June 14 2014 - Farnsworth Art Museum, Waterman's Lobster, and the Pride Motel and Cottages

Farnsworth Art Museum, Waterman's for lobster, and the Pride Motel and Cottages

I think  I said something like "it was a pleasant enough drive." Actually, every drive has been beautiful. There are these big sweeps of lupine blooming--absolutely beautiful--all along the interstates, as well as any of the other routes we found ourselves on. All kinds of other wildflowers blooming, deep greens of the trees, rocky outcroppings. There are irises everywhere, and all color of rhodedendrons.

We enjoy driving through the small towns when we are on the smaller coastal routes, and looking at the houses, and the churches, and cool old buildings.

We also noticed that there do not seem to be any billboards. That's fabulous! Is it a Maine state law we wonder?

Farnsworth Art Museum

We reach Rockland and the art museum. I had read about the museum in a trip report, and others here on the boards mentioned the collections, and basically I got it in my head I wanted to visit. I am so glad we did! DH and I really, really enjoyed the collection.

There is one gallery called the Study Center and it shows studies that Andrew Wyeth made before he did a final painting, and often there is either the painting or a photo of the final painting. Super interesting to see the evolution to the final product.

We visited the Hadlock Gallery where more Andrew Wyeth paintings were on exhibit, many of them the paintings that evolved from the studies. I never really appreciated Andrew Wyeth that much until seeing a large exhibit at the Nelson-Atkins in Kansas City, MO many years ago. Now I see his work in a different way.

We browsed the rest of the museum, including a Shaker exhibit that was really cool. 

There was a LOVE sculpture both inside the museum and a large LOVE sculpture with four designs joined in different orientations. 

There was also this cool mosaic made out of pebbles.  Images of buoys, lobster, and other Maine centric items.

Then, I eavesdropped at the information desk (I was going to ask what was up at the Wyeth Center) and found out that there was a special exhibit of NC Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth, and James Wyeth up there.

I asked a guard how to get there and he pointed me up the path and across the street, telling us to be sure to take the elevator to the top floor. Why you might ask? (As did we.) The Wyeth Center is in an old Methodist Church and the elevator was the pastor's office!

This was a really worthwhile stop, and to those of you who recommended it, thank you! If you are in the area, it is a very "doable" museum, not overwhelming the way some large ones can bel.

http://farnsworthmuseum.org

Waterman's for Lobster

We were lobster virgins. No more. Rockland looked interesting, but remember we really had not eaten yet, and were operating on about 4 1/2 hours sleep. We needed to head back, and we needed to eat something. On my list of lobster shack possibilities was Waterman's Beach Lobster. I plugged it into the Google Maps App and we were on our way.

We were lucky, as it was opening day! Since we had never had lobster before we ordered a pound of steamed clams as well, and ordered the opening day special which was a whole steamed lobster and roll, and DH ordered a slice of raspberry pie.

It was beautiful, although a bit windy and chilly. Right on the water, lobster traps piled on a doc, mason jars with lupine on every table.

The clams were great, we made short work of them, dipping them in butter. The lobster came, along with the bib. I realized later what a good idea this was as that night when I looked in the mirror I realized I had the tiniest bit of lobster shell in my eyelashes. What else flew off that lobster as I cracked it I wonder?!

Well, we enjoyed the lobster quite a bit. I did eventually need a lesson from one of the girls on how to crack that baby. I was glad I had tipped well.

http://www.watermansbeachlobster.com

Pride Motel and Cottages

We now made a beeline back to Scarborough and the Pride Motel and Cottages. We were tired. 

There had been some discussion about this place that I had booked, and whether we should stay there. I had picked it because it was recommended from the Scarborough Marsh site as a place nearby. I had booked two nights and already paid, so I was committed.

I'm so glad we did stay there. It felt a bit like camping, and was a bit of a throwback to the 50s. It was super cheap ($75/night). We had a small cottage that had a queen size bed, small kitchenette, and front porch. Ours was set way at the back of the property, and you could not see the highway 1 traffic at all. In fact, maybe only the motel rooms at the front could see them. They cater to the family traveler, and there's a pool, a screened in gazebo, a glassed in gazebo, places to sit around the property, a children's play area, and it is surrounded by trees.

I need to stress that this is not fancy. But it worked out perfectly for us.

We checked in, unpacked, sat on the front porch for awhile, then both of us were reading in bed and both of us dropped off, lights on, about 8:30 pm. About 3:30 am I woke up, turned off the lights, turned on the heat, and it was back to bed.

A full and not bad first day of vacation!

