New England Road Trip: Day Three

After spending a few minutes at Walden Pond, we headed over to Concord to see what we thought was the trail where Paul Revere rode to alert the colonists that "the redcoats were coming." At the Minute Man Visitor's Center, we got a short, very educational, and very interesting lesson in history.

Apparently the "redcoats" followed Paul Revere all the way to Concord, and then the colonists fought them all the way back to Boston.
There was an excellent (and award winning) twenty minute film presentation (that even my kids sat through). I totally recommend this stop on your trip. The Historic Park covers a huge area with several visitor's centers, trails, educational programs, reenactments, etc. We were satisfied with about an hour, but you could easily spend a day in the area - especially if you include Lexington, which isn't part of the Park. For a true patriotic experience, make sure to visit the North Bridge - the site of the "shot heard 'round the world," - the first shot that the colonists fired on the British, the place where the United States truly began.

Our trip took us further north after that, on our way out of Massachusetts, through a corner of New Hampshire, and into Maine. Places we would like to see, but didn't see on this trip to Massachusetts? Cape Cod, Plymouth, and Salem.

So, Maine...
What is it called when you try to really talk something up to get people excited about it before they get there? That's kind of the impression I was getting from Maine. "Vacationland." But guess what!...

there's more. "The Way Life Should Be." Is it overcompensation? Arrogance?
I wish I would have been to Maine earlier to see what I had been missing out on for so long. I had no idea my life wasn't the way is should be.... that I was missing something. Like this...

Flo's.

Really, though... this place is awesome. After our first option for lunch, The Goldenrod (watch fresh saltwater taffy being pulled, fudge being made, or eat at the soda fountain) fell through (it closes early on Sundays), we took the second option, Flo's. I had read several rave reviews on the place, which is the only reason I was willing to even consider stopping at the shack, or taking a bite of one of these...

... and it was so worth it. Flo's special with Flo's secret relish sauce, mayonnaise, and celery salt. Disgusting, but oh so delicious. If you get a chance to stop in, ask about the history of the place. It's a mom and pop shop without the pop. Pretty interesting. And check out those buns. Aren't they cool? I think they are a New England thing - I saw them around.

We enjoyed lunch in the car on the way to Kennebunkport. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the Bush family (as in George and Barbara), or at least their vacation place there, but we got lost. Well, sort of. When you don't have a specific destination, can you really get lost? So, we drove through Kennebunkport (which looked really cute, and fun to explore, for the record), and on to Goose Rocks Beach for some shell and rock collecting.

The perfect souvenir. When we got home, I bought a couple of these jars to display them.

No matter where we were on the trip, every morning was dark and cloudy, and by late afternoon or evening, the sun would sneak out. It was really beautiful.

Of course we couldn't leave Maine without some Maine lobster, so after running around on the beach for a while, we drove back to Cape Porpoise to eat at Nunan's Lobster Hut (this is the only link I can find). An old a-frame shack, with crowded seating, and a super casual atmosphere, the lobster was (expensive and) fantastic! We ordered some of their home made root beer and then got to take the kids for a quick peek into the kitchen while we waited for our dinner. Dave got a whole lobster, and I got a lobster roll - cold lobster meat with mayonnaise on one of those soft New England buns that our hot dogs had come in. I would have preferred the meat to be warm, but I would definitely recommend this over the mess, the hassle, and the price of the big red shell - even if those big ones do come with bibs. The kids got crinkle cut pb&j on homemade wheat bread. The whole meal set us back about $55. Ouch.

Thank goodness we saved a bundle on our hotel by booking on priceline. Good night Maine.