Sunday, May 1, 1988
Happy May Day! But a gray day.
After breakfast we dropped Kyle and Erich off at their
mom’s, and headed for the Howard Johnson’s near the Susse Chalet where we were
to meet all the parents and Kathy for breakfast. A tour bus had just unloaded and there was a
line to get in. Kent went to check the Norwood Inn and I walked to the Susse
Chalet where Kent’s parents were in the lobby and my parents were just coming
in. Kent arrived to report the Norwood Inn was closed, and the girl at the
Susse Chalet desk was no help. So we drove towards the airport via a shortcut
through a one-lane tunnel. Went to JJ McManus where we had breakfast in two
booths of five and two. I had tomato juice and one egg over easy with bacon,
toast, and home fries. Kent had two poached eggs and sausage, and coffee.
Kent’s dad picked up the breakfast bill. Kathy wasn’t feeling well, but perked
up after a couple bowls of soup.
We returned to the motel and said goodbyes. Kent went with his parents back to our house. I went with my parents as they finished packing and checked out. I drove them to the airport, dropping them off at 10:20 for a 10:40 flight to Philadelphia where they had a four-hour layover before flying to Buffalo!
We returned to the motel and said goodbyes. Kent went with his parents back to our house. I went with my parents as they finished packing and checked out. I drove them to the airport, dropping them off at 10:20 for a 10:40 flight to Philadelphia where they had a four-hour layover before flying to Buffalo!
The boys were dropped off at our house soon after I returned, and we microwaved d’Antuono leftovers for lunch, with pickles and carrot
sticks. Kent watched parts of Celtics and Red Sox games starting at 13:00. At
15:00, we left on our "honeymoon," leaving the boys overnight with their grandparents, with a
phone number for Domino’s pizza.
In drizzling rain we drove up I-95, then I-93 through
Boston, and back on I-95. At Newburyport, we took US-1 to follow the coast.
Entered New Hampshire, passing through Seabrook, site of a nuclear power plant,
which is the center of many demonstrations. It hasn’t opened because people are
not satisfied that appropriate evacuation plans have been devised in case of
emergencies. The town itself is small and sleepy. Stopped at an antique co-op
with big stuff like cars and bars, and streetlights. Expensive stuff.
Drove through Hampton, one of New Hampshire’s earliest
towns, having been settled in 1638. Like many New England towns, it has had
several names, and was first called Winnacunnet, meaning “beautiful place of
pines.” The first tax-supported public school was established here in 1649 for
the education of both sexes.
We went through North Hampton where many wealthy families
from Boston and Portland, ME built summer homes in the late 19th and
early 20th centuries. Before entering Portsmouth, we found Lago’s
Lone Star Ice Cream to stop for a snack. I had a chocolate ice cream soda and
Kent had a sugar cone with Dutch almond chocolate ice cream. A bit cool
outside, but there we stood to eat the ice cream.
We then drove through Portsmouth, NH, a small city that
started as Strawberry Banke when the travelers on the Pied Cow ship arrived on
the west bank of the Piscataqua River in 1630 and found wild strawberries.
The fishing and farming town soon grew into a shipbuilding seaport to be named
Portsmouth in 1653. We crossed the river into Maine on a bridge with graffiti
stating it was Sean’s Bridge. Came to Portsmouth’s sister city of Kittery, ME,
incorporated in 1647 as it developed into a shipping, lumbering, and
shipbuilding center. One of the oldest and the first federal government-owned
shipyard in the nation, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was established here in
1800. The “Ranger,” the first ship to fly the Stars and Stripes, was launched
here under the command of John Paul Jones on May 10, 1777.
We drove through York, one of Maine’s oldest and most
historic places. It was settled in 1624 and named Agamenticus for the Indian
village abandoned on the site. The aristocratic agents of Sir Ferdinand Gorges
arrived in 1630 to establish a plantation and adopted the name of their home
city of Bristol, in 1638. In 1642, Gorges granted the first chartered English
city in America to the settlement in the name of Gorgeana, He died in 1647, and
after political unrest, the people became Massachusetts freemen, and
Massachusetts demoted the city to a town and named it York. In January 1692,
the Candlemas Massacre occurred with 500 Abenaki Indians attacked, one of the
worst disasters of the French and Indian Wars. But the town survived and
supported the colonial cause in the Revolutionary War, staging their own tea
party.
