July 20-26: Maine

Next up: Kate Ferguson, good friend from the ‘80s. First couple days at her CABIN 😉 at Sunday River, in Maine on the New Hampshire border.

Sun 7/20:

Left Essex in the AM, took a northern route, skirting the Canadian border. Happened across Newport, Vermont - nice, peaceful small town on a lake, with Canada on the opposite shore:

Arrived in Bethel Maine just in time for dinner at Cho Sun, a Thai restaurant recommended by Kate. Excellent. I wanted to go back the next night but they were closed:

It seems there’s golf to be played in the area.

Mon 7/21:

Hiked to the top of Whitecap Mountain:

The blueberries are ripe, we spent much time picking and eating:

there are also mushrooms:

…and rocks. Sometimes life feels like this. Not on this day:

In the evening we went into town, happy to find Pizza Night at the local movie theater! You order your pizza & take an electric candle in to your seat; they bring your pizza when it’s ready. Fun to partake of the culture, pizza was good, movie (Superman) sucked:

Tue 7/22:

Tooled around Bethel/Newry area, saw the covered bridge:

Headed off to Kittery Point. Along the way we passed through Portland Maine (picturesque, recommended), great lunch at Duckfat - Belgian fries, fried in duck fat:

Arrived Kate’s in time for a picnic on Fort Foster with her and twin sister Carla:

The local wine merchant stopped by & gave us most of a bottle of champagne they’d taste tested. Perfect.

Wed 07/23:

Kate lives in Kittery Point Maine (03905 😉), a very beautiful suburb of Portsmouth NH. It’s right on the coast, surrounded by estuaries. People live along them and have docks:

Drove out to North Hampton NH, to Fuller Gardens, a 1927 estate ‘Runnymede-by-the-Sea’, now a public botanical garden:

Here’s Kate’s front yard. (Failed to photograph the house, dang):

Kate collects interesting people and delights in putting them together. It’s delightful for all of us. Dinner party at her house that evening (failed, again, to photograph).

Thu 07/24:

Drove up to Ogunquit, to the art museum there:

Had to be back by 4, she’d arranged for me to join a J24 race. Big fun. 13 boat fleet, two races, finished 5th & 3rd:

I escaped with no bruises, apparently unusual for the J24.

Fri 07/25:

There’s an island off the coast that is home to an ex US Rescue Corps (later part of the US Coast Guard) base, being converted to a park/museum. Friends John & Parky took us out in their skiff from their house:

John built that sailboat from scratch…as well as their house, which we toured. Hugely beautiful & well designed, he’s a master craftsman.

Here we are returning up the estuary. You can eat lobster (previously caught in the bay, now imported from Canada) on the dock, at the red building:

That evening, jaunt out to Durham, home of UNH, food trucks and Katie Paine. Fascinating old property, beautiful sunset, tales of Silicon Valley:

Sat 07/26:

Fond goodbyes, twins in front of the house:

…and off we went with 8 hours to get to JFK. Stopped for coffee in Marblehead:

At JFK, they’ve converted the iconic 1962 TWA terminal into a hotel & museum. I stopped there in my back-and-forth to Frankfurt 1983-1986 so it was nostalgic:

Alright then, California, here we come.

D’oh, misjudged a u-turn; insurance claim pending. Worst case a mere $1400 :-(: