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Our Maine Vacation

We set out at the uncivilized hour of 3:30 AM when the sky was still black as ink and the neighborhood was eerily quiet.  Unfortunately, the kids were remarkably alert for having been woken in the dead of night, which somewhat foiled our plan of having them sleep for the first half of the trip, or at least until we arrived in Connecticut for breakfast.

We weren’t even to the highway when C (4 years old) said, “Mom, let me know when we get to the Camp Road, okay?”  We knew then, not that we ever doubted it for a second, that this was going to be a looooooooong trip.

They did eventually go to sleep, but ironically it was the baby who was the last to throw in the towel.  She sat in her car seat, inquisitive eyes open wide, taking in the unfamiliar sights of nighttime, until the approaching headlights of approaching cars finally hypnotized her into dreamland.

We made it to Connecticut before we had to stop, thanks to light Saturday morning traffic.  And with the exception of a four-mile-backup at the New Hampshire tolls, we made the rest of the trip with ease.  It took us nearly twelve hours to make a ten hour drive, but we expected as much.

When we finally pulled into the drive and got our first glimpse of the lake, R pointed her chubby baby finger at the water and happily proclaimed, “Pooooohhh!”  (To her 21-month-old mind, every large body of water is a pool.)

We spent the afternoon and evening visiting with my parents and grandfather, getting settled in to our rooms, and eating a delicious dinner my mom prepared complete with homemade blueberry cobbler from the wild blueberries she had picked up at a farm stand that afternoon.

Sunday morning we went to the church where my mom grew up and saw many of my relatives, including my dear aunt, Midlife Mom, who has been torturing me all summer with pictures of popovers and talk of lobster stew.

After a delicious lunch here, where I broke all of my dietary restrictions and feasted on haddock stuffed with crabmeat and topped with lobster sauce among other delicious tastings off their brunch buffet, we returned to the lake for an afternoon of swimming, paddleboating, kayaking, and fishing.  The kids were in heaven.

We spent this morning with a steady rain falling on the camp.  (Here in Maine, everyone calls their lake house a “camp”, but don’t be fooled.  This is a fully-equipped, all-season home, with a gorgeous view of the lake from three sides — there is nothing remotely resembling “camping” about this vacation except for the “campfire” we build on the lawn for roasting s’mores.)  The rain didn’t get us down, though.  We spent the morning feasting on homemade blueberry muffins and playing games.

By mid-afternoon the sun was shining again and we were back in the water.  And by “we” I mean my dad, my husband, and the kids.  You would have found me in a comfy chair in the living room in front of one of the many windows overlooking the lake, reading a fluff novel– that’s MY idea of a great vacation.

We’re expecting cooler weather starting tomorrow — low 70s in the daytime and low 50s in the evenings.  I can’t wait to break out the jeans and sweatshirts, and I think Husband has a day hike in the plans.

And that’s the latest from Maine!  TTFN!

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16 Responses

  1. Wild blueberries makes me think of “Girls Gone Wild” or something like that. They’re WILD, man, WILD!

    I want cooler temperatures!! I’m very jealous of you all right now, what a fantastic vacation this shall be.

    Watch out for them Wild Blueberries though.

  2. Glanced at Shannon’s comment and quickly thought, “Who’s Shannon and how does she know about my obsession with blueberry muffins?!?!” HA!!

    Sounds like a great vacation so far, can’t wait to hear more!

  3. “We set out at the uncivilized hour of 3:30 AM when the sky was still black as ink and the neighborhood was eerily quiet.”

    I love trips that begin that way.

  4. I’m not a seafood fan, but boy oh boy that menu looked wonderful!

    Hats off to you guys doing that stint on the road with 3 little ones. But the holiday sounds well worth it.

  5. Uh, yeah, I think you’ll find me on the doorstep by evening. HOW LOVELY. That sounds completely wonderful. I will have to make the Maine coast a priority for places to visit!

    And 12 hours for a 10 hour trip? With three kids? You were right on time if not a bit early. Good job!

  6. So jealous. Especially of the comfy chair and fluffy novel. And I won’t even contemplate the level of jealousy towards the temperatures.

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