First things first - we drive back into Portland to visit the Standard Baking Company. This little shop just oozes with incredible aromas and atmosphere. Stacks of bread, piles of cookies, and plates of pastries are everywhere and the little bell on the door never stops ringing. The only place to sit is a small bench up front used for people waiting on their orders but we take our drinks and scones over to it and sit down to watch while we imbibe. We are fortunate enough to overhear a conversation between the owner and the photographer of the their recent cookbook, Standard Baking Co. Pastries, which was just being published. I definitely want this book when I return home. With our breakfast finished, we take our package of freshly baked gingersnaps and depart. (Sneak - I have the recipe for the cookies - oh my.)
It is time to drive again and our first stop is . . . . drumroll please . . . . The Portland Breakwater Lighthouse. Yay! These wonderful edifices hold the same romanticism to me that the bridges do and so I am looking forward to visiting a few of them. This one was built in 1875 and it still flashes a white light every 4 seconds to this day. It is not open to the public but you can walk all the way up to it as the grounds are easily accessible.
From here it is just a short drive to the Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse. It was originally built by the government and owed by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1897 following complaints of ships running aground. The granite breakwater which makes it accessible to us today was not in place until 1951. It is open on select days, but only during the summer and so we are not able to go inside. Sad.
Our next stop is in Cape Elizabeth and the oldest lighthouse in the state. It was built in 1879 and appears on many "must-see" lists. It is now owned by the town of Cape Elizabeth and features a museum in the Keepers Quarters. It sits along the shores of Fort Williams Park and the whole setting is perfect. The iconic Portland Head Lighthouse is definitely high on my favorites list.From the grounds at Portland Head, you can look across the bay and see the Ram Island Lighthouse in the distance. It is not open to the public and is accessible only by boat so this is as close as I could get. Still -- I COULD see it.
The next stop on the lighthouse trail is also in Cape Elizabeth where the twin towers are located. If you go down to the end of Two Lights Road, near The Lobster Shack Restaurant, you are able to see both of them at once. They are approximately 300 yards apart however both are either privately owned or on private property and so it is impossible to get close to them. While at this location, we walk down to the shore for a few minutes to breathe the salt air and savor another small moment.
Our map has indicted that there is a little pub nearby. Yes, we actually did download all the microbreweries along our route into our maps. Call us pitiful or resourceful -- we enjoy it. Saco, Maine provides us with Run of the Mill Public House and Brewery. It is around noon and so we stop in to say hi and check out the place. At one time this area held one of the largest number of cotton mills in the states, employing over 9000 people at its peak. The pub is in an abandoned mill that has been renovated and we think they did a great job of retaining history and making it a fun new place to go.
After a nice history-filled chat with the bartender it is time to hit the road again. We have brought a written lighthouse "crawl" with us and next up is the Goat Island Lighthouse. Following the directions takes us to Cape Porpoise where we are able to view the lighthouse from a distance. The present building was constructed in 1859 and is accessible by boat only. Neither the grounds or the lighthouse are open to the public and so once again we have to be satisfied with a view of it.
The viewing location we had been directed to also includes the Cape Pier Chowder House/Cape Porpoise Lobster Co. As we are standing outside looking at the lighthouse, a truck pulls up and starts unloading fish to be packed in salt for storage. We were able to watch the packing and ask questions. The truck is full of fish and as they tip it the fish just pour out through a little door into the blue barrels while salt is added to each layer. 
There are lobster boats and cages nearby, but the fisherman are not out today. I had originally tried to get on a lobster run this morning, but the weather was keeping the fishermen home and so it was not available.
We had been looking for an authentic chowder house and were hungry so jumped on the opportunity to try this little gem out. What a delight! I select my live lobster from a tank and it is lifted in the colander that is suspended over the tank. The cook then takes the tongs and moves the lobster from the colander to the large kettle of boiling water and closes the tank. A short time later, it is retrieved and served to us whole. Mister then has to dismantle it and offers me small pieces that are amazingly tender and yummy. These are lobsters that were in the ocean within the last couple of days -- so fresh and you can still taste the ocean in them. This is the only way to have lobster. Honest.Our drive continues through the Kennebunks and down into Ogunquit. The pristine white sand beach here is 3 1/2 miles long and recognized as New England's best. It is owned by the town and so has been a public beach since 1888. What a smart move by that state legislature to have seen what might happen if the land was bought up and privatized. As a result, everyone gets to enjoy this beautiful place.
Winding our way down the east coast, it is not long before we bid farewell to Maine. The small towns that we stopped in along the way held charm and a definite "fishing" feeling. As we crossover back into New Hampshire our first stop is in Portsmouth. I LOVE this town! It reminds me of the Boston area and is just as strange to try and drive around in. After circling the downtown area several times, we find a spot to park and walk around the town square. The North Church stands out with its beautiful white steeple and red brick walls. This alone makes the town feel small and friendly. We stop in at Portsmouth Brewery for some quick fluids and the place is absolutely packed. It takes awhile to even get a seat. We share a table with 6 other people, enjoy the drink, and depart to continue our walk around town.
As we are walking down the street, I spot a lady in a window making fudge and cannot stop myself from going in. It is Kilwins Fudge and the place smells divine. The fudge is completely hand paddled and I am learning so much. We watch and talk for awhile before purchasing some maple fudge to take along with us. Now I want to go home and make some.
