Despite the heat in Tennessee, summer is officially over (forget about the solstice, Labor Day is it in my book). It seems that every other summer ends up being a romp to many different places (and it seems we move every summer - oh wait, we do move every summer). In 2008 we went to London, Scotland, Paris, and Belgium then moved to Maine. In 2010, I went to India and Italy and we both went to Greece then moved to NY. This year, we moved first then came the romp! So here it is the ten best things I did this summer!
10. Miramar Beach, Florida
While this weekend trip to the Pan Handle was fun, Florida is just too hot in the summer. I only lasted 15 minutes reading on the lovely screened in veranda at eight in the morning! This trip also allowed for my second trip to an aviation museum this summer (hence the 10 ranking). The Pensacola National Naval Aviation Museum did have a lot of interesting exhibits such as Blue Angel Planes, Marine One, and a bar brought in from Guam and reconstructed as the museums restaurant. My favorite was the mock-up of the inside of an aircraft carrier. I especially liked the 1960s contents of the commissary. Miramar Beach was also gorgeous, such soft sand, and the water bath-tub warm.
9. Frederick, MD -Times Two
Frederick is hands down my favorite place in Maryland. It has such a great old-city vibe, is walkable, and has some great eats. I had the pleasure of visiting Frederick twice as the half-way point between Tennessee and New England. While I love the people I get to visit in Frederick, it is coming in at number nine because I am still mad about my 2006 tax dispute with the great state of Maryland (what can I say, I hold a grudge). I did have some delicious food at Brewer's Alley - the Chipotle Chicken Ranch Pizza - and some meh food at Magoo's - way dry Bloody Mary Sandwich (a brie and tomato sandwich should ooze with cheese) although the Killer Fries with crab were amazing. I hate to say it, but the birthday cake ice cream - sweet cream with chunks of frosting - with rainbow sprinkles was by far the best thing about both of these trips (besides said people I love), but I hate to say it because it was a chain ice cream store (Bruster's) although I had never heard of it before.
8. Wallis Sands and Hampton Beach State Parks, NH (Yes, NH has 18 miles of coastline!)
Wallis Sands is my favorite place to go to the beach in NH, by far. It is less rowdy than some beaches with a huge beach side parking lot (the only downside is the $15 to park) minimizing the need to carry so much beach stuff all in one load. My day there was relaxing and just what the beach should be - in New England anyway - quick dip in the frigid water followed by warming up in the sun and repeat! Of course, a day at the beach wouldn't be complete without walking on the boardwalk, so we were off to the larger Hampton Beach to the south. Nothing like a nice ice cream, some candy, and observing the "interesting" boardwalk attire and activities.
7. Portland, ME
The better of the two Portlands (Yea, OR is not as good as ME) by far, we had a warm walk around the Back Cove Trail - a lovely walk despite the fact that part of the walk is right alongside I-95 then dinner outside at Local 188. Because of the heat and our desire for a post-dinner ice cream, we decided to go tapas. The best was the giant piece of flatbread with a heaping scoop of hummus. Later we walked to the old port and had gelato at Gorgeous Gelato. Frankly, I don't really understand the gelato craze. Gelato is great while strolling down a narrow cobbled alley in Italy, but what I want on a summer day in the USA is a good heaping scoop of ice cream. The dark chocolate and hazelnut mixed on one cone was wonderful, but still, I would have preferred ice cream. As the evening cooled, we strolled around the old port; I just love the quaintness of this Portland. As weird as the other one might be, it will never beat Maine's.
6. Woodlawn Museum
Speaking of Maine...I have been going on vacation in Downeast Maine for more than a decade but until this summer had never visited the Woodlawn Museum. The early nineteenth century estate was home to five generations of Ellsworth's Black family. The house is interesting because it has a transverse hallway, verses the typical front to back hallway, separating the office space from the rest of the house. The house also includes the original furnishings since the estate was willed to the town in its entirety including a four poster bed with its original linens (apparently a very rare find). In addition to the house and outbuildings, the museum hosts high tea once a week in the summer and has some public walking trails although one segment of the trail we walked was quite overgrown and swampy (mosquitos). It was great to finally visit this since I have driven past it dozens of times.
