Maine

If you ever have the chance to take a little trip without you're 2 1/2 year old daughter, I highly recommend it.

This past weekend I took Wayne and Cole to Maine to visit Grampa and Gramma and left Heather at home with Wes. You know, I love Heather to pieces, but not having her along this trip made a world of difference in our experience - so much easier to pack and drive, so much more relaxing at our pit-stops to not chase her around, no bedtime trauma-dramas about sleeping in a different place, and much more freedom to come and go and do fun things throughout the weekend.

We headed out on Friday and made our usual pit stop in Gorham, New Hampshire to visit the playground. You may remember from a post last summer that across the road from the playground is a train museum run by the Gorham Historical Society that is sometimes open when we are passing through. Luckily, it was open this time so that Cole had a chance to see it. Some of the train cars are set up with railroad exhibits, but this time we went into the Depot to see what was on hand.

They were allowed to ring this bell. they tried to ring it quietly, but it was still very loud.
Look at this typewriter. Can you imagine?
On Saturday morning we went to Belfast for our usual visit to a rocky little beach in the harbor. Wayne was busy looking for creatures, but Cole was frustrated with how difficult in can be to maneuver over the rocks, so I decided we should drive a little further along the coastline and go to the sandier Lincolnville Beach.

Cole took a dip bit didn't like the taste of the salt water that got in his mouth.

Wayne was still more interested in the creatures he could find on the rocky side of the beach...

...such as this tiny crab.

Cole enjoyed the warm sand.

In the afternoon, after having lunch with Gramma and Grampa, we went to pick blueberries at this place called "Sweet Season Farm" in Washington, a little town 8 miles from my parents' house.

These are not the wild blue berries that Maine is famous for, but organic high-bush blueberries. Doesn't matter. They loved picking and eating.

We picked 4 quarts. Wayne wants to make a pie, so Grammie may be getting a blueberry pie along with the raspberry pie for her birthday.

Sweet Season Farm is also a little cafe, and organic market. They also have an ice cream window offering homemade ice cream. Yum!

After being in the sun picking berries, we went to my favorite childhood place, Steven's Pond - an outlet for Lake St. George, for a dip to cool off. It's a short walk from my parents' house. I practically lived here during the summers as a kid.

My Mom had made a cake for my birthday. I forgot to take a picture before we cut into it, but I tried to sort of piece it back together to get this picture.

Thank you Gramma and Grampa for a great weekend.

Heather is already saying, "I want to go to Grampa and Gramma's house!" By the way, I thought she would be so happy to see me come home, but I don't even think she noticed I was gone.