Maine Weekend

a few weekends ago we piled pups, kids, aunts, uncles, mamas, papas and grandparents into several cars and drove north to the coast of maine. we are super lucky to get to visit this beautiful area several times a year and stay in this cozy sun filled boathouse rental on the water. it's such a peaceful relaxing place. the weekend was filled with family, close friends, comfort food, and lots of fall like activities. there were tractor rides, corn mazes, pumpkin hunts (similar to an easter egg hunt), walks in the woods and my favorite a boat ride around the coastal islands. everyone had a great time, especially the boys. i was a bit under the weather most of the time, but our gracious host kept me supplied with cold tea from china and cough drops from switzerland, thank you, thank you, thank you. here is our little family holiday in photos.

dinner at conte's 1897 this is always a fun and interesting experience. our family embraces the quirky scene of his place and can't get enough. you can read about the owner here in down east magazine. he is quite the character with an eatery to match. my nephew sam insisted on running into the kitchen and saying hello to the chef after dinner. he had been trying to get into the kitchen from the moment we arrived. he received a trophy of garlic seasoned tongs for his courageous and determined efforts. sam is so proud of his prize (and he might be flipping us off here for holding him back most of the night. not sure.) 

the boat was the best part of the trip. keith and i love the ocean and being close to the salt water. we hope kingston will also love and respect the sea. he was quite happy and content out there so we are off to a good start. can't wait until he is old enough for sailing lessons. our local state park offers them right down the street from our home.

i have mentioned on this blog before how much i like using websites like homeaway.com and airbnb.com for vacation rentals. we find that they allow you to immerse your self in a local and live like a local for a short period of time. in addition they are often more economical than hotels and with kiddos having separate rooms for napping and a kitchen for snacks/meals makes travel less stressful. i also ran into a brilliant local business owner that rents baby and toddler gear to travelers. she's the owner of lil' sweet pea's consignment boutique in rockland, me. her rentals include anything from cribs and baby carriers to a bucket of sand toys waiting for you upon arrival. the company serves hotels, inns and rentals in the midcoast maine area. i just think it is such a clever idea. 

until next time maine! xo, beth-ann

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