[Monday] We got up extra early at 2:45am and left home at 3:30am. We took the 7:20am United UA2017 flight (an A320 aircraft) from Houston IAH to Boston Logan Airport. We were served a very good breakfast in First Class. We arrived in Boston on time at 11:55am ESDT.

We took a taxi from Logan to the Boston Amtrak North Station. At 3:45pm, we rode the Amtrak #685 Downeaster train to Brunswick, Maine, and arrived at 7:05pm. Trains are such comfortable rides compared to flying or driving! At Brunswick, we walked across the street to the Brunswick Hotel where we stayed for the next two nights.

< Brunswick train station. < Brunswick Hotel.

[Tuesday] After breakfast in the hotel, Lawson walked the 1.5 miles to the Enterprise Car Rental and picked up our car. The weather was nice and the walk was very pleasant.

We then walked over to Brunswick Station and ate lunch at Byrnes Irish Pub. Afterwards, we drove around Brunswick, looking at all the beautiful fall foliage and old style houses.

We then walked down the street to the Pejepscot History Center, which was housed in a historic home. It is the fourth oldest historical society in Maine.

For supper we decided to go back to the Irish pub, which is in the Brunswick train station.

< Typical home near the hotel.

< < Pejepscot History Center.

< Business in old home near the museum.

[Wednesday] Today we left Brunswick and drove up highway US-1 along the coast northeast. We stopped along the way at some of the interesting little towns. We ate lunch at Dot’s Market in Lincolnville.

Near Prospect, ME, we passed the Penobscot Narrows Observatory & Fort Knox State Historic Site. We didn't stop, but we drove across the impressive bridge.

We arrived at The Stratford House (a bed & breakfast) at about 4:30pm. After we settled into our room (upgraded to a suite), we walked down the block and ate supper at Cherrystones restaurant.

< Home in Wiscasset, ME. <Home in Damariscotta, ME.

<Home in Camden, ME. <Camden, ME.

< Belfast, ME

< Penobscot Narrows Observatory & Fort Knox State Historic Site.

< The Stratford House.

[Thursday] This morning we drove To the Acadia National Park Visitor Center. We then drove to Sand Beach where we had intended to park, but had to drive to near Thunder Hole to find a parking spot. Even though we were out of the peak summer season, there were still lots of people and cars at all the favorite stops. We walked along the trail, which parallels the seashore from Thunder Hole south. We walked for about a mile and then back.

< Visitor Center.

< < Scenes from the park drive.

< Trail was a little crowded near Thunder Hole.

< <

< < The coast south of Thunder Hole.

We then drove along the Acadia loop road to Jordan Pond and walked along the trail beside the beautiful clear lake. The sign said that the water was so clean that you could normally see down at least 45 feet. We returned to the Stratford and went to eat supper at The Side Street Cafe.

< < Jordan Pond.

[Friday] Today began and ended with rain and fog. We had reservations to drive up to Cadillac Mountain summit at 11:30am. We drove to the top, but it was in the clouds and the rain and wind was blowing about 40-50mph. We didn’t see anything and didn't get out of the car.

< Cadillac Mountain in the clouds and wind.

Afterwards we drove to Southwest Harbor, Seawall and Ship Harbor and to see the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse.

< < Shore and lighthouse.

It continued to rain as we drove back north on Pretty Marsh Road. We stopped at the Seal Cove Antique Car Museum, before returning to the Stratford. The museum was filled with beautifully restored antique cars going back to the late 1800's.

< Near Bernard, ME.

< < < Seal Cove Antique Car Museum.

After we returned to Bar Harbor, we walked down to McKays Restaurant and ate the Maine Lobster Dinners. They were good, but not quite as good as we expected. As we walked down the street, we saw that many of the businesses that had been open two days earlier, were now closed for the season.

Bar Harbor is a stopping place for some of the large cruise ships that sail up the coast. We saw a large ship anchored there as we came into the city. The ships are controversial and evidently the locals want to limit them because of the impact they have on the area.

[Saturday] Today started with fog that lasted most of the day as we left Bar Harbor and drove along the coast to Lubec, ME. We went along US-1 and US-1A. We stopped in Mathias for lunch. There is a bridge at Lubec that goes to an island that is Canadian. It is the only road to that island. Only boats can come to the large island directly from the rest of Canada. It must be a little interesting living on that island.

< < Along the road to Lubec.

