11 Sep 2018 New England
We are off on another adventure…this time visiting some New England states…Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Can you say Road Trip? Com’on along for the ride!
Kennebunkport
We had anticipated lots of rain traveling up to Maine… But we were so lucky. We didn’t have any rain… Just some clouds which was actually helpful in driving without the glaring sun, and when we pulled into Maine, the sun came out in all its glory.
On the way up to Maine, we stopped at our favorite lobster roll shack in Waterbury, CT and had a delicious lobster roll filled with chunks of lobster and dripping in butter. Yum!!! Frankie’s is a hot dog shack but they also sell the lobster rolls and we loved getting our lobster fix when we lived in CT, without having to drive up to Maine. Still as good as we remembered.
Kennebunkport is a charming town and our little hideaway is very nice and clean. The room is quite large as is the bathroom so we are happy about that.
We went to Nunans for lobster. OMG… Delicious. Allan finished with blueberry pie which was also excellent.
12 Sep 2018 Rockland Cliff House Beach
Nunan’s, where we had dinner last night, was the venue for a film, Empire Falls, featuring Paul Newman. It was filmed in 2013 and they closed the restaurant during the filming. Now we’ll have to rent the movie!
New EnglandWe started the day visiting the New England
Portland Head lighthouse the one that I made an attempt to paint many years ago, not realizing it was one of the most famous in Maine. It is really beautiful, with the rocks and the sea smashing up against them. The buildings with the red roofs made for a beautifully picturesque photo op.
From there we travelled to Rockland… First having a lobster roll at the famous Lobster Shack . Hey… One can’t get enough lobster while in Maine!!!!! I had the roll dripping in butter of course while Allan opted for the mayo one. Both were delicious and chock-full of lobster.
We visited the Farnsworth museum and saw many interesting works of art including many by the Wyeth family, the most well known family member being Andrew.
From there we travelled to the Olson house where Andrew spent at least 30 summers painting in watercolors and where he painted the famous Christina’s World. Christina’s World is currently hanging in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC.
We went on a tour of the home and the docent gave a very interesting talk about the Olson family and the relationship with the Wyeths… Andrew and his wife Betsy. You can read the book A Piece of the World which is an historical fiction novel about the life of the Olsons and Wyeths during those years.
We walked through the home and saw where Andrew did his over 300 watercolors and also the room where Christina resided as child. Christina had a rare condition that weakened her extremities and she could not walk. She refused to use a wheelchair and instead determinedly crawled to get around. This is how Andrew mcaptured her in his famous painting.
We had great weather today…a little sprinkle this morning but sun the rest of the time. It’s a great time to visit Maine; no crowds and mild temps.
Tonight we had. … Wait for it… LOBSTER!!!!! We went to Mabel’s, the restaurant frequented over the years by Barbara and George Bush. We each had a two lb lobster with 6 shrimp and garlic butter. It really was delicious… But I’m thinking I’ve done my lobster quota. Chicken here I come! LOL!!
13 Sep 2018 Kennebunkport to Ogunquit
We started the morning by walking around the quaint town of Kennebunkport and then stopped in a donut shop for six mini donuts. OMG! So decadent! We devoured them in record time… And I usually don’t eat donuts!!!
New England
We stopped in to see the Episcopal church, St. Anne’s, which, we were surprised to learn, is only open during the summer season. It is a beautiful church and the rectory is right on the cliff overlooking the ocean.
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We drove past the Bush complex and then drove on to Ogunquit. We walked the Marginal Walk which goes about a mile right along the ocean. It was a wonderful walk and we stopped often along the way to sit on the many benches lining the walk to enjoy the waves.
We ate lunch… Lobster again…at a restaurant overlooking the ocean and the lobster was delicious. I think all the restaurants have steaming lobsters down to a science, so no matter where you go to eat, the lobster is always juicy, flavorful, and tender.
Went to a fabulous movie theater to see Crazy Rich Asians. The movie was very sweet. The theater was amazing. Huge reclining seats that you could just hunker down in.
Afterwards we went out to dinner and had…. Well… You already know what we had.
Till tomorrow….
New England
14 Sep 2018 Ogunquit
“Lobster serves as an excellent source of lean protein. Each 6- ounce portion provides you with 28 grams of protein but only 1.2 grams of fat. Lobster also nourishes your brain by boosting your intake of choline and vitamin B-12, two essential nutrients. With only 115 calories, less than 1g of fat and a whopping 24g of protein, a one- pound lobster is sure to fill you up without filling you out. Lobster is high in selenium, important for maintaining a strong immune system. According to the National Institutes of Health, a 3.5 ounce serving of lobster has 72mg of cholesterol, which is less than the same serving of chicken, containing 85mg of cholesterol.”
But then we added the butter. Nevermind.
Anyway… Undaunted on our quest to eat all the lobsters in Maine, even though the butter will no doubt do us in, we had lobster again for lunch after we walked into town…a mile and a half trek each way… to visit the Ogunquit Museum of American Art. Many of the paintings were exquisite and the garden overlooking the ocean was filled with unusual flowers all in bloom. It was a foggy morning…the sun trying to peek thru… But the temperature was perfect and it made for a very pleasant day.
We had dinner at the Lobster Pound where you go and choose your lobster. I let Allan choose for me. There’s something about seeing the one and a half pounder moving around before he’s on my plate, that kind of makes me a tad queasy. (But nothing that a claw cracker and a dish of melted butter can’t cure!)
And then we went to the Ogunquit Playhouse to see a performance of Jersey Boys which was stellar. You could close your eyes and almost hear Frankie Valli live…the performer was that good.
We leave Maine tomorrow and travel to New Hampshire to see dear friends. Bye lobsters! Your fate is in someone else’s stomach!
Till our next adventure…bye for now.