I'm Shipping Up To Boston

"You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore."  - André Gide

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse

The above quote has been my mantra for the past twenty years.  I think, at one time, I even printed it out and taped it to my dashboard.

Whenever I feel stuck or afraid, I repeat this quote to myself and I instantly feel calmer and more confident.

This week, I will be discovering new oceans with my daughter, Amanda.

Well... same ocean, but different shores.

On Thursday, I will be heading to Boston, MA for a quick tour of the city and an overnight at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel.

Friday morning, we are heading to Belfast, ME, where we will be spending a long weekend with my daughter's friend, Kate.

Kate has created a jam-packed itinerary for the weekend that includes the following adventures:

Brunch at the Bayside American Cafe (Portland, ME)
Reid State Park Beach (Georgetown, ME)
Oxbow Brewery (Newcastle, ME)
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse (Pemaquid, ME)
Acadia National Park (Bar Harbor, ME)
Moonbat Bakery (Belfast, ME)
Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse (Rockland, ME)
Bald Rock Mountain (Lincolnville, ME)

Like me and my daughter, Kate is a "doer" and a "planner" (must have something to do with the fact that we're all oldest children).  I am so thrilled to have her as our guide.  I know that she will show us all of the wonderful stuff that we can fit in to our short visit.

Since I've only ever been to beaches from Delaware to Florida and The Bahamas, I have only ever seen flat and sandy coasts.  I am most looking forward to seeing  the rocky shores and mountain coastline of Maine.  I am also curious to experience the late-summer landscape, which I'm sure will be at it's most lush and green this time of the year.

Perhaps I'll even dip a toe (or two) in to the Maine ocean.  Brrrrr!

I'm super excited to be exploring a part of the country that I've always wanted to see.  I will take a bunch of photos and post them here when I return.

**********    CRABCAKE UPDATE    ***********

I finally tried Crabcake Factory on 120th St. in OCMD.  The crabcakes there are HUGE!  I got a platter (beach fries and slaw) for a whopping $20, but it kept me fed for a few days.  The portion sizes are extremely generous and, I must say, this cake ranks in my top five.

Crabcake from Crabcake Factory in OCMD

Hope you all take time to enjoy the mid-Atlantic beaches while I'm gone.  If you're in Rehoboth Beach, be sure to check out the sandcastle building contest in front of Funland on Saturday, 9/10 (judging is at 3 PM).

See ya' when I'm back from my wicked-good adventure!