Exhaustion

I am running on three hours sleep two days in a row.  The others aren't running on much more, and we have an early (and exciting) day tomorrow as well (although not nearly as early as the previous two days).

That's what we get for being the first in the nation, two days in a row, to see the sunrise.

I'll write Day 8 tomorrow.

We are, however, in Canada!  It is our first night.  :oD

Stacy: Day 7 - Sunrises

Goodness gracious me.  We woke up at 4:30am so we could watch the sun rise over Cadillac Mountain at 5:18am.  It is one of two points along the NE coast that is in contention for the first location in the US to see the sun rise.  We are covering our bases by seeing the sun rise tomorrow at Lubec, ME (the eastern-most point in the US).

After a successful, yet cold, sunrise (it is foggy on and off throughout the entire day), we drove around Acadia National Park a bit more (just for a couple of hours), getting our National Passports stamped and picking wild blueberries (the only thing you can legally take from the park).  We then drove to Lubec, checked into our bed and breakfast, and then went into Canada for a few hours. 

We went from west to east, north to south.  The island is only 10 miles long, and we saw most of it.  It is very beautiful here, but I like the area around Portland, ME, the most so far.  I'm going to start small summering there....  :oD. We shall see how Prince Edward Island compares.

All-in-all, but besides waking up so early, it was a pretty relaxed day.

Asides:  1) I can see the border with Canada from our Windows.  It's pretty neat, especially at night, with a bit of fog-halo.  2) we actually have decent Wi-Fi at this B&B!  (It has only 2 or 3 rooms.)  However, we are connected to the Lubec Public Library......  Must be close by (this is a small town).  3) don't know if I'll have any way to communicate from here on out, to include this blog.  My phone is roaming as it is when not on Wi-Fi (so I've pretty much turned everything off).  We'll post as soon as we are able to.

The bright lights across the water are the border crossing.  I was standing in our bed and breakfast room.  Sorry for the screen.

I found this sea urchin shell in the forest.  Granted, there was a 100 foot drop off no more than 15 feet from where I found it...  A sea bird must have had a lovely meal of it.

Fog (and creepy-looking forest) and lovely shore in Campabello Island, New Brunswick, Canada.

Abby: Day 4

We went on a beautiful whale watch this morning.  We didn’t see any whales but the view was fantastic.  I personally liked the rocking of the boat but Mommy, Aunt Stacy, and Grammy did not.  For lunch we went to Flatbread.  We ate a salad and a pizza and we enjoyed the view.  After lunch we went to the Portland Observatory.  We went up all six floors to the top for a breathtaking view.  We took a stop at the Longfellow House.  We couldn’t go inside but we still got a photo with the house.  We ate dinner at Gilbert’s Chowder House and saw many birds.  We went on a ghost tour of Portland.  Can’t wait for another day of fun!  Write tomorrow!

Abby: Day 3

This morning we arrived at The House of the Seven Gables.  We took the tour of the house.  In some parts of the house the ceiling was so low I could have stood on a small stool and touched it, but in other parts of the house it was tall.  There were hidden doors, stairs, cabinets, and passageways.  We also got to tour the small but pretty Nathaniel Hawthorne Birthplace House.  There were very pretty gardens.   The house was great even though it was dark, gloomy, and rainy outside.  We visited the Salem Visitor Center and stopped at a store.  We left Salem, went through New Hampshire, and arrived in Maine.  We stopped to see Nubble Lighthouse.  We couldn’t get on the lighthouse island, but we could see it.  There was a beautiful view.  After that we ate Brown’s Ice Cream in the rain and went to Goldenrod’s Kisses to eat dinner.  A wonderful day!

Stacy: Day 6

Today we spent entirely at Acadia National Park.  Words simply cannot describe how absolutely stunningly beautiful this place is!  Forests of spruce and pine run right up to the rocky beaches.  The waves crash repeatedly over the rocks, and tannin-stained water (from bogs and cedar trees) from creeks trickles from beneath the topsoil and in between rock fissures.  There is one spot where, when the tide is rising, it crashes on and in/under some rocks on the shore in such a way that it sounds like thunder (the spot is aptly named "Thunder Hole").  The air smells wonderfully of the conifers and sea.  It is all truly indescribable.  I can only hope you can catch a glimpse of the beauty in Kim's and Mom's photos.

It started out drizzly and foggy and cloudy, but cleared up around lunch time.  Then it became quite foggy again after dinner time.

