Bar Harbor, Maine

The promised land! We pulled into Bar Harbor just as the rain stopped. As the sun peeked out of the clouds, the magnificent views of this "fairy tale" harbor began to reveal themselves. We had been here about 5 years ago as a stop on our Boston cruise. It was enchanting then and it is just as enchanting now!

As the sun came out, the winds picked up. The winds are constant out of the southeast and are gusting to about 30 knots. Any leaves remaining on the trees are now finding themselves on the sidewalks and in the shops.

We are staying at the historic Bar Harbor Inn (www.barharborinn.com). The views from our room are directly out into the bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The views are breath taking!

Tomorrow, we plan on going to the Acadia National Park and up to the top of Cadillac Mountain. Tune back in for results of this experience.

Leaving Camden, Maine

Camden is a beautiful place. The city is situated at the foot of Mt. Battie on the shore of Camden Harbor. We spent the day in Camden State Park on Mt. Battie. Holly and Steve hiked down a trail from the summit to a point midway down to the city of Camden. Then we hiked back up! Actually, hiking up was easier than hiking down because of the loose gravel and stone that we were hiking on.

We experienced some local drafts at Cappy's. The chowders were very good.... the brews were even better. We tried Geary's and Andrew's brews at this venue. Both were outstanding.

We visited the Owl's Head lighthouse in Rockland, ME. Then headed back to Camden, where we spent the night at the Hawthorn Inn. Maryanne Shanahan and her husband, Bill, provided a bed and breakfast experience that was the finest we've ever experienced. The inn was impeccable and the company was wonderful. We met Susan and David from New Hampshire, who were celebrating their 25th anniversary in the quiet solitude of the inn and Camden. For more on the Hawthorn Inn check out http://www.camdenhawthorn.com/.

Today was sad, as we had to bid farewell to Kevin and Beth, who had to drive back to Portland to catch a flight back to Orlando. They have been great travel buddies and we will miss them.

As Beth and Kevin headed back home, we headed for Bar Harbor in the rain. We'll give you a Bar Harbor update in the next post!

Maine - Portland to Camden

After two days of rain, we woke up today to beautiful blue skies and temperatures of about 48 to 50 degrees. Beth and Kevin headed out to see the lighthouses south of Portland. Holly and Steve roamed around Portland. Steve and Kevin toured the Shipyard Brewery while Holly and Beth hit the shops. Shipyard is amazing in the number of beers that they brew and bottle. Their beers are very good also. (The holiday brews were all out for tasting!)

We arrived at Camden to see a spectacular view of a Maine town at the foot of Mount Battie. Instead of staying at our usual Hampton Inns, we chose to stay at a bed & breakfast. The B&B is called the Hartstone Inn and is built in a historic building that was erected in the 1830s. The accommodations are delightful, making guests feel like they are at home!

During the late afternoon, we walked the streets of Camden. Many of the shops were closing up in preparation of the upcoming winter. Most were still open. The town lies adjacent to the Penobscot Bay. Most of the town centers on the wharf area.

Tomorrow, we will be heading to the top of Mt. Battie. We plan on heading south to the towns of Rockport and Rockland. Tune back in for updates.

Salem, Massachusetts & Kennebunk, Maine

Our travels today took us to Salem, Massachusetts and to Kennebunk, Maine.

Salem is a beautiful city with very unique architectural styling. The myth of the witch killings hangs thick within the atmosphere. While the average person probably thinks that hundreds of witches were hung, burned, boiled in oil, and encountered other torturous deaths, the truth is that only 19 people were executed for practicing what the Puritans called witchcraft. The other interesting fact is that all of the 19 had the option to choose their fate. All chose hanging except one that was crushed. There were no burnings, quarterings, boiling in oil, or other methods that were practiced. Those misunderstandings came out of the world of fiction and Hollywood!
While in Salem, Holly found some comfort in visiting Waikiki Beach. It was beautiful, but missing some of the expected attributes.

Holly also found a new brand of wine that she found appealing. Steve just has no comment on this choice!

From Salem, we headed to Kennebunk and Kennebunkport. The temperature had dropped into the 40s and the wind was blowing at about 20 knots. The two pictures shown include the Atlantic coastline in Kennebunk. The other picture is of a part of the Bush compound. The Bush family did have gating and security. The family also had a couple of homes constructed near the entrance area to allow the secret service detail to bring their families to the compound while the spouses are on duty. George H. W. Bush felt strongly about family values and gave evidence of this sentiment through his actions!

We finished up the day in Portland, Maine. Tomorrow, we are looking forward to a tour of the Shipyard Brewery. The pumpkin beer is still available up here. We will then be heading to Camden, Maine. Check back in for details! Cheers!

Cape Cod

Today, we headed out for Cape Cod, Massachusetts. From Boston, the trip is a bit over 100 miles. We headed into the southern section of the cape passing through the towns of Woods Hole and through Hyannis and Hyannisport. At Woods Hole, we could see Martha's Vineyard and visited the ferry that connected the island to the mainland. Believe it or not, the place was buzzing with TSA agents at the ferry location. While we were in Hyannisport, we visited the beach adjacent to the Kennedy compound. The area was very quaint and peaceful. What was truly amazing was that the Kennedy compound was not gated, but did have video surveillance on the property. The town is relatively large, however it appeared to be substantially buttoned up for the upcoming winter.