We find the car again and are once again headed south and back into Massachusetts. We spot another brewery on our map and so make a detour to Ipswich to check it out.
They are packed in this building like sardines and explain to us that they are in the process of moving to a larger location. We agree completely -- we can barely walk through the aisles and cannot comprehend trying to run the machinery and work here. In addition to their own beers, they contract out for other brewers and also do sodas. This is one busy place. Jim, the Brewery Operations Manager is working on a batch and invites us up to the platform to watch as he checks temperatures, quantities, and adds the hops. I love having opportunities like this and am delighted to climb right up. He shares great information with us about the beer and his own philosophies. This is such fun and a night I will always remember.
After several hours of conversation, education, and general all around good times we come to the conclusion that we are done driving for the night. They guys give us great recommendations for dinner and a hotel and so after saying warm-felt good-byes we are on our way. A quick stop at the Arbor Inn Motel to book a room and then we go down the road to the Stone Soup Cafe for dinner. The food is great but goodness there sure is a ton of it. We should have shared an entree. Who eats this much? I barely put a dent in my plate but Mister enjoyed his mussels until there were just drops of juice left.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sun is up and it is our last day in New England. Since we are back in Massachusetts and do not fly until this afternoon, I mention that I would like to visit Lexington. It is not too far away and so Mister agrees and after a little research we are on our way. Our first stop is at the Ride Studio Cafe for some breakfast. This is a great little coffee shop that Mister found out about. It is also a bike repair/sales store and most of the clientele are bikers stopping in either before, during, or after their rides. The coffee shop part is impressive to Mister as well as they grind the beans for each cup as it is ordered. Me? I'm so very impressed with the pastries available and while we are here several people come in just to purchase the pastries alone. Cool place.
On the corner of the Green, this Lexington Minuteman statue of Captain John Parker has stood since 1900. Even though there were not any minutemen in Lexington at this time the nickname has stuck for this statue. Parker's men were called Militia. There is an actual 'minuteman' statue in Concord but that is for another trip.As we stand at the statue and look across the Green - this magnificent church with it's resplendent foliage stops us in our tracks. I actually sit down on the Green and just take it all in while Mister photographs the memory. The whole place is peaceful and yet buzzing with activity at the same time. There is a group of soldiers with some type of activity going on at the corner that is drawing quite a crowd, but yet the reverence of the area is maintained.
There are three buildings here that I wish to tour and so I walk up to the Buckman Tavern to purchase tickets for the tour. The tour does not start again for awhile at this location and so we are told to go to one further up the road first and it starts in 45 minutes. With a little bit of time to kill, we walk up a path to The Old Belfry. Our pictures of it didn't turn out, but The Old Belfry has been in various locations in Lexington since 1761 and the phrase "sound the alarm" meant to ring the bell. It is still rings each Patriots Day at 5:30 a.m. on the dot. From the top of the hill we can see another church steeple in the distance and once again are struck with the serenity of the area.
The Hancock-Clarke House is our first stop on our ticketed tour. This was John Hancock's childhood home and was where he and Sam Adams were staying on the night of Paul Revere's ride. The home was a very simple one and yet quite elegant for that time period.
Our second stop is the Buckman Tavern which sits across the street from the Battle Green. It was built around 1690 and was the first Public House in Lexington. When the militia were training on the Green, it was a favorite gathering place. This building heard and saw so many things that it would be so amazing if the walls could talk. Oh my. The people that were here and the words that were used to create this great democracy of ours live today in our constitution. It makes one think about what they were willing to sacrifice for what we take for granted today. I am not sure that I am thankful enough.
I cheat a little on the no photography of the house and peek in the kitchen window for a shot. Is this not the coolest kitchen? I am not saying that in any terms of modern day - but in astonishment over it. Everything took so much time and yet they were able to prepare wonderful meals. Once again, I think I take all the wonderful kitchen appliances and gadgets that I own for granted. I forget to be thankful for them and remember that not all people had such ease back then and many today do not also.We finish our time in Lexington with a tour of the Munroe Tavern. We are glad that this is on the tour because it is obvious to us that not everyone was with the rebels as not everyone is able to agree on anything today either. We wanted to hear the other side of the story and it was done very well. The Munroe Tavern became the headquarters for the British troops and was also used as a hospital for their wounded. When I was a young adult in Bigfork, I made a friend who was from England. On the 4th of July her husband (who was American) would tell the kids that this was the day that "Daddy's people beat Mommy's people". He told it like a joke but I will never forget her response of, "that is not the way our history books tell it." I remember that today as I am reminded that perspectives are always different. We choose which perspective we like the most and call it "right" and to those who select a different perspective -- well they are "wrong". Food for thought for me today.
It is now time for us to end our wonderful trip to this part of our country. I have loved absolutely all of it and do not wish to leave. I could move here easily -- but I do have favorite spots of course. The Boston area will always hold my heart but I have fallen in love with Vermont as well. Perhaps someday I can come and play here again.
We drive into Boston, return the car and take the subway to the airport. Our time is over. Here is one last shot to remember the beauty and history of this great place. This window belongs to the church on the Battle Green in Lexington. See you in Dallas.
