Maine: May 12, 13, 14th

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday we decided to be beach bums and hang out in Ogunquit, drive up and down the coast, walk beach walks, and find sights to see. It kept us rather busy. This is the view of Perkins Cove, a nice walk from our cottage along the Marginal Way, the best beach path ever! We love Maine because they are so generous with benches--if something looks like a good spot to sit, they don't just put one bench, but three. We spend pleasant afternoons sitting here and watching the birds dive for fish during high tide.

The next town up from Ogunquit is Wells, home of the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge. The refuges actually span about 9,000 acres along the coast to help preserve the marsh flats and the birds that live there. Rachel Carson is a big hero of mine, and is one of the reasons I chose to major in Biology. We enjoyed a nice stroll and watched for birds; mostly we saw Canadian geese.

This piece of paradise located near Kennenbunk Port is the home of George Bush, Sr. It was massive and heavily guarded, with ocean on three sides. We were one of the gawkers who stopped for a photo.

Next, we stopped for lunch at Two Lights State Park. We debated whether or not to stop, and decided to ask the ranger what was in the park. Her answer: Rocky Beautifulness. I think that sums it up rather nicely. We hobbled along the rocks looking for signs of life. The seagulls had a better eye than us, as we watched one walk right by us and gobble up a starfish.

Cape Elizabeth, the Portland Headlight. This had a really fun park, with seaside paths, things to read, abandoned mansions, and war remnants. Just for fun, here is the view from both sides.

Further south, in York, is Nubble Lighthouse. This one gets its very own island.

Our favorite way to end the evening was a dinner of fresh seafood: lobster, lobster rolls, haddock, calamari (actually tiny squids!), clam chowder, oysters, shrimp...I think thats all! So good! Unfortunatly, the food was so good, we didn't even stop to breath, let alone take pictures. Then, if our bellies allowed, we went for nice runs along the beach at sunset and stayed until dark. The picture just doesn't capture it.