Newport RI back to Hartford

Spent our last day enjoying the awesome town of Rockport MA and then headed to Ocean drive in Newport to see some of the Gilded mansions. It was a really pretty town and definitely had an old money feel. We lunched at the harbor among the yachts and then took a really stunning drive through Rhode Island and Connecticut to head back towards the airport. What an amazing 10 days we have had. Looking forward to being back with our kids and puppies tomorrow. 

random things

The Halloween decorations here do not disappoint! But, like the most vivid foliage, we always saw the best stuff during times we could park or stop. Those 10foot skeletons are all over, as are every skeleton size. My favorites were a couple of skeletons in a carriage with a horse skeleton pulling it. Also, one big 2 story house had 7 or 8 skeletons creeping around all the windows and doors. We saw some pumpkins the size of a small house, and Dairy Queen's have been everywhere. Only Dunkin Donuts has surpassed them in number. We did try the Maine potato donuts. We weren't fans. But honestly, will anyone ever even come close to St George's? Mariners get a tough rep, but we only ran into that famous attitude once, at Acadia. Everyone else has been awesome. There are so many super charming older hotels that have been kept up so well. They just added to the charm and quaintness of the area. We definitely want to give New Hampshire more time one day. What a hidden gem! And maybe do Maine North of Bar Harbor into Nova Scotia one day. And we are barely scratching the surface in Mass, so we will definitely return here.we finally got Fall weather right here at the end and I am loving it! Looks like it will be 85° when we get home Sunday. Yuck. 

Southbound day

Today we headed south towards Massachusetts. We spent some time at Olgonquit ME and did the Marginal Way hike. It's a beautiful sea side trail that goes along the beach and has stunning views. The Village there was so charming and nearby was the Nubble Lighthouse. It may have been my favorite LH of the whole trip. This area was a really great way to wind up Maine. We enjoyed a beautiful drive (Heather has been a rock star driver and she handled all the hotels and knocked that out of the park too) into Massachusetts and stopped a few shops along the way. We stopped at the Fisherman's Memorial Monument in Gloucester on our way to Rockport. This is the town the fishermen were from in the movie Perfect Storm, and this memorial has the names over over 10,000 Gloucester men (including the crew of the Andrea Gale) who have perished at sea. We ended at Rockport and wandered the village and had a fantastic meal harbor side. Tomorrow will be our last day and I am sad to be at the end, but ready to see the kids and pets. New England has been awesome.🧡💛🤎❤️

Today was for the birds!

Seriously, it was a relaxing bird day! So not quite as many photos. We started with a hike in a wildlife refuge in Scarborough. Then a shorter trail with a waterfall and some fun stuff for kids. Ruthie the rock snake and a fairy village. On to Kennebunkport for lunch and to look around (but it was really crowded and nowhere to park). We found a great place that screamed New England. Mom finally got her clam chowder (and a cocktail called dark storm) and H and I had a wonderful squash bisque. Then back to the room for naps. Caught the sunset and started to get ready to head to Massachusetts tomorrow. Kennebunkport is where George HW Bush is from. I really don't understand  why he would leave there for Texas.