The 45th and 46th State - Maine and Vermont

 No, not to join the union, but the 45th and 46th states I've visited.  Once I realized how close I was to visiting all 50 states I knew I had to get them all!

The first night
We flew Friday night the 13th and decided to stay the night at the airport, and pick the car up in the morning before driving on. The Courtyard Marriott was five minutes via free shuttle, and $209 a night. Or for 6 hours which is all the time we were there  But it was fine, served its purpose, and everyone was very nice.

On our way

We got up at 5:30 or 6 (I can't really remember!) caught the shuttle back to the airport. The shuttle driver very nicely took us to the rental center! The night before the desk clerk told us we would have to go to the airport then take the shuttle to the rental center. Which is why both DH and myself felt horrible when we realized neither one of us had tipped the driver! Each of us thought the other was doing it.

In any case, we very easily and quickly picked up our car at Enterprise and were on the road by 7 am. The total is $488 including the EZ pass toll thingy (the tolls will be added at the end). A Chrysler $200, which is fine for the two of us and our suitcases. DH carries a rather large one as his tripod only fits in that one! Otherwise I go for a compact.

It's a gray, gloomy, foggy, drizzly sort of day

Our original plan for being on the road so early was to head straight for Scarborough ME and start some birding. The weather just wasn't cooperating, so we changed plans on the fly.

First, the drive. I've never been here before (obviously!) so everything is new. We enjoy road trips and just looking around at different home styles, landscape, etc. As we move into New Hampshire we are amused by the gigantic red barn like State Liquor stores - one on each side of the interestate. I like the guy driving the big old chevy and his fantasy plate reads "My Yacht" (as in land yacht).

We stopped at the rest stop/visitor information center at Kittery, ME. We step out of the car and take a deep breath of the pine scented, freshly washed by rain air. Driving in I'm all "What is that? Is that a rhodedendron? It is!" I was (and am) so excited to see rhodies in bloom. I'm originally from WA state where they are everywhere, but I am never 'home" when they are blooming.

After a short bio break, we walk around and stretch our legs a little until the center opens, then go back in for some maps and booklets from the superhelpful volunteer there, then are back on our way.

Cinnamon Rolls (not!) and a car alarm

It's still fairly early, and we have not eaten. We head on to Portland, ME where I have been told Standard Baking Company is a great place for cinnamon rolls. I thought it would be more of a bakery where you could also get breakfast, but I was wrong. It was crowded, and we were hungry for something a bit more substantial, so we decided we would go find a restaurant, then come back later and get cinnamon rolls and maybe some bread (it all looked and smelled delicious) to take with us to the cabins we would be staying in. This was a decision I would regret later.


So we walked around the old town/port area looking for a restaurant for breakfast. There were lots of cool shops, and restaurants (that didn't open until lunch) and a Starbucks, and some bakeries and donut shops--but no place for a sit down breakfast! We did enjoy our walk and doing a bit of window shopping, but we were still hungry.

So, I asked a Portland policeman who was standing outside a donut shop (the Holey Donut) snacking from a baggie of carrots and radishes. His rosy cheeks and obvious health putting lie to the donut eating stereotype. Remember, he is standing right outsidethe Holey Donut. 

So anyway, the only place he could think of was Beth's Diner which was just a short drive up Commercial Street.

So we took a looping route back to the car, still looking around at cool shops, old architecture, and stumbling on cobblestone streets. And hit the unlock button on the car key fob. Hmm. Doesn't unlock. Earlier when I tried to lock the car I noticed that it took three times to lock. Was th battery dying? Uh oh. So I use the actual key to unlock the car. UH OH

The alarm went off and just would not shut down. I started the car, I pushed the panic button to try to make it turn off, I looked for the car manual to see if I could find out how, none in the rental car. People were coming over to be helpful, and I was just embarrassed. After what seemed like an hour (maybe 5 minutes?) the alarm finally shut off.

Ugh. No way was I going to risk this again so we ended up going to the local Enterprise on 1 Marginal Way in Portland where they were super helpful in swapping out for the exact same car, but one with a key fob with fresh batteries. Really, if you are ever in Portland and need to rent a car, they were so helpful.

But now I was cranky on top of being hungry, and quite frankly I get a little pissy at that point. So I decided we would just drive on to Rockland where I wanted to visit the Farnsworth Art Museum. A gray cloudy day seemed like the right time for this.

It was a pleasant enough drive, still interesting to look around. We had to fill up the gas tank on the new rental so stopped at convenience center where I got a banana and some crackers so I would no longer be quite as b*tchy as before. DH was staying clear.

