By this Author: brendagerber07

A most magnificent morning: Blue skies, warm temps and gorgeous mountain top views. We are sporting our Kennedy Sportcycle tees this morning and actually didn't have to cover them with a warm sweatshirt once the morning warmed up a bit. We said goodbye to The White Birches hotel and got an early start up the mountain. This is the view outside my door.

We stopped inside. The park at the first pullout to see the overview of Frenchman's Bay. The sun was sparkling on the water and it was lovely!

Then we kept our ticket time to drive up Cadillac Mtn. It was not the crazy hairpin turns like the mountains out West, but the Wow factor was right on the level. These pics certainly don,t show the beautiful colors or the depth of the trees on the mountain side. The sunshine was perfect and we were able to shed our sweaters pretty quickly. We walked around the trail on top and got some pics. We even found a friendly squirrel to photograph.

coming down the mountain we hit all the pull offs and caught some pretty views too. I should add at this point how many interesting people we have met along the way. We talked to a couple from Iowa this morning (Mel, they were Iowa State fans) we have met so many from Ohio. Met a guy from Ct who was trying to fly his drone inside the Nat'l Park which is a big no-no! We did have to wear masks inside the buildings at the Park but not many other places we have visited have required them 😷.

And so ends the Acadia National Park adventure on this trip. It is time to head from here to there. I hope you enjoyed the little part of Maine that we got to enjoy together. We had to stop at this little gift shop after seeing it several times on our way in and out of the Park…Wynn was hankering for some blueberry jam, which we got and I got my Bar Harbor sweatshirt. We also did get an Acadia ornament at the Park and a calendar for 2022 of the Maine Lighthouses. The famous Maine blueberries were delicious. We split a piece of blueberry pie for dinner last night! Yummy!

So now we are driving 4 hours or so to North Conway, NH. This is another new state for me to visit. This vacation has been at a leisurely pace and Wynn has remarked several times of how relaxing it is to get up and do a few things at our own rate without deadlines and rushing to and fro. We have seen so much and yet it does not feel rushed. We saw a lot of lighthouses and now are looking for some beautiful views of fall foliage, waterfalls and hiking paths. . I will write more after we reach our destination. I will need to drive some today…hope I haven't forgotten how. Wynn has been the willing driver as we go on our daily adventures and has been patient as I yell, “Slow down, so I can get that shot.” or “can we go back, I missed that one.”

The ride into New Hampshire was just beautiful. We only drove a small distance on route 95 and the rest was all back roads and curving highways. I took a few pics along the way just because that’s what I do. Wynn captured the entering New Hampshire sign and I took a picture of our hotel for the night -actually the Colonial Motel. The Peacock clock in our room is for Makara. This is a hotel that is used for skiers in the winter, being so close to the White Mountains. So we are settled in. Wynn went up to the Muddy Moose Restaurant and Pub. He called to see whether they took reservations and they said no. There’s already a 45 minute wait so being Wynn, he walked up to wait and I will drive up and meet him when it’s close to our turn. What a guy! Have a great start to your day. Happy Columbus Day. And you will find us watching NCIS tonight before turning in. Bonus points if you can find the picture with the wild turkeys. We took that for you, Jenna.

Today we spent the day at Acadia National Park. We came in the Hulls entrance and stopped in at the Visitor Center for info, bathrooms and a map. We decided to go directly to Jordan's Pond as we were there early and we knew that parking was at a premium there. Soooo glad we went there first! We did score a parking space, but saw that the lots were totally full when we left and the rangers were turning folks away. What a beautiful walk around Jordan Pond. Reflections, woods, plank paths and just peaceful . Sit back and enjoy the pic show. These pics were all taken as we entered the park and walked along the perimeter of the Pond. This was for sure my favorite part of the Park…I know I haven’t seen Cadillac Mtn yet-that happens tomorrow at 10am.

Then we circled back around to the Loop Road and went through the area of Sand Beach to Otter Cove. This is by far the busiest part of the park. This part of the Loop Road is one way traffic, two lanes but parking is along the right side. We weren't sure if we would find a spot or not, but my husband squeezed us in, missing cars and boulders. He is amazing! We got out and walked the shore path. We did stop at Thunder Hole but it was still a couple of hours before high tide and the people were already lined up. We took our pics and decided to keep walking. We did not see any otters but we did see some beautiful coastline.

we really wanted to see Bass Harbor Light and it was a 20 mile trip up and down through the park before we got there. There was a line to wait in for parking but it went pretty fast and we got our parking spot. We walked down to the lighthouse first and then went down the other trail there to a beautiful rocky coast. Wynn went down the rocks with the camera to get a view of the lighthouse from this angle. Kudos to him…I was too afraid to work my way down the Cliff.

We finished up driving along the top of the park and saw some pretty scenery along the way.

then it was time to head back to the White Birches for a quick nap and then off to dinner at Helen's. We are keeping up with the Brown's score so they better get moving! Wynn has been wearing his Brown's long sleeve tee and I had on my C-Town Indians tee and we get lots of comments! Have found many Ohioans along the trip.

