Ports of Call

Alright!  Maine is almost in the books here.  Our last full pit stop before exiting the state was Kennebunkport, but before that, we hit up a couple other ports -- first, Freeport (home of L.L. Bean and the giant boot) and then, Portland (home of the most dulcet-toned tour narrator of the trip)...

Freeport:

The rundown -- even though L.L. Bean was gigantic and full of all kinds of temptations, Isaac was the only one who walked away with a "souvenir" from the store in the form of a sweatshirt he HAD to have (granted he was also the only one who hadn't already used up his allotted one-souvenir-for-the-entire-trip); the boot was obviously a mandatory photo op; the whoopie pies were mid at best; and it was really hot by the middle of the morning and we were already fielding LOTS of complaints about it.

Despite evidence to the contrary in the above pic, they were not pleased with having to pose in the hot sun, especially with it beaming straight in their eyes.

The whoopie pies were way too sugary for my taste (and that's saying something), but at least there were some fun photo ops.  Lol.

(LOL)

Portland:

The rundown -- the Fire Engine Co. tour was awesome (Isaac's opinion notwithstanding); our tour guide's voice was magical (it's hard to explain -- like, the tone and cadence of it should have been soporific, but his stories and manner of speaking made him so interesting that it kept you well awake and wanting to pay close attention); and I wish we could have spent more time exploring the city because it seems like a really cool place. 

Kennebunkport:

The rundown -- my solo walking tour of the shade trees of Kennebunkport was a highlight of the trip for me; the town was absolutely charming; and the beach we visited before leaving was a delight -- even if it was a planning fail on my part not to have a place for the kids to change into swimsuits for the duration. 

Mother's Beach -- Kennebunkport, Maine

It really would have been smart of me to have us stay one more night in Kennebunkport so that we had a hotel we could have gone back to after swimming at the beach.  As it was, the boys made do without their swimsuits and the girls did their own thing.

It didn't take long for the boys to strip off their shirts and wade into the water regardless.

😍😍

Grace and Jane opted for frolicking in the water sans shoes and taking some selfies with seagulls before heading to the playground at the top of the beach.  Sophie, unfortunately sat the bulk of the time in the not-quite-shade and paid the price for it in the form of a bad enough sunburn/sun exposure to knock her out of the ring for the following few days.

And...that's a wrap on the Maine portion of our trip!  The post feels a bit short, but I'm running short on time, so I'd say it's quite apropos.  Hahaha.  Next up, New HAMPshire??  (LOL)