We had a wonderful 2 hour, horse-drawn carriage ride through a special portion of the park up to the summit of Days Mountain.  In the park, the only thing you are allowed to take with you are blueberries.  Maine is known for their native blueberries!  We were introduced to what the bushes looked like, and then Abby and I started searching for them!  We were successful.  They were extremely sweet and yummy (and tiny!), but of course, this is their prime season.

After leaving the park (we will return tomorrow literally before the crack of dawn), we went to Bar Harbor for dinner.  Remember the TV show "Dark Shadows"?  Well, Collinsport was based off of Bar Harbor.

There is a point within the harbor that you can walk on when the tide is out.  We walked on it!  Abby and I had a blast skipping stones on the water and running around.  We went out about halfway, and stayed out there for under 30 minutes.  But, we didn't stay long because we were all hungry, and it was getting dark.  I'll let Kim tell you more about this one.

Then, we went to dinner, where Mom and Kim entertained Abby and me with their attempts to eat (crack open) a lobster.  It was quite humorous...

Oh, and blueberry margaritas are super delicious!!!  We all partook in a virgin one.  I have a photo on my phone... I'll see if I can get it to upload sometime.  :oS

Lastly, the super kind waiter, Camden, showed us the lobster tank as we left.  I'll let Abby describe this more (she got to hold one!!!), but I touched its soft underside of the tail (you know, where all the fertilized eggs stick on the females--I think).  He also pried open the claws (rubber bands securely in place) and showed how easily they chop carrots.  A carrot (stick) gives about the same resistance as a human finger.  Chew on that one for a minute...

Ok, that's all for tonight.  We wake up in 4 hours to catch the sun rise over Cadillac Mountain.

Stacy: Day 5 - "Hi, COWS!"

Well, I'm going to make this a short entry.  I mean, come on!  I'm the only one of us who has consistently blogged... 1) It wasn't even my idea, 2) I hate journaling with a passion.

Although, I can't exactly blame The Others.  Kim is tired from being behind the wheel all day, we'e had bad Wi-Fi several nights in a row, and, on average, we don't arrive at the hotel until 11:15pm.  By the time we check in and get settled (unpacking and then showers), it's 1am.  Well, I'm usually the last one in the shower.  So, they get to nod off before I do.

Anyway.  About today:  it was mostly a driving day, but we had some really neat things.

We started off with another light house.  All I remember is that it is one of the most photographed ight houses in the world, and that the shoreline is absolutely breathtaking.  It was cold and drizzly when we got there (again, grateful for the coats), and the fog horn was going!

Then, we visited the Desert of Maine.  That was pretty neat!  The sand originated from a mile-high glacier melting and grinding all the rocks in its path to the ultra-fine, Mica-laden sand you see today.  It accumulated a good amount of topsoil over the epochs, and around the 1700s, a family began to farm it with the same farming practices (I believe) that later brought on the Dust Bowl.  It was just fun.  Plus, there was a 9-hole disc golf course there!  No, I didn't play.  No time!!!

We then drove through many little Maine towns.  We saw belted cows, absolutely beautiful Maine-architectured cottages, a really neat suspension bridge lit up at night (with an awesome shadow on the clouds--which my phone camera is not capable of catching), and did a lot of geo-caching.

Maybe someone else will fill in with more info on today.  ;o)

~Signing Off~

Stacy: Day 4 - "Whaling Overboard!"

Well, even though my breakfast became food for the fishies following in the wake of our boat 2/3 the way into the whale watching tour, it was still worth it.  I have never been out in open water before!  I've only been in (more recently [and by that I mean 18 years ago]) a canoe, and over 23 years ago, a huge ship crossing the English Channel.  [It should be noted here that I became sea-sick over the English Channel as well, at the age of 8 or 9, but the waters were super stormy and rough that day.]  Today was absolutely beautiful.  We could not have had calmer seas or more perfect weather.  It was fascinating watching the waves over open water, with no land on the horizon.  Mom thinks we were at least 17 miles off shore.

Again, no whales.

We walked around Portland, Maine, all day.  It's a wonderful and charming little town with loads of history!!  It has been a great visit.

The Great Lobster-A-Thon has begun...  I'm going to be eating a lot of chicken or kids-menu stuff.  Blech.

The last thing we did this evening was another ghost tour.  I think this is the last one...  I'll get the tour info later, but Gordon did a fantastic job!  I do believe he was the best ghost tour guide that I've ever had!  It seems like he had a script memorized, but it was well written.  There was a great mix of history, ghost stories, and humor that it all came together beautifully.  He handled the kids really well, but both Abby and the little boy her age seemed to not be threatened/scared.  Everyone really enjoyed themselves.