So goodnight for now. Tomorrow we have a long drive to N Conway, NH and we will leave Maine behind us. Wish we had longer to spend here. This trip has just been a tease, whetting our appetites for coming back…who knows?

Welcome to Day 7 and just like that one week of our adventure is in the books. We have seen so much and have been blessed with great weather and traveling. Today we got an early start, loaded up the van, which by the way, I should say how great a job my hubby does in loading everything in its place; makes it so much easier to find everything! We took off for Portland, Maine to find the 6 lighthouses in that 20 mile area. AND…we found them all! Here are a couple of pics from the car window that show the trees starting to change. I know, the pics don't do it justice…but still

The first location was set in Two Lights State Park. Actually the best viewing spot was from The Lobster Shack there. This is the Cape Elizabeth Light and was settled into a beautiful rocky cleft. It’s sister light was behind us and is now a private home, but I still got a pretty good shot of it.

The Portland Head Light is located in Fort Williams Park and is the most famous of the Portland lighthouses. It is well maintained and can be visited on Maine's Open Lighthouse Day each year. I got some of my stamps here for my Lighthouse Passport. It has so many angles to take pics from so get ready… we also had to laugh at the para-sailor who was trying to get his sail in the air. What a beautiful spot to enjoy the water.

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From the Portland Light you could see the next lighthouse out on a small island. This is the Ram Island Ledge Light. This lighthouse has a twin in Boston.

Our next stop was the Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse located by a student parking lot for Southern Maine Community College. We had a nice drive through the college. We were able to walk out on the boulders all the way to this one. I'm not as spry as I used to be, so I felt pretty proud of myself for not falling in the ocean or slipping into a crack and twisting an ankle.

Bug Light, or the Portland Breakwater Lighthouse was our last stop. This beautiful light house was accessible to walk to and had some beautiful Greek architecture incorporate into its design. You could also see a pretty view of the Portland skyline from this one.

I know you will get tired of seeing this over the next few days but feel free to scroll ahead. The trees are in their glory and I can't help clicking away on my camera.

And Wynn and I are on the look out for moose! I really want to see one, but this might be our only one…

What a fun time looking for each of these lights! Then we changed gears and headed to our new home for the next two nights in Ellsworth, ME. We are staying at a place called White Birches and it is 20 minutes from Bar Harbor. We unloaded everything and then jumped back in the van and headed down to see what all the hoopla was about Bar Harbor. The traffic was crazy and parking for us was at least a 10 minute walk away. I hear that is a good parking spot! We took in the Shore Walk and really enjoyed the beauty. We were surprised by the craziness of the town and yet how peaceful the Harbor walk was. Loved it! Wynn is such a good sport and tried moving the balancing rock for me…love him for humoring me!

Heading back into Ellsworth we decided to look for restaurants. Saw this little lighthouse one but decided on going to the Governor’s Restaurant and Bakery. We got some chicken Alfredo and it was so yummy! I left some on my plate because the portions were too big for this girl. And now it’s back to rest and plan tomorrow’s first day in Acadia. We hope to do the Loop trail and then go up Cadillac Mtn on Monday. Have a wonderful Sunday. We will miss our New Community Family. Goodnight!

Good evening from Kennebunk, ME. (Not to be confused with Kennebunkfort which is 5 miles away and where we ate our dinner. we are staying at a place called the Lodge at Kennebunk. Very cute room with a huge Kingsize bed! Winding down by writing the blog and watching Big 10 Volleyball. Internet is very slow here so hopefully I can still get the pics uploaded.

We got on the road around 8:30am and decided to take the scenic byway (127a) and went through Manchester By the Sea into Glouchester for our first stop of the morning. We enjoyed walking from the information desk all the way down to the middle of town. We saw the Wives and families statue and also the Man at the Wheel statue. We enjoyed the flower beds along the way. It must have taken a lot of work to maintain these. Each type of flower was labeled too. Could walk here every day if I lived here. So peaceful!

Then we decided to try and find the Eastern Point Lighthouse which was out by the Audubon Refuge next to the Yacht Club. We were warned that there would be a lot of Private drive signs along the way, but we persevered and found it. We walked part way out on the jetty to get pics. Very pretty setting.

Our neighbor has dubbed us the Honeymooners since it is our first trip into retirement together…so The Honeymooners kept driving up the scenic byway into Rockport, the little artist town that was actually used in filming The Proposal. We walked the little shops and of course bought fudge at The Fudgery and some Sea glass earrings and a beautiful glass hanging that you’ll have to come visit to see when We get home. We walked out on the jetty and just enjoyed the harbor here.

We did spot this lighthouse from a long way out…I don't know it’s name.and I am putting in this next pic in honor of Kendall and Maddie because we play a card game called Top Dog!

