Bah Ha-Bah, ME - my favorite thus far

The beautiful Penobscot Narrows Bridge is a long, cable-style bridge that spans the Penobscot River. It was majestic and powerful, yet beautiful and it led us towards our campground, Mt. Dessert Narrows, which was located right on the coast of Bar Harbor. It was a short three-night stay that we wished could have been a whole week.

The Penobscot River

As the sun set, a golden hue glinted off the trees making them appear as if autumn had begun early.

So much prettier in person; a deep orange-red sunset.

We drove into Bar Harbor for the day and took a 1/2 hour trolley tour around the quaint town. Our driver's name was, Jim Galvine, and interestingly, he was a snow bird like us, but on a much grander scale. Jim owned a home and had spent many years in Bar Harbor, which afforded us his personal and historical knowledge of the area and he also owned  a winter home in Key West, FL. Since we were two of just four on the bus we chatted about Key West since we will be traveling there with friends for a week in March next year. He gave me his business card and told us to call him so we could get together for a glass of beer at his favorite bar in Key West. I'm keeping that card in a safe place so I can take him up on that offer. I am sure our paths will cross again, because he drives a trolley tour bus also while wintering in the Keys. What a pleasant twist of fate, or as Charlie would say, "What are the chances?"

The Trenton Bridge Lobster Shack for dinner! Yes, for your doubters, George ate here.

So quaint and so immaculate. George was definitely "out of his box" eating in another shack.

I ate "Larry," #34. George had a Lobster Roll - it could have been parts of any lobster, even  Gerry, #13.

We headed out to Acadia National Park the next day and I found out that I was old enough to purchase a Lifetime National Park Membership. It was an exciting thing...until I thought about it a bit more.

The park was beautiful and even on a cloudy day the vistas were endless and breathtaking. I snapped so many photos, but after uploading them, I realized once more, that a photo does no justice to the "in-person" experience.

At Acadia National Park - always another tourist happy to snap a photo for you.

Each photo, whether taken facing north, south, east or west, gave you a different view. We were only able to do a little bit of hiking at this State Park. My long, steep hiking days are over, however, what we DID get to do afforded us an experience to remember. Acadia, the northern-most National Park is a pristine piece of America jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean and worth the visit. I would return here in the future to once more enjoy the taste of the famous popovers that are served at the Jordan Pond House Restaurant. I missed out on their "specialty," Popovers and Prosecco" on the patio.

Our trip to Oregon in 2016 and now Bar Harbor in 2019 has earned Lucy the rights to brag that her tail has been far west to view the Pacific and as far northeast into Maine to the Atlantic. She's hit some major milestones (and Veterinarian Hospitals) in her RV career. She is the quintessential RV cat. 

Our last beautiful sunset on a walk after dinner.

I'll finish up Maine in my next blog. It will probably mention "lobster."



Deep thought for the day:  It doesn't matter if we drive east, west, north or south...when the day comes to an end, we three are happy to be in the place we happily call "home." ~ vc

Saco/North Stonington/Freeport ~ Maine

Yay, Maine and another sticker to the map! We arrived on Monday, August 19, 2019, along with friends, Carole and Serge. We plan to visit a few different cities while here.

The first stop was North Stonington, ME and at another well-kept KOA. We experienced on and off rain during our four day stay here, but we managed to have a wonderful time and squeezed in many sights, sounds and tastes in between raindrops.

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Our site for the next few days.

Our first evening found us throwing together a meal of fresh caught, market boiled, whole lobsters served up with Carole's homemade rice dish along with my fresh corn on the cob and homemade coleslaw. It was a messy, but delicious meal fit for a king.

Dinner at our site.

I even made (dry) strawberry shortcakes for dessert. :(

I was hot and sweaty and happy to be able to put my hair up.  It's getting longer!
Not perfectly coiffed, but it kept me cool and the hair our of my face (and the butter).

The next day we experienced on and off heavy rain so we enjoyed a lazy morning and decided to take a ride to L.L. Bean's Flagship store after lunch. It turned out to actually be four different buildings divided into "specialties." Besides the flagship store, there was L.L. Bean Home,  L.L. Bean Bike, Boat and Ski, and L.L. Bean Hunting and Fishing.  A whole day could be spent there and you would never be able to see the entire inventory. George was like a kid in a candy store. The only way I was able to get him out was to bribe him with an ice cream cone!

Carole and Serge posing in front of the LL Bean Boot...

and then the corny photo of us.

The rainy day came to an end at one of the roadside lobster shacks where we got delicious boiled lobster dinners The place looked like a true "shack," but they served up a terrific and affordable dinner.

Too wet and damp to enjoy an outdoor table, but they were very clean and each had a name.  

Process was decades old, but you don't change what's not broke.

"LOBSTER ROLL!"

Nos amis - "our friends," Carole and Serge

Some of these guy's buddies were our dinner.

The only time I'm happy to hear that someone has crabs!

We have spent a lot of our time eating our way through the New England States. Between the Vermont Cheddar, Maine's "Lobstah", Chili, "Chow-da" and Wild Blueberry Pie, I will need to seriously get back on the "diet wagon," but that's such an uncomfortable ride. I may wait until we return to NY.

