The
35 NM trip to Portland from Kennebunkport was made interesting by the first
sighting of seals and the numerous light houses along the way. We spent two full days in Portland exploring
the streets, shops and bars in the old town section. Portland is Maine’s largest city, but very
compact and easy to get around. One of
the things we have enjoyed most on this trip is stopping at the local watering
holes. One place we stopped in Portland
was an imposing converted Methodist church called, appropriately, Grace. It was very well done with a circular bar in
the middle and dining on the sides and in a balcony area. The kitchen was open in the area of the
alter. We also stopped in a waterfront
joint called J’s Oyster where we met a pair of interesting travelers from Baltimore. They were touring Maine with their daughters
before they went off to college. We
shared a few laughs there.
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| New Found Friends at J's Oyster |
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| Portland's 19th Century Architecture |
We
moved on to Freeport on the 20th.
We left at 11AM thinking the fog had lifted, but as we exited Portland
harbor we got socked in with ¼ mile visibility.
It was that way for the whole trip which fortunately was only 13 NM . Our long run of perfect weather officially
ended on the 20th with persistent fog and rain. Freeport is home to
LL Bean and 130 other mostly outlet stores.
LL Bean is open 24/7/365. Needless
to say Debby was thrilled even in the rain although she was not too happy with
her hair appointment there. Next door to
our marina was one of the more famous Maine Lobster shacks, so we had our first
lobster roll. As is our habit we made
some new friends among the locals at Perillo’s.
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| Chatting Up the Locals at Perillo's |
On
the 22nd, Jim’s birthday, we took advantage of a break in the
weather to move on to Boothbay Harbor.
This picturesque village is a very popular tourist town. Jim’s birthday celebration took place at The
Boathouse Bistro. Too much celebration
made for a slow day on the 23rd.
Fully recuperated on the 24th we took the local trolley to
reprovision and tour the area. For Happy
Hour we went to the “On the Rocks Bar” at the “Rocktide Inn” across the harbor
from our boat. It did not look like much
from the outside, but was terrific on the inside with multiple dining rooms and
lounges all dark paneled with fireplaces and a very large collection of
exquisite shop models. The picture below
is only a small sample.
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Ship Models at Rocktide
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| Boothbay Harbor looking West |
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| Paradise in "Downtown" Boothbay Hbr |
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| Aug 24 9AM |
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| Aug 24 Noon |
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| Aug 24 7PM |
There is a foot bridge built in 1901 that connects the western shore of the harbor with the eastern shore. The man who built the bridge also built a house in the middle. The house is now for sale for $650,000.
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| Want a home in Boothbay Harbor? |
