On Thursday, we went over the mountains and through the woods making our first stop in North Bend at the home of Ryan and Megan Dixon. Once again, Ryan, chauffeur extraordinaire, consented to shuttle us to Sea-Tac. Before heading out for our red-eye flight to Boston, departing at 12:30 am, the four of us were able to enjoy dinner together at the North Bend Bar and Grill.
The TSA line was short; we were through in 10 minutes tops. We booked with Jet Blue, months in advance, the flight was packed with only a few seats to spare. We didn’t sleep much, which made the five-hour direct flight extremely long. Upon arrival, in Boston, we hopped a shuttle to the car rental facility. This time we booked our rental through the website rent.it. They secured our car with Alamo at a very competitive rate. Alamo, allowed us to pick any standard or compact car....as luck would have it, there weren’t any to choose from so we got to choose from the next row of full-size vehicles. We went with a black, 2019, Toyota RAV4. More space, reliable Toyota brand, score! We got a little lost on the airport roads trying to get out (sound familiar...think Paris).
Eventually, we were headed northeast along the coast. We made a quick stop at a New Hampshire Starbucks to pick up our New Hampshire “Been There” mug, and we were back on the road, and in Maine, a short time later.
Eventually, we were headed northeast along the coast. We made a quick stop at a New Hampshire Starbucks to pick up our New Hampshire “Been There” mug, and we were back on the road, and in Maine, a short time later.
The first stop was Kennebunkport, a small, quaint, beautiful little town. We drove out to see St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, a rustic, stone, church on grassy grounds with ocean views just around the corner from Colony Beach.
We traditionally stepped into the ocean and let the Cold North Atlantic waters wash over our feet. A quick stop by Goat Island lighthouse didn’t yield much as it’s far from land, so there wasn’t much to see.
Before leaving Kennebunkport, we jumped into a long line at a popular foodie stop, the Clam Shack. We split a Fried Haddock Sandwich for $15. Four small pieces of fried haddock on a bun served with a small container of tartar sauce. Haddock is similar to cod, but decidedly a bit milder. Over-priced, but delicious nonetheless!
We traditionally stepped into the ocean and let the Cold North Atlantic waters wash over our feet. A quick stop by Goat Island lighthouse didn’t yield much as it’s far from land, so there wasn’t much to see.
Before leaving Kennebunkport, we jumped into a long line at a popular foodie stop, the Clam Shack. We split a Fried Haddock Sandwich for $15. Four small pieces of fried haddock on a bun served with a small container of tartar sauce. Haddock is similar to cod, but decidedly a bit milder. Over-priced, but delicious nonetheless!
Arriving in Portland, Maine we pulled into The Holy Donut and ordered a Dark Chocolate Toasted Coconut and a Blueberry Lemon donut. Brooklynn recommended we give the no-yeast, made with potato flour, donuts a try. We weren’t in love with the texture, they seemed a little dry, so we wrapped up our leftovers for the next morning.
Portland Head Lighthouse stood tall amidst gorgeous skies and after visiting up close we walked to a grassy knoll and took in the majestic view. A great place to get shots.
As evening set in, we visited the old Portland area nicknamed “Old Port”, especially charming with its cobblestone roads and brick sidewalks. We purchased the Maine “Been There” Starbucks mug and went in search of The Standard Baking Co. arriving minutes before they closed. Sadly, they had only a meager amount of goods left from a very busy day. The owner let us know most everything was gone by noon and the young adults working there said that included the staff favorite cookie, Chunky Chocolate Rye. We settled on an Oatmeal Raisin cookie which was chewy, moist, and all kinds of goodness making the pain of late arrival and inability to return the next morning sting just a bit.
By this time, we had been up for 36 hours without sleep. We worked our way to Brunswick, Maine, where we had booked a motel through Trip.com at the Roadway Inn. On our way there, Alecia logged on to Amazon Prime and ordered the hardcover Standard Baking Co. Pastries, by Alison Prey, for $19.28, a $10 savings compared to what was in the store and less weight in our luggage.
Arriving at the Roadway Inn we thought it looked pretty cute on the outside. We noticed a couple smoking outside their room and requested lodging away from any known smokers due to allergy. The attendant moved us so there was a room between us which was nice. Upon entering the room we were disappointed. The air was thick and smelled musty even with the window open which we closed to prevent smoke from wafting in. We chose the clothes and items we needed and kept everything else in the car. The shower floor not only looked dirty but felt grimy, thank goodness for flip-flops. The carpet was worn/torn. The sheets were clean and it was quiet, but we wouldn’t recommend the place and advise staying close to Portland. We hoped to find a good Airbnb but hadn’t had any luck.
We decided a late-night meal was in order, and drove to the Portland Pie Company, in downtown Brunswick, for a Caesar salad and some homemade Baked Mac & Cheese with Prosciutto which was deliciously rich and filling. A great way to cap off a very long day.
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