The Long Drive Home...

After the gentle awakening from my Father bellowing outside my window I got up, showered and got my things together which, in typical me fashion, were strewn all over the room. I admit I was a little startled when I came out of the shower wrapped in a towel to find people sitting outside my room on my balcony. Oh wait...those aren't people they're my parents stalking me. Much better. Let the games begin.

We decided to breakfast (for me, first breakfast and for them their second breakfast) at the Blue Moon Cafe right near our hotel. I had the corned beef hash with eggs over easy, mom had a moon muffin - their take on an egg mcmuffin and dad had a Denver omelet (a western with cheese). Everything was great and we chatted with the people dining around us about what we'd seen, where we'd been and what we would miss most. I was having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of actually leaving and the only thing keeping me from bursting into tears and throwing a massive tantrum complete with stomping my feet and yelling "I DON'T WANNA GO!" was the thought that as an adult, if I want to - I can actually come back.

We walked back to the hotel and began the arduous task of loading up the car. First, Mom and Dad's room where Dad stayed down to clean out the mess we'd made with water and soda bottles and bags and Mom and I climbed up to their room to finish packing and drag down the bags. Well - Mom had all to do to drag herself down the flight of stairs so I hauled the bags down myself. After they were loaded I went back to my room to finish gathering my mess. Of course, I managed to lose the second room key they gave me. I went through all of my pockets and my bags but no key appeared. At least I had one but I felt bad because they were old fashioned large keys not those cheap cards that can easily be reprogrammed. I sent Mom to check out (and made her have to fess up for my lost key) but the front desk people were really nice and no extra charge happened. We finished loading the car with minimal fuss - made sure everyone took a bathroom stop because I was aiming to get as much driving under my belt as possible and hit the road.

Well - almost. We had one more souvenir to pick up. Some people collect spoons or seashells, magnets or t shirts or hats but my eye was on something different. Having sampled much of the local beer while I was away I wanted to bring back a case to enjoy here and remind me on my trip. Heading out of town we passed a right out so that's where I did my shopping. Two twelve packs of Gritty's samplers plus a six pack of blueberry ale and I was on my way. My mother just rolled her eyes at her lady like daughter but I think I earned a few points on the pride ladder with my father over this purchase.

We then piled back in the car and started the drive - the whole time the tantrum was welling up inside me but I contained it with the thought that Maine is only one seven hour drive away. After about 90 minutes of driving (so much for getting a lot of driving done at once...) Mom decided she needed a bathroom and wanted a vanilla shake from wherever we stopped. I found a rest stop that had both bathrooms and a Hershey's Ice Cream. Two Auntie Annie's pretzels (with cheese dip) and a vanilla shake later we got back on the road. This time I wasn't stopping until the car was down to fumes. Finally I had to pull off and Dad nipped off to the men's room while I tried to explain the art of pumping gas to Mom. Living in NJ means they don't have to worry about this but I figure it would be a good skill for her to have. She had no interest and I gave up.

I was sort of surprised that when I ignored the Garmin and took my own route heading down the Merritt Parkway instead of staying on I-84 that Dad didn't say anything. I guess after driving them around for a full week over some seriously long distances he'd run out of driving criticism. That, and unfortunately he'd also managed to eat himself sick. Laid up in the back seat with an increasingly severe tummy ache the poor guy was feeling too ill to actually nag me about anything. We got home with no traffic thanks to using our original route from Adam backwards and unloaded everything that was coming up to my apartment. Of course this wasn't without Dad lecturing me on my parking - guess I spoke too soon about him running out of things to say. First I was too close to the curb, no too far from the curb - meanwhile I was freaking perfect but that's all I'm gonna say about that. You can tell the vacation was definitely at an end.

Dad having fought a nap most of the way home promptly went to bed and Mom and I ordered sandwiches from a local spot since for once I have pretty much nothing in the fridge except for condiments and almond milk. We gnawed on our sandwiches and looked at the photos from the trip, reliving our favorite moments sort of shocked at how fast it all went and yet how long ago day one seemed. Standing at the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia feels like something I did a year ago instead of a week ago. But if I close my eyes I can hear the wind rustling through the trees, and the soft melodious tones of my father yelling "MITSY!?!?!? TAKE A PICTURE!!!!!" Ahhh...the family vacation.

Survival Tactic: When you really want to scream your head off - remind yourself that your an adult and you can actually make your own decisions now. For anyone reading this under 18 - well - just wait it out and you'll get there soon enough.

The Necessity of Alone Time

I love my parents. I really do. And we've had a great time on this trip. I think part of the reason behind that is because we've had our own separate rooms that we can retreat to at the end of the day for a little decompression. This came in particularly handy yesterday.

Yesterday morning I woke up the usual phone call that Dad was ready for breakfast. I sent them on and took my time getting ready, wanting to enjoy the last day fully without having to rush around. I met Mom and Dad inside the tugboat (we're staying at the Tugboat Inn after all) for a quick breakfast and then we got ready to head out for our morning adventure, a sail on the Schooner Lazy Jack.

We walked over to the schooner and met our fellow passengers, Jeanne and Jacques from Quebec. He was a quiet gentleman with a fuzzy beard and twinkly blue eyes. She was a chatty woman who was very sweet although eventually you really did want her to stop talking. After introductions we walked down to the dock to board. I was a little worried about Dad because it was low tide and the ramp leading down to the dock was super steep but he navigated it just fine. We climbed aboard, got ourselves settled and Captain Joe and his son Michael got us on our way.

We had a lovely sail around the harbor, learning details about the boat, a 65 year old wooden schooner, scaled down to 3/4 of a full size schooner. Captain Joe had 42 years of sailing experience and he regaled us with stories of sailing near Fiji and the Sea of Cortez. We got an up close look at Burnt Island and Ram Island and even had a small seal come up along side the boat and swim with us for a bit. Our two hours passed too quickly and before any of us were ready it was time to head back to the dock.

After the sail, we headed to a nearby spot (Gray's Wharf) for lunch. We sat outside by the dock and watched the boats go by. After another healthy lunch of a fried clam roll with sweet potato fries and a blueberry ale we went to do a little last minute shopping. Dad was feeling his climb up and down to the dock so he found himself a bench while Mom and I shopped a bit. After that we decided to head back to the hotel as we were all feeling a little tired and cranky.

It was only two o'clock at this point so I couldn't really wrap my head around just sitting for the afternoon. I mentioned that I'd probably head out for a walk or maybe even rent a kayak and I'd see Mom and Dad around 6 for dinner. Dad started grumbling - something about how I shouldn't go off alone etc... I could feel my own cranky coming up so I just kissed them goodbye and walked away. As I was leaving I could hear Dad continuing to grumble and Mom tell him that I needed some time away from them and to just let me be. Thanks, Mom.

I walked over to the footbridge that connects both sides of the harbor, walked across and took some pictures. I strongly considered the kayak rental but then realized it wouldn't be much fun tooling around the harbor by myself. So I took a long walk through town, stopping in a number of galleries and shops. I picked up a pair of earrings for Mom that she had been eyeing in Sadie Green's and a t-shirt for dad with a smiling lobster on it. I also picked up a pair of lobster earrings for myself. I found a brilliant water color that would look great on my living room wall of a house on Ram Island with a sailboat with full sail up in front of it. But it was over $2,000 and they didn't have any more matted prints of it so I had to let it go. Sad. I had the perfect wall spot for it too.

After my shopping trip I came back to the hotel, gave Mom and Dad their gifts and then we planned to rendezvous on my balcony at 5:30 for cocktails before dinner. I spent a little quiet time on the balcony watching the harbor before they arrived and we had a lovely cocktail watching the boats come and go. Being a Friday night the harbor was busy with lots of arrivals and departures so it was fun to sit up and watch it all. Around 6:30 we headed out to the Lobster Dock, a short drive around the harbor for one last lobster dinner. While waiting in line we met a lovely family from Minnesota and ended up sitting with them while we ate. There were a lot of apologies with lobster juice squirting all over the place as we cracked claws and tails and broke legs. The tomalley in this lobster was super green and rich and delicious and the summer corn was sweet and didn't even need butter. Washed down with one last blueberry ale we watched the last of the sunset over Boothbay Harbor.

When we got back to the hotel, Dad decided he was going to skip the lounge but Mom and I headed in, expecting one last night with Kay. Imagine our surprise to see someone else behind the keys! Never quite got his name but he could sing and play anything. When we got there he was doing a little Billy Joel and the bartender was accompanying him with a harmonica. Over the course of the hour we sat there he played everything from Simon and Garfunkle to Broadway to an original he wrote that was really lovely. At one point he said he was going to do something a little country, and then began playing and singing a surprisingly strong version of Nessun Dorma which brought the house down. We stayed for a few more songs and then around 10pm decided to call it a night.

I walked with Mom across the lot, hugged her goodnight and made the climb up to my room. I was tempted to sit on the balcony one more time but it was cold and I was tired so I came in, uploaded the last days photos and promptly fell asleep before I could read even one page of my book. I wonder what adventures the ride home will have in store for us. The plan is to meet around 9:30 for breakfast at a little local place that promises the best blueberry pancakes in town. I wonder how long Dad will last before my phone rings. Ah wait - its 8:07 and I just heard my father's melodious tones calling out the window "MARYANNE!!! YOO HOO!" followed by a whistle to let me know they were going for a cup of coffee and I can pretty much guess my father's first breakfast of the day. I can hear it now. Mom will yell at him that we're about to go for a big breakfast and to just have coffee and he'll grumble and grab whatever baked good is nearest to him. So starts the last day....

Survival Tip: Time alone is never a bad thing.

When Nature Doesn't Cooperate...

So woke up yesterday to a phone call at about 7:53 that my father was already chomping at the bit for breakfast. I pulled back the curtains and saw that it was a cloudy morning over the harbor but hoped by the time we got to our whale watch things would clear up.

After a quick breakfast, we gathered sweatshirts and headed out to the pier to meet the boat. Still cloudy but this time we had no fog so we figured we were ahead of the game. We pile onto the boat with other eager watchers all loaded with cameras and binoculars and climb up to the top deck. We bundle into our sweatshirts pretty quickly after leaving the dock and there's a mad dash to get the blankets at the front. We refrain because we're snuggled in our fleeces and as soon as the sun comes out we'll be fine right? Ha...

The first part of the trip was fine. Our naturalist guide pointed out lots of local landmarks including privately owned islands, light houses, marinas, churches, and other points of interest. We were then told that after we left the harbor, we'd proceed toward the feeding grounds where we'd be able to see the whales. Depending on where they were feeding it would take us around a half hour to get there. On the way out, we spotted a few pods of harbor porpoises which are always cute although they have no interest in coming near a boat (as opposed to a dolphin that would play for hours). Within 10 minutes there's a shout and we spot a minke whale (pronounced like Minnie with a K in there....) of the port side. Everyone runs with cameras at the ready. She comes up once, twice and then dives supposedly looking for food. Off the starboard at two o'clock swimming towards three, there's another minke so everyone (even Dad) moves to the other side of the boat. We're sort of idling in the water right now which means that we're really feeling the rocking motion a bit so I'm caught between worrying about Dad and trying to get a picture of the damn whale. But Dad makes it to the side fine and the stupid whale disappears again.

We motor on a bit and lo and behold minke spotted about 100 yards off the bow of the boat. We run...and she's gone. This goes on for a good 20 to 30 minutes with the occasional whale spotted in the distance, the guide supposedly timing its dives for food only for the whale to never re-emerge. Well - they guarantee you a whale sighting on your trip so I guess this was ours. They're telling us how just the other day they had a great sighting and the minkes came up pretty close to the boat so we're all hopeful. We press on to further feeding grounds zigzagging with Cap'n Fish and his Whale Watch boat. They look slightly more disgruntled than we are having fewer blankets and not seen the magically disappearing minke whales that we did.

30 minutes later zipping along through ever darkening clouds and colder temps Dad finally gives up and heads down to the warm inside cabin. Getting him down there was a bit of a trip as the boat was moving at a fairly steady clip and the water wasn't exactly calm. I got him settled on a bench and came back up to find Mom hiding inside her windbreaker. It was getting pretty cold but neither of us was giving up. I wanted to see a whale. Splashes off of the port side turned out to be blue fin tuna breaking the surface (yum...dinner....) and of course there were a few birds around as well. We headed out toward Pumpkin Island and saw a huge number of seals sunning themselves on the ledge. A few of them came out close to the boat and played a little - coming out of the water and then diving back in before popping up again in another location with what I can only imagine was a smile on their faces. My guess is that the ones on land were yelling out "Oh give them a show. They just paid for the whale watch and you know they didn't see anything..." or something along those lines.

We headed back to shore where we were told that this was not a typical watch and we'd all be given complimentary standby passes so that we could try again. If anyone knows anyone coming to Boothbay I've got 3 passes for a whale watch for you. You won't see any whales but it is a nice boat trip!

We hobbled off the boat, more then a bit cold and found a spot for lunch nearby called the Blue Moon Cafe. A really cute place run by a couple of kids who know how to make some really good sandwiches. We sat by the water and warmed up a bit now that the sun had finally decided to come out. Thanks Mother Nature. Really....

After lunch there was a shop called Enchantments that I really wanted to check out but it was up a pretty steep hill so Mom and Dad sat at the bottom of the hill (which was fine because in addition to them being tired my back is kinda starting to go out from being their support walking up and down hills this week....). The shop was a creepy mix of wicca and witchcraft items (not creepy) and bizarre lawn ornaments, stuffed things and general tacky bric-a-brac (more creepy). I wandered back down the hill to the parents and told Dad for being so good I'd get him an ice cream.

We walked back into town and got on the longest line I've been on this entire trip. Dad got two scoops of chocolate fudge oreo with hot fudge and I got one scoop of blueberry cheesecake in a sugar cone. Seriously some of the best ice cream I've ever tasted (and believe me I've tasted a lot). Mom declined as she didn't want to ruin her dinner (obviously no one told her that ice cream goes into a separate stomach and has no possibility of ruining dinner). We sat like two little kids slurping down our ice cream before it melted. Mom, as usual struck up a conversation with the nearest stranger sitting next to her.

After our ice cream Mom and Dad headed back to the hotel for a rest and I decided to wander down to the public landing to snap a few more photos. The minute Mom and Dad walked away I was approached by a man wearing a nautical striped long sleeve t-shirt, a stubbly beard and breath reeking of some form of brown liquor. "Hi" he said, in that sort of creepy breathy way that makes me want to reach out and hold my Mommy's hand. "Hi" I said, as I walked toward the pier. "Do you have a boat here?" he asked? I responded with "See that realllly big one way out there?" and pointed toward an obnoxiously sized yacht that was moored off one of the islands nearby. "Yes!" he said, leaning in, obviously more interested. "Yeah that's not mine" I snarked and kept going. Taking the hint he moved on to other unsuspecting prey. It is important to note, that had he not been on the public landing but on one of the private marinas with the amazing sailboats attached to it, that conversation would have most likely gone in a completely different direction.

Also while on the pier, I met a lovely group who had just motored up and had an older woman with them who needed some help getting out of the boat. Having had experience with hauling older folks out of vehicles (Grandma and Dad, plus a few others as well over the years) I immediately went over to help. We got into a conversation about the marina and boats and while we were there, this sort of enormous (and yet somehow not as obnoxious) motor boat pulled in. Boat people like to show off so we struck up a conversation almost immediately and were invited aboard to take a look around. 37 x 13 and really nice all things considered. We talked boats for a bit (or they did and I used some of the lingo I've gained from Adam and Tracy over the years) and then parted ways. Making new friends (that aren't creepy and smell of brown liquor) is fun!

I headed back to the hotel to have a cocktail on the balcony and stare out at the harbor for a bit. Two vodka tonics later I was mellow, happy and more then ready for a little nap. I laid down for a few and actually managed to drift off. I'm sure the vodka helped. When I woke up it was just around 6:15. Met the parents around 6:30 and we wandered just up the road to Kaler's for a really great dinner. Mom had broiled haddock (for like the 14th time) and Dad and I went for Mary's Baked Lobster Pie. I don't know who Mary is but boy I liked her pie! Huge chunks of lobster meat sauteed in butter and baked in a puff pastry shell with a topping of shrimp, crab and buttery bread crumbs. All washed down with a local blueberry ale and topped off with blueberry pie and (more) ice cream. Oh I really really miss pants that fit....