5. Acadia National Park
Of course, our summer could not be complete without a trip to Acadia National Park. Due to my increasingly pregnant state, we decided to take it easy on the hiking this year, so we only hiked five miles. Since I generally steer away from trails labeled easy or moderate in the guide books, this was a perfect reason to try one. We decided to hike the Asticou Trail from the Asticou Inn to the Jordan Pond House. We started outside the park by hiking through the Asticou Terraces and by Thuya gardens (we didn't see the gardens because dogs weren't allowed). We headed over Eliot Mountain then entered the park and walked the Asticou trail to the Jordan Pond House where we lounged on the lawn then had lemonade and popovers. Since so many people bring their dogs to Acadia (thank you for being a dog-friendly National Park, which I have discovered is a rarity) there are always lots of dogs lounging under their owner's tables out on the Jordan Pond House lawn. At one point on this visit, one dog began to bark then, like a symphony tuning up, dozens of dogs were all barking into one great cacophony. It was a great laugh for all the humans.
4. Rockport, MA
For years a good friend of mine has been living in Rockport, MA for part of the year and this summer I got to visit her and another good friend who was vacationing there. Rockport is a quaint New England fishing town that has been a bit of a destination for painters including Winslow Homer. It became such a destination for painting one particular fishing shack that the shack became known as Motif No. 1. The image was also featured on a 2002 postage stamp. The shack is so iconic to the town that when it burnt down in 1978 an exact replica was rebuilt in its place. The town is full of narrow streets with cute shops and eateries - what you would expect in a New England fishing town that is now a tourist destination. My favorite was the two story bookstore with used books upstairs accessed only by a rot iron spiral staircase. The beach in Rockport is very sheltered by a rock wall towards the back, and the water was fairly warm. There was even a raft to swim out to showing how sheltered the beach is.
3. Ellsworth's 250th birthday
Oh the little known town of Ellsworth, ME! This gets number three because I just love little known towns in Downeast. This year was Ellsworth's 250th birthday. Of the many festivities they had, I attended the community band concert on the city hall steps. While it was buggy and the band was set up behind a hedge making it impossible to see them from the only level place to set up folding chairs, the concert was fun. The music was what one would expect from a community band, but the community was what was special. I loved when the mayor was informally called to the stage to go through the rest of the week's events and later when someone else went up and took the microphone to make an announcement. I loved how most people sat in their cars in the parking lot and honked instead of clapping. And I loved meeting the most friendly veteran of three wars (WWII, Korea, and Vietnam) who told us all about his trips to the Bangor airport to welcome home troops no matter what time of day or night the planes come. The whole atmosphere, while not fancy, was just what an American summer is all about.
2. Sailing on Lake Massabesic
I grew up minutes from Lake Massabesic, Manchester, NH. Lake Massabesic was where we would go ride bikes when we were old enough to go off alone. It was where my husband and I went for a picnic in our first year of dating. I have taken several dogs there on many walks and cross-country skied there. I had been kayaking there but never sailing. Lucky for me, a friend's father now has a sailboat on the lake (I had also never been sailing except on a one-man summer camp boat). The day was gorgeous despite it not being too windy. Several times we got going really quickly and the extreme tipping of the boat (who knew sailing was so dynamic) made me happy it wasn't more windy. I learned one can't be in a rush when sailing without a motor as back up - it took us quite a while to tack back to the harbor - but that is part of the relaxation of the activity.
1. Lobster on Perry's Dock
Generally, my annual lobster is bought down the road from our camp at Perry's Lobster Shack then cooked at the camp and enjoyed on the deck with all the fixings - in my case, butter and potato chips and maybe a little vegetable on the side. Since Perry has set up quite an operation with tables out on his pier, we decided to skip the mess and eat out. I had the shore dinner, which was lobster, vegetable slaw, corn, and a roll. The only thing I was missing was my plain potato chips. It was a fantastic dinner for a fantastic price plus we only had to walk a minute up the road to get home!
