Time to Relax

Anyone who has followed me for a while will know that I have been traveling a lot for quilty business for the last few years. I just love teaching quilting classes and meeting shop folks and guild members from across the country. However, there's nothing like a little personal getaway time.

Dave and I try to make some vacation plans around our anniversary - which is this coming weekend. This year, we stuffed a couple of suitcases into the car and headed east - Down East to be exact. Keep scrolling for a quick photo journal of our travels.

Two weeks ago today, Dave and I set out for Gloucester, Massachusetts for a little bit of R&R.

I guess you can say that Dave and I really like vacations where we're learning stuff. So we got right down to it with a visit to Beauport, also known as the Sleeper-McCann house just down the road from our B&B.

I guess you can say that Henry Davis Sleeper, a well-known interior design was quite a collector! Beauport was his summer home, filled with books, furniture, and colored glass to name a few items - tons of interesting stuff. And cubbies everywhere. This one in a stairwell, was filled with bird identification books!

After lunch, we headed out to the break water which protects Gloucester harbor . . .

And walked, and walked, and walked. Here's our return view.

Dave spent several summer vacations here with his family when he was growing up. He says, you can’t visit Gloucester without visiting Good Harbor Beach at low tide to search for sea critters in the tide pools. Can you find the crab trying to avoid becoming a seagull lunch?



Speaking of lunch, you know that feeling when lunch is ready, but you just can’t get the package open. So close, and yet so far. (By the way, the gull did manage to break the clam shell to unlock the feast)



There is a small island that is only connected to the beach at low tide. Of course, we had to explore!



We wrapped up our visit to Gloucester, and it was time to head north!




Our ultimate destination was Bar Harbor, Maine but we learned about a do-not-miss eatery in Wiscasset. Our sources said that Red's Eats lobster rolls were not to be missed (if you’re a lobster roll kinda person)



We waited in line an hour - had fun chatting with the other tourists. This better be good!



 . . . Oh, yeah . . .



Next stop: Mt Desert Island—Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. On our first day, we drove around the island to get a feel of things. The Bass Harbor Head Light is a Maine coastal classic!



Mr. Rockefeller’s bridges (John D. Rockefeller, Jr. is credited with building then donating the carriage paths that cover much of the park area) are a must-see when visiting the park.



The park is home to many, many species of flora and fauna, including some 300+ different types of lichens.



And, of course, the park rangers (this is Ranger Anne) offer programs filled with gobs and gobs of information about the park’s history.



And the food . . . you gotta eat on vacation! Might as well do it up. Our bed and breakfast, The Atlantean Cottage, served up hearty gourmet breakfasts daily. (So good!!)



When in Maine  . . . you gotta have lobster! (My apologies to my vegetarian followers - the potato and cole slaw were yummy!)



And the rocky shore . . .



Overlooking Bar Harbor from Cadillac Mountain.



Looking south, also from Cadillac Mountain



We did our share of walking, hiking, shopping, eating memorable food, bird watching, star-gazing, and hawk migration counting, and I even did a little stitching at the end of each activity-filled day. Summer turned into Autumn while we were in Maine.

Like anything, vacations come to a close. Dave and I have some great memories that carry on as we return to our daily activities.

Sunset over Sand Beach.



I am fully recharged and ready to stitch! I hope you enjoyed the photos. . . back to stitchy stuff next week!

Happy Stitching!



Joan Ford