We actually got back to the hotel at a decent hour tonight!  (9:30-ish)  I think I might actually get to bed before 1am tonight...

Stacy: quick update

FYI:  my phone has been pretty much useless these past few days as a communications device.  I'm constantly "roaming".  SO.  Since it doesn't exactly seem to work when I'm connected to the hotel's Wi-Fi (and we've had a good connection for the past two days), I wanted to let you know that before you read my next two posts.

My posts for Days 4 and 5 were written and Swyped into my phone dutifully, but I could not get them to publish.  Then, when I did finally have a good Wi-Fi connection, they were stuck.  I uninstalled and reinstalled the mobile app, but my posts were completely gone.

All is not lost.  Kim bought us coordinating composition books and pens in which to journal our adventures, so I have a good idea of what I typed.  I just change things up here and there as it moves me.

Proceeding to Days 4 and 5, and even 6, if I can get it typed before we leave the hotel room!

Jeannie: Days 1-4

Since Stacy and Abby have done such a good job retelling our daily adventures, I thought I would just add some details and personal insights.

We call it “Thelma and Louise” because it’s a girl’s road trip, just like the movie.  However, we are doing our best to stay on the good side of the law.  I bought matching Thelma and Louise sunglasses for each of us and we’ve been taking self-portraits in various spots wearing our sunglasses.  Kim has really gotten into this and has us posing it in all kinds of places and positions.

Stacy: Before you hear it from someone else...

EDITED 7-28-13

And before anyone gives you evidence and tries to sway your opinion on the facts: the whale watching tour was both uneventful and eventful at the same time.  No whales, but, yes, my breakfast did become food for the fishies following in the boat's wake. The only railing you were allowed to vomit over was the aft railing, where it was noisiest, and most accessible.

I'll have you know that I was feeling 85-90% fine for 2/3 of the boat ride, and then, for whatever reason, everyone decided to go downstairs.  I decided to follow, and then began to feel sick after about 15 minutes. 

So. Yeah.  There you have it.

Luckily, our hotel has a crappy breakfast, and I only had two donuts to eat...

More on the whale tour tonight.  Not that there's much more to come from my mouth.  *rimshot*

Abby: Day 2

Left early in the morning again! Saw a giant blue bug by the side of the road! We went to the Providence State House. It had beautiful rooms! It was freezing cold, and we wore coats the whole time. We went to the Lizzie Borden House. We toured the house. I got to lie on the floor where Abby Borden was murdered. I got a strange feeling lying there on the floor! We also went to the graveyard to see the Bordens’ graves. We went to the American Girl Store for dinner. At the American Girl Bistro I ate cheesy pretzels, a mini picnic, a sparkly drink, and 3 brownie pops. They had special chairs for the dolls to sit at the table and eat with you! They also have doll holders in the bathrooms so it can keep your doll safe and dry. The food was delicious, and we were glad we were not in the pouring rain! At the end of the day we went on a ghost tour of Salem. We visited many houses, hotels, and stores. We had a day full of girls, stories, and hauntings!  

Stacy: Day of the third!

NOTE: Again, we have horrible Wi-Fi at our hotel, so I had the foresight to Swype this whole thing on my phone. See how much I love you all??  Everyone else will contribute when they are next able. We will be in this hotel tomorrow night as well, but this is the last time we have reservations for this hotel chain for the duration of our adventure.

Today, we were able to take the day at a leisurely pace.  We "slept-in" until 9am, and took advantage of the hotel's free breakfast (we only booked hotels with free breakfast and Wi-Fi), and made our way to the House of Seven Gables.

I don't remember who lived there, etc, but it was a really neat, historically accurate, of house, originally built in the 1600s.  Everything in it was as close to the original ___ (fill in the blank--fireplace, "toaster," built-in alcohol cabinet) as could be.  Even the bed linens had a thread count accurate for an affluent master bedroom between 1600-1800.  The most exciting thing for me, though, was going up a real secret staircase!  It was probably no more than 30 inches in width, but it went directly from the first floor to the third.  The guide said one of the owners liked to act mysteriously and mischievously, quietly slinking between floors in order to startle people.

We then drove back to Salem, MA, so I could buy a Salem-specific trinket. All the stores were closed last night since the ghost tour started at 8pm.  We ended up walking around the area for a while longer, and it was really pleasant.  The drizzle burned off, and it warmed up.

Since we were later in leaving Salem, MA, than we had planned, we postponed America's Stonehenge.  They close at 4pm; we would have arrived too late.  We may be able to hit it in the way home, though.