Now it is time to explore Tennessee!
10. Miramar Beach, Florida
While this weekend trip to the Pan Handle was fun, Florida is just too hot in the summer. I only lasted 15 minutes reading on the lovely screened in veranda at eight in the morning! This trip also allowed for my second trip to an aviation museum this summer (hence the 10 ranking). The Pensacola National Naval Aviation Museum did have a lot of interesting exhibits such as Blue Angel Planes, Marine One, and a bar brought in from Guam and reconstructed as the museums restaurant. My favorite was the mock-up of the inside of an aircraft carrier. I especially liked the 1960s contents of the commissary. Miramar Beach was also gorgeous, such soft sand, and the water bath-tub warm.
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| Blue Angels Planes at Pensacola National Aviation Museum |
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| Marine One at Pensacola National Aviation Museum |
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| Beautiful Emerald Coast Beach |
Frederick is hands down my favorite place in Maryland. It has such a great old-city vibe, is walkable, and has some great eats. I had the pleasure of visiting Frederick twice as the half-way point between Tennessee and New England. While I love the people I get to visit in Frederick, it is coming in at number nine because I am still mad about my 2006 tax dispute with the great state of Maryland (what can I say, I hold a grudge). I did have some delicious food at Brewer's Alley - the Chipotle Chicken Ranch Pizza - and some meh food at Magoo's - way dry Bloody Mary Sandwich (a brie and tomato sandwich should ooze with cheese) although the Killer Fries with crab were amazing. I hate to say it, but the birthday cake ice cream - sweet cream with chunks of frosting - with rainbow sprinkles was by far the best thing about both of these trips (besides said people I love), but I hate to say it because it was a chain ice cream store (Bruster's) although I had never heard of it before.
8. Wallis Sands and Hampton Beach State Parks, NH (Yes, NH has 18 miles of coastline!)
Wallis Sands is my favorite place to go to the beach in NH, by far. It is less rowdy than some beaches with a huge beach side parking lot (the only downside is the $15 to park) minimizing the need to carry so much beach stuff all in one load. My day there was relaxing and just what the beach should be - in New England anyway - quick dip in the frigid water followed by warming up in the sun and repeat! Of course, a day at the beach wouldn't be complete without walking on the boardwalk, so we were off to the larger Hampton Beach to the south. Nothing like a nice ice cream, some candy, and observing the "interesting" boardwalk attire and activities.
7. Portland, ME
The better of the two Portlands (Yea, OR is not as good as ME) by far, we had a warm walk around the Back Cove Trail - a lovely walk despite the fact that part of the walk is right alongside I-95 then dinner outside at Local 188. Because of the heat and our desire for a post-dinner ice cream, we decided to go tapas. The best was the giant piece of flatbread with a heaping scoop of hummus. Later we walked to the old port and had gelato at Gorgeous Gelato. Frankly, I don't really understand the gelato craze. Gelato is great while strolling down a narrow cobbled alley in Italy, but what I want on a summer day in the USA is a good heaping scoop of ice cream. The dark chocolate and hazelnut mixed on one cone was wonderful, but still, I would have preferred ice cream. As the evening cooled, we strolled around the old port; I just love the quaintness of this Portland. As weird as the other one might be, it will never beat Maine's.
6. Woodlawn Museum
Speaking of Maine...I have been going on vacation in Downeast Maine for more than a decade but until this summer had never visited the Woodlawn Museum. The early nineteenth century estate was home to five generations of Ellsworth's Black family. The house is interesting because it has a transverse hallway, verses the typical front to back hallway, separating the office space from the rest of the house. The house also includes the original furnishings since the estate was willed to the town in its entirety including a four poster bed with its original linens (apparently a very rare find). In addition to the house and outbuildings, the museum hosts high tea once a week in the summer and has some public walking trails although one segment of the trail we walked was quite overgrown and swampy (mosquitos). It was great to finally visit this since I have driven past it dozens of times.
