NE States Road Trip Part 2....Day 2..Southeastern NH and Maine

We woke up in Hampton, NH on Day 2 of our trip (I counted day 1 as our travel day), October 9th. We arrived the night before after dark, and it's always interesting to wake up and see what it really looks like out there wherever you are. We were only here for one night. 

When we arrived the previous evening, I did a search on my phone to find a coffee shop to hit in the morning. This became my routine each day of our trip. Some days were harder than others. Now, I didn't want a diner/cafe type place for just drip coffee, I wanted a legit coffee shop, after all, I had to report to my daughters how well I did in finding good coffee. It was fun to send my daughters (who are baristas) photos of my coffee of the day and where I went. I found one called Blue Harbor Coffee just down the road that roasts their own coffee. It had great reviews, looked cute (because, you know, that's important). Once we were ready to go and packed up, we headed there. I got a coffee and some avocado toast and hubby got a breakfast sandwich. The coffee was really good, I got their sugar shack latte (steamed milk, foam and local maple syrup) the food was okay...I think the sandwich would've been really good but the bread was on the burnt side. My avo toast was bland, but it satisfied us. Now, it was our only time there, so, it could have just been an off food day. I would go again. With satisfied stomachs we headed out. 

We realized, after picking up a Discovery Map (Discovery Maps are pretty cool) at the hotel, that Hampton, NH, was actually on the ocean (North Hampton Beach). Did we know this when we made reservations? Who knows. We certainly didn't know it when we drove into town because it was dark. We said "hey, let's go check it out." We also decided that whenever possible we would take back roads and small highways in order to see more. So off we went to find Hwy 1 and the ocean. Taking these smaller roads meant adding a bit more travel time, but we also felt like we got more of an experience this way since it was easier to pull off the road (in most places) to snap some photos and just enjoy a slower pace and sites we wouldn't see from a freeway. North Hampton Beach is probably a very bustling tourist site in the summer (it is...I looked it up). It was very cute, and very quaint. We stopped at Rye Harbor State Park. There you could find the 1614 monument. It was built in honor of Captain John Smith who explored and mapped the local coastline from Penobscot Bay to Cape Cod. He was the first European to map the Isles of Shoals, which lies 6 miles from this point. 

The history of this area is so rich and fascinating. We chuckled that the 3 things we saw the most of were cemeteries, churches and Dunkin Donuts. The cemeteries ranged from small plots tucked in neighborhoods, to larger ones. I wish we had a bit more time to explore them. We didn't eat at Dunkin Donuts. 

One of the things we found interesting were these stairs that we saw on many houses. I've been trying to look this up but have come up empty because I'm not sure how to search. One thought we came up with is that perhaps they were put here so wives who's husbands were out to sea could go up and look for incoming ships? Maybe a reader will know, and enlighten me.

From there we headed up through Portsmouth, NH toward Kennebunkport, ME. My goal there was to see St. Anns Episcopol church, otherwise known as The Old Stone Church. I would have liked to have walked the streets and shops of Kennebunkport, but it was very busy that day and we really weren't there to shop. The church was consecrated in 1892. It's one of 18 historic summer chapels in the Diocese of Maine. There is a seaside chapel as well, that is outdoors. Here is some history. It is a must see for sure. 

So many fishing boats. Aren't the colors stunning on the trees.

From Kennebunkport we headed up to Cape Elizabeth, Maine. We made a stop at Two Lights State Park. The name comes from twin lighthouses located at the end of Two Lights Road. They are not accessible to the public, one is active, and the other is now a private residence. The park though has picnic tables and you can explore the rocky shoreline. Also, at the park are remains of a World War II era battery bunker and fire control tower. We stopped at one other state park, Crescent beach state park, mainly because we needed a bathroom break. We stretched our legs a bit. We then headed to Portland Head Lighthouse & Museum. This site was very busy, but there was a lot to see and do if you have the time. We went right to the lighthouse. As we were leaving, we saw an older gentleman (Kris Kristiansen) selling prints of his paintings. They were beautiful. My husband struck up a conversation with him and ended up buying 3 pieces.

I can honestly say I've never seen a sign like this in Washington or Oregon beaches. This was at Crescent Beach State park.

I took a picture of a couple and then asked if they'd take one of us. My hubby took SOOOOO many selfies during this trip. I kind of wish we bought a selfie stick. 

Portland Head Lighthouse

Attempting a selfie! 

The artist and his wife who I mentioned above. Below are the pieces we bought. He kindly signed them for us. 

After leaving there, we headed to our next destination for the night which was Searsport, Maine a 2 1/2 hour drive. I'm realizing that there is a lot I've already forgotten or didn't think to document. We stopped to eat at Terra Cotta Pasta Co. in Portland, ME. We shared a small pizza and a big slice of lasagna, before hitting the road again. It was a cute "to go" deli and small store. They were kind enough to heat our food up for us so we could eat it there. Remember we were taking our time, taking backroads and just enjoying the scenery. We did stop in Rockport to get a few pictures of the sky at dusk, and we were hoping to find ice cream, but it was getting late and places close early. That is the other thing we discovered....places set their schedule. Forget the hours posted on the doors. We stopped at a local grocery store in Searsport to pick up some things to snack on for the evening and the drive the next day. We arrived in Searsport at the Yardham Motel, once again, after dark. This seasonal, cozy vintage motel was built in 1951 and is being lovingly restored by the current owners. We stayed here one night. If you are a photographer, this motel is a great choice as they offer photo retreats and an onsite digital printmaker. 

Again the colors showing off. There were many times I would have loved to stop, but it just wasn't possible, usually because there wasn't a place to pull off or at that time we were on a busy freeway.

The outside of the Yardham hotel. The rooms (which again, I didn't think to get photos of) were vintage looking but very comfortable. Our room was very small, but we didn't need much, it was for one night. 

There are many of these types of motels throughout the area and they all have cute chairs outside each door. I also loved the pumpkins on the railing. Another thing I noticed was the way people decorated their homes for fall...there were often pumpkins lining the stone walls, porches, or stairs. I don't know, for some reason it just seemed different than here at home or maybe it's just that I paid more attention. 

During our trip, we stopped at markets, always keeping a case of water in the truck, as well as apples and bananas to snack on during the drive. We typically ate fairly light breakfasts and lunches, and then bigger dinners. 

With Joy Unquenchable,

Kirstin