Boston Day 1

Next on our New England itinerary was Boston. Since it was raining out (yes, again), we planned to go to the Samuel Adams Brewery on our first afternoon in Boston. The brewery was pretty cool, but according to Justin, sort of a let down. We learned that very little of the beer we drink actually comes from Boston. Only the kegs are produced in Boston, and all the bottles come from Cincy or Philly. The brewery was surprisingly small. I will give them some credit though, they do all of the research and development in Boston, meaning that the wonderful summer ale that I enjoyed all week, was created at the brewery we visited.

Posing with Sam Adams!

After the quick tour, we got down to business - by sampling the beer, of course!


Since the rain had come to a temporary stop, we went to downtown Boston next and walked around Quincy Market and the harbor.

That evening we enjoyed a Irish-themed dinner at The Black Rose. Justin enjoyed the traditional bangers and mash!

And no day would be complete without some ice cream!

Kennebunkport, Maine

After 2 nights in Bar Harbor, we packed up the suitcases and headed south to Kennebunkport. Kennebunkport is a small town known as a popular seaside tourist destination made famous by the Bush family (more on that later). Regarded as on of the most expensive vacation areas in the Northeast, we walked and drove around to look at all the beautiful vacation homes. We stayed at the most wonderful bed and breakfast called the Maine Stay Inn. The accommodations were fabulous! The bed and breakfast was 150 years old and so charming. We arrived at tea time, and the owners had tea, coffee, and cookies sitting out. We enjoyed some tea while scanning though the massive stack of restaurant menus they had sitting out. After picking a dinner location (called Lucas on 9 - I couldn't resist), we went out for a walk. After getting wet again, we walked back to the B&B and enjoyed a bottle of wine in the hot tub. Then we had more seafood at dinner and called it a night. Breakfast in the morning was so good. The owners made almond and coconut french toast, and it was to die for! We loved Kennebunkport, as well as the bed and breakfast!

Cute downtown Kennebunkport (note the wet, wet ground).

The coast of Maine, a popular beach destination (obviously not the day we were there!)

Walker's Point, also known as the Bush compound, where the Bush family spends their summers.


Our room at the Maine Stay Inn.

The main living room of the Inn.

Enjoying a nice dinner in Kennebunkport.
Time to say goodbye to the Inn and Kennebunkport. Off to Boston!

Bar Harbor, Maine

Our next stop in Maine was farther north on the coast to a city called Bar Harbor. Bar Harbor was a quaint little town with tons of shops, restaurants, and boats. Also, Acadia National Park is located next to Bar Harbor. The scenery was beautiful! We enjoyed walking around Bar Harbor and bike riding through the park. While the views were spectacular, the weather was less than stellar. The first thing we did in Bar Harbor was purchase more sweatshirts. It was cold - 55-6o degrees and rainy the whole time! While we tried not to let it ruin our plans, the whale watching trip we had planned was canceled. Overall, it was a good time, and we loved visiting Bar Harbor.

First night in Bar Harbor. Justin enjoyed a whole lobster!

Fresh Maine Blueberry Pie with ice cream!

Bar Harbor. Imagine how beautiful this would be on a sunny day as opposed to a rainy, foggy day!

Lunch the next day in Bar Harbor.

We rented bikes and spent several hours on the paths through Acadia National Park. It was so beautiful! Bike riding up mountains is hard work!

Justin thought I looked really funny on the bike so he insisted that I post this picture.

Us with the beautiful lake, trees, and moutains.

Acadia National Park.

After all that hard work, I was in need of a beer and a hot tub! The hot tub was necessary to warm up because it was seriously about 55 degrees outside.

The next morning we went to the cruise boat at 8am for our whale watching trip. Yep, you guessed it...it was canceled due to the rain and fog. Instead, we took off to Kennebunkport in hopes of having better luck.

Portland, Maine

Our first stop on our trip to New England was Portland. We flew into the little Portland airport on Friday afternoon, just in time for a nice seafood lunch. After picking up the rental car (2010 Camry with navigation, it was nice!), we went to downtown Portland and enjoyed lunch at the Portland Lobster Co. Justin ordered a lobster roll, a type of sandwich served with lobster meat. A typical lobser roll contains the fresh cooked meat of a one pound lobster, tossed with mayo and served on a hot dog bun with a piece of lettuce. Most New England restaurants serve the lobster roll along with coleslaw and fries. Justin gave the lobster roll a thumbs up. I ordered a lovely crab and avocado salad, and it was delish. We shared a cup of clam chowder, which was the first of many cups of clam chowder we enjoyed. And no meal on vacation in New England is complete without a Sam Adams Summer Ale!

How cute is the little lobster? It was the buzzer to let us know our meal was ready!

Justin enjoying the lobster roll.

Enjoying a cold Sam Adams summer ale on the water!

Vanessa's Bridal Shower

While the boys were busy fishing, the girls put on their dresses for a lovely bridal shower for Vanessa. Margaret, Vanessa's cousin, hosted the shower and did a fabulous job. So many of Vanessa's friends made the trip to DC for the party. It was wonderful meeting all her friends who I have heard so much about. We chatted, drank mimosas, ate a delicious brunch, and watched Vanessa's open her presents. Margaret had asked Chip several questions ahead of time regarding his relationship with Vanessa. At the party, Vanessa was asked the same questions. The test was to see if they answered the same. Chip was asked when he first told Vanessa that he loved her. His reply, "Hopefully sometime before we moved in together!" Needless to say, it was all quite hilarious!


More pictures to come from Vanessa.

Apparently I was too busy talking to take pictures. I know, I know, I need to work on my picture taking if I want to be a good blogger.

Chip's Day of Fishing

On Saturday morning, the boys woke up early for a day of fishing off the coast of Maryland. Justin had spent weeks organizing a bachelor party which involved renting a charter boat for the day with Chip's closest friends. The boys packed up the cooler bright an early that morning and were off for a day of manly activities!

I think everyone had a wonderful time!

They caught 22 BIG fish. We even have some in our freezer now. Anyone have any good fish recipes?

Chip has all the pictures so stay tuned for an update.

Washington DC: First Night

We enjoyed a short, but sweet, trip to Washington DC last weekend to see Chip and Vanessa. While it was a lot of car time for a short visit, we wouldn't have missed it for anything! We made the 9.5 hour trip to the east coast on Friday, arriving just in time for dinner at the Carlyle with Chip, Vanessa, and two of Vanessa's college friends.

The group at dinner.

Somehow all the glasses ended up in front of me!

Chip thinks the patriotic tux would be very fitting for his 4th of July wedding!

Then, it was to bed early for a full Saturday of fun!