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| Back of House through Garden Trellis |
5. Acadia National Park
Of course, our summer could not be complete without a trip to Acadia National Park. Due to my increasingly pregnant state, we decided to take it easy on the hiking this year, so we only hiked five miles. Since I generally steer away from trails labeled easy or moderate in the guide books, this was a perfect reason to try one. We decided to hike the Asticou Trail from the Asticou Inn to the Jordan Pond House. We started outside the park by hiking through the Asticou Terraces and by Thuya gardens (we didn't see the gardens because dogs weren't allowed). We headed over Eliot Mountain then entered the park and walked the Asticou trail to the Jordan Pond House where we lounged on the lawn then had lemonade and popovers. Since so many people bring their dogs to Acadia (thank you for being a dog-friendly National Park, which I have discovered is a rarity) there are always lots of dogs lounging under their owner's tables out on the Jordan Pond House lawn. At one point on this visit, one dog began to bark then, like a symphony tuning up, dozens of dogs were all barking into one great cacophony. It was a great laugh for all the humans.
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| Hiking the Asticou Trail |
4. Rockport, MA
For years a good friend of mine has been living in Rockport, MA for part of the year and this summer I got to visit her and another good friend who was vacationing there. Rockport is a quaint New England fishing town that has been a bit of a destination for painters including Winslow Homer. It became such a destination for painting one particular fishing shack that the shack became known as Motif No. 1. The image was also featured on a 2002 postage stamp. The shack is so iconic to the town that when it burnt down in 1978 an exact replica was rebuilt in its place. The town is full of narrow streets with cute shops and eateries - what you would expect in a New England fishing town that is now a tourist destination. My favorite was the two story bookstore with used books upstairs accessed only by a rot iron spiral staircase. The beach in Rockport is very sheltered by a rock wall towards the back, and the water was fairly warm. There was even a raft to swim out to showing how sheltered the beach is.
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| On the Pier in Rockport |
3. Ellsworth's 250th birthday
Oh the little known town of Ellsworth, ME! This gets number three because I just love little known towns in Downeast. This year was Ellsworth's 250th birthday. Of the many festivities they had, I attended the community band concert on the city hall steps. While it was buggy and the band was set up behind a hedge making it impossible to see them from the only level place to set up folding chairs, the concert was fun. The music was what one would expect from a community band, but the community was what was special. I loved when the mayor was informally called to the stage to go through the rest of the week's events and later when someone else went up and took the microphone to make an announcement. I loved how most people sat in their cars in the parking lot and honked instead of clapping. And I loved meeting the most friendly veteran of three wars (WWII, Korea, and Vietnam) who told us all about his trips to the Bangor airport to welcome home troops no matter what time of day or night the planes come. The whole atmosphere, while not fancy, was just what an American summer is all about.
2. Sailing on Lake Massabesic
I grew up minutes from Lake Massabesic, Manchester, NH. Lake Massabesic was where we would go ride bikes when we were old enough to go off alone. It was where my husband and I went for a picnic in our first year of dating. I have taken several dogs there on many walks and cross-country skied there. I had been kayaking there but never sailing. Lucky for me, a friend's father now has a sailboat on the lake (I had also never been sailing except on a one-man summer camp boat). The day was gorgeous despite it not being too windy. Several times we got going really quickly and the extreme tipping of the boat (who knew sailing was so dynamic) made me happy it wasn't more windy. I learned one can't be in a rush when sailing without a motor as back up - it took us quite a while to tack back to the harbor - but that is part of the relaxation of the activity.
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| Leaving the Harbor |
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| Away We Go |
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| Our Trusty Ship |
Generally, my annual lobster is bought down the road from our camp at Perry's Lobster Shack then cooked at the camp and enjoyed on the deck with all the fixings - in my case, butter and potato chips and maybe a little vegetable on the side. Since Perry has set up quite an operation with tables out on his pier, we decided to skip the mess and eat out. I had the shore dinner, which was lobster, vegetable slaw, corn, and a roll. The only thing I was missing was my plain potato chips. It was a fantastic dinner for a fantastic price plus we only had to walk a minute up the road to get home!
Now it is time to explore Tennessee!
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