March 2014 Susan G. Komen Walk in Tucson

Our get together in Tucson was the same weekend as the Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure.  One of the Tucson travel friends was running, so I said I would walk the 5K.  Then another travel friend said she would walk too.  Then last minute, another travel friend decided to run.

We all raised a fair amount of money, and it was a great way to spend a Sunday morning.

I enjoyed the SWAT team view.

It was fun to be serenaded by the Mariachi Band at the end of the walk/run.

And if these people went to this kind of effort, photos needed to be taken!

I was fascinated by this.  Outside the Medical building on campus.

Some closeups

Cheese, pulled pork, and a party - March 29 in Tucson Continued

I had a party to attend that night, and needed supplies for my contribution.  A local friend told me about Blu, a cheese store, so I headed back up from Madera to Tucson.  A side note here, one thing I had noticed on past trips to Tucson was how beautifullly adorned the freeway overpasses are!  One day I should look up some of the backstories.

Blu http://www.bluarizona.com

The cheese store was located at Mercado san Augustin (sp?) on the west side of Tucson.  Time was tight or I might have stayed there longer as there was a festival going on in the courtyard.  Instead, I visited Blu.  It's small, but with a nice selection of cheeses.  

I had sent ahead three things to the party host:  Tomato Basil Jam, Jaune Flamme tomato jam (a small orange heritage tomato) and candied jalapenos.  I like the jalapenos with cream cheese, so I would pick that up later.  After some discussion with the cheese monger (and that is what is fun about visiting a dedicated cheese store) I got a very fresh, spreadable chevre, and a comte.  I would serve everything with sliced baguettes and crackers (or so I thought).

On their way to being candied:

Basil and lemon headed towards tomato basil jam:

And the Jaune Flamme canned:

Now I need cream cheese, crackers, bread, and some fruit for a fruit salad I had also promised to make.  I had scoped out a Whole Foods that was on the way back from Blu to my hotel, so thought this woudl be just the place.  It was more of a challenge than I thought, there were no baguettes to be found and the fruit was pretty sad.  But I made do, and all was well.

A short stop at the hotel for a couple of hours, time for a short nap then it was on to the party!

Pulled Pork, Ribs, and more - the party!

As I mentioned a few posts ago, I was in town for a GTG with travel friends.  One of them lives there in Tucson and offered to host 30 of us at his home.  He smoked, barbecued, and served up delicious meat that rivaled anything I eat at home in Kansas City!

There were five birthdays, and cake (one of the friends is a professional cake decorator) and everyone put on their best with contributions to the meal.  It ended with a beautiful Tucson sunset.,

This time - Tucson

I had to sign off before finishing writing about my two weekends in Arizona in March.  Here's the second one, the last weekend in March.

A group of 30 or so like-minded traveler friends decided to get together in Tucson to celebrate some birthdays, and just in general explore the area and have a good time.  These are loosely structured get togethers with people making their own plans, and a few planned activities that people went to, or not!

The big event was on the Saturday night at a local friends' home.  On Sunday night we had a smaller get together for those still in town.  

Here's the recap!

Friday Night

Oops! I got a direct flight to Phoenix, with arrival time at 9:30 pm ish.  I had a two hour drive to Tucson, but I wasn't worried about it since I figured it was really only 10:30 ish.  Except I forgot that AZ doesn't do daylight savings time so it was really 11:30 ish.  Oops!  Oh well, late at night it was easy and no traffic.  I picked up my rental car and was quickly on my way.

Hilton Tucson East

Our GTG was at the very eastern edge of town, and I was walking in the Susan G. Komen on Sunday at the University of Arizona, so this seemed as centrally located as anything else.  Using a combo of points and cash, I got the room for $75/night.  The hotel is a little dated, but the price was right, the staff really nice, and the rooms big and the beds comfortable.  I hit that bed and went right to sleep upon arrival because I had an early morning Saturday.

http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/arizona/hilton-tucson-east-TUSHEHF/index.html

Saturday

Madera Canyon

http://www.friendsofmaderacanyon.org

Steve and I had visited Madera Canyon a couple of times before, staying at Santa Rita Lodge there.  The draw, of course, was birding, but even without the birds I love it there.  It's an easy hour drive south of Tucson and I had agreed to meet one of my fellow travel friends there in the morning for a few hours of birding.

I wasn't running on a lot of sleep, but I managed to wake up and make it down there by I think 8 or 8:30.   We drove up to Santa Rita Lodge first, where they have several feeding stations and hummingbird feeders.   

I could have sat there for hours.  The humming birds were so close you could easily view with the naked eye.  Between there and the other BnB up the road, we saw five species:  Magnificent, Black-Chinned, Anna's, Broad Bill, and I think White Ear but this is why you should write things down.  I remember 5, but I don't remember the fifth species!