Next we passed through Ogunquit, called “beautiful place by
the sea” by the Abenaki Indians. Now it is a popular summer resort. Especially
among artists. We saw the Ogunquit Playhouse, which has offered exceptional
summer theater since the 1930s. We then drove through Wells, another resort
area with a plethora of motels and hotels.
We turned down ME-9 towards Kennebunkport and passed the
Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge. Went through Kennebunkport Beach and
crossed a drawbridge into Kennebunkport. Entered Dock Square with the eagle
statue in the center surrounded by 19th century restored structures
now housing boutiques, galleries, and restaurants. It is popular with artists
and writers. Novelist Kenneth Roberts, born in Kennebunk, lived in the ‘Port
and used the area as a setting for his Chronicles
of Arundel, a series of historical novels about the American Revolution and
the War of 1812. Booth Tarkington summered here, writing at dockside in his
schooner, “Regina.”
We turned right at Ocean Avenue, and soon spotted the
Captain Lord Mansion up beyond a large green.
 |
| The Captain Lord Mansion brochure |
We had reservations for two
nights in this popular bed & breakfast inn. We brought in our bags and were
greeted by Rick, one of the innkeepers. He had us sign the guestbook, then
showed us the Gathering Room with a fireplace and a nickelodeon, as well as
board games.
 |
| The Gathering Room |
 |
| Breakfast Room |
We also saw the Country Kitchen where iced tea and hot tea were
available. Rick showed us the combination to the outer door that is locked at
23:00, and then we trekked to the third floor to our room, named for the ship
“Bark Mousam.”
 |
| Room name |
 |
| Sitting area |
And a bedroom
with a beautiful crocheted canopy over the bed.
 |
| Bedroom |
There was a sink and door to
the bathroom. Modern facilities and heating, but antique atmosphere, lots of
windows and it was very well maintained and clean.
 |
| View of the Barn used for special events |
 |
| Lantern in the cupola |
 |
| Looking down the stairs |
 |
| The Captain Lord Mansion |
We went to the Gathering Room where another couple sat
reading the newspaper. Kent got a cup of hot tea, and I had iced tea. He read
the newspaper, and I looked at a couple autographed books on Punography (photo illustrations of puns)
by Bruce McMillan. We perused scrapbooks of the inn, checked out all the
available games and puzzles, tried the stereoscope, and removed the ring off a
wooden brain teaser puzzle. The cat, Aggie, wandered around. Another couple
came in and put a penny in the antique music box or symphonium, a metal disc
player. We called our house to talk to Kent’s parents.
Monday, May 2, 1988
The day started with some sun, but got cloudy again. We went
down to the Gathering Room where Kent had the last of the coffee. Bev, the
other half of the innkeeping couple, came in and put a penny in the symphonium
as a signal that the 9:30 shift of breakfast was served. We had assigned times
for breakfast and had to be punctual! We sat around two tables and were served
by Bev and her daughter, Stacia, as well as another girl. There were
pineapple-upside-down muffins and a nut bread, as well as juice and coffee for
all. We could also have soft-boiled eggs, and people were intrigued by the egg
topper that encircled the top of the egg, and with a squeeze it cracked off the
top of the shell. There was French vanilla yoghurt and blueberries, as well as
butter, sour cream, and jams, which we didn’t use since the baked goods were so
sweet and rich. Cold cereal was also available. We even had a second muffin,
but were stuffed!
We left at 10:15, and drove up US-1. We stopped for gas in
Biddleford, and the pumps had buttons for cash and credit to determine the
price. The proprietor told Kent that the system was computerized to keep track
of his accounts, but it was also online with the regional headquarters where
each transaction is recorded! In 1662, the son of John and Priscilla Alden
erected one of the region’s first saw mills at the falls seven miles upstream
from the mouth of the Saco River. Biddeford became a textile manufacturing
center, and has a French-Canadian heritage.