After dinner, Dad felt like a drink so back to the lounge we went where good ol Kay was singing and entertaining the crowd. The overall group was slightly more mixed with one kid younger than I was out with his family who kept attracting the singers attention. There was another older lady, Alice, who had a giant bag full of percussion toys and kept trying to get everyone to sing with her. I turned down the light up tambourine, the knocking stix, the little tom tom drum and the spoons. I just wasn't feeling like being part of the band. Dad had a dewars and water, mom a seltzer and this time guaranteeing myself there would be alcohol I ordered a beer. Ah...much better :).

We stayed for a while, watched some southern folks get up and dance, watched the younger folks trickle out and the older folks trickle in and, around 9:30 decided to call it a night. I came in with the intent to post this then but sleep got the better of me. Between battling mother nature and drinking with the senior set this trip is knocking the hell out of me!

Survival Tip: When the lady who sells you the tickets tells you to bring warm clothing you really should listen. Also, when blankets are available grab one first even if you think you might not need it. Better to be prepared than sit there and be jealous of everyone else that did grab one. And when really in doubt - vodka makes it all better.

Excercise, Happy Hour and Respecting Your Elders...

It's a glorious night here at the old age home...er...rather...the Tugboat Inn! But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's rewind a bit to the early parts of the day.

I'll start off by saying we had NO knock on the wall this morning. I admit I was a little taken aback but it was nice to sleep in, especially as I had woken up at 5:30 to take a picture of the sunrise over the bay and then promptly went back to sleep. After a lovely breakfast up in the coffee room high over the bay (and a great conversation with a Cajun couple from Louisiana about the differences in preparation between Maine seafood verses Louisiana seafood) we repacked the car and headed south toward the town of Rockland. A short drive later we came across the first day of the Lobster Festival. Because the festival was just setting up, admission was free so Dad happily paid the $10 to park without complaint.

We wandered through the tents of arts, crafts and the usual assorted fair stuff. There were games of the usual ilk with lobster twists - like the claw where you usually try to grab a toy or stuffed animal or something? Well here - you grabbed lobsters. No really - LIVE lobsters. Astoundingly cruel when you think about it. The lobsters were huddled in the far corner of them tank pretty well out of the claws reach. You can only hope they were smart enough to stay there all day.

We walked from one end of the fair to the other, and then back again. Dad was doing amazing navigating with his cane over wires and narrow passageways between tables. Mom and I were having a harder time keeping up. At lunchtime Dad found a sausage and pepper stand (leave it to my father to have sausage at a lobster festival) and I of course got on line for a lobster roll. (Had I known they used miracle whip BEFORE I paid the $10 for it I probably would have gone with the sausage and peppers myself). We sat down to eat, and then walked a bit more before deciding it was time to bid Rockland farewell and head on down to Boothbay Harbor.

It was just over an hour down route 1 to Boothbay and a pretty easy shot. We got here at 1:30 and checked into our hotel which is right in the harbor. My room overlooks the harbormasters cabin and Mom and Dad are literally right over the water. As I type I'm sitting on the balcony watching the boats go by over the inky black water. Its a pretty little place with multiple buildings, a restaurant and a lounge. Oh yes...the lounge....I'll get to that though. Let's get back to Boothbay.

After settling into our rooms (I'm in building 2, they're in building 4 so no chance of wall knocking) we made arrangements for a whale watching trip tomorrow and a schooner sail on Friday. After that I figured Dad would want to rest but he was raring to go. I guess the rest yesterday did him well because he had more energy than the rest of us! We walked all along the water, finding the spots where we need to pick up our tickets and meet our boats for the upcoming tours. We marked out some spots where we plan to do a little shopping and find the best ice cream place in town (which we refrained from today I might add) and then headed back to the hotel. Dad decided he wanted a beer so we stopped at the outdoor part of hotel bar and had a drink while watching the boats go by. It was lovely and we were all relaxed and enjoyed ourselves. Mom especially as her vodka and soda seemed to go straight to her head and she remarked more than once just how relaxed she was. If you know my Mom at all you know that relaxed usually means some varied state of buzzed. When she proclaimed that she's become such a cheap date lately we knew that she was on the further end of that buzzed spectrum.

After a nap in our rooms and a little downtime we met for dinner. The Inn has a restaurant attached to it that we heard good things about and not feeling very creative we decided to go there. We had a lovely meal (skipped the lobster and we all went for various shrimp dishes this time) and then Dad decided it was time for another walk. Holy hell where is this energy coming from? Before we went out I decided I wanted my fleece as it was getting a bit nippy down by the water. I asked if anyone wanted anything to which the answer was "no". So I ran to my room, grabbed my fleece and headed up. When I got there, Dad remarked that it was cold and asked if I could get his fleece. I should note here that the Inn is down a hill which, while not that steep is a bit harder to navigate on a full belly. As I was going down I asked Mom if she wanted hers. She said no - when I was halfway down she called out that yes - she did want it. Ahhhh.... Now when I get there I can hear Dad telling me that he wants his blue one, not his red one....I yelled back he'll get what he gets and shaddup.... He then reminded me to respect my elders. Sigh.

