The Maine Event

Airport fun! Thanks Southwest for a patriotic send-off!

Every summer we try to get together with Matt's family. For years we would gather at the ancestral home in Peachtree City, which was terribly convenient for our little branch. But over time, we've become more bold. We've met up in Ohio to visit extended relatives, taken in Boston, gathered in Williamsburg, and this year we decided to venture even further afield, all the way to Maine. The last time Annie flew was before she could crawl, so this would be a big experience for both girls. We booked flights on July 4th, being the patriots that we are, and it was exciting to see all the families decked out in their red, white and blue. (Matt scoffed at my request that we all wear one of those colors but did allow me to pick out a blue shirt for him to put on. I thought we looked lovely!)

Hooray for the red, white and blue!

Annie had been asking every morning if we were going to Maine today, so it was a relief to finally be able to say yes! And thanks to Southwest, we all had snacks at the airport and wifi on the plane, so the girls did great on the plane. We had a brief connection in Baltimore, finally landed in New Hampshire, hopped in our rental car and drove through scenery that Violet insisted looked just like Georgia, until we finally pulled into Ogunquit. Just stepping out of the car, you could smell the salty air. It was still warm, but the temperature would fluctuate wildly over the week were were there. You could change your outfit three times a day and still not be dressed appropriately the next hour.

Finally taking a nap.

We landed, settled into our rental house, had dinner and headed to the beach, just a short walk down the street, to watch fireworks over the ocean. Ah, the perfect distance from the noise to finally cure my kids of their fear of fireworks! The girls were dying to get their feet wet in the freezing surf, then it was to bed with everyone.

Princess in the garden.

The next day was determined to be a beach day. The girls stayed busy in the morning, running around the lush garden yard that came with our house. The grass was so thick and green, the flowers so beautiful. I did some outdoor yoga on the porch before we headed out - my first time doing yoga outside. It felt wonderful, although my balance was so off without a fixed point to look at... the clouds would drift by overhead and my body would slowly drift with them, ha!

Looks pretty, doesn't it? It was so. cold.

We suited up and walked to the beach. Oh, the wind was so cold. The water was ice. Even in the sun, it was hardly bearable without a clothes or a blanket. We braved it for a couple hours and the kids didn't seem to notice, but it was a relief to head home. Of course, once a couple blocks out of the sea breeze, the sun made things nice enough to run in the sprinklers, a perfect compromise.

Not quite the beach, but no complaints.

After a rest, we headed out to the nearby town of York to see the Cape Neddick Lighthouse. The surrounding area is all giant rocks that the kids had fun clambering over (while I tried not to freak out too much). It was a beautiful Maine view, all white and red roofed and blue skied. At the visitors center, there was an adorable little old man who painted pictures of the lighthouse, and you could buy prints where he would write your name on the little sailboat in the foreground. Such a sweet little souvenir!

The Nubble Light

Greg and Lauren and the view.

You would think all that excitement - outdoor yoga, beach day, sprinklers, the lighthouse, rock walk - would be enough. But this family wanted more. We stopped for dinner on the harbor at Barnacle Billy's, landing a prime table on the outdoor patio with a perfect view of the boats, the bridge that opened and closed for passing sailboats, and one uninvited guest. A rather bold seagull took one look at our table and decided we were the suckers who were going to leave him dinner. The girls thought it was hilarious and worked to perfect their seagull call. For all its chilly start, the day ended beautifully.

Meanwhile, in Ogunquit...

The diners.

And the seagull.

Did the beach ever warm up? And what about lobster? Isn't Maine all about lobster? Find out here.