Following the trip through the Hyannis area we headed north towards the tip of the cape. We stopped by the western cape lighthouse. The place was prepared for winter with very few people present or on the road.

We finally made it to the northern tip of the peninsula. We referred to it as the end of the line. The road ended at the national seashore and then looped to the south back into Provincetown. Nighttime was setting in and was dark at about 5:45 pm. We were far enough east to be on the eastern edge of the time zone. We spoke to folks in Florida at 6:30 and it was still light out!

Tomorrow, we head out for Portland, Maine. We should be heading through Salem, MA, which is appropriate for Halloween weekend! Stay tuned.

Boston

Sunday night was spent wandering around with Bob & Debbie LeRoy and Kevin & Beth Ciullo. As the sun set, we drove in circles looking for the Legal Seafood Restaurant that was located on the wharf. Finally, after using a GPS, Bob's handheld GPS, and a map, we eventually made it to our destination! The Sam Adams "Octoberfest" was flowing and the seafood was magnificent!

On Monday, we made the trip to the Samuel Adams brewery. The six of us decided to use public transportation for the entire day. We rode the "Orange Line" to the brewery. For Kevin, this was a trip to Mecca, to be followed up with a lunch at Doyle's Irish Pub, which Holly classified as "ground zero" for the current Sam Adams beers on tap! What a way to start the day!

We took the Orange Line back into town and took the Duck Tour of Boston, leaving from the Prudential Center. The sights were breathtaking.

We finished up this busy day with dinner at the Union Oyster House. Known for its seafood, this historic landmark was established at the turn of the 19th century. This was John F. Kennedy's favorite place when he served the people of Massachusetts.

Public transportation was easy to use. We figured out that we walked about 5 miles or more today getting to-and-from the trains and the destinations! The weather was in the 60s and the exercise did everyone good!

Bob and Debbie head out in the morning! It has been great seeing them. The rest of us head out to Cape Cod in the morning. We'll keep you posted.

The Happy Couple head to Bermuda - We head on to Boston

The bride and groom headed out at about 10:15am today. They were taken to the Port of New York by limousine from Connecticut, following a beautiful breakfast that was hosted by Jane's parents, John and Barb. The happy couple is taking their honeymoon by cruising the Atlantic Ocean to Bermuda and back to New York next weekend.

We are heading out to Boston until Wednesday. We plan on doing a "Duck Tour", visiting Cape Cod and Plymouth Rock, and enjoying some fabulous seafood! We are meeting up with Beth & Kevin Ciullo (Florida) and Debbie and Bob Leroy (Pennsylvania). Both couples were at the wedding festivities. It was special to be with Bob and Debbie for this wedding, because Debbie was Holly's maid of honor when we got married in 1978. The plan at this point is three days in Boston, then on to Camden, Maine for a few days! We'll keep you posted as to our whereabouts!

Wedding Pictures - Jane and Ross

Jane and Ross leaving the alter.

Jane and Ross entering the reception.

Jane and Ross at the reception.

Holly, Steve, and Kathryn at the reception.

Kathleen and Ryan at the reception.

The Bride and Groom at the Rehearsal Dinner

Ross and Jane

(L to R) Ross, Kathryn, and Ryan O'Dowd

(L to R) Alison, Cristi, Jane, and Megan Feehan


Enjoy these pictures of Jane and Ross and their siblings at the rehearsal dinner! Everyone is preparing for the big day today at 4:00!

Preparing for the Rehearsal and Rehearsal Dinner

The rehearsal is only a few hours away! All the ladies have been out taking care of hair and nails. The guys have been scattered about seeing the sites of South Windsor.

The wedding is taking place at the Wapping Community Church. The church is several hundred years old. There is a small graveyard adjacent to the church with tombstones dating back to the late 1700s and early 1800s. More on the church can be seen at http://www.wappingchurch.org/.

The rehearsal dinner will be at the Mill on the River. The restaurant is an old converted grist mill located on the Podunk River. That's right, the Podunk River! More on the Mill on the River can be seen at http://themillontheriver.com/index.php. We will be in the room with all the windows under the red and white canopy. The view of the river and the dam is from that room.

Chicago Ambassadors - Letter from Holly

Holly's letter to the editor of the Chicago Tribune was published today. The story is entitled "Chicago Ambassadors" and is heart-warming. Take a look!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-1022vplettersbriefsusethis_o1oct22,0,1390525.story

The Groom Arrives !!!

We have a groom! Jane came up to Connecticut this past weekend. Ross arrived last night from Houston and is ready for the big event! Today, the lucky couple took care of some minor details: They went and got their marriage license! Nothing like waiting until the last minute, since the relationship has been in existence for 6 years!

Jane came by last night with Sara T., and then again this morning to pick up Ross for the trip to the City Clerk's office! She is incredibly calm and relaxed. He is relaxing more as each hour passes.

Ryan and Kathleen arrived this afternoon, as well as the grandparents: Jeanne & Wally (who came in at about 10am this morning) and Rusty (who came in with Ryan and Kathleen). Kathryn comes in late this evening from Tallahassee.

The groomsman and bridesmaids are arriving as the day goes by. The fun is starting. Tonight the girls out heading out to points unknown, while the guys head to Boston's to enjoy the FSU game!

More Colors of a Connecticut Autumn

Too pretty for words to describe! Jane picked a beautiful time to get married!