Autumn Adventures

Happy Columbus Day, friends! What is everyone doing this holiday Monday? We've had some adventures the past few days! Our friend from grad school, Trent, came to a visit over the long weekend; we had a great time showing him around.



First row: a huge barge from Nassau in Portsmouth harbor; Cathedral Ledge; a sponge washed up on shore
Second row: the view of the White Mountains from Chocorua Lake; Nubble Light; Matt and me at Chocorua Lake
Third row: Matt and Trent eating bagels in Market Square; a giant talking moose at Zeb's General Store; Long Sands Beach

 

Row one: Trent's first visit to a lighthouse ever; the fountain in Prescott Park; Trent at Chocorua Lake
Row two: Breakast at the Friendly Toast; the rocks at Nubble Point; candy at Zeb's General Store
Row three: Nubble Point; hot sauces at Zeb's; Trent with his Sklarmageddon

Matt is mountain biking with a friend out in Concord this afternoon. Fingers crossed that he'll make it home in one piece, with all bones intact!
In 2001, Matt was in a terrible mountain biking accident that resulted in a broken vertebrae

and a 4-day coma! Thankfully he recovered 100%, but I am still nervous!





Odiorne State Park and Fort Constitution

This morning we headed south just a few minutes, where you will find Odiorne State Park (and the Seacoast Science Center, where I would love to be employed).

 

 

The rocky shoreline is so beautiful, and the tide pools are filled with little snails.

 

 

 

Not sure if this is from a crab or a lobster...but it was big!

 

 

 

 

We walked all along the beach, until we saw this in the distance:

 

 

It appears to be a Blair Witch beach??

 

 

 

 

We made a rock pile too. :)

 

 

After leaving Odiorne, on our way back home, we saw signs for Fort Consititution. Its a state park, but its actually inside the gates of a Coast Guard base. So, there's a blue line painted on the ground, and lots of signs direction you to "stay on the blue line" and NOT to leave that blue line. If you step off the blue line...bad things happen.

 

We literally walked right through the Coast Guard base....on the blue line, of course! A CG helicopter had just landed really close by, which was pretty cool.

 

Anyway, Fort Constitution was built in the late1800s, I believe.  

 



Take me up the coast

 

 Matt had the day off from work yesterday, so we took a drive up the coast to explore Maine.

We live literally about 1/4 mile from the bridge to Maine, so its not a terribly long drive. ;-)

 

First, we stopped at York Beach to watch some surfers catch some morning waves. 

 

 

Then, we continued up the coast a little ways to Cape Neddick, where the so-called "Nubble" Light is. Matt has an affinity to lighthouses, and has a nice collection of lighthouse prints hanging on our walls. We have this print, by Doug Brega, hanging in the livingroom, so it was cool to see it in real life!

 

It was a little overcast in the morning, but it made for some beautiful pictures.

 

 

The lighthouse is on its own little island, and the only way to get to it is by cable-car!

Visitors aren't allowed onto the island; I guess its only for the lightkeeper.

 

 

We walked out to the tip of the boulder-y spit and watched the algae sway in the current.

 

 

 

 

After we left Cape Neddick, we headed north through the seaside towns of Ogunquit and Wells, then headed east to Kennebunkport, Old Orchard Beach, and finally stopped at Cape Elizabeth.

 

 

We climbed all over the rocks and enjoyed the sunshine, since all of the clouds had dissipated.

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, we drove just a few miles farther north and arrived at Portland Head Light in South Portland. Matt told me that Portland Head is the most-photographed lighthouse in the world. Not sure if that's true, but I can see why it may be! It is absolutely beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

We walked along the cliff trail, where we came upon this collection of picked flowers, pebbles, and an acorn that someone left on a granite park bench. I wonder who left them?

 

A nice lesbian couple asked Matt to take their photo, and then returned the favor. The woman who took the picture grew up in a town close to where Matt grew up! Always fun to be reminded of what a small world it really is. :)

 

 

My trip to Florida, in Instagrams - Day 8

We packed up the vans and started on our loooooong trip back North....

Here's the van I was driving:

and from the inside: 

(good thing I'm adept at just using mirrors!)

Just north of Miami, our rear-right tire completely delaminated, which in turn blew off part of our back bumper. Totally not cool. Luckily, it was a rental van and we were able to just call Enterprise and trade it in for another one. Still, this set us back about 3 hours.

Unloading the van on the side of the highway...

Road snacks! 

Found at a gas station somewhere in....North Carolina maybe?? 

We stopped at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel outside of Norfolk, VA. It was cool to see the tunnel from above - the road just disappears into the water!