After our walk through town again, Mom and Dad decide we should go back to the hotel lounge as they heard there was a good piano player there tonight. Sounds good right? Hmm...We walk in and I immediately feel something wrong. Something is strange. The piano player is banging out Sweet Georgia Brown as we wander around trying to find seats. I trip over a cane, a walker and then I realize - the average age in this place is about 68 (without me, the outlier...or the 102 year old guy in the corner huffing on oxygen....). The piano player announces her age at not quite yet 80. The bartender is a woman in her 60's wearing a powder blue button down uniform type shirt - the kind that Alice wore in Mel Diner's in the show Alice. We move on to Leroy Brown and a bunch of other songs that my Dad is singing along with but even Mom has to remark that they're before her time.

The door opens and a crowd walks in....slowly because that's about as fast as they can walk. Oh its a hip happening night at the home. But its ok because I've got a vodka and vodka makes everything better right? Only that's some weak vodka. I found out later that the bartender misheard me and gave me a cranberry and soda instead of a vodka with cranberry and soda. Sigh..I guess its hard to hear over the music, the chatter and all the pacemakers keeping time. Every once in a while Dad would look over at me and get this wicked twinkle in his eye and laugh evilly. I think we stayed longer then he would have mainly because he was enjoying watching me squirm. Finally, after Dad knocked back his rusty nail we paid the check and headed back to the room. When Mom said that the music reminded her of something only she couldn't place it I said it was like visiting my Grandmother at the nursing home during music hour. We had a good laugh over that as we walked back to our rooms and said goodnight.

As I sit here typing now, I'm on the balcony with a real vodka and soda and can hear the music coming through the windows. I will say one thing - those older folks are having a great time. They're singing along and hooting and hollering and causing a fine ruckus. I'll give them another hour or so but then I'm gonna have to go down there and put them all to bed. OOh wait...she's playing Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline...Maybe I'll let them keep going a little longer.

Everyone sing along "SWWEEEEET CAROLINE!!" GOOD TIMES NEVER SEEMED SO GOOD" (Crowd answers: "SO GOOD SO GOOD SO GOOD").

Survival Tip: Wear comfortable shoes for those unexpected bursts of energy and, when in doubt, vodka makes everything better!

The Importance of Down Time

So yeah...knocking on the walls. Sounds fun right? I was in a lovely mood after that although I was doing my best to keep it in check. After our lovely breakfast buffet we all piled into the car and began the drive to our next stop in Rockport. We took a marvelous little route that Gerald (our Garmin) mapped out for once once I realized that I can pick other options than the most direct (and usually not so pretty) route. We drove through the town of Ellsworth and then through Belfast, over rivers and lakes, across a pretty amazing looking bridge and eventually hit the shore and followed that through the town of Camden and then headed on to Rockport and our stop for the night "Ledges by the Bay".

Online, Ledges looked like the perfect midpoint for the trip. With pretty rooms and balconies overlooking the Penobscot Bay I figured it would give us a little downtime after our double tour day yesterday. We were close enough to Camden and Rockland for food/town life but the hotel itself is out of the way so I was hoping that we'd all get some much needed naps.

We pulled into Ledges at around 12:30 which we figured was too early to check in but hoped that we could take care of the paper work and get a recommendation for lunch. Let's face it - by 11:00 both parents were starting to whine about being hungry and were starting to grumble and sigh so I definitely needed to get them fed and put them down for naps. (And probably put myself down for one as well although I never actually get cranky....yeah.....shuddup....). The lovely woman at the desk recommended Bayview Lobster in the town of Camden so we made the 5 mile drive back to town and proceeded to battle the traffic for parking.

I found a municipal lot after making a few wrong turns (and making one small threat against my father's life if he did any more backseat driving) and was able to park with relative ease by New York standards anyway. Greeted by one of the prettiest harbors I'd ever seen dotted with sailboats I knew we had made a good choice stopping here. We slowly meandered up the street looking for Bayview with my gentle father barking out "Why don't we just go here?" at every restaurant we passed. My hands clenched tightly into fists and my mother laughing at my tension we finally found the place (and then realized we'd actually walked passed it but no one was telling Dad that....). We settle down, order drinks and zero in on what we're having. Mom and I are going for Lobster Rolls. Dad who has never been a huge lobster fan before veers off and orders a burger. The food arrives and this had to have been the best lobster roll I've ever had.

Seriously. Not kidding. Huge chunks of lobster meat overflowing the buttery toasted split top bun. I can pick out claw and tail. No filler. No mayo. Just pure cold lobster meat from a 1 pounder with drawn butter on the side and a pile of crinkle cut sweet potato fries. Even the cole slaw with a light vinegar based dressing was fantastic. We dove in voraciously and finished it off with a giant cream puff topped with some seriously wicked chocolate sauce. During dessert it began to storm over the harbor so we had a long sit waiting for the storm to pass.

Once the storm ended we left the restaurant with the aim of wandering through town a bit but everything was uphill compared to the restaurant and where the car was and I could see Dad starting to hit his cranky again. Not to mention another storm was beginning to blow in over the harbor with some pretty cool lightning and thunder. So we headed back to the car and back to Ledges. Of course, by the time we got there the storm clouds had passed and it was sunny and beautiful over the Bay. But it was really for the best. We got our room keys and settled in. Dad and I had a margarita on his balcony (skinny girl - we were being virtuous) and then I came back to my room to read for a while and finally, Dad settled down for a nap and Mom nestled up on the balcony to read her own book.

