Maine, the way life should be.

That's what it said on the highway sign as we entered Maine, heading up to the cottage we've rented for the past 10 years. What's great is that it feels like a second home, but it's still a change of scenery but I still know it like the back of my hand (that came in handy one night, more on that later).
Our Maine vacation is a thing of habit for us. We stop in Freeport every time, eat at the same little bistro-ish place (often ordering the same food) and we get up there and just relax. I appreciate it so much more now since I actually have a job this summer, not just lazing around the house. It even manages to be pleasant with the bothers around.

We got there on a Sunday afternoon following our usual stop in Freeport for food and outlet outdoors stores. We basically just hung around that afternoon and evening. Lots of reading gets done in that house.

On Monday we ate breakfast and then headed out for a day in Acadia National Park. It's as gorgeous as ever. We made lunch reservations at Jordan Pond House (best...popovers...ever. Apparently the Lobster bisque is quite good as well) and then we set off on our hike. Up to the top of a large hill, essentially, and then back down the way we came. We came up to a side trail, something called "Cadillac Cliffs" (yes, it is that Cadillac. The same explorer who first climbed Mt Cadillac in what's now Bar Harbor, Maine, later founded Detroit. The car company was named after him). Now, I enjoyed the challange of clambering over large boulders and whatnot, as did Nick and to a lesser extent Nate (the two bothers) but my parents were less than thrilled. The views on this side trail weren't that great, though. The view from the top was nice though. We made it back down without incident (unlike the second or third time we went to Acadia, we got lost on top of a mountain) and then had a great lunch. Following that, we drove up Mt. Cadillac. There the views are truely amazing. Everywhere you turn, you see the curvature of the earth, and (mostly) unspoiled wilderness. There's also, of course, the famous Maine Blueberry growing everywhere up there, as well.

In some years past we spent most of the week either down at the ocean or in the nearby lake (where it takes a bit longer to come down with hypothermia) but this year we only went once. I didn't even go to the lake with them, I felt more like staying in the cottage and reading. This year we had something else planned almost every day. I think it was tuesday that we went in to Blue Hill/Deer Isle/Stonington. Stonington is almost the quaintist little Maine town you'd ever find (only perhaps Castine is more picturesque). Little art gallerys and the Granite Museum and a neat used-bookstore. We always walk out of there with an odd assortment of books. Last year I got an old 30's era textbook on technical drawing (including a whole chapter on pencil-sharpening) and this year I got a volume of a geometry text from 1915ish; it's basically a long list of geometric theorems. Nick got a book from the 80's about the physics of lasers and a copy of Dante. Nate got an old Fencing text, from the 1930's as well as a book from the 70's with technical drawings of rifles.
Wedensday there was a bad thunderstorm. In fact, we went up for dinner and the power cut out. Luckily they use gas stoves and whatnot, so we just ate dinner by candlelight; except that they got the generators up and running. We did go home to a dark cottage. Luckily, I carry a flashlight with me. Two, in fact (I have on on my keychain, in addition to my Maglite) so we could see well enough to light a fire and sit around, all 'rustic-like' waiting for the power to come back on. We actually talked about a lot of physics/chemistry, looking at the various colors of flames coming off some of the newspapers and logs we were burning.
Thursday was the lobster bake down on the beach. It was high tide when dinner started, so that meant that everyone was crammed onto a 4-ft wide strip of beach. Oh well, the chowder was good. There were seals playing on the reach and a beautiful sunset. Oh, and some really neat clouds (one looked light a great white shark).
On Saturday we went to the Owl's Head Museum, over one peninsula down from where we stay. Luckily, we timed our week in Maine to coincide with their big car and air show for the year. It was pretty
awesome. There was a huge array of really awesome cars parked all over the tarmac as well planes stretching from a replica turn of the century flyer through WWII fighters and trainers through modern stunt airplanes.

There were a couple of acts that we'd seen last year (including a guy who flew a Texan to "I'm Your Lady" by Celine Dion...I mean, who does that?) The whole show was awesome, regardless. I took tons of pictures, just ask and I'll show you.

The next day, a dark and gloomy one, we stuffed ourselves at the Sunday Brunch and then headed home.

It was a great week.