May 19 – Jun 3, 2018

When you're at North End in Boston you have to get a cannoli

Running all day. Time to relax. Mighty Squirrel Mocha Stout sounds right.

Well, we must be in Salem now lol.

https://getoutanddothings.com/blog/f/our-new-england-road-trip---salem-day-3

Kinda looks like Samantha

https://getoutanddothings.com/blog/f/our-new-england-road-trip---salem-day-3

Brunch in Salem, MA. Not bad. Good breakfast sandwitches (lol.... see what I did there? ).

https://getoutanddothings.com/blog/f/our-new-england-road-trip---salem-day-3

Now I guess I have to read the book...

https://getoutanddothings.com/blog/f/our-new-england-road-trip---salem-day-3

We made it to Old Orchard Beach Maine

This makes me miss our Parkville smoke stack at the Power Plant. Good food and beer here though!

It's a breakfast brew... stop judging!

Took a tour of the Allagash Brewery yesterday in Portland, ME. Lots of great brews. Neat family type environment with their employees. Great people. Treated us fantastic. Highly suggest you visit this place if you're in the area.

https://getoutanddothings.com/blog/f/our-new-england-road-trip---portland-day-4

We decided to hop the mail delivery boat from island to island. Should be an interesting experience.

https://getoutanddothings.com/blog/f/our-new-england-road-trip---portland-day-4

Beautiful...

https://getoutanddothings.com/blog/f/our-new-england-road-trip---light-houses-day-5

Lunch break in Wicasset, ME with beautiful.

Waiting out the storm at Rollie's in Belfast...

Our cottage in Bar Harbor has a pretty nice view.

No words.

More Cadillac Mountain views

Bunker Hill Monument in Boston. We decided to tackle the stairs lol. 294 of them. That'll make your calves let you know they're there LOL. The last few pics are ones we took from the top out of the small windows.

This is the USS Constitution (a.k.a "Old Ironsides"). This boat went 33 wins, zero losses if I understood them correctly. Lots of history around this boat with many different captains. Great pleasure to board it and look around. The pics at the end are of a 'dry dock' where they used to work on ships. The pics in the museum show how they did this. Pretty interesting.

An inexpensive, good for you, lots of learning experience we had in Boston was walking the Freedom Trail. Throughout downtown there is a red brick line on the sidewalks. Just follow them and they'll take you to wonderful places in our American history for you to discover more about how we came to be as a country and those responsible for our spirit of freedom. I learned a lot on this trip and have a new found respect for those original rebels who wouldn't settle for anything less than what we get to experience today. Great experience. The last pic isn't historical but Julie and I thought it looks a lot like a bridge in Kansas City. Might look familiar to you too :)

https://getoutanddothings.com/blog/f/our-new-england-road-trip

Anyone know what this is?

As we like to go with what's traditional to the area we're doing the tea and popovers. Good rest stop after our hike around Eagle Lake.

Julie added Day 6 to our travel blog.

http://getoutanddothings.com/blog/f/our-new-england-trip---acadia-national-park-day-6

Uh...YES! 1.75 lb lobster tail on the way to my table. I may not come home. I'm in love.

...and you thought Maine was all rocky coasts. Granted, it was colder than a well diggers butt in the Klondike but in the late summer I'm sure it feels great.

We took a hike around Eagle Lake in Acadia. Utilized the carriage trails for part of it. At one point we got off the beaten path so to speak and about a half mile into the trail it turned into boulders we were having to hop on/around/between. Got a little rough. Ran into a few people on the way around including in the boulder area. The views of the lake were stunning though and every step around was worth it. Will definitely come and do it again. Guaranteed this isn't the last we've seen of Acadia.

Julie added Day 6 to our travel blog.

http://getoutanddothings.com/blog/f/our-new-england-trip---acadia-national-park-day-6

There are still good people out there...

Went to Shore Path down in Bar Harbor this morning before browsing the shopping area of town. Short relaxed walk, nicely developed. Also got to see the schooner 'Margaret Todd' which was pretty impressive. The pictures of the house are of the Breakwater Estate. A cruise ship actually ran aground across the path on the shore by this house. Ouch!

At the Thirsty Whale Tavern with my beautiful wife and FANTASTIC vacation planner. Waiting on my fresh fish & chips. The lobster bisque was on point. Delicious! This place was highly recommended by multiple locals.

For those who miss the sounds of the ocean against the rocks....here's one for you.

Tonight before dinner we went for a walk along Ocean Path. This is by Sand Beach in Acadia. Beautiful walk along the cliffs. Along the way is an area called Thunder Hole (I had thought of several jokes about this...but I digress). Apparently at certain times of the day and when other criteria are met the ocean slams into this small channel and shoots up in the air while making a loud roar. Timing being integral, we didn't get to see that but got pics anyway. Love these cliffs.

Julie added Day 6 to our travel blog.

http://getoutanddothings.com/blog/f/our-new-england-trip---acadia-national-park-day-6

Naples, ME is nice! Neat town.

Welcome to the White Mountains! Really beautiful. I forgot what rivers that don't look like chocolate milk look like. We stopped at several scenic stops along the highway going through the White Mountain National Park to our cottage in Lincoln, NH. Great scenery. Can't wait to get out tomorrow and see things.

I posted ocean sounds yesterday. Here are some river sounds. So much to see and hear.

Hike up Flume Gorge in White Mountain National Park today. Great hike with lots of waterfalls. Couldn't have asked for more scenery. COULD have asked for less people. I think two or three bus loads of folks appeared when we got there. We ran up past them and it was better but timing seems to be everything. Got some videos in here too for you who like the sounds of waterfalls.