The view from Ledges is spectacular. Looking out over a really quiet portion of the Bay with a small sailboat and some houses dotting the other side it's a perfect respite. I wandered down across the lovely manicured grounds and found a staircase that led to a little beach. I was the only person down there and the silence was amazing. Left alone with my own thoughts I wandered the rocky shore a bit, then realized me, not being the most coordinated, should probably not venture too far as when I fall and break an ankle no one will be around to carry me back up the rocks. So I sat for a while, took some pictures and then headed back up the hill.

Trudging up that steep hill I felt that lobster roll and butter and cream puff very keenly. Suddenly my 33 years were all pulling on me and I could feel myself huffing and puffing a bit. I thought of two things. One that the second we get home I'm going back to the gym and eating nothing but salads. Two was that a nap sounded great. I got into my room, peaked out on the balcony at which point I heard "So are we going to dinner?" It was 5:00. I was still full from that lobster roll. Determined to drag this out as much as I could I just asked for time to change. I got a 15 minute lie down but no nap. Sigh... Oh well.

We got another recommendation for dinner and headed out just passed 5:30. But, by the time we got to town, parked, walked to the restaurant and stopped for the requisite photos with a giant bear outside one of the shops and stopped to look at the water front (and let Dad pick out which boat he wanted to get when he wins the lotto) enough time had passed that yeah, I could eat again. Dad, after his nap seemed to be in a spectacular mood with more energy then I'd seen all day which I believe inspired all of us a bit. We had a lovely dinner of haddock for Mom, scallops for Dad and Cioppino for me and then shared a giant soup bowl full of wild blueberry cobbler. I may look like a blueberry when this trip is over.

We got back to the room with final instructions that they should a) go to breakfast whenever they were hungry and b) not knock on the wall to tell me they were going. If I go looking for them and they're not in their room I'll assume that (as long as the car is still here) they just went to get breakfast. If the car is gone well....then I'll worry a bit. But being left being to hang out in Maine for a while wouldn't really be all that bad.

Survival Tip: Naps are not just for the young and the old. Take em where you can get em!

The Challenges of Playing Tourist...

Yesterday was just too busy to post. I started to write something up last night only to fall asleep in the middle of it and ended up waking up to 6 paragraphs of $$$$$ so had to scrap that one. Our day started out bright and early with a 6:30 am wake up knock. Seriously. Like my father wrapping his knuckles against the wall between our two rooms as hard as he possibly could for a good 10 seconds. Lovely way to be awakened from your first semi-solid non drug induced sleep in days.

We headed over to the breakfast room around 7:30 where Mom remarked how empty it was. I had to throw in a snide "That's because most people on vacation sleep later than they do during the work week." But my snideness fell onto her deafened retirement ears and I stumbled around the 'deluxe' breakfast buffet choosing pre-cooked 'omelets' that resembled flat footballs, something that might have been sausage, some canned fruit salad and stale bread etc.... I bypassed the bananas that were way passed their prime and the "french toast" that was kept with the other breads and bagels. Dad attacked the buffet with a voracious appetite making about 3 trips and making us wonder if eventually the nice lady who kept refilling the microwaved omelet tray would ask him to leave some for the other guests. Fortunately, she did not.

We had our first Nigro moment of the day over how and when to get to downtown Bar Harbor for our Olli's Trolley tour of Acadia. Mom wanted to take the free shuttle bus that runs from the resort area where we're staying on Route 3 directly to the Village Green. Dad wanted to take the car. So at 8:30 (for a 10am tour mind you) we trudged to where we were supposed to wait for the bus. Note that our hotel is not a designated route but you can 'flag' the bus down and it will stop for you. Right - flag it down going 50 mph coming over a hill and around a blind turn. WHOOOSH was the sound the bus made as it flew passed us! Dad won and we took the car.

I found parking easily enough because it was still before 9 and most normal people were probably just waking up to their deluxe buffet breakfasts at that point. Ignoring the fact that the lot said '3 hour parking' only I was determined to leave the car there all damn day. We picked up our trolley tickets and also booked ourselves a 'Nature' cruise for the afternoon. Dad was less than thrilled. Mom figured we only had limited time in Bar Harbor so might as well do as much as we can. Dad grumbled, Mom won. Score is now tied at one a piece.

Acadia was beautiful and we were all in awe at the top of the Cadillac Mountain. The entire trolley ride was punctuated with my Dad's mellifluous tones snapping out "TAKE A PICTURE!" "OPEN THE WINDOW!" "CLOSE THE WINDOW!" Mom continually insisted on having deep meaningful conversations over what a good daughter I was (ha...for like 30 seconds anyway. If that sentiment makes it through the whole trip I guarantee within 10 seconds of being back I'll be back to my usual four or five letter names....). I continually shushed them both. Up up up to the top of Cadillac Mountain - then rush around for 15 minutes trying to take pictures from every angle. Quick - back on the bus. Down down down to Siur le Mont Springs and the Wild Gardens. Another 15 minute dash around to take photos. Back on the bus passing Dor Mountain and Champlain Mountain (and watching the hikers on perilously steep paths with nothing but rungs embedded in the bedrock to hold on to). Dash over to Thunder Hole which refused to thunder and then back into downtown.

