If I ever travel again - doubtful - I will just pay the extra and go from Savannah). At least this time, there were no flight delays. Flying into NYC was amazing as we flew low over the U S Tennis Center, and I got a great view of the stadium, where matches were being played as we flew over, and the huge sphere that is still there from the 1965 World's Fair. Flying out again, it was a clear day, and Manhattan was visible, with Central park evident in the center of the island, and I could even see the Statue of Liberty, the Staten Island Ferry making a trip, and Ellis Island before we got above the clouds. The bad part was that there wasn't room at the terminal gate, and we couldn't walk down the passageway on to the plane - we needed to be shuttle by bus out to the end of the runway, and then walk up the stairs onto the plane. I didn't see propellers, but I imagined they were there! What is this? 1956??? And it wasn't a bargain to e allowed all this luxury, either. Once again, my frustrations mean absolutely nothing to Delta, so getting upset wouldn't bother anyone but me.

Now, I'm back in Savannah. Back to my routine. Back to boring. But it was a nice get away for me, and I enjoyed being with Donna and doing so much. I'll try to get back into my routine of updating this blog on Monday mornings in another week.

Do these lobster boxers make my butt look big?