Catherine Cruises Maine

We spent the day yesterday trekking from the Cape up the Maine coast and eventually turning inland and stopping for the evening in Augusta so we're in line to head off to Quebec this morning. We decided to only go halfway the first day with several planned stops and detours since this is the first long car trip with Catherine and we didn't really have any idea what we were getting into. She was actually very accomodating the whole day and seems to like the idea of vacation.

Our first stop was in Ogunquit, a little more than an hour north of Boston on the coast of Maine. This little town is well known for an ocean walk called The Marginal Way, a fairly short (a mile or so) and easy (mostly paved - great for strollers and those that toddle) walking path that sits right on the coast and offers non-stop views of the ocean, giant sky, and rocky Maine coast. Catherine accepted a ride in the stroller on the way out (she had just dominated a large grilled cheese sandwich) but insisted on walking herself the whole way back. At first it was pretty slow going because every time we had to pass anyone walking towards us on the trail she would stop on the side and stare at them until they were well beyond us, then continue. Luckily this didn't last or it would have taken us hours to get back. She powered through the whole way back, drinking about a liter of water on the way and at the end, and seemed pretty glad to crawl back into the stroller to head back to the car.

After lunch and this walk, we made the short drive up to and through Kennebunk, stopping in a few antique and rare book and print shops on the way, then made one final stop for another leg stretch at a little monestary on the north end of Kennebunk. By this time it was getting into the late afternoon and Catherine was pretty exhausted, so she slept the hour and a half drive through Bathe, Maine and out to a restaurant at the end of a pier on the Five Islands. Michael and I enjoyed fresh-caught lobster and salt-water cooked corn, while Catherine opted to munch through an apple and some red peppers (she hasn't really learned how to take advantage of vacation food yet). Then it was off to our hotel, only slightly later than planned, and Catherine was asleep by nine and just woke up a couple minutes ago around 7. There won't be as much stopping and walking today (there isn't a whole lot other than trees to see between here and Quebec) but it should only be four to five hours of driving so here's hoping for the best.

Lunch in Ogunquit



The Marginal Way



Antique Shopping


Lobster Dinner