Maine Coast Adventures, Part 2

I've neglected you, my robust audience close friends and family, but there is a secret project in the works. If it comes together, it'll make an appearance here soon and become a good project to pick up when Summer of Austen wraps up. If it doesn't result in anything, I'm running through ideas, including: tile mosaics, making my own stationary, and making my own candy (all good options).

Saturday started off the only way a Saturday morning in Maine should start: Lobster Eggs Benedict at 2 Cats, so called because there are cats - real cats and pictures of cats, everywhere. And from there we were off, and my notes from Saturday are brief and disorganized. My notes appear below in italics and any memories they triggered follow.

Early morning - off to Sand Beach... Reading, and chatting on the beach, leaving before too crowded. 
Ah, yes, that was our first destination! In the early, single digit hours of the morning, we arrived at Sand Beach, the one sandy beach on the island, spread out a blanket and pulled out our readings - a book for CMM and the latest issue of The Atlantic for me. I wanted to read Slaughter's "Why Women Still Can't Have it All" piece in print form and this was the perfect time to do it. We took reading breaks to watch young children and teenagers tempt their hardiness in the cold Atlantic water. And as the beach started to fill up, we packed up and headed back to pick up Wingman.

Drove all around Acadia - up Cadillac Mtn, Seal Harbor, Naturalist's Notebook, Caitlin's stomping grounds last summer, Lower ___ Pond, those gardens.
Yes, clearly I was trying to cram a lot of memory triggers into very short notes. I remember writing this out at the very end of the night, after a long day and facing an early-morning wake-up. As a reminder, this trip to Maine was tinged with the frustration of being in a walking boot and that affliction ruling out any chance of real hiking. So CMM drove us to the top of Cadillac Mountain so I could still see the views, and then gave me the best driving tour of the island anyone's ever had. Through the lovely gardens (below), to a wonderful lookout where I marveled at the Rockwellian views. Everything I saw was augmented with interesting anecdotes and history from my dear friend. Oh, and it's Lower Hadlock Pond, too - I looked that up, and the short stroll there counts as my "hiking in Maine."

Pretty gardens... I did not take enough pictures, I know... sigh... 

Rest break w/Julie and Julia. Dinner at _____ - so fresh scallops. That play, Fully Committed - so good!
The driving tour was sucking some energy away and we took an afternoon rest to watch Julie and Julia - which I had not seen (though I read the book a few years ago), but thoroughly enjoyed (due primarily to the genius of Meryl Streep). We prettied up and headed out to dinner - and CMM will have to remind me where, but the scallops were local and the best I've ever had, the wine was crisp, and the blueberry basil sorbet was divine. We then went to see the Acadia Rep's staging of Fully Committed - a play so good that I'll only tell you to see it, if it's ever staged near you. To tell you any more would take out so much of the pure delight we had in experiencing it.

The stars!
My last note for Saturday and, yes, it's been a long time since I've seen stars like that. This is why we go camping, sleep outside, go nature-y on vacation. Those stars...

Part 3 - the last piece - tomorrow, I promise.