So, we drove to Maine!  We geo-cached in each state we hit along the way.  I even found some wild raspberries near the New Hampshire Welcome Center cache.  They were tiny berries, but oh boy were they flavorful!!

Right after entering Maine, we stopped at York Beach, and saw the Nubble Light House.  I think light houses are just ok, but OH BOY was the cape the most beautiful I've ever seen!  Huge, granite rocks, strewn about by God from digging a hole on the other side of the world, with small, beautiful waves crashing over and around them.  Once again, we spent more time there than we originally anticipated, but it was well worth it.

Then, we drove down the street and had ice cream for dinner.  Yum!  We drove a little further and got to see how taffy is made.  Oh.  And then we had dinner.  ;o)

Last, but not least, we began to listen to the "Anne of Green Gables" audio book on our way to the hotel.  Now?  SLEEP.  All this traveling and walking around is quite tiring!  Plus, we have an early day tomorrow:  6am wake up for whale watching tour!

MAINE

We are officially in Maine!  We've already made friends.  They are so friendly here!

Abby: Day 1

Left an hour later than expected! the journey begins! we watched a beautiful sunset in New York City! we've already gone through six states, and it has only been one day!

Stacy: Day de Dos

I am rather exhausted right now, but today was a fun day.  We started in Providence, Rhode Island, where I had my photo taken in front of the State House while wearing my PHS t-shirt.  That can now be crossed off my bucket list!  It was cold and drizzly (remember: it is rarely below 85 degrees in South Texas for 9 months of the year).

We also walked around the town.  It's a really nice, little city!

I think we then rushed to the Lizzy Borden House.  Now, THAT was a neat tour!!!  I was the volunteer chosen to "play" the corpse of Abby Borden, Lizzy's step-mother.  I got down on the floor, in the exact spot that her body was found.  While the carpeting has been since changed out, the wood floor is still stained with her blood (hearsay).

You could totally see her body from the stairs... but if you weren't looking in that room, I can understand how you could miss seeing her body.  I also laid down on the couch in the same room and position that Lizzy's father was found.  The couch was not the original, but the original does still exist.  In true Stacy fashion, the keepsakes I purchased were postcards (one each) of the crime scene photos (of the bodies).  :oD  Recreation of the crime scene photos for your viewing pleasure:

We then had an extended birthday celebration for Abby by dining at the American Girl Store in Boston.  It was a neat experience, and a fun and tasty meal with The Others, but I think it's safe to say that there are some major differences between my tastes and my niece's (this is not necessarily a bad thing!!!).

On the way to the AG Store, the sky completely opened up on us and did not close until we were mostly at our next destination.  Poor Kim.  We then drove to Salem, Massachusetts, where we went on a neat ghost tour.  Abby held my hand a lot, but no ghosts were sighted, no mini-hauntings occurred.  It had still been drissly and cold when the ghost tour began, but towards the end it was just cold.  We were all pretty chilled and still very happy we had our jackets/coats/whatever!!  We attempted to find a geo-cache at the Salem Witch Memorial, but we couldn't find it.  We'll try again during the day, when we can actually see stuff!

All-in-all, quite an exciting and haunting day!!  :oD  Sorry for any incomplete thoughts.  I am now going to become unconscious................zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

P.S.  The WiFi at this hotel is crappy, so this is being posted the morning after Day 2.  :o(  I'll try to edit this post tomorrow evening, after we reach our next hotel.  I believe that's when Mom and Kim will both be able to upload their photos.

Stacy: The Journey Begins...

So, I'm not exactly sure how many states we drove through today, but I know The Others told me.  I think, five???  I was too busy looking out the van windows, enjoying the beautiful GREEN plants (south Texas isn't exactly "green").

I have never driven higher than Pennsylvania, so seeing the New Your City skyline for the first time was pretty neat. I think that was probably the highlight of the day.

We hit several geo-caches in several states!  One was in a busy rest stop, and several people looked at us funny.  Another was at a gas station, and was obviously missing.  Abby and I put our drivethrough dinner (McDonald's) on hold to go searching for this thing.  We raised the plastic covers off of those cement car-blocker thingies up looking for it... Kim and Mom thought it was hilarious-looking.

Tomorrow is going to be neat--I attended Providence High School (years ago), and I have always wanted to visit Providence, Rhode Island, to take a photograph there, in front of a landmark, in my PHS t-shirt.

That's enough for tonight!  Signing off...

Aaaaaand, we're off!

Abby is wearing her Thelma and Louise sunglasses!

Our Journey Begins...

Our jam-packed adventure begins on July 24th, 2013.  Look forward to daily updates from all four of us!