Before heading down towards Portland and Boston, we stopped for the night in Rockland, Maine.  The nearby town of Rockport has a quaint downtown shopping area and a breakwater path built out into the bay about a mile.  At the end of the breakwater there is a lovely lighthouse.  A walk along this in the early evening was just the ticket to wind down.

While in Rockport, I was able to meet and buy a book from a local author, Carl Howe Hansen.  His book, Destiny, is the story of two brothers who have been brought up in the area to appreciate sustainability on nearby Pine Island.  When one of them creates a bacteria to dissolve oil spills and the other comes home after years of dropping out, the story comes together in a crisis of monumental proportions.  You will love this story set on Maine’s coast.  His characters are well developed and the story should be one we think about, because it is not that far out of possibility! I loved this book.

Scott and Donna along with Donna’s sister, Debbie and her husband, Tom met us at Bayley’s Camping Resort in Portland Maine.  It was so nice to meet up with friends.  The next day we had a late brunch at Lily’s on the beach, Lobster Benedict of course, and in the evening Lobster at Houts; also on the beach side.

As some of you may know, our kayaking on the marsh the next day cost a little more than Lennard anticipated, as he fell in trying to get out and had his I-phone in his pocket…uh oh! At least he was able to replace it for the minimal cost at the local I-phone store.

Seen on the marsh

Touring downtown Portland and the Portland Head light took most of the next day.  We even did a little shopping and had lunch.  That called for margaritas at the pool in the afternoon. Gosh, life is tough these days.

Bella and Gypsy got a spa day while we toured the L.L. Bean flagship store in Freeport.  What an amazing place.  All the nearby stores are geared toward outdoor living, and the flagship store was the largest outdoor clothing and gear store I have ever seen.

Debbie and Tom were kind enough to allow us to park in their long driveway in Haverhill, Mass. That allowed us to not only get to know them better, but to see a Red Sox game at Fenway Field and walk the Freedom Trail in Boston.  We are grateful to them for the opportunity.

The Red Sox lost, but the experience of seeing the game at Fenway Park was wonderful.  A once in a lifetime experience for us.

Walking the Freedom Trial in Boston is like a living history lesson.  You can see where the Boston Massacre took place, see Old Ironsides, and visit Paul Revere’s House and lots more.  It is a 2.5 mile walk, but because it is so interesting, you don’t realize you are walking that far. Along the way you will see tour guides dressed in costumes depicting the day.  In the museum at the Old State House, one of the deacons gave a presentation, in character of a merchant of the day.  It was informative and enjoyable. Then we got to have lunch at Cheers. No one knew our name.  That’s not fair!

We took the City ferry from the Wharf back to downtown Boston for $1.60 each.  What a bargain that was!

The best dinner we had in Boston was at the “Debbie and Tom Restaurant” with lobster, steak and chops along with fresh corn and homegrown tomatoes.  Excellent.  Thanks Tom, Debbie and Donna for the great meal.  Scott and Donna… we will catch you in Vegas in the fall!

Our next stop is in Amish country in Pennsylvania.  It will be an entirely different experience.