Boston/Maine Trip (Part 4): Boothbay Harbour to Portsmouth

Day 5:  Boothbay Harbor to Portland, Maine to Boston, MA

See the first three parts of the journey in prior posts (Boston, Kittery-Saco, Port Clyde/Camden/Boothbay)

I got up early on Tuesday morning and went for a great short run over the footbridge in Boothbay and into the village for a few miles.  It was 55 and a light drizzle!  Perfect running weather in August!    

We had a fab breakfast buffet at the Rock Tide Inn.   I'm going to say again that I loved the RockTide Inn.  Then we headed out back to the 1A.   Still too early to Eat at Red's in Wiscasset.  I guess I'll survive (and have to come back).   

Photo from LL Bean website

 We arrived in Freeport at L.L. Bean right after they opened for the day.   We shopped there for a few hours...yes, it took hours.   I got the girls some great winter clothes and gloves.   You know I also picked up some winter running gear.   These people are serious about winter clothes....I guess you have to be with the nor'easters and such.     We had lunch at a local pizzeria and headed down the road to Cabela's and then on to Portland.    

via Google

 




 No trip can be complete without a stop at a funky fabric store.    I visited Z Fabrics.  It is a great little shop tucked into downtown Portland. (It has since moved to another location)  I picked up some fabulous fabrics.   I was surprised at the amount of wonderful fabrics in one tiny shop.    Put this on the re-visit list.    

After getting my fabric fix, we continued into downtown Portland and out to the Two Lights State Park to see the Lighthouses.   The rocks on the shore looked like wood.  This resulted in a marital bet and a little Google research.  It is actually sandstone that splinters like wood.     We also saw some sea ducks, a few gulls and a crab.

We left Two Lights and headed back toward Boston for the night and then the flight home the next day.    We couldn't end the trip without another trip to Bob's Clam Hut in Kittery!















Day 6:  Baltimore (around the world) to Little Rock.  

Our trip the next day was an adventure as well as we were supposed to fly from Boston-Baltimore-Little Rock.   Instead, due to a storm system closing the Balitmore airport after we were already in the air, we flew Boston, Pittsburg, Chicago-Midway, Omaha, St. Louis and Little Rock.   We finally made it home very very late.   Even better our luggage actually made it.  Way to go Southwest!

Boston & Main Trip Part 3 (Saco, Camden, Port Clyde and Boothbay Harbour)

Part 3: Our Maine trip continues.   See the first part of the journey in prior posts (Boston and Kittery-Saco)

Day 4:  We had a typical but yummy breakfast at the Hampton Inn-Saco (which I highly recommend) and headed out on the road.   Our destination will be a drive along the coast up to Camden and then back to Booth bay Harbor for the night.    We started out heading up the I-295 to Brunswick/Bath on Hwy. 1.   

 

We really wanted to Eat at Red's Eats in Wiscasset, Maine but we were way too early to eat.   They don't open until 11 (and note they only take cash!) A nice harbor area and a little shopping nearby, but we were too early so we drove on.    We continued on Hwy 1 until we came to 131 and turned south (yes, following Mom's recommendations) toward Port Clyde.   

Port Clyde 

Port Clyde is the epitome of what I pictured Maine to look like. From the stacks of lobster traps to the small vessels in the harbour it was nice.   It was also very cold and windy (even in August), just as I imagined!   We visited the Port Clyde store and another gift shop.     I can't imagine how cold it would be in January.   Nice harbor though.

After leaving Port Clyde, we were in search of food as the restaurant in Port Clyde wasn't open yet.    We left Port Clyde on 131 and then turned right onto 73.   From 73, we turned onto a small country road Waterman Beach Road to the best restaurant on the whole trip.   You knew we would be driving up to a James Beard award winning restaurant.    

 

We had crab rolls and lobsters.    We watched a local man digging clams on the shore while we ate.   It was a very peaceful view of the water.   

 

 We were so full after eating (yes, two lunch entrees), but I spied the pies lined up on the freezer case.   I had to have some.   It turned out to be the best blueberry pie on the face of this earth....yes, that good.    

 

After a leisurely lunch, we stuffed ourselves back in to our rental and continued up the coast to Rockland & then Camden in search of the tall ship festival.    When we arrived at Camden, a bustling downtown shopping area we realized we missed the festival by a day.   Oh, well.   We had coffee and did a little tourist shopping for the kids.  

We saw a lot of these bushes in Maine.  What are they?

After an afternoon in Camden, we headed back south on 1 to 27 toward Boothbay Harbor.    We stayed at the Rock Tide Inn.  It was very quaint and although not fancy, was a wonderful experience.   Our balcony room had a fabulous view of the  harbor.    The restaurant & bar is dark paneled and shipped themed.    The breakfast the next morning was wonderful.   The Rock Tide Inn is on our list of places to re-visit.    














Before dinner, we took the footbridge from our hotel to the other side of the bay for a little shopping.  














We walked back to the east side of the Bay for dinner at the Lobster Dock.    I had the lobster stew, crabcakes (from the throwdown with Bobby Flay), and a salad.   (I know...my first vegetables in several days!) B had the fried haddock.  

After a visit to the bar at the Rock Tide Inn, for some late night blueberry pie, we called it a night on Day 4.  

Link other posts  (Boston, Kittery-Saco, Boothbay/Portland)

Ladybug Girl Birthday

IP's 5th birthday was in November.   We had her party at the Farm!   Being an original soul, she wanted a "Ladybug Girl" birthday party.   Not ladybugs, but the character from the book....which they don't make birthday themed items in "Ladybug Girl".   What's a crafty mom to do? 