So sometimes things happen the way they're supposed to and in the process I learn something and my faith in humanity gets restored a little. Julie and I used Yelp to decide where to eat this evening. A place called The Common Man in Lincoln, NH had high ratings and an interesting menu. So we show up and it's a 45 minute wait. We're a little reluctant but decide to wait. So while we're waiting I go into the bar to get Julie and I a drink. I'm standing in line and this big guy comes by me and stands in front of me. When the bartender asks the guy what he wants I put my hand on the guy in front of me and kindly tell him I was waiting in line. He backs up and I order, receive drinks and move back to the front door to wait. So we get called to get seated. We move to the top of the stairs and there are two directions. One goes in this BUSY looking room and the other is a slightly dark, quiet, lodge looking area overlooking the first floor. Of course we want the lodge side. Oh...and big guy is waiting to be seated in front of us. So him and his gal get seated in the busy room. Next...yep...we get seated in the busy room too. *sigh* So my feelings about the big guy and the busy room coming back to bite me. We get seated and bring some trivia cards with us. So a trivia question comes up about the prime meridian. Big guy chimes in from behind me with "Greenwich England". He's right. So the big table in our room full of people and their kids are starting to play with us as well as big guy and his girl. After a while we're all chatting and finding out more about each other. Then it comes up that it's my birthday in a couple days. BAM! Whole room is singing HBD to me. So my assumptions about the busy room people and the big guy get blown. They were all wonderful people. Then, if that wasn't enough we find out after the big table with all of the kids left that they bought dessert for us. With the dessert came the card pictured below. So we now look forward to passing this forward during our journey through the New England area. Going to bed tonight feeling good after this evenings experience. #MargaretsMemory

This was honestly the fastest I've ever gotten my pizza. Ordered. Sat down. Drank maybe 1/4 if my beer and BAM! Pizza was at my table. Delicious crust too! Fiddlehead Brewing company is right next door so we filled a mini growler and came over for pizza. Great experience! Oh, and maple soda? Welcome to Vermont! Sold! LOL

Went to the Ben & Jerry's factory today for a tour. After the tour at the Allagash Brewery I have to admit my expectations were high for this one. I have to say I was a little let down. Basically they put you in a room to watch a movie about how Ben & Jerry's got started and their ingredients (they're VERY ecologically responsible and their ingredients are as well). Then they move you to a room with windows so you can see the equipment they make the ice cream with (no taking pictures) and then you try a small amount of whatever they have that day. Granted, it was only $4 for the tour but the Allagash one was free and you got like 4 or 5 different glasses of beer and you got to see every step of the process and take all the pictures you wanted. Other than the tour part it was still neat and I have a new found respect for their responsibility they take with their ingredients, their ecological work and their work with the communities they're in. Good company. Our cones Julie and I bought at the end...hers was 'Chip Off The Dough Block" and mine was "Chunky Monkey". The graveyard pics are where they 'retire' old flavors that they won't make again.

Just wandering around...

Who wants to see the draw bridge in Mystic, CT raise? This happens once an hour during the good months.

Lunch with Julie at Mystic Pizza before we head to the sea port.

This was where we stayed while in Mystic, CT. Neat historical building right next to the main road and water.

On the way to Mystic, CT Julie and I stopped at Sugarbush Farms. You can't be in Vermont and not learn about maple syrup. Bonus, this farm also does cheeses, jelly, sausage. They're not shy with the samples either. Family run place. Great way to take a break from the drive and challenge your taste buds. Learned a lot about the grades of syrup and how they get them. Very interesting.

Julie and I took a foggy stroll along Cliff Walk in Newport, RI this morning. Beautiful cliffs on one side, historic mansions on the other. Information panels along the way for those wanting more information. I'd recommend this walk for anyone coming here. Great exercise and experience.

My birthday dinner was lobster carbonara. It was so delicious. I think it had a whole lobster in it.

Driving through Vermont was really beautiful. I'd really like to take my motorcycle up to New England and ride all over. Bar Harbor/Acadia, White Mountains, Vermont... #bikergoals

This is happening today...

Julie and I got the opportunity to go on a sail on the Aquidneck out of Newport, RI. Not much wind. Fun time though and great crew. Foggy Foggy Foggy!

http://sightsailing.com/boat/aquidneck/

Made it to our cottage in Cape Cod. Peace and quiet!

It's a balmy 65 degrees here. I hear it's hot back home.

Foggy morning...

Funny story. Julie and I kept hearing barking outside the cottage. We're looking at each other saying 'That sounds like Gizmo'. We go around the corner and there's a Pekingese that looks just like our old dog Freeman. Her name is Zuzu.

Had the world's best clam chowder. Seriously...they had to stop competing in Chowder Fest because they always won. Dam good!

Okay, by far the best beach has been Mayflower Beach. Low tide let's you walk WAAAAY out there. Perfect 70+ degree weather and the ocean was warmer than i expected. Already planning a family vacation here. Perfect.

#realtorlife interrupting golf...

Next up on the mini-golf extravaganza was Putter's Paradise. Bonus...their ice cream shop was open. This course was not as pretty, not as gimicky...but was more technically challenging. Some great thought was put into these holes and the obstacles were more challenging. We enjoyed them both. Neither of us won. We've been married too long not to know that keeping score would be trouble so we just had fun with it.

We say farewell to New England with a stop by Plymouth Rock before we hit the airport. We both learned a lot about the locations we visited and had a great time doing it. Can't wait to come back.