Our Trip to Maine

It started with a beautiful wedding.
Of course you can see that from the pictures in my previous post. Next was the B & B in Salt Lake City. It was a quaint little place with an outside breakfast-nook and a tub deep enough to cover my knees and chin at the same time! Saturday morning we went out to find a flat tire on the car. We thought we would go to a gas station and try pumping it up. But, there was no gas station. We pulled into Starbucks and looked at our options. No time to change a tire, no time for anyone to come and retrieve us. I called Cameo and she said she would take care of the car if we could get to the airport. We called a cab, hoping it would come soon. Then a Fire and Rescue chief happened by and offered us a ride. How could we pass that up? When he found out we were married the day before and were headed to our honeymoon, he was almost ecstatic. "Wait till I tell the guys at the station about this." We got to the airport right on time, grateful to be there. The first of many adventures and blessings.
Once we got to JFK, things got sticky. It was raining, and apparently rain is enough to make JFK go haywire. Flights were being canceled right and left. After several hours we started to wonder if we would make ever get out of that airport. We were not alone of course. Everyone, was stuck there, everyone was tired, everyone wanted to get out of there. Amazingly we did make it to Portland about midnight, the second blessing.
Our hotel was this Victorian style hotel in the city. Very hip and cool.

We spent Sunday walking around the city. This is my preferred way to see a place. You loose a lot in a car. Portland is a great little city. It feels like a real city with tall buildings, narrow streets, and pedestrians. But the population is small, only around 65,000. It has a mix of big city and small town feel.
Monday we got a rental car and drove up to Lewiston to visit Howard's mom in the hospital. Once we got out of the city we started to see the beautiful fall colors. New England is a forest and truly incredible. The foliage was at a peak, and gorgeous. We drove down to Freeport, saw the LL Bean center, ate some incredible chowder and a Whoopie Pie. Back in Lewiston we met Howard's father and sister Melanie. That evening we stayed at his parent's house in West Paris. At night you can forget that you are driving through the forest and this is not just a rural road in Utah.

Tuesday, we enjoyed rural New England. They live in themiddle of the forest. There is a house here and there, a gas station or two, but all in the middle of the forest. We climbed the mountain behind Howard's house. We visited a waterfall, and met the horse. It was a leisurely day. Howard's mom came home from the hospital and much of our time was centered around her. I met Howard's other sisters, and they are all very sweet.

Wednesday evening we headed back to Portland. When we got to Portand it was freezing. I really wanted to get out onto the Atlantic. We took a ferry out to one of the small islands out in the bay. It was very cold on the boat, and dark so we couldn't see much, but we were bundled up well and enjoyed ourselves.
Thursday we headed home. We had one final adventure when they canceled our flight due to the gate crashing into the plane, (I swear that would never happen in the real world, so unbelievable) but we caught the next flight and all was well.
It was a great trip and I can't wait to go again.
But we are so glad to home, and be with the kids.
Going back to the real life of school is harder.