Then we had time to get in a bike ride. Our parking plans didn't work out so we parked back in Rockport and biked a 14 mile ride. Traffic was crazy and it had more hills than we bargained for. I felt badly for Wynn…all I had to do was hit the throttle. But I will admit I was a bit of a wreck by the time we got back. Traffic overall was good to us…but I still was very nervous!

On the way here, Google took us off the highway to avoid a wreck and guess where we ended up driving past? So Carissa, these two pics are for you.

Then we drove to Kennebunk and that's where I started this post. We found a place called The Pilot House for supper tonight. Wynn had his Lobster Roll and I had a burger without the bun and a salad. Tonight we will test the fudge for a nighttime snackeroo. Tomorrow we have more lighthouses to find in Portland and then the long drive to Bar Harbor. Bring on the Fall foliage! Goodnight! (Can you tell I had ice water in my glass?)

Today was a beautiful day for a walk through history. Although we didn't get to see a re-enactment of the Boston Tea Party, we did get to walk the entire Freedom Trail. It was a lovely warm day and perfect for a stroll through Boston. Wynn and I were both nervous about driving with the crazies and trying to find parking since we have a rocket box on top of our van. Then Wynn suggested that we try Uber and it was so quick downtown and way less nerve wracking! And it cost less that driving downtown and parking costs! Our driver let us off right in the Boston Commons by the Visitor. Center. And we started our way around. The first stop is actually the Boston Commons. This is America's oldest public park

I love how they have a red brick line directing you from spot to spot. I felt a little like Dorothy, following the yellow brick road.(except it was red…)

Stop #2 was the Massachusetts State House. The land was originally owned by John Hancock and the beautiful dome (originally of wood) was covered in copper by Paul Revere and Sons before being guided with 23 carat gold leaf. It was beautiful in today's sunshine.

Right around the corner were stops 3&4, The Park Street Church and Granary Burying Ground. The church was nicknamed the Brimstone Corner because of the fiery sermons and also the stored gunpowder in the basement. Boom! “My Country Tis of Thee was first sung on these steps. The cemetery is the final resting place of many prominent Americans…John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, Ben Franklin's parents and all 5 of the Boston Massacre.

1. 5 is the King's Church and burial ground. Many condemned criminals sat in these pews to hear their last sermon before being hung in the commons…eww!

So now we see the statue of Ben Franklin. One side of his face is philosophical and the other side is funny and smiling. He is standing in front of the first public school, which still operates in another location and by the way, they still require 4 years of Latin. In this courtyard there is also a little donkey that represented the Democrats. There were footsteps next to it that you could stand in if you were Republican…interesting tidbit.

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The Old Corner Bookstore, which now occupies the Chipotle Store, is stop number 7. So many American authors were carried in this store, like Harriet Beecher Stowe, Emerson, Longfellow and more.

The last two pics above were in tribute to the many Irish Immigrants who came here to pursue the American Dream The first statue shows how hopeful they were when disembarking and the second statue shows how despairing and stricken they became…moving to me.

Number 8 is the Old South Meeting House. It is the 2nd oldest church in Boston and was the site of over 5000 people protesting the tax on tea. Also the Old State House Museum (#9) is a the oldest standing public building. It is the site of the reading of the Declaration of Independence. They still read it here on the steps on July 4th.

1. 10 - There was a ring of cobblestones on the sidewalk that commemorates the fallen in the Boston Massacre. 5 men were killed in this clash.

Number 11 is Faneuil Hall which was a gift from a wealthy merchant to be used for public meetings and an open-air market.

Paul Revere's House and the Old North Church are numbers 12 and 13. Revere was an accomplished silversmith, copper manufacturer, bell maker, part time dentist and the father of 16 children. No pics could be taken inside his house. The Old North Church is the oldest church in Boston. It is from its steeple that the 2 lanterns hung that some say signaled the beginning of the Revolution.

1. 14 is Copps Burial Grounds. By this time, we are nearing the end and Wynn and I decided to keep walking by. It does house the tomb of Robert Newman, the lantern hanger for Paul Revere.

Stop 15 was about a half mile walk to the harbor. Old Ironsides, the USS Constitution is housed here and is still manned by the US Navy. We crossed a big bridge encounter and went by where the Celtics play.

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Fnally Stop 16 is the Bunker Hill Monument. This commemorates one of the bloodiest battles and has the famous quote listed in today's title. 221 feet high…Massive. It was closed because of the dreaded Covid which gave me the perfect excuse not to climb it…

So an Uber ride back to the hotel only took about 15 minutes. We stayed at a LaQuinta in Somerville. We rested up a bit and grabbed something to eat and then headed to a rails to trails bike path called the Minuteman Bikeway. We rode a nice 18 mile trip and enjoyed every minute. I am loving my e-bike by the way! We saw some pretty foliage along the way too.

So a wonderful Day 5 together. We will miss small group tonight but pray that all goes well. Time for dinner!