Our return trip from Bar Harbor, ME took us back down Rt. 1, aka the Cannabis Corridor (seriously, more cannabis shops per mile than anywhere ever). Our first stop was Ft. Knox in Prospect, ME. This was a spontaneous right hand turn off Rt. 1 just after crossing the beautiful Penobscot Narrows Bridge. The fort was a fun and informative visit as we explored the various rooms and halls of this mid-nineteenth century fort built shortly after the Spanish American war to protect the citizens on the Penobscot River. Btw, it never saw battle and eventually the cannons were melted down during WWII. The highlight of this stop was visiting the observatory AT THE TOP OF THE BRIDGE!!! It was early in the day, so we had the viewing area to ourselves with great views of the Penobscot River.
Continuing south on the CBD Concourse and searching for a latte for Christina, we stopped at Massimo’s north of Belfast. This was a little gem of an Italian market in the middle of nowhere. Massimo himself greeted us, a beautiful, exuberant Italian man. Although they didn’t have dairy free lattes, we were gifted an amazing Panna Cotta, treated to the best olive oils and bread, and given a tour of his cooking school and restaurant. I’m trying to convince him to open a business in the Adirondacks. It was a delightful visit! #massimo237main.com
Once we got to Camden (named after a Colonial-sympathetic British Lord), we hiked Mt. Battie to see the WWI memorial tower. This was not an insignificant scramble but the views were beautiful despite the pointy-edged rocks threatening me along the trail. We then headed over to Rockland to walk the very, very long breakwater to the lighthouse. It was quite windy as hurricane Fiona was passing off shore. A famous family quote comes to mind “too much work, not enough fun” (attrbuted to Dan Bebernitz, pre-teen, with reference to water-skiing). I did get plenty of steps in but otherwise I’d pass on visiting this lighthouse in the future. Finally, we checked into the Lord Camden Inn right on the main drag in cute Camden, ME. This hotel was a gem in the middle of this beautiful seaside town. Free warm cookies in the afternoon! We strolled about, then headed to 40 Paper for happy hour cocktails and charcuterie, kfollowed by dinner at Salt Wharf across the harbor. Devilled eggs with caviar, yes, please! We finished the evening with dessert and after dinner aperitifs at a nearby hotel bar.
The following morning I caught up with a good friend, Karen, who was nearby visiting her mom, then we headed down the Pot Parkway to Portland. Our hotel, the Inn at St. John, was somewhat dated but cheap compared to the newer hotels in town charging NYC prices. In Portland? Weird, although Portland was much larger than expected. It is a working seaport with an edgy vibe. We walked the entire length of the city to visit a few breweries and check out the wharfs and the cobblestone streets full of bars, boutiques, and no surprise, head-shops and dispensaries. Remarkably, I snagged reservations at Twelve for a late dinner. Twelve is listed in the NYT as one of the top 50 up and coming restaurants in the country. We were seated at the Chef’s table overlooking the kitchen. It was fascinating to watch them cook with exquisite perfection and then have them serve us immediately after. Farro saboyon, mackerel crudo, monkfish with trout roe, NY strip steak! The food was divine. Thankfully we saved money on the hotel to pay for this treat.https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/dining/best-restaurants-list-america.html
Sunday was sunny and finally wind-less. We headed back to the old town wharf area for breakfast pastries at the popular Standard Baking Co, then walked the Eastern Promenade trail past the harbor and the cruise ship du jour into Casco Bay. Then, after a bit more boutique shopping, we dropped Christina at the train station (no reference to ‘Yellowstone’, this was an actual Amtrak station) and hugged our goodbyes. God, I love her. She headed back to Bean-town and we started driving west. We visited with our good friends Maggan and Elias in Conway, NH for 2 nights, enjoying golf and some home repair projects within view of Mt. Washington. Finally we headed home through the White and Green Mountains. Fall leaf colors in New England were muddled and only 50% peak, I’d guess.
Awaiting my return was my car. I hit a deer July 8 and unbelievably, it was just then available for pickup after repair, 2 1/2 months later! It’s nice to have my wheels back. Where to next?
My new reality 