Tag Archives: waterfront

Newport – Day 6…. Downtown Bristol, seagull meet and greets, fried egg jellyfish and the husband goes back to the playground.

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After our fabulous meal, we felt the need to walk off some of the calories.

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And took a stroll around the waterfront of downtown Bristol.

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Quiet on the off season, I’m sure the marina is full of pleasure craft in the summer.

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Along the edge is the Maritime Center. A one time armory built in 1894, it now houses public restrooms, showers and laundry facilities for boaters as well as a wi-fi lounge and a 4,000 square foot multi use hall displaying local artists.

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Though the marina was people free, the seagulls kept a close eye on us.

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And since we were roughly 20 miles from the wind tunnel that is Newport?

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A smile and a relatively in tact hairdo.

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Should we visit the area again, I would take more time to explore this lovely town.

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And perhaps bring the seagulls a treat.

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The gulls concur.

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As we were leaving I glanced over the side of the pier and saw…

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Eggs?

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They’re actually jellyfish, but tell me that doesn’t look like someone randomly cracked a few eggs in the harbor.

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As we made our way back to the car through the park, my husband made a friend.

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Who was a little reticent at first, but when he realized the strange man could push him higher than his mother?

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Was quickly and happily on board.

😊

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Day 5… the Marginal Way cliff walk in Ogunquit.

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For day five of our sightseeing tour we chose Ogunquit.

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And my very favorite place to stroll…

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The Marginal Way cliff walk.

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Words aren’t really necessary…

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Just enjoy the views.

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A Tik Tok video was being made here.

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Here?

I think the husband is trying to speak seagull.

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The waterfront “cottages” along the way are pretty sweet.

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To be continued…

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Day 4… our trip to the Island.

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On the fourth day of our favorite people’s visit we headed over to the Island where I spent my adolescence.

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There’s no bridge, so a $20 round trip per person boat ticket and a $20 a day parking pass must be purchased. It’s pretty, but no one said it was cheap.

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Waiting on the mainland dock I ducked into the freight shack to check if the initials I carved on the bench in my (misspent) youth were still there.

They were, as was this.

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Russel gets around.

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On the Island we landed at the Stone Pier and rented a golf cart for the day.

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At $330 I almost choked, but walking wasn’t an option.

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Our first stop was the west end where my husband’s mother and stepfather used to live.

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He was a lobsterman and walked right across the road to work.

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You can’t beat that for a short commute.

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This sculpture wasn’t there in my day, but it’s interesting.

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Chandlers Wharf. A pier on the opposite end of the island from where we arrived. The larger Casco Bay ferry from Portland stops here.

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The Island is beautiful.

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Home to roughly 350 year round residents, the population swells to 1,600 in the summer.

Boo to that.

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At 3 1/2 miles long and 1 1/2 miles wide, you definitely feel the difference.

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To be continued….

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Hushpuppie-ing my way through the south.

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After our trip to Parris Island we were hungry and headed for a delightful little town called Port Royal.

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It’s quintessentially southern with brightly colored cottages…

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And marvelous moss draped live oaks.

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It also has a seriously good waterfront restaurant called Fishshack on 11th Street.

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The views were lovely…

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And though we had planned to eat inside,

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When we saw there was an outdoor bar we changed our minds.

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A freshly muddled pineapple mojito served in a pineapple shaped glass?

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Don’t mind if I do.

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Jalapeño hushpuppies? Yes please.

Husband opted for tomato basil bisque. At this point the live music started and damn it, they were playing my song.

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Since we were in the south…

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Chicken and waffles for the husband,

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And an absolutely scrumptious shrimp burger for moi.

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In Maine a shrimp burger is just fried shrimp on a roll, this was more like a crab cake and I swear I could eat one every day.

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Any place that allows cuties like this to join you for lunch is alright with me.

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After our meal we took a walk on the pier.

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Hoping our travels would bring us back this way for another nice meal.

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😊

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Fisherman’s Walk… part two. The Wiggly Bridge

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If you remember… my husband and I started our coastal trek searching for Fisherman’s Walk which I thought was entirely too short. As we finished the York Cliff Walk and headed back to our car we realized the walk was too short because we’d literally started in the middle of it.

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These trails are not well marked and it wouldn’t surprise me to find locals sitting on their porches laughing at the tourist’s confusion. Winters are long, we have to get our jollies somewhere.

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Onward…

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Not knowing what to expect around the next corner we almost missed the path as it goes right in front of someone’s house.

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Around the bend, a boardwalk.

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And past that a causeway.

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That leads to a nature preserve.

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It was a lovely section.

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And we really picked a perfect day to do it. Clear blue skies and temperatures in the low 70’s.

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At the end of the causeway was a locally famous bridge.

