Highlights of New England: Day 5, September 29, 2010

Highlights from today: (click here for pictures)

 

After a late night for the kids (11ish) and a very late night for Robby and me (2ish), it was nice to sleep in until 7:30.  Graham did make it into our bed sometime in the middle night but he was out cold this morning.  I laid Campbell beside him while she was drinking her milk and when he woke up he grinned at her and then put his arm around her.  Reagan was the next one up and we finally had to wake Anderson up.  The hotel breakfast was very good-cereal, strawberries, yogurt, granola, sausage egg and cheese biscuits and juice-we ate all of that plus some. 

Robby loaded up the luggage and packed the car while we finished breakfast and then after one more bathroom stop we were leaving Rhode Island.  We made sure that we bypassed Boston this morning since we will be back in a few days and because we didn’t want to mess with the traffic. 

Robby saw the sign for the Minute Man National Historic Park.  It was right off of the road so we decided to take a little educational/bathroom stop.  To get to the visitor center you had to walk probably a 1/4 of a mile and the kids were glad to get out and run off some energy.  We browsed the exhibits, touched way to much stuff in the gift shop and then used the restroom and ran back down the trail to the car. 

Before long we had made it through Massachusetts and New Hampshire and were nearing our first stop in Maine: Ogunquit.  It is a quaint little beach town with a nice beach.  Our plan was to eat lunch there somewhere and then let the kids play in the water.  We couldn’t find a good picnic spot and since they weren’t too hungry we decided to let them swim and then eat in the car.  They were so excited when we told them they could put on their bathing suits.  After Reagan, Anderson and Graham had been changed, they ran down towards the water.

The water was ICE cold.  It was amazing the difference between the water there and the water in Maryland.  The beach was perfect for the kids.  They could walk 20-30 feet out in the water before the water even went over their ankles.  And when the waves crashed in, they were just little ripples.  They would run and splash.  Poor Graham fell down a few times and when he did, he would cry each time-cry and shiver.  That is how cold it was!  But then he would run straight back into the waves.

Campbell didn’t get her bathing suit on so she sat in the stroller at the edge of the water.  Every once in a while the water would roll over her wheels and she would lean down and try to grab the water.  The tide must have been coming in because I kept having to move her buggy backwards.  After lots of play we then put every one in the car and dried them off with what we had-a dish towel.  Our main objective was to get the sand off since we still had quite a long drive.  After changing everyone, I ran in a gift shop to pick up an ornament and then made our picnic lunches in my lap.  We passed out lunches and the kids devoured them.  Running on the beach makes you a little hungry.

They weather today was perfect.  I thought it would be in the low 70s (boo on the weatherchannel.com) but it was in the 80s along with beautiful blue skies.  We have now checked the weather for tomorrow and am crossing our fingers that we have good weather for our carriage ride.  After lunch Robby said that I might have to drive and I said that was fine since I had to go to the bathroom and wouldn’t be able to nap.  We decided that we would stop at LL Bean in Freeport for our stop.  Our plan was to stop there on the way back down the coast but since we needed a “wake up” and bathroom stop it was perfect. 

Also, it was perfect since I had a gift card to spend.  I knew that I was going to buy a bag (like I don’t have enough) but I had hoped I could buy two at the outlet.  But the bags at the outlet store were not my favorite so I shopped at the main store.  I was only able to buy one bag (but it is the perfect bag for me!) and since I had a few dollars left on the card, I let Robby buy a flash light.  After a few pictures by the LL Bean boot, looking in the fish pond and sticking heads in the fish aquarium bubble, the kids were ready for a few more hours in the car. 

Well, we were almost ready, we still needed a little snack.  Robby told me that there was Ben and Jerry’s and Maine Made Ice Cream.  Anderson quickly said he wanted the Maine Made Ice Cream so we headed over there.  We each had a cup and ate every bit.  Back on the road, we noticed the leaves.  I had checked before we left but from what I had read, I didn’t think that the leaves would be ready.  But the leaves are gorgeous.  They are red, yellow and orange.  The kids even noticed the leaves except they saw the purple and pink leaves!

We drove around 350 miles today and here is a little snapshot of what life is like in the car.  Robby driving peacefully, I was on the phone with my mom, everyone but Anderson was sleeping and Anderson was watching a movie.  Robby was thirsty and took a sip from a water bottle.  Anderson decided he wanted some so Robby threw it back to him.  He overthrew so I hung up with my mom and crawled to the back to find the water bottle.  I couldn’t find it so grabbed him a juice box out of the ice chest as I crawled back into the front seat.  I opened it and stretched back to pass it back which woke up Graham.  He saw the juice box and wanted one so I again grabbed another one from the ice chest and passed it back.  By the time I could get turned around and buckled again, Reagan’s eyes were open and she decided that she needed something to drink.  I searched the ice chest but they were all gone so I had to find a cup from the food bag and grabbed our coke to pour her a drink.  Our coke was empty so then I had to find another one from the ice chest and pass it back to her.  As soon as I sat back down, Anderson said that he wanted a coke too…and it continued like this for miles and miles!

We made almost to our hotel tonight and stopped at Taco Bell for supper.  After supper, we were back on the road for the last few miles. We are staying at a cottage in Bar Harbor tonight.  It is so cute-quilts, front porch, old timey fridge and there is even an apple tree out front.  I love it here.  The kids haven’t seen the apple tree yet-oh, they will be so excited.  Reagan and Anderson each have twin beds.  They have a quilt and lots of pillows.  Reagan worked for a long time getting her bed fixed just right.  I think she needs a girly bed pretty soon.  She has been so excited about staying in a cottage (just like me)!  Robby teased Graham about sleeping outside and when it was time for him to lay down, he went out to the front porch to look for the bed.  I think he was a little disappointed about not getting to sleep outside.  They can eat their breakfast of apples outside in the morning.

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