The Maine Event - Part Two: Brittany

Okay, this post is going to be waaay longer than part 1, but don't read into that too much :)

In the weeks between Maine part 1 and Maine part 2, I did lots of other fun things, like more exploring CT towns (check out my current map...)

I met up with some good friends for great conversations and fun, went to Six Flags again with Adam, had a picnic with my friend Carolyn, who's going to be in a play next month, and did all sorts of other fun silly things.  Also kept reading a lot:

Finally the day arrived, and I was picking my sister and her husband up at the airport!  He hung out with us the first day, which was basically a bunch of local silly things: Stew Leonard's, fruit picking at Lyman Orchards, ice cream at Guida's, a tour of the Bevin House, and s'mores by the fire with Adam.  He was a bit nervous to finally meet some of my family, but they were pretty easy on him :)

     

Gee, you think we are related?

Friday Marker went to a medical conference in Boston (because he's an actual grown-up), and Brittany and I headed out on our Maine Adventure!!!  First though, we toured the mansions of Newport, which was possibly my favorite from the whole trip:

 

 

These wall panels, btw, are painted with platinum.

Rosecliff "Cottage", the filming location of the Great Gatsby...

Even though the other house was amazing, I preferred this one, because it had some great stories.

For example, once when the house sat empty for ten years, a pipe burst and this entire ballroom had 6 inches of ice in it!  There was also a frozen waterfall going down the grand staircase.

Also, one descendant of the family went kind of crazy and even after the house went quiet and wasn't having visitors anymore, she would dress up and walk through the house, laughing and talking as if she were entertaining guests...

 

From there we went up to Portsmouth for our Rail Explorers adventure, which was sooo much fun!  The weather was perfect, the riding was easy, the view was pretty, and we had a nice long talk along the way.

After a few miles, we all stopped to roast marshmallows and stretch a bit while they turned the carts around, and by the time we got back to base it was pretty dark, making for a kind of fun, spooky ride, complete with bats occasionally flying over us and lots of "nope" noises in the bushes.

From there we drove up into Maine, and were pretty ready for showers and bed by the time we arrived in Kennebunk.

 

 Day 2: Silly sightseeing along the coast.  First stop, a Cryptozoology Museum (apparently the only one in the world), in Portland.

Which aside from giving us nightmares, also made us be like:

The highlight here, of course, is Bigfoot.

We continued along the coast and found some lovely little spots.

Including this historic home museum, Castle Tucker, which we decided to tour.  (Aka I wanted to tour it and Brit was like, "okay, i guess.")  I'm so glad we stumbled upon this, though, b/c it gave me some great story ideas, and it was just a neat old house.

 

Stopped at The Holy Donut & Len Libby's Candies in Scarborough Maine for yummy treats...

and to see this giant chocolate moose, because why not.

The "Maine" thing I wanted us to do that we DID NOT DO was have lobster.  We were just never really hungry enough, and I'm guessing seafood doesn't travel well.  Plus it's expensive, and we're all, "what if we don't even like it?"  So basically the entire trip was a fail, and we're going to have to do it all over again next year.

The Maine Event - Part One: Adam

Idk why I wrote this ages ago but never posted it. So here goes, and pretend it's fresh :)

The East Hampton, CT Firefighters Fireworks show is one of the best I've ever seen.  For a small town, they really go all out.  The weather was fine, we brought lawn chairs and got ice cream, and had front-row seats to an amazing show.

Last Tuesday we went to the Offspring/311 concert.  I don't really follow either band, though I love the song "Amber" by 311, but I still had such a fun time.  The weather was perfect, nice and cool and breezy, and we got some yummy snacks and just had a great night.

Of course, the big adventure we'd really been looking forward to was our white water rafting trip, which we just returned home from yesterday.  We stayed at the North Country Rivers Campground in Bingham, Maine.  The locations were beautiful, the cabins were cozy, the restaurant's food was delicious, and everything was very well-organized. 

The day of our rafting adventure, we all loaded onto a school bus with our gear, and one of the guides said, "Okay, raise your hand if this is your first time doing this!"  A bunch of us raised our hands, and he said, "Alright, don't worry, riding a bus is very easy.  Just keep your arms and legs inside at all times and don't lick the windows."  Off to a great start :)  Our guide, Teegan, explained the safety gear and equipment, especially the importance of correctly holding the paddle so it doesn't pop up and give you "Summer Teeth,"  ("some 'er in the boat, some 'er in the water...").  I was a little nervous beforehand, but as soon as I saw a few older people and a bunch of kids, I'm like, "I got this."  And I totally did.  Someone who shall not be named was a little spazzy... but he has a heart of gold.

We were too cheap to buy the souvenir pics, but they basically look like this:

Growing up on the marsh and spending my younger days canoeing and kayaking paid off in a big way, and I had an absolute blast!  In the calmer sections of the river, we just relaxed and enjoyed the scenery and the beautiful weather.  For lunch we pulled over to a little campsite, where they had fires going with freshly cooked steak, chicken, haddock, and a bunch of sides.  It was super yummy and just what we needed.  The rest of the ride was very calm and relaxing, the river was wide and deep and calm.  Basically it awesome, and I definitely want to go again, maybe something a little more intense next time...

Now that we are back home, I'm looking to settle in to some projects, so things may be quiet for a while...  Until my sister Brittany comes to visit at the end of September, that is, and we take a roadtrip up the Maine coast :)  So. Excited...

Celebrating 1 Year in Connecticut & a Big Announcement!

Wednesday was my 1-year anniversary of moving to Connecticut!  I can't believe how fast the time as gone by, and how much has changed.  Also I have a big announcement.  But first, here's some fun random things that have happened:

Outdoor movie night in Glastonbury with Adam--"The Goonies" (an old favorite :)

Finally toured Gillette Castle

 

Had lunch with Erin at a cute little cafe "Something Simple"

Tried virtual reality at Adam's at it was awesome.

Saw a bunch of movies...

Went to Music at the Gazebo downtown

and "Music at the Mansion" (Wadsworth)

Had Shauna & Sebastian over for tacos & swimming in the pool :)

Explored more of New London County and took a long, lovely hike at Bluff Point State Park... (not my pics, b/c my phone was dead, but this is exactly what it looks like).

Been reading a LOT...

I'm on a bit of an Alice Hoffman kick, and I am LOVING "The Museum of Extraordinary Things."

And now for my big announcement...

I finished the second draft of my novel, "The Suspension of William Worthington," and I'm submitting it to a contest next month.  ALSO, I finished the first draft of my Memoir, "I'd Rather be in Stars Hollow," and I have no idea what I'm doing next :)

The weather lately has been hot and humid, and I am really looking forward to fall.  But first, going to a pool party, fireworks, a concert, and white water rafting.  Because summer.