We stayed in a small flat above an old yellow shingled surf shop. A couple surfers, too worn out to hit the waves themselves anymore, from the look of it, set up shop here 15 years ago – living the dream! They rent out the attic to help subsidize the dream. And it is everything a flat-above-an-old-yellow-shingled-surf-shop-set-up-by-two-dudes should be. Low ceilings, yellow walls with bright green trimming, Sweet Baby Rays in the fridge, martini glasses in the cupboard, and books on the shelf entitled Bad Words, Silence, Welcome to H—, and The Surfers Journal – Nobody Likes A Quitter (the “Shop Copy”). Nice of them to share.
When they learned of our plans for a trip to Maine, our NY friends raved. But, upon further inquiry, those same doting friends replied, “I … don’t really know … what people do in Maine.”
Well. After four shorts days in Maine, I am no local. But I can tell you what WE did in Maine!
TOP TEN in MAINE:
Eat lobster. Okay, I guessed that one before asking any of our friends. Bry did the dirty work. I enjoyed the tail.
Antique shopping. And we found a few treasures, ourselves! Including a 100+ year old maple butcher block, weighing about 400 lbs. Not sure where to put the small tree now that it’s returned with us to New York City.
Biking. Apparently Maine is the second most bike friendly state, according to bikemaine.org. And which state, pray tell, is number one? That information could not be found on said website.
Marginal Way. We walked this short, beautiful windy path along the coast of Maine in Ogunquit.
Cheese. Though I remain wholly unfamiliar with Maine’s cheese fame, where there is a cheese farm, I seek it out. The cheese “farm” Google found for us was less of a farm, and more of a tiny shop on Five Islands Road, two hours north of Wells Beach.
Chocolate. While I got my cheese fix at the cheese shop, Bryant spent his time and money at Perkins Cove Candies.
Lobster Pizza. Do you remember that 100-things-to-do-before-we-die list Bry and I made as newlyweds? One of the items on the list was to eat pizza in every single state. Maine … check.
Kennebunkport. Yep. It exists in more than just a clever film.
“And now I can’t get out of here. I’m gonna be stuck in here forever, and people are gonna set plates on my head, and I’m never gonna get to go to the circus or run through the fresh cut grass or feel the ocean breeze in my hair as I pilot my nimble schooner, Felix, off the coast of our family home in Kennebunkport! Oh Auntie Em! There’s no place like home! There’s no place like home! Click…click…click.”
Pay tolls. It is possible that Maine has no more toll booths than any of the other fifty-nifty united states. But, since we rarely drive in any other state, it seemed to my inexperienced pocketbook that Maine has an incredible number of tolls!
Bryant and I spent our Memorial Day Weekend at Wells Beach, Maine. We were able to see the local Main Street parade, and watch the national Memorial Day program on the television. We attended church and heard sermons on sacrifice.
We are grateful for those who “died to make man free”. We are grateful for the veterans, then and now.
While we remembered those who fought our wars, and died doing so, our thoughts were also turned to our own. I texted a message to a sister that quiet Memorial Day morning. Thoughts of Matthew:
“After 18 month serving as a missionary in South Africa, and on our way home from Africa, my parents and I stopped in London for a couple days. There we stayed in the dormitories at Kings College. I have a picture of me in front of Kings College 15 years ago.
I didn’t know then that my son, Matthew, 12 years later, would die in that very hospital at Kings College. Of course, I would never never have imagined it!
Interestingly, that thought, inspired by that long-ago picture, was not morbid to me at all. It was incredible. I hadn’t the faintest idea 15 years ago what the next 15 years held in store for me. I would never have guessed the incredible blessings and opportunities the Lord would give me! The experiences – difficult and beautiful, both!
And in another 15 years, I’m going to text you and say, ‘Remember 15 years ago when I texted you from Maine? Can you BELIEVE all that has happened since then?! We had NO idea the blessings and opportunities and experiences life had in store for us!'”
Lovely report! I’m looking forward to that text in 15 years… hopefully by then you will have discovered Maine blueberries, which I’ve just recalled to be an “important thing” about Maine. (Too bad I didn’t remember that LAST week!)