Two more states down!

I have been struggling to write a post about our trip to Maine and New Hampshire, but I am not sure why.  We had a great time!  Maybe it is because I am still sad to be back home, where the leaves are still green and traffic is a mess and all I hear are sirens instead of the sound of the ocean.  Even Old Town Alexandria's Halloween decorations are not nearly as cute as Ogunquit's.  Oh well, at least I have some pictures to remember the trip.

We flew into Manchester, New Hampshire on Friday.  It was a quick flight, minus the 60 minutes sitting on the runway.  We got our cheap rental car and we were off to Portsmouth, NH.  We were meeting our friends who were already there, enjoying the first of many, many beers.  


I really like traveling with Heidi and Evan.  One, they love Anna.  They even babysat one night so Kyle and I could go out to dinner.  Two, they have been to Maine many times, so they planned and navigated and organized our visit (with our input of course).  We basically had to just show up and enjoy the ride.  Three, they are super nice, funny, and easy going, which is why we are actually friends in the first place.  

After walking through Portsmouth, we headed north to Maine.  We stopped for groceries, just the essentials (milk, beer, pumpkin bagels, beer, apple cider, grapes, beer...) and made our way to the townhome we rented in Ogunquit.  The home worked out perfectly.  We were about 1/4 mile from the beach and about 1 mile to town.  Anna had her own bedroom and she loved the jacuzzi tub.  The house was not fancy, but it had everything we needed and was very comfortable. 

Ogunquit has to be one of the cutest towns ever.  Their downtown has restaurants and shops, there are 3 miles of beach and a beautiful walk along the coast, and the homes come in all shapes and sizes.  There is also a playhouse and a couple of museums but we didn't visit those.  I would definitely stay in this town again.  Everything we did was within an hours drive.

   

We woke up each morning and walked to the beach with Anna.  It was chilly but she didn't mind.  We watched the birds and the waves, picked up rocks, and played in the sand.  I could start everyday with a walk on the beach.  We usually visited the beach every afternoon too, to soak up as much fresh air as possible.

 

On Saturday we headed back to Portsmouth to visit their farmer's market and to walk around downtown a bit more.  Their farmer's market has beer!  On the way back to Maine we visited Stonewall Kitchen.  I love this store but it was very, very crowded.  We also stopped by Pie in the Sky Bakery for the best blueberry pie I have ever had.  It was a little expensive but totally worth it.  We then watched LSU beat Florida, and Heidi and I did some shopping that night. 

On Sunday we drove north to Freeport, Maine to shop at the 24-hour L.L. Bean.  Anna loved this store.  You could try out all of the chairs and tents, see stuffed moose, and run around the kids play area for hours.  After lunch, we stopped at Kennebunkport, Maine.  It was a cute town near the water that was fun to explore.  We then made our way back to Ogunquit and went for a long walk along the Marginal Way. 

 

Monday was Portland day.  Everyone (except Anna and I) was scheduled to tour Allagash Brewery that afternoon, so we went early to explore the city.  I was not super impressed with Portland but there were some cute shops and we had a great lunch at In'finiti Fermentation and Distillation.  Once the group was off to their tour, Anna and I headed to Portland Head Light.  It was beautiful.  This is what comes to mind when I think of Maine and Anna and I could have stayed there all day.  To end the day, Kyle and I went to dinner at Barnacle Billy's and Anna went with Heidi to "make cake" with sand at the beach.  I am not a fan of lobster, but I am a fan of rum punch and they had the best I've had in a long time. 

 

Tuesday was left for packing, cleaning, and heading home.  We left a bit early for the airport to visit one more lighthouse.  Nubble Light was just as cute and quintessential Maine as Portland Head Light.  I could have stayed there all day too, except it was cold and windy, and we had a plane to catch.

 

I loved New Hampshire and Maine.   I would love to go back.  I could go back just spend a whole day shopping at the antique shops and outlets we passed by.  

My neighbor and I were talking, her in-laws live in Maine, and she said it perfectly "It is just a better way of life up there."  I have to totally agree, except maybe not in winter.

More pictures here.