We crossed the river to the sister city of Saco, settled in
1631 at a site first noted by Captain John Smith in 1614. In 1762, the town was
incorporated as Pepperellboro. It became Saco in 1805 and ironworks were
established. We followed Main Street through town, passing many fine houses,
including those hosing the Dyer Library and the York Institute Museum. Most
things were either closed for the season, or closed on Mondays! We also passed
the Maine Aquarium. We crossed I-195, a three-mile stretch of highway built to
reach the resort area of Old Orchard Beach. Later we turned off on ME-207 to
head closer to the shore. Then we took ME-77 up to Cape Elizabeth and drove out
to Two Lights State Park. Arrived at the water’s edge after passing a WWII
lookout tower. It was dark and gray, with an angry ocean throwing up a lot of spray
against rough jagged rocks. Authentic Maine coast!
It was windy and cold, so we took a quick jog around, and
viewed the Portland Head Light, which was erected in 1791 on orders from George
Washington.
 |
| Portland Head Light |
We continued following ME-77 to Portland, driving on a
half-wide road, due to either construction or washouts? We passed bogs and salt
marshes all along the coast. We drove across a bridge to enter Portland, seeing
cruise ships of the Prince of Fundy Line below us. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
was born here and called it “the beautiful town that is seated by the sea.” It
is now a major industrial center, but the original area on the small peninsula
in Casco Bay makes an attempt to be quaint and beautiful in restoring its 19th century buildings on narrow streets, and lining the streets with trees.
Portland is the largest city in Maine with a population of about 62,000. Kent
gave the town a ‘B-‘! We found the main street downtown, Congress Street, and
followed it north, passing the colonial observatory built in 1807, which
apparently has an excellent view of the harbor, and seamen’s wives and others
could watch for the return of sailing vessels.
 |
| Portland Observatory |
We continued to the end of the
street to the Eastern Promenade, a park-like fringe overlooking the water and
numerous islands, called the Calendar Islands because there are 365 of them.
Captain John Smith first visited these islands in 1614.
We drove back by way of Washington Street to Congress
Street, going by the classic City Hall and finding 487 Congress Street, right
downtown. At this address was a brick home built in 1785-1786 by General Peleg
Wadsworth, maternal grandfather of the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who
lived here during his childhood. It was made of bricks barged from
Philadelphia, and was the first brick house in Portland. We passed the Portland
Museum of Art, a modern but simple brick building named for Charles Shipman
Payson and designed by I M Pei and Partners.
At 714 Congress Street was the Neal Dow Memorial, a not very
attractive Federal style mansion built in 1829 for the prominent Maine
politician, abolitionist, and prohibitionist Neal Dow, now housing the Maine
Women’s Christian Temperance Union. We turned around to circle the Museum of
Art, noting a narrow flatiron building (Upper H H Hay Building, 1826) across
the street filling a block between two merging streets.
We found the Victoria Mansion on Danforth Street at Park,
and Italian villa in French rococo style, a huge ugly brown edifice! It is an
example of domestic architecture of the high Victorian era, and was designed by
Henry Austin, as a summer home for the wealthy Maine-cum-New Orleans hotelier,
Ruggles Morse. Begun in 1859, it required 12 Italian artisans four years to
complete the elaborate wood carvings, and the richly painted and gilded
decoration of walls and ceilings. There are seven intricately carved Carrara marble
mantels imported from Italy! We found ourselves down by the waterfront in the
Old Port exchange area with narrow streets, gilded shop signs, and gas lamps,
all reconstructed in Victorian style.
We made our way to I-295 and headed north to Freeport. We missed
the exit to the rest area and information center, and found ourselves in
Freeport, known as the “Home of Maine” because it was here that the papers were
signed, granting Maine separation from Massachusetts, and finally statehood. It
is now known as the Home of LL Bean, with a multi-story one block store open 24
hours every day of the year!
A Mikasa outlet store caught our eye, and we stopped to look at china, but got some cookware instead. Continued a short distance into town to park and find a place to eat. We walked back nearly to the Mikasa store to eat at the Lobster Cooker. I got the chicken salad sandwich (generous portion) and seafood chowder, with Poland Spring mineral water (bottled in Maine!). Kent had the fried fish sandwich, like a half portion, and a Labatt beer. When we were finished, we put the returnable bottles in a carton, and the trash in the trash can.