Next stop, Bar Harbor, ME, more lobstah, Acadia National Park and another sticker for my National Park Passport Book! 

Deep thought for the day:   “Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the 'Titanic' who waved off the dessert cart.”  ~ Erma Bombeck

Narragansett Bay, RI

Narragansett Bay, RI

A drive across the border on a picture-perfect day took us to Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay for a picnic lunch. Carole's idea of a "picnic lunch" was more of a three course meal. My chicken salad sandwiches and bag of chips looked paltry next to the spread she laid out. I have learned a lot from Carole.  She is a constant inspiration to me. My next picnic will be spectacular! More "Carole-like."

The day couldn't have been prettier and we enjoyed a lovely afternoon by the bay.

Life is beautiful.

After our leisurely lunch we took a ride to nearby Foxwood Casino for dinner. We dined at Hard Rock Cafe and afterward took a stroll through the outlet stores. None of us gambled, but we still had a fun evening window shopping and people watching. 

Gaming galore!

The last photo I snapped at Foxwoods was from the popular bakery, "Cake de Franck". This is significant due to the fact that on my son, Glenn's, fifth birthday I made the original baseball mitt cake design you see below. I failed to copyright my creation, but mine was just as spectacular as the version below. Hope you see this Glenn and remember "when.".

I have a photo from 1980 (currently packed away) that will prove my cake design was STOLEN. 

The drive home from the Casino had me yawning and beginning to worry about Miss Lucy. She seems to be avoiding me (the medicine man) and clinging more to her Dad (the treat man), but come bedtime, I'm hoping she will be at my feet, alert and watching out for any sign of movement, be it foe, foot or fly. It has been difficult to watch her as she slowly recuperates from an infection. She is definitely not acting like her usual self.

Night has come, Aleve has been taken, and I'm hoping for a sound and peaceful sleep, because tomorrow finds us pulling up stakes and heading to Sacco, ME. If all goes smoothly we should have  about a 3.5 hour drive. Glad to know rain is NOT in the forecast.

Look out lobsters, here I come!

An observance of the day:  Even though the obstacle of a language barrier sometimes slows us down, observing beauty (ooooh----ahhhhhh) and enjoying fine food (mmmmm---oh) is universal. Being with Carole and Serge is always beautiful and delicious. ~ vc

Mystic, CT KOA

Woohoo.....another sticker!

We found ourselves meeting up with our Florida/Canadian friends, Carole and Serge at the Mystic KOA in North Stonington, CT. We had booked a premium site and it is one of the nicer sites at which we have ever stayed. We had a large cement patio, pretty Adirondack furniture and a glider.

The ride from Massachusetts turned out to be the worst weather we have ever traveled in the motor home. George did a great job getting us to the KOA safely and George was so happy I had booked a pull-through site. I can't imagine what it would have been like if he had to unhook and back into a site.

The weather cleared for a bit and George was able to hook up quickly before the skies changed and we experienced another deluge.

  

Fortunately for us, the skies cleared before dinner and we enjoyed what remained of the day. Carole prepared dinner for our first night in Connecticut. It was a French Canadian meal called, Racklett. A Racklett is similar to a small hibachi stove on top, with a lower level that had a broiler to toast bread and melt cheese or it could warm onions on top of cheese on top of bread with a slice of prime rib or shrimp or sausage or chicken. You get the point. It was a full spread. Carole constantly amazes me with her culinary talents and that night was no exception. She makes the most difficult tasks look so simple that I almost believed even I could do the same......Hahaha..yes, I said ALMOST.

Once we had cleared the table and sat to chat for awhile, Carole disappeared inside her 5th Wheel and came out with a HUGE bowl of custard that had Vanilla Wafers, whipped cream and raspberries on top. She has prepared this for us before, so we knew we would be leaving stuffed to the gills.

Early the next day (for us) we headed out to see the mansions in Newport, RI. The only one we chose to visit out of about eight "tourable" ones was the Vanderbilt "Summer Cottage." Words cannot describe the opulence and grandeur of the home and it blew my mind to imagine living a life that would afford me such luxury.

A few photos of the splendor or gaudiness (depending upon your tastes) follows:

Serge and Carole outside The Breakers, the Vanderbilt's "Summer Cottage."

Ready to start the self-guided tour.

Entry hall

Grotto below the Grand Staircase

Ornate ceiling in the Grand Hall

Music Room

Fireplace in Cornelius'  master bedroom.

Sitting area in master bedroom

Beautiful coffered ceiling

Close up of gold leaf, open pine cone in each coffered section of the Library.

Close up of railing of Grand Staircase

Youngest child, Gladys', bedroom.

Gladys' dresser

Older daughter, Gertrude's bedroom.

Wife, Alice 's bedroom

Pantry in kitchen

Every copper pot imaginable in the detached kitchen

Bank of stoves and ovens

Interesting doorway to Butler's Pantry

China Room - two levels. This room contained a locked safe for the silverware

If a clearer day, you would have seen the "breakers."

End of tour.

I didn't include the 40 or so other photos I had taken of the mansion/cottage, because I believe you really needed to be there in person to appreciate the true and utter beauty.

Deep thought for the day:  The sayings go..."beauty is in the eye of the beholder"...."the nicest things come in small packages" and..."less is more"....unless you are a Vanderbilt.  ~vc