We arrived at The Eastern Beacon Inn at about 3:00pm in heavy rain. We got checked in and decided to drive down to the West Quaddy Head Lighthouse. It is the most easterly point in the USA. It was still raining there and we took a few pictures and went back to Lubec.

< The Eastern Beacon Inn.

< West Quaddy Head Lighthouse.

We drove down to the dock area and took some photos of the view. Across the way was Mulholland Point Lighthouse that is located on a Canadian Island that is only accessable by car from the US over the FDR Memorial Bridge.

< Entrance of bridge to Canada. < Mulholland Point Lighthouse.

< Bridge to Canada. < Downtown Lubec.

Afterwards the rain stopped and we walked down to the Water Street Tavern for supper.

[Sunday] Today started with fog again. This morning we ate breakfast at the Eastern Beacon Inn and had an interesting conversation with two nice Jehovah’s Witnesses couples that were missionaries in the Dominican Republic.

We then left Lubec (and the fog) and drove all day to Bethlehem, New Hampshire. The route we took was ME-189, US-1, ME-192, ME-9, IH-95, ME-219, ME-26, US-2, NH-115 and US-302. We drove mostly through heavily wooded rolling hills.

< A sign that you are not where you should be in the winter.

We were surprised to see a wind turbine cluster alone ME-9, east of Aurora.

< Wind turbines.

< < < Scenes along our drive.

In Bethlehem we stayed until Thursday at The Chandler at White Mountains Hotel.

< The Chandler at White Mountains Hotel.

[Monday] This morning the weather started out pretty good, but then the clouds and drizzle started again and periodically for the rest of the day.

We made the best of it. We drove a loop from Bethlehem to Conway, then the Kancamagus highway west to Lincoln. The weather made the scenic drive less than spectacular. We continued west into Vermont and went as far as Barre. We then headed north on US-2 to Bethlehem. This took up the whole day.

< Church near Fabyan, NH.

< < Swift River Bridge near Conway, NH.

< < < Scenes along Kancamagus Highway.

[Tuesday] This morning started off looking good, but as we drove up IH-91 north, we ran into heavy rain. We were headed for Newport, VT, but after looking at the radar on the phone, we decided to head back south at Glover,VT. We went down VT-16 and VT-14 to Montpelier, VT, the state capital.

The rain stopped in Montpelier at about 1:00 and was cloudy the rest of the day. We drove southeast on VT-110 and VT-113 to Lyme,NH.

< Church in Groton, VT.

< Vermont State Capital.

< < < Government building across from the VT State Capital.

We drove next up NH-10 and NH-116 back to Bethlehem. We saw lots of interesting old homes and farms on the day’s drive.

< Historic firehouse in Barre, VT. < Interesting home in Barre, VT.

< Near Chelsea, VT. < Church in Chelsea, VT.

< House near Thetford, VT.

< Haverhill, NH house that just keeps going to the barn.

< Near Bethlehem, NH.

[Wednesday] The weather was better today. No more rain. We decided to drive down to Weirs Beach, NH, to see if the tour boats were running (on the internet it looked like they weren't). They weren’t. We drove around the area some.

< < The Weirs Beach area.

Afterwards, we went back north to The Flume Gorge in Franconia Notch State Park and walked along the trail toward the waterfall. The Flume extends 800 feet at the base of Mt. Liberty and the Conway granite walls rise vertically on each side to a height of 70-90 feet. Lawson walked along the boardwalk to the waterfall, but Kay stopped as the boardwalk began and was not able to make it to the falls because of the numerous steps, and her knee surgery of about 6 weeks previously.

< Covered bridge on trail to waterfall.

< < < Along the trail to the waterfall.

[Thursday] We got up early at 6:00am and drove to Brunswick to catch the 12:55pm Amtrak #686 Downeaster train back to Boston. It arrived in Brunswick a little late, but returned to Boston on time at 12:55pm. We arrived at the North Station and caught a taxi to the Embassy Suites at Logan Airport for the night.

< The Downeaster at Brunswick station.

< View of Boston from our hotel window.

[Friday] We had breakfast at the hotel and caught the shuttle bus to the airport. We ate lunch at the airport and caught our United Airlines flight #237 (a B737-800) to Houston IAH. We arrived back home with a little time to spare before bedtime.

This draws to a close our very brief trip to New England. We hope you enjoyed the photos and brief descriptions of our activities. God willing, join us again soon for another travel adventure.

Goodbye for now,

Lawson & Kay

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21 NASV)