The Acorn Woodpeckers were hilarious.  I never knew woodpeckers could be so gregarious, and at one point there were eight of them hanging out together, flitting around, and for all the world looking like they were playing.

After that we walked up the road to the next BnB where there are more feeders, and where I had seen the Elegant Trogon before.  No Elegant Trogon that day, but wonderful looks at the Painted Redstart, and this is where we saw the Magnificent.

We started up the road to the third BnB.  We knew there wasn't going to be parking, so we would have to walk, but the elevation and my fat self started to take its toll so we finally decided it was further than we thought.  Naturally, if we had kept walking it would have been just around the next bend!

But, we decided to go off road instead.  Madera Creek runs all the way down the canyon, so we knew if we followed it downhill we would make it back to our car.  It was fun scrambling down hill to the creek, then following it along, looking at birds as they showed themselves.

Santa Rita Lodge http://www.santaritalodge.com

There is a parking area here and a small gift shop, but the parking is limited.  Guest parking is for, well, guests.  Steve and I have stayed here twice.  It's incredibly peaceful and beautiful, and nice to walk out the door and start birding.

Kubo BnB  http://www.maderakubo.com

We did not stay here but it is another location where there are plenty of feeders.

Chuparosa Inn 

http://www.chuparosainn.com

We didn't stay here either, but isn't it gorgeous?  There are only three places you can stay in the Canyon. It is National Forest, so there won't be further development.

A couple of weekends in Arizona

I attended a conference in Phoenix at the beginning of March, and a get together with some fellow travelers in Tucson at the end of March.  It would have been great if the GTG occured a little closer to the conference time, but it didn't, and I enjoyed my two quick visits.

First, Phoenix.  

Golf!

I attend a conference for this organization every year, and they are always at beautiful resorts, with beautiful golf courses.  Unfortunately, I never get to take advantage of them since I am there for the conference, and the green fees are often crazy high.

Well, this year one of the vendors sponsored a 4-person scramble the morning the conference started, where we only had to pay $100.  I was in!  Beautiful course, and a beautiful day in Phoenix at the Kierland Westin Resport and Spa:  http://kierlandresort.com

Here's the view from my room!

Desert Botanical Garden

In addition to the conference and golf, I was lucky enough to see one of my college roommates who now lives in Phoenix.  I flew in the night before the golf tournament and stayed with them, then was also able to meet up one evening.  And, that evening we went to the Desert Botanical Garden.  Not only have I always wanted to visit the gardens, it so happened that there was a Dale Chihuly installation at the time.  I have seen his botanical garden installations before, and really enjoy them.

The gardens are wonderful.  We got there about an hour before sunset, and stayed an hour after.  As dusk fell, and it became night, many glass installation were lit up, and if possible were even more spectacular.

http://www.dbg.org

I see that according to the web site, it is still going on through May 18.  My friend enjoyed it so much that she took her parents over one evening before they returned from their winter sojurn in Phoenix.

Some pictures:

On the wing and on the hoof - Spring Migration in Texas

My niece tells me if I have a blog, I have to post.  I tried the defense that the blog is named Meandering Merri so I only blog when I meander.  She wasn't really buying it, but, I am meandering around Texas right now, so here is an update.

Spring Migration on the upper Gulf coast of Texas

If you are an avid bird watcher in the US, you know about spring migration.  Birds are on the move from their wintering sites to their breeding locations.  The spot we go to on the upper Gulf Coast is the first place many birds see after their overnight flight across the Gulf of Mexico from their takeoff points on the Yucatan Peninsula.

They are tired and need to replenish their energy stores before dispersing across  all of North America to their summer breeding grounds.  It is the one place where you will see many birds all at the same time, in breeding plumage, low to the ground, plus a little tired so easier to see.

The Dillinger Annual Spring Migration

We have been going to this part of Texas every spring now since 1999.  For us, it is now as much social as it is about the bird watching.

So, I'm in Texas

I usually try to get some golf in, and head to the Chambers County Golf Course in Anahuac.  For $30 I get cart and as much golf as I want.  I then drive back over to High Island to pick up a friend.  Monday I got a reminder that I was, in fact, in Texas.

These cattle weren't loose, they were being moved down the highway to a pen.  Eventually the cowboys parted the herd and we drove through.

Mooooo!

We spend most of our time in Sabine Woods over outside of Sabine Pass, TX, and on the road out to Sea Rim Sate Park.

I spend a lot of time in a camp chair at this pond, reading my books and watching birds coming in to the drip.

And this is what I look like most of the time.