One of the nicest parts about this camp experience is that Allison and I will get to do some very fun things together for the next couple of months.. sans kids! By default, even though we are all up here, the boys are at their camp and we are supposed to kind of "let them be"... (which is why we are housed at the girls camp-to provide that separation). The net effect? On Allison's day off (and some nights)...we get to go on dates.
What a novel concept. How very quaint... :)
Our first big trip was down to the Maine coast, to a popular spot called Old Orchard Beach. This is sort of Maine's equivalent of Coney Island or Atlantic City (minus the gambling). There are shops galore, carnival rides, and of course, the beach. It was a perfect day for the trip... the skies were actually clear for once, and the mid-80's temps were perfect for a day out.
My beautiful date for the day:
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My lovely wife, wearing the beach hat we bought for her. The strong sea breeze made for a jaunty look when it caught the brim :)[/caption]
Since my weekend days at camp come on the heels of night-watchman duty and a few hours of sleep (skipping breakfast), I was right properly hungry when we arrived. Having spent my high-school days in Corpus Christi, on the Texas Gulf Coast, I have a deeply ingrained love of seafood. So, I convinced my bride to let us eat said cuisine, even though it is not her fave. We were saved by the fact that they offered Lobster Rolls as well.
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My extremely healthy lunch! right......[/caption]
The only carnival ride we took was the small Ferris wheel... not quite the Texas Star, but it did afford some nice views of the area:
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Ferris wheel view of the beach[/caption]
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The main OOB plaza, with Ferris wheel in the background[/caption]
After spending about an hour lounging at the beach and playing in the FRIGID water... (yes, FRIGID. The North Atlantic is quite chilly even during the middle of the summer), we headed over to the Portland Head Lighthouse for a bit before returning to Fryeburg. I've always loved lighthouses... I've got a deep, deep love for the ocean and all things nautical. I proposed to Allison on the beach in Corpus Christi, after reciting "The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls" by Longfellow to her... and we saw a marker at this park that said Longfellow often walked to this lighthouse!
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Portland Head Lighthouse[/caption]
One of the things I sometimes do on trips like this is make a list in my writing journal that I always have with me... just random thoughts about things I see or things that tweak my odd sense of humor... the following is such a list I made on our trip to Old Orchard Beach... feel free to bug out of this post at this point if you wish!
What a novel concept. How very quaint... :)
Our first big trip was down to the Maine coast, to a popular spot called Old Orchard Beach. This is sort of Maine's equivalent of Coney Island or Atlantic City (minus the gambling). There are shops galore, carnival rides, and of course, the beach. It was a perfect day for the trip... the skies were actually clear for once, and the mid-80's temps were perfect for a day out.
My beautiful date for the day:
[caption id="attachment_136" align="alignnone" width="278"]
My lovely wife, wearing the beach hat we bought for her. The strong sea breeze made for a jaunty look when it caught the brim :)[/caption]Since my weekend days at camp come on the heels of night-watchman duty and a few hours of sleep (skipping breakfast), I was right properly hungry when we arrived. Having spent my high-school days in Corpus Christi, on the Texas Gulf Coast, I have a deeply ingrained love of seafood. So, I convinced my bride to let us eat said cuisine, even though it is not her fave. We were saved by the fact that they offered Lobster Rolls as well.
[caption id="attachment_139" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
My extremely healthy lunch! right......[/caption]The only carnival ride we took was the small Ferris wheel... not quite the Texas Star, but it did afford some nice views of the area:
[caption id="attachment_137" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Ferris wheel view of the beach[/caption][caption id="attachment_138" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
The main OOB plaza, with Ferris wheel in the background[/caption]After spending about an hour lounging at the beach and playing in the FRIGID water... (yes, FRIGID. The North Atlantic is quite chilly even during the middle of the summer), we headed over to the Portland Head Lighthouse for a bit before returning to Fryeburg. I've always loved lighthouses... I've got a deep, deep love for the ocean and all things nautical. I proposed to Allison on the beach in Corpus Christi, after reciting "The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls" by Longfellow to her... and we saw a marker at this park that said Longfellow often walked to this lighthouse!
[caption id="attachment_140" align="alignnone" width="300"]
Portland Head Lighthouse[/caption]One of the things I sometimes do on trips like this is make a list in my writing journal that I always have with me... just random thoughts about things I see or things that tweak my odd sense of humor... the following is such a list I made on our trip to Old Orchard Beach... feel free to bug out of this post at this point if you wish!
- Saw a hotel on the way... named "Norman's Hotel"... not sure if that is the greatest name choice.... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054215/
- Allison saw a sign for a hair salon call "Curl up and Dye"... nice....
- Saw an airplane banner touting an OOB restaurant... said they had "the real poutine". A quick wiki search and found out it is a dish popular with French Canadiens... french fries smothered in gravy and cheese curds. Interesting combo. Learn something new everyday, if you keep your eyes and ears (and mind) open!
- Besides the Poutine Sign, there were other clues that this beach is popular with those French Canadiens... I heard lots of French being spoken... I suspect that even if they weren't all visiting from Canada, that there has been strong cultural bleed over into Maine from French Canada to the north... lots of old French blood here, n'est-ce pas?
- One of the stores on the pier sold marshmellow guns... and I misread a sign that said "low carb marshmellows" as "low crab marshmellows" Definitely a "huh?!?" moment.
- Lastly, saw another business on the way back to Fryeburg. "Mediocre Deli". Again.. not sure about the naming choice... gotta be a story behind that one.
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