Guest Glahggers report from Maine (and thereabouts)
And just in the nick of time because I know y’all (all 10 of you) do not want to know about my life of total household chaos right now! You’ll probably hear about it tomorrow though. Anyway, Uber Kayak Woman and Radical Betty spent a wonderful week out in Acadia National Park, and other parts of Maine and the White Mountains in New Hampshire. UKW is my cousin Aimée and Radical Betty is, well, my aunt Betty (and UKW’s moom, of course). Anyone else have an Aunt Betty? They are the best! Especially when they are radical! Click here or on the pic for a slide show and here is the blahg:
“Who ever heard of Acadia?”, asks Betty, before proclaiming its beauty. We drove to Acadia in the rain, passing by the ubiquitous granite headstoned cemeteries that stand along Maine’s roads. Granite weathers well over time, and the coast of Maine has provided granite from quarries for centuries.
The next day we followed the classic road drive around part of Mount Desert that was donated as Acadia NP. Aimee took great joy and glee in driving the left lane of the one way road, pretending she was in Africa again. By the time we reached the summit of Cadillac “Mountain”, the highest elevation of the Atlantic seaboard we were blessed with sunshine and a clear view. A relatively rare event with the impact of coastal fog. Betty had a “first”, experiencing a green SaniCan atop Cadillac, and declared that it wasn’t a bad experience:-)
Driving back from Acadia, we investigated the Penobscot Narrows Observatory, built into the top of bridge towers. The elevator ride ejects you at a much higher elevation than you started at. Betty, usually dubious about heights, was totally comfortable peering out the observatory windows, back at Mt. Desert Island and out along the coast of Maine. Aimee was nauseated and shaky from the ride and sudden altitude change, grateful to be heading back down after glimpsing fabulous views. Aimee likes climbing mountains, but that elevator was too much change too fast.
Betty and Aimee made it back to Portland despite Maine’s directionally challenged road signs. Which direction were we headed? Only one not listed. . .
Aimee’s friend Laura took the photo of Aimee and Betty together in her home with views of the coast at Smallpoint. We so enjoyed our visit with her, and the excellent fresh scallops we cooked for dinner. Betty had Lobster Roll for lunch that day, and we ate Maine mussels to celebrate her arrival. Good seafood here.
The next weekend we headed over to New Hampshire. We had a sweet visit with Bob and Muriel, and their daughter Martha came down to see us as well.
Mother’s day was shared in the White Mountains, marveling at the granite pools of Diana’s Baths, and the glacial sculpting that formed the valley of Crawford Notch. We thought the spring colors rivaled the famous fall “leaf peeping” season, as the leaf buds emerge in many different color shades, light green, orange rust, and deep red. We toasted Mother’s Day with a fine California Viognier wine and wild caught Alaskan smoked salmon.
We had some lovely days together in the spring here in the northeast, with many games of dominos played!!