 

Yes, make it up as I go.   I copied pictures from her book onto cardstock using our color copier.  I enlarged the pictures to the needed size.   We cut out the pictures and mounted them on skewers to serve as cake and cupcake toppers.   My mother in law manages a bakery so she brought a cake which I could mount my own toppers.  IP loved it.

If you haven't ready the Ladybug girl and Bumblebee boy books, they are precious.  The books are great at encouraging creativity and imagination....like IP really needed any help. 

I also had to include a picture of the Snicker cupcakes my mother in law brought and Noonie's banana pudding....those were yummy as well. 

Car Trash Sacks

We travel almost every weekend and spend lots of time in the car.  What does that make?  One messy car.    I used the lunch sack tutorial and laminated cotton to make trash sacks that hang over the head rest for my car and my sister in law's car!   One note: The straps on mine are really long.  They could have been much shorter (12 inches or so all total). 

 

The new trash sack (and the trash sack rule...the one that you have to put your trash in it) has really made a big difference in the amount of trash in the car.    I usually line mine with a disposable sack to make cleaning it out a snap!  Now if I can just reign in the extra shoes, coats, snack packs, magazine, books, plastic animals, random socks, sacks of things to return, donation items, DVD cases, ipod cords, the marker with no lid.....yes, the list goes on and on.

Zipper Bags for Toys

For Christmas  (yes, this is a late post), I made my sweet nephew and my sister in law more zipper bags.  I made his random sizes so that he could fit all his plastic animals and tractors!   

Giant Ruler!

We have been measuring our kids on the door facing in our kitchen, but my husband is afraid when we move in a few years I'm going to make him take the door facing.   I saw this post on Pinterest and knew that I had to make one of these.  Since my family is very tall, I made ours over 7 feet.    I used a 1" by 6" board from our local hardware store.  I also made one for my sweet nephew.  
 

Sai Thai & Downtown Jonesboro

Jonesboro, Arkansas has opened a refurbished downtown district of local shops and one of kind restaurants in the last few years.   The nightlife has picked up and would be worth a visit if you are passing through.  

One of my favorite restaurants is Sai Thai.  
 

 
This is my favorite roll, the Downtown Roll...Tempura shrimp and cream cheese topped with crunchy, spicy tuna, avocado, spicy mayo and eel sauce.  Yummy.   Thinking about Sushi for breakfast...ok maybe I'll wait until lunch. 

Sewing Machine Pincushion

 

Here is a quick picture of my new sewing machine pin cushion.   I used a small piece of scrap fabric from Hancock's, a little stuffing and a piece of fab green elastic that I picked up when I was at the Purl Soho Store to make a pin cushion that fits over the arm of my machine to help reign in the pins when I am sewing.   It is very handy!

TV Stand Hack

For Christmas this year, BP and I moved into the new century.    We finally got a flat screen television.  

The Story:  In trying to be frugal, we decided that since our old TV still worked we would keep the 100 lb big box circa 1994 TV that B got when he started college.    The bad part is that I have one just like it in our bedroom.   Yes, and they still work fine... until the World Series this year and the Cardinal were playing in the World Series.   We are not huge sports fans.   Ok, I'm not a huge sports fan except when it comes to Cardinals Baseball.   We love our Cards.    However, when the Series was on, our local TV station had the game in wide screen which was great if you have a new wide screen.   We didn't.   Therefore, we had to keep up with the score and the pitch count on our cell phones.   Not fun at our house.    B gave up and went to a friend's house.  A  friend who had a giant flat screen.   B quickly made his our Christmas wish list.   Here is the before.    

  

After Christmas, we came home from the Farm with our new TV and no TV stand.   Since we were BROKE, from Christmas, we decided to hack our old TV stand.  I bought it when I was in Law School from Target.   Typical DIY furniture construction.    To hack it, I removed the top and sides of the top.  I then replaced the top on the bottom of the base unit and secured with left over brace parts.   Pretty good I think.   A new one almost identical is $200....seriously.  Anyway, I like the hack.   I'm still trying to decorate around our new TV and stand.   Any suggestions.

We love the new TV.  You can actually hear what the people are saying.  Amazing how much the picture and sound has improved in say the last 15 years.   The old TV got a new home and we have a awesome TV that streams Netflix my new favorite way to watch shows.   No commercials...yipee.   Now our 8 year old doesn't recite commercials to me for every house hold problem I have....like neat receipts for my messy desk or the lint lizard for the dryer or the drain snake for the stopped up drain.

Back in Black (Back door project)

Our door from our garage into our laundry room was in serious need of a coat of paint.    It was starting to rust where the former owners dog had scratched it.    Since this door is the main point of entry into our house (really who uses the front door), it was always dirty.   I spent alot of time using the magic eraser on it in the last few years.   Since I'm addicted to Pinterest (yes, very addicted) and DIY blogs, I checked out several people who had painted their front doors black.   

So, one weekend when BP was duck hunting, he came home to the door off  the hinges in the drive way.    I taped off the windows using newspaper and blue painter tape,  I also taped alumnimun foil over the very brass/gold handles....which are another project for another day.     BP then proceeded to critique my spray painting technique (I think he has a secret love for spray paint), therefore he finished the project.  I used a Rustoleum Black Gloss (3.5 cans).   It turned out really good (except for the white insides of the windows, but they are not too noticeable).      I also painted the brown cabinets the same color as the garage so they don't stick out so much.   

It has been a big adjustment not to think the back door is open when peering into the laundry from the kitchen. All in all it was worth the effort.