A famous, and as it turns out aptly named bridge.

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To be continued….

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The birthday dinner.

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The day after my husband’s birthday, when his dental pain and swelling was greatly reduced, we celebrated his birthday at a lovely waterfront restaurant on the mid coast.

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Did we enjoy a nice table with a water view?

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No. We sat at the bar because my husband loves nothing more than striking up a conversation with random people he neither knows nor will ever see again.

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It wouldn’t have been my choice, but it is closer to the alcohol so I don’t complain too loudly.

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First cocktail? Summer Thyme… which is still a long way off in Maine, but delightfully crisp all the same.

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Husbands appetizer? Butternut squash soup.

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I went with the herbed truffle fries with Parmesan thinking it would be a small nibble and not the massive plate I was served. Needless to say three quarters of it went home with me. Second cocktail was a lovely Basil Limeade.

By this time the restaurant was packed and the kitchen was slammed. Waiting for our entrees meant cocktail number three. I chose the white sangria but was disappointed with the mixed on the spot over fruited glass of wine. Sangria must be mixed and let to sit so it absorbs all the flavors. Boo to number three.

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My chosen meal was the duck sausage with mushroom, homemade ziti and Marsala crème sauce. It was fabulous. As was the pear martini.

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Husband went with the shrimp scampi which was also wonderful with freshly made pasta and a rich garlicky sauce.

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In case you’re wondering, the name of the restaurant is the Water Street Kitchen and Bar and it’s located in what is commonly known as the prettiest village in Maine… Wiscasset.

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We’ve been coming here for years, though it’s previous incarnation was Le Garage. Because back in the early 1900’s? It really was an automotive repair shop, hence the original sliding doors.

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As seen from the water side.

If you’re in the area, drop by. But make a reservation if you want a table, it’s a popular place.

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Porters Preserve

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Another beautiful summer day in Maine meant another walk along the coast.

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This time we headed to the Boothbay region to a little speck on Barters Island called Porters Preserve.

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23 acres of prime property generously donated to the land trust by the Porter family. It’s a little known, out of the way, peaceful haven of wooded trails and rocky coastline.

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The minute we hit the trail? I knew I should have doused myself in bug spray before entering. The black flies were swarming and before long I was scratching like a flea bitten dog.

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We meandered through a few wooded paths…

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And then found the shore.

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So pretty. So quiet. Give me a good book and a glass of iced tea? I’d be happy all day.

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We walked out onto a pier and a float that clearly belonged to someone …

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As it was stacked with new lobster traps.

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But there wasn’t a soul in sight…. which is just the way I like it.

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To be continued…

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Ogunquit Cliff Walk finale.

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As much as I hated the coastal stroll to end, we neared the end of our cliff walk loop.

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That’s Wells beach, one of the longest sandy stretches in Maine.

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I grabbed a few more photos….

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And gloried in the final few feet.

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If you’re ever up this way, please visit. It really is spectacular.

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The turn towards town.

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One more hotel and you’re there.

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Where you’ll probably have to walk another half a mile to find your car.

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🤣

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Ogunquit Cliff Walk… part 4

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It’s amazing how many different things you see when you turn around and head back the same path.

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Beautiful coastline walking south, beautiful coastline walking north. It never gets old.

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Wish I could say the same for my hairdo which was looking a bit worse for wear after battling the constant wind.

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Sparse lone trees.

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Craggy, rock filled shores.

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Oceanfront backyards.

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One desecration of nature, because humans can’t help being destructive.

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The Atlantic Ocean.

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Strategically placed benches.

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The Cliff Walk has it all.

To be continued….

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If you only do one thing when you visit southern Maine…

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Make sure it’s the Ogunquit Cliff Walk. There’s no better way to leisurely experience the Maine coast and you’ll get some exercise to boot. A definite win win.

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The 1.25 mile walk starts alongside a waterfront hotel with pristine fencing and gardens.

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Turn the corner, and the Atlantic Ocean beckons.

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Maine isn’t known for large resorts, we’re more of a bed and breakfast state, but the Anchorage By the Sea is well named.

You can’t get much closer to the ocean than that.

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Most of Maine’s beaches are rocky, but Wells… the neighboring town… has plenty of sand.

The Cliff Walk is fully paved and easy to traverse…. and did I mention there are rocks?

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When you marry a billy goat like my husband, rocks are never left unexplored.

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I can’t say enough good things about the beauty of this place and it’s hardly a surprise Ogunquit was an artist colony at the turn of the 20th century.

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Nature is a wonderous thing…. but sometimes she struggles to survive.

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Shame we need to be reminded of that…

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There are numerous memorial benches scattered here and there along the path…

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Perfect spots for quiet reflection and contemplation.

To be continued…

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