We browsed through the outlet stores along the street, not going on a wild spending spree, because we have committed to buying a house! Kent found a great London Fog all-weather coat. Later he was disappointed to find the Cole Haan shoes he wanted went for $168 at the outlet store! Wow!
We wandered aimlessly through LL Bean, not buying, but marveling at the department store atmosphere. A pool under a huge skylight contained brook trout. I bought postcards and Kent perused the factory store section, where the discounts were. We went out to Ben & Jerry’s for a snack. I had Reverse Chocolate Chunk, white chocolate with chunks in brown chocolate ice cream, in a cup. Kent had a cone with New York Super Fudge Chunk, a rich dark chocolate with white and dark chocolate chunks, and walnuts. Yum!
We went through a great variety of stores with more shoes, housewares, and dried flower wreaths. Rejoiced when we saw a public restroom, but it was closed! We returned to the car and drove further to another set of stores, going through more shops, and finding a birthday/Mother’s Day gift for Kent’s mom, a unique knitted shawl. Kent asked about restrooms, and they directed us back to LL Bean!
 |
| L L Bean, Inc. |
We drove past a McDonalds in a colonial house, and returned to US-1 to find a rest stop.
 |
| Freeport McDonald's |
We took I-295 to I-95, joining the toll road of the Maine
Turnpike. At Portland, a USAir jet flew just overhead to land at the Portland
Jetport. We got to drive 65 mph and pay $1.05 in tolls to get off at Kennebunk,
a town developed about 1650 between the Mousam and Kennebunk Rivers. By 1730
there were shipyards and West Indies trade. Between 1800 and 1850, shipbuilding
was big with more than 1,000 schooners, clippers, and cargo vessels built in
50-odd shipyards. We passed the legacy of this period of wealth in the
beautifully detailed and large Federal, Greek revival, and Victorian houses. On
Main Street we passed the Brick Stove Museum series of early 19th century commercial buildings, dated 1810, 1814, and 1824. We also passed the
big white First Parish Church (Unitarian-Universalist), built in 1772. The
three-tiered Christopher Wren steeple looked newly painted, and supposedly
contains a bell cast by Paul Revere’s foundry and hung in 1804.
As we headed out of town past beautiful homes, we saw the
lavish Wedding Cake House, a gingerbread Victorian mansion.
 |
| Postcard of the Wedding Cake House |
We also saw Tom’s
of Maine Natural Products outlet. We drove past the Shawmut Inn where we would
be having dinner, and it seemed farther than three miles as we passed the
Kennebunkport Marina full of boats, out to the mouth of the river to see rough
ocean on rough rocks, with a multitude of huge boarded-up summer boarding
houses.
 |
| Kennebunkport Harbor |
All weathered-looking buildings, some with character and stone accents.
There were also some new homes.
It was about 17:30 when we returned to the Captain Lord
Mansion, and Kent rested as I attempted to catch up on the journal! Ha!
We showered and dressed for dinner at the Shawmut Inn, which
was recommended by Rick as an elegant and intimate dining with great food, and
they made the 19:30 reservation for us. We kept an eye on the odometer and found
the Shawmut Inn was 3.5 miles away.
 |
| Shawmut Inn |
It is a resort with a hotel, motel,
cottages, and houses. The dining room looked out over the ocean, and we got the
last table at the window. It was still light enough to notice splashing of
heads in the water, and found out from the waitress that there are often seals
on the rocks, but they swim out as the tide comes in. These seals really seemed
to be cavorting, splashing and clapping their fins.
 |
| There were seals out there! |
We dined by candlelight and
tulip. Kent had a couple glasses of the house white wine, and we had a rich
gourmet meal, as in lots of taste but not mounds of food (a plus: we had room
for dessert!). We were first brought English water biscuits (crackers) with a
dill spread. Then rolls and croissants with curled butter balls. For an
appetizer we were first given someone else’s salad, but the mistake was caught
before we dug in. I had smoked chicken liver sausage, six pieces with an array
of Belgian endive with tomato bits and huge capers, with balsamic vinaigrette.
