Freeport: boring

Freeport had one cool thing, otherwise... a big yawn!

I knew that Freeport was home to many brand name outlet stores, as well as being home base for LL Bean, so how do you NOT go to LL Bean when you are in Maine? I had visions of buying Christmas gifts and something for John's 2nd birthday... Well, Freeport is one big outlet mall, and its the same stores you'll see up at Dawsonville, GA.

I went in the LL Bean outlet store and didn't see even ONE thing that I was tempted to buy. Maybe if I needed luggage or another tote bag, but I don't... and there wasn't even a tee-shirt that tempted me for John. So, I left zero dollars in Freeport.

The one cool thing? LL Bean offers free concerts every weekend during the summer months and the band was setting up as I arrived. People had already claimed their spots w/ lawn chairs and the music was going to begin at 7pm, but I didn't stay. What a great marketing thing for LL Bean!

Smelling the Rosa Rugosa

This ornamental plant, Rosa Rugosa is found all over the coastal areas that I travel in the summer. I first noticed this beautiful plant in Nantucket many years ago, and then again on the Cape, and now again in Maine! After being in the pollution of the city during the winter where I cannot smell anything, it is always so wonderful to come north where the air is clean and smell the roses!

From Wikipedia: The sweetly scented flowers are used to make pot-pourri in Japan and China, where it has been cultivated for about a thousand years. This species hybridises readily with many other roses, and is valued by rose breeders for its considerable resistance to the diseases rose rust and rose black spot. It is also extremely tolerant of seaside salt spray and storms, commonly being the first shrub in from the coast.

Portland

Views of Casco Bay from Portland's Eastern Promenade

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception sits on top of the hill in downtown Portland

Back to the USA. More Maine!

Who knew there was a Franciscan Monastary here in Kennebunkport? Now it's a guest house with beautiful grounds. Here are some pics. If you'd like to see a larger pic, just click on it...

Beautiful peonies at their peak, in front of the Franciscan Guest House.

While we're looking at religious sites, look at this awesome, awesome chapel by the sea! This is St. Ann's Episcopal Church and it's the most charming little chapel I've ever seen! I went inside last Sunday (it's only open during the summer months for 2 services each Sunday) to see the inside and talked w/ one of the caretakers. The church was built in 1886-87 and has been updated and preserved several times since then. A few Bushes have been married here... and who wouldn't want to be married here?

Here is a picture of the inside.

So, on to something very important: food! The Maine Diner is famous both near and far. I'd seen a television feature on this place on the Food Network (Diners, Drive Ins and Dives... a fabulous show in case you haven't watched it) and when I drove past it last week going thru Wells en route to Kennebunkport, I made a note to return and see what its all about. Check out their website: http://www.mainediner.com/ and look at that menu! Of course I wanted to order basic diner food, like meatloaf, mac and cheese, etc... but sadly just ordered a salad to go. The salad was great so I am going back and maybe order a lobster roll... even though I am not a big lover of the lobster.

Cute Dog Alert!

Look at this awesome doggie that I saw taking a walk along Kennebunkport Beach! His mommy was very nice and let me take several pictures of him. He even put his face thru the window of my car and let me pet him!

This little Westie also wanted to take a walk, but is too old to walk that far, so his mommy put him in a stroller!

Ellen and HRH Prince William!!!

My friends, Ellen and Pettus LeCompte just returned from the UK (where they have a cottage in the Cotswalds, too bad...) and attended a polo game with guess who? Ellen is the very pretty lady with auburn hair and the coral colored necklace and her husband, Pettus is standing behind her, smiling. Ellen said that the Prince was very charming to talk with and even more handsome in person than in his pics! Woo Hoo, Ellen... you were definitely in high cotton, again!

Way to go, Ellen and Pettus. You make us very proud!!

Beach Tennis

Kennebunkport Beach

Picture perfect day at the beach and not too hot!

Mother and son playing beach tennis. See video in next post. This boy is not yet 5 years old a quite a player, taught by his tennis instructor father!

Lets just get our feet wet...

Kennebunkport Village and Walker Point

Kennebunkport's Dock Square is the hub of village activity. Here are some pics I took this morning when the sun finally decided to return to Maine!

This cute little Inn is tucked on a back street at Dock Square.

Lots of shopping options, if you are a shopper (but I am not)

Its not all Bush and Bush here...

The Kennebunkport Inn

Walking from my rental house to Dock Square, I saw this house and wondered, how do they go in that door? Maybe they use the back door instead.

THE place for lobster, apparently not only in Kennebunkport, but in all of Maine, is at this little lobster shack in Cape Porpoise. It opens at 5pm and you go early to avoid the long lines. Best prices and best lobster on the coast... everyone says that, so it's probably true. I ate lobster here the last time I was in town and it was yummy.

Look at the color... wow!

The Bush Compound at Walker Point, just north of Kennebunkport on the coast near Arundel. The Secret Service cottages and so forth are all to the left of the house, as well as the tennis courts, boat house and swimming pool, but I wanted to show a pic of the rocky seacoast in their front and side yards!

Can you hear the waves?

On to Maine

I stopped at the Maine Welcome Center to pick up some brochures and saw this sign. How nice of the Maine Dept of Tourism to remind me of this!

Look at the awesome colors! As I drove up the coast, I was mixing colors in my head, trying to imagine how I could put those exact colors on paper or canvas.

A day at the beach. Bet the water is still cold, but so what? There were lots of people on the beaches in southern Maine.

I stopped at York Beach for a quick lunch and enjoyed the views from the outdoor restaurant. What a beautiful day!

Summer Adventure 2008

If I had a cottage by the sea, maybe it would look like this

or maybe this, but it would have window boxes filled with flowers,

and flowers would peek thru the fence as you look out to the sea.

First stop en route to Maine was the Cape. I spent most every day in Chatham and took water aerobics classes at the Chatham Health and Swim Club. Their water instructors were all very nice, but not as wonderful as our own Susan at the YMCA Buckhead!

John, The Musician!