Acadia National Park

While on our Maine vacation we stayed 4 days in Bar Harbor, the little town outside the National Park.

 

 

Before checking into our hotel we drove to the top of  Cadillac Mountain which is not only the tallest mountain in the park, but also the tallest mountain along the eastern coast of the United States.

 

 

 

 

We had dinner at  Stewman's and then found a beautiful spot to watch the sunset.

 

 

 

 

 

It was a gorgeous day

Our next day we booked ourselves on one of the local puffin cruises.

 

 

 

They are so cute, flying by with a beak full of fish or coming in for a landing and flopping on the waters surface.  I was surprised at their size.  They are only maybe 10 inches in length.  We saw all kinds of sea birds and also harbor seals and bald eagles.

Our cruise didn't depart until the afternoon so that morning we decided to see if we could find a anemone cave that we heard about and is only exposed during low tide. The park does not advertise it and has taken down the signs but we found it and had fun exploring the area.

 

 

 We didn't see any anemones but we did find this cute little crab.

 

The next day we drove over to the other side of Frenchman's Bay to Schoodic Peninsula.  The fog gave the day a mystic feel as we watched the waves crash along the rocky coastline.

 

 

 

 

Our last day was a rainy one but a perfect day to walk the shops of Bar Harbor

We had a wonderful time and were sad to say to goodbye.

A Vacation in Maine

Summertime and a vacation!  I'm so excited to finally get away.  My DH and I traveled to Maine this summer and I would love to share with you some of our adventures.

Most vacations we pack up the car and enjoy a long road trip but Texas to Maine is a little far so we braved the security lines and took to the air.

 

 

My husband had read about Blowing Cave in Kennebunkport so that was our first stop. When arriving we discovered it is across from President George H W Bush's home and there is a nice plaque to give a little information.

 

We checked into our hotel in Portland and then asked a local where to get dinner.  Their suggestion was The Dogfish Café.  David had a lobster roll which he loved and I had a delicious bowl of Haddock chowder.  Yum.  I love sea turtles and had to get my picture by this mural on the side of the restaurant.

 

 

On our second day in Portland we spent our day doing genealogical research at the Maine Historical Society's library then walked the streets of Old Port.  We had a late lunch at Gilbert's Chowder House where the lobster roll and haddock chowder was awesome!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And of course a trip to Maine is nothing without lighthouses!  Here are a few we visited.

 

 

 

Portland Head, Portland, ME

 

 

Pemaquid Lighthouse, Bristol, ME

 

 

Owl's Head, Owl's Head, ME

 

Marshall Point Lighthouse, Port Clyde, ME

(lighthouse Forest Gump ran to in movie)

 

Dyce Head Lighthouse, Castine, ME

 

Bass Harbor, Acadia National Park

 

 

 

 

These last three lighthouse we saw from the boat on our puffin cruise out of Bar Harbor, ME

They are Mark Island Lighthouse, Egg Rock Island Lighthouse and Petit Manan Island Lighthouse

 

 

 

All we did in Maine is way too much for one blog post so stay tuned for my next installment of a Vacation in Maine coming soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moving Day

Today I'm helped my stepdaughter moving into her new home.  It's been a fun but very exhausting day!

For anyone who has packed up their life into boxes and moved to a new home you know the ups and downs or thrills and frustrations that go with it.  I've moved 9 times in the last 20 years and would like to share some things I've learned along the way with you.

#1 Start Early

As soon as you know you are moving start packing all those non essential things like good dishes you only use during the holidays, and decorative items you have around the house that make it a home.

#2 Mark and Label Everything

You can get fancy and color code but most important is to write the room the box is from and an idea of what is inside.  Example: Living room, DVDs

#3 Invest in Supplies

I can't say loud enough buy moving boxes!  They are sturdy and stack evenly which means less floor space is needed to store them.

#4 Make a Last Box On; First Box Off

You will drive yourself crazy trying find toiletries, medicines, cell phone chargers, paper towels, garbage bags, pen and notebook.

#5 Research How to Move

If this is your first big move I would also recommend that you read up on the professionals' websites for what they recommend. Here are a few I like

http://www.atlasvanlines.com/how-to-move/

http://www.upack.com/moving-resources/checklist.asp

http://www.mayflower.com/moving/full-service-movers/moving-tips/moving-checklist.htm

Time is Falling.

I just noticed I have not written a post in 3 weeks.  I have been so busy that I just didn't notice how fast time was falling.  Here's a little of what's been going on...

 

I helped host a baby shower for a good friend in my Tuesday morning Bible Study

 

Participated in a wonderful program honoring the 225th birthday of our country's constitution

 

Traveled to Rocky Mountain National Park with my BFF and her daughter...

who competed in the Highland Games there at Estes Park, CO

 

 

I have been having so much fun and just wanted to share a little with you.  Now that things are slowing down a bit I'm looking forward to getting back to the sewing machine.

 

Hope everyone is having a cool fall.  Here in Texas we just keep waiting.  94 degrees today.

 

 

 

Rose River Falls, Shenandoah National Park

On family vacations I can always count on enjoying a hike through the woods to a beautiful waterfall.  They are my husband's favorite subject to photograph.  And this vacation was no exception.  Rose River Falls is in the Shenandoah National Park near the Byrd Visitor Center.  It is a 1.25 hike in, 2.5 round trip.  Sorry to say the rain fall in the last year has been very little so there was not much of a waterfall but we had fun hiking down to it and exploring the area.

Here is a picture I found on the Internet taken back in 2011.

And here is the picture my husband took.

Thanks for letting me share a little bit more of our vacation and now its back to the sewing machine!  Here is a little of what of what I'm working on today



Just Puttin' Around

What family doesn't love a game of miniature golf, especially in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. While finishing up another quilt for my Etsy Shop I thought I would share some more of our family vacation with you. This is the mini golf course at Massanutten Resort where we were staying.