Kent had the scallop terrine in a cream sauce, delicious! Then our salads with
pickled pimento and celery; mushrooms, greens, cucumbers, tomato, cheese, and
alfalfa sprouts; I had the Dijon creamy dressing and Kent had the balsamic
vinaigrette. The entrées arrived; Kent had a neat row of grilled lamb in a rich
cream sauce, with a dish of sautéed peppers and snow peas, baked new potatoes,
and two small beets. I had the same vegetables, with a rich lobster (out of the
shell!) dish with golden chanterelles. Ultra-delicious! We then chose from the
dessert tray, or Kent did as we shared a slice of white mousse and raspberry
mousse layer cake with a crème de cassis (a black currant liqueur) topping.
Nothing appealed to me on the dessert cart, but I liked Kent’s choice! We
left $85 and didn’t have to waddle out.
Drove back to the inn and relaxed in the room. They leave
chocolates on the dresser each night, and provide shampoo, soap, and lotion,
and even a disposable razor with the inn’s name imprinted on it!
Tuesday, May 3, 1988
We realized we never checked to see what time we were to
have breakfast. Kent went down at 8:00 and found out we could eat at 8:30. Kent
got his coffee in the Gathering Room, and the symphonium called us to
breakfast. Another woman hosted us, and we had blueberry muffins and a
strawberry bread, the yoghurt with raspberries (yum!), and the soft-boiled egg.
Didn’t take seconds. Today there was only one table of guests. Yesterday our
tablemates were a couple from Texas. Today they were from California, New
Jersey, and Montreal. After breakfast Kent checked us out and I took photos.
We drove to Shawmut Inn to walk out by the ocean. The tide
was higher than the night before, but we could see a seal perched on a rock in
the water. Found a telescope viewer to watch him until he was inundated. Saw
several seals playing, and they really clapped and slapped at the water.
We drove into town to park in Dock Square to walk around.
Antique stores were closed for the season, and others were just opening.
Finally got into the Compliments Gallery to get a closer look at modernized
Tiffany-type lamps, which we really liked, but were afraid to buy anything at
$500. Maybe once we are settled in the house and know better where a lamp would
go, we could decide on a style (floor or table) and color. I purchased
postcards in a pharmacy, and Kent inquired about restrooms. Signs in all the
shops saying “No Restrooms” seems to indicate this is a real problem in outlet
and boutique towns! We were directed to the municipal office, and from the town
clerk’s office to the health office to find the restrooms. An artificial
Christmas tree was stored in the ladies’ room! Relieved, we went on to walk
across the bridge to the main land to check out more shops. Back to the car to
drive farther inland and visit a couple antique shops with very fine furniture,
at very fine prices! Too much for us.
We drove back through Kennebunk, taking back streets and
followed US-1 to where US-1A turned off at York Beach. Another resort area and
there was great ocean spray against the rough rocks. Kent found a public
restroom. York Beach seemed to be a blue collar resort to Kent, but as we drove
farther to York Harbor, it became classier. Back to US-1 to Kittery and the
Tidewater Mall with a Lenox outlet to look once more for china. Across the
street to a Royal Doulton and Reading China and Glass outlets. Then to another
mall to Oneida and Scandinavian Design outlets. This mall had public restrooms
(whew!). You can shop a lot longer on an empty bladder, don’t the merchants
know that?!
We were hungry and stopped at the next restaurant we saw, a
Valle’s. It was a senior citizen-type place, and Kent wanted me to remind him
never to go to one again! However, all the local seafood places were closed for
the season. I had a cup of clam chowder, and the crabmeat seafood pie, which
was actually quite good with shrimp, scallops, white fish, cheese, and bread
crumbs. It also came with French fries and zucchini with tomatoes and parmesan
cheese. Kent had fried shrimp and scallops with fries and coleslaw. Left $15,
and used the restrooms!
It was getting sunny as we waited for a
drawbridge to go down after letting a ship pass. Saw planes, including a
fueling plane, fly into Pease Air Force Base, as well as signs to the Portsmouth
Naval Base. We got onto I-95 and paid a 75-cent toll. Through New Hampshire and
Massachusetts, and home by 16:30, missing Boston and Providence traffic.
No comments:
Post a Comment