Exhausted, we stumbled off the bus and into the West Side Cafe. A delightful little place that is next to the water but also some unfortunate construction. A lobster BLT and good clam chowder fortified us and we shopped around a bit before our nature cruise. Unfortunately for Dad getting anywhere required a sharp walk up hill but he was a trooper...and complained minimally (every 8 seconds instead of every 5) while making the climb. During our shopping I insisted that they pick up sweatshirts or windbreakers since even though we had brought them on the trip - I was the only one who had mine that day. Mom insisted that she'd be fine on the boat in a tank top and shorts and Dad agreed. Now it was in fact hot on land but I knew we'd be freezing by the time we hit the water. I grabbed my fleece out of the car as I tossed theirs in the trunk shaking my head the whole time.

Board the boat, climb up to the top deck and it's already feeling cool and breezy. Within five minutes of pulling away from the dock I put my fleece on and zip it up. In another 3 minutes Dad gives up and goes down to the warm indoor cabin. Mom insists she's fine even though I can barely hear the narrative over her teeth chattering and she keeps trying to climb inside my fleece. Eventually the guide reminds us that there are blankets up front if anyone wants one and I swear I've never seen my Mother move that fast. Wrapped in a slightly skeezy woolen blanket that God knows how many other tourists have wrapped themselves in, we proceeded on our tour. At first I was sort of pissed because they only thing we "saw" was a bald eagle in a tree and I'll be damned but there was no bald eagle that I could see.

But it was a beautiful ride and the wispy fog from the morning was still there gently enveloping some of the islands. We passed gorgeous summer "cottages" and saw many of the sites of Acadia from the morning from a new angle. I fell deeper in love with the place then I'd been before. Suddenly I noticed the fog getting a bit thicker....and thicker still. We turned in the boat and were heading out toward the Eagle Rock Lighthouse in the middle of Frenchman's Bay and the fog was rapidly closing in on us. I spotted a harbor porpoise off the port side of the boat and was rewarded with a compliment from our naturalist guide for my sharp eyes! This made up nicely for the whole eagle fiasco. The fog continued to thicken although still fairly open though we could just make out the island and...yes...SEALS! I LOVE Seals!!!! Honking and flopping around on their tiny little flippers. There were harbor seals that were just lounging on the rocks and grey seals that were still fighting over mates. There were also dozens and dozens of harbor ducks - all babies with their mama's and one lone male who was either lost or perhaps trying to buck a trend. Who knows.

As we turned from the lighthouse to head past Ironbound Island the fog had completely enveloped us. I knew the island was there because you could see a dark hulking shadow through the fog but that was about it. With nothing more to see our guide chattered on inanely about lobster fishing in the area and the life cycle of lobsters. Occasionally our fog horn would blow and you'd see a distant boat slowly creeping through the pea soup. Eventually we emerged through the fog and could see the harbor, under a clear blue sky. I love shore weather!

We filed off the boat and poured ourselves into the car. All of us were exhausted and ready for a break. We drove back to the hotel and within twenty minutes the phone rang and it was Mom asking where we were having dinner. So much for that rest and relaxation. I forced another twenty minutes or so for a hot shower (my teeth started chattering even through my fleece on that boat) and then we headed out to dinner. Not wanting to battle the parking in downtown again we stayed up on our hill near Cadillac Mountain and find a little place called Jack Russell's Steakhouse and Brew pub. Another good meal in our bellies (although the blueberry pie left a little to be desired) and we crawled into bed. I put on TBS, watched a few back to back episodes of Family Guy, attempted to write a blog post and fell sound asleep.

Only to be awakened to what I first thought could only be an explosion. And then I realized it was probably the most insane thunderstorm I've ever heard. Lighting slashing across the sky in multiple strikes and thunder that was explosive and cracking and rolling and simply amazing. I lay there in bed with the covers pulled up to my chin and watched through a crack in the curtains. The rain came down in sheets and the lightning seemed like it would never end. Slowly, after a few thunder claps that shook the place it began to move off to frighten some other folks along the coast and I drifted off back into a deep sleep dreaming of blueberries and lobsters and lightning strikes.

The only instructions I gave my parents the night before were DO NOT KNOCK ON THE DAMN WALL AT 6AM! We're heading to Rockland today and there's no rush to get there so I figured we could all sleep in. 7:16am...I'm awakened to a knock on the wall. 7:47, a phone call to say they're going to get breakfast. Even now, as I sit here post breakfast at 9:07 am after giving them explicit instructions to RELAX, I can hear Dad loading the car up outside. What was that I said about a restful vacation in Maine? And....we just got another knock on the wall. 3 of us left on this trip...how many will return depends on how many more rooms we have next to each other.....

Survival Tip: Get a room between you and your parents so they cannot knock on the walls and remember to unplug the room phone before you go to sleep at night. This should buy you at least another 5 minutes by the time they call the lobby and insist they break your door down because you're not answering the phone....

Keeping Up Your Strength!

The Nigro's never miss meals. Ever... I have friends and colleagues who say things like "Oh I just completely forgot to eat lunch today." I can honestly say that never happens to me. Even when I'm sick with food poisoning or a stomach flu - once the worst of it passes I'm normally home on the couch watching the Food Network or planning what I'll have for dinner the second I can have solid food again.

Keeping up with traditions, we worked our way from Massachusetts to Bar Harbor and ate well along the way. Our hotel came with a free breakfast buffet and, true to form we made the most of it. Scrambled eggs, omelets, french toast, yogurt, fruit, bagels etc.. I think between the three of us we touched on all of them. With full bellies and me full of coffee we headed off to finish the trip north to Maine.

After about two hours of driving we all needed a restroom and leg stretching break. I found a rest stop north of Portland and while there I grabbed a Starbucks, Mom got a Kit Kat and Dad grabbed an ice cream. We piled back in the car and continued the drive, pondering where to stop for lunch. What? They were just snacks!

Unfortunately, we followed the Garmin instead of our instincts and instead of driving up the coast we stayed on 95 up to Bangor, then took Route 1A to cut across to Highway 3 and Acadia. 95 produced nothing more than fast food options and 1A seemed to have nothing more than car dealerships, thrift shops and churches. Finally we passed a sign for "The Falls" - a burger, seafood and ice cream place that had a parking lot full of cars and a perfect casual atmosphere. Order from the window and someone will bring you your food either inside or out. We chose in as it was climbing into the upper 80's at that point and the sun was beating down. Mom and Dad went for grilled chicken wraps that were moist perfect chicken chunks in a sundried tomato wrap with lettuce and tomato served with kettle chips. I had the haddock basket with fries, cole slaw and a soft buttered roll. The haddock was local, fresh and super crisp. The fries were awesome and malt vinegar over everything made it perfect. Dad finished my cole slaw and Mom my roll.

We finished the drive to our Best Western in Acadia, checked in and immediately asked for a recommendation for dinner. All 3 of us were feeling pretty exhausted from various states of non sleep from the night before and the drive today so we decided to spend a little time by the pool and unwind. I grabbed a catnap, a shower and then we headed out to dinner at the Chart Room just 2 miles up the road from our hotel. The ladies at the hotel told us they had a great early bird special of $18.95 for a lobster dinner until 6pm. We got there at 6:08 and had the same dinner for $21.95. Dad asked the hostess 7 times if we made it in time for the special. After saying it ended at 6 a few times she finally just stopped answering. Dad made a point of grumbling about the cost. Mom made a point of getting aggravated. I made a point to snap at both of them and tell Dad I'd give him the $3 for the difference. Yup...it's a Nigro Family vacation. Our waiter took it all in stride and 3 lobster dinners appeared quickly.

Currently in the middle of soft shell lobster season our 1 1/4 pounders were super sweet but not too heavy on the meat. But dipped in drawn butter and accompanied with a hot baked potato with sour cream and butter and some crisp baby vegetables it was a perfect meal. I was probably the only one to attack the tomalley - the super creamy greenish paste that functions as both the liver and the pancreas of the lobster and to me, when spread either on a soft warm roll or a toast point is possibly the best part of the lobster. A local summer ale to wash it down and I was a happy happy girl. I was tempted to go for a slice of blueberry pie but we'd heard there was ice cream in town so figured we'd take a breather and save some time.

Down to Bar Harbor we found a perfect parking spot (thank you parking deities) and wandered up to Ben and Billie's confections. The ice cream flavors in this place were off the wall and included lobster ice cream with real lobster chunks. No - we didn't try it although tomorrow is another day... I got the chocolate peanut butter cookie dough, Dad got Moose Droppings (a super dark chocolate ice cream with chocolate chunks...at least that what's i hope they were) and Mom got vanilla caramel fudge. We sat on a bench near the shop to enjoy our ice cream while Dad harassed every kid that came out asking if he could have a lick of their ice cream. Amazing how he hasn't gotten arrested harassing random children yet.

On the drive back to the hotel in the last dregs of twilight, our thoughts turned to tomorrow and the trolley tour we booked of Acadia. No - it wasn't about what time to get up or what to wear or bring...it was about what time we had to be at breakfast so that we'd have enough time to eat! Heaven forbid we should miss a meal!

Survival Tip: Elastic waistbands are your friend!

Sleepless nights, shower management and what you really forgot (twice...)

So last night I confirmed that I really do hate soft mattresses. Growing up Mom had this theory that a hard mattress would be better for our backs (umm....5 years in a back brace and two titanium rods screwed into my spine might say otherwise but....). So here I am in this pretty room in Massachusetts with this luxury pillowtop mattress....and its 2am and I'm miserable. Thankfully we had separate rooms so I could toss, turn and curse to my heart's content about the woman damned me to miss out on the luxury that is the pillowtop. Sometime around 3 am I finally fell into a deep sleep to dream about hospitals, rowing and thunderstorms. Thanks melatonin for finally kicking in!

At 7:15 my in room phone rang to the melodious tones of Mom singing "Gooood Mooorning!" with the happy note that she gave me an extra 15 minutes! Thanks, Mom! But it was my idea to get an early start as we've got another 5 hour drive to get to Bar Harbor today and I'm anxious to get the driving over with! So into the shower I go! They only had handicapped rooms left and while my bathroom would probably have been better equipped for my Dad (walk in shower instead of tub) it was a further walk from the lobby. I didn't quite notice the two shower heads and turned on what i thought would turn on the handheld shower....WRONG. Sprayed in the face with icy cold water from the higher shower head I didn't see! Well that's a great way to wake up in the morning! I adjusted it pretty quick and actually managed to have a pretty nice shower all things considered. Except I don't understand with walk-in showers why they don't friggen tilt the floor so the water runs down the drain instead of all over the bathroom. If I was using crutches or supports of any kind I'd have busted my ass big time trying to navigate the wet floor (heck I'd do that without supports too....).

So I'm showered, dressed and now I realized that I forgot a hairbrush and socks. Sock solution is easy - steal from Mom and Dad. Hairbrush solution for the moment is fingers and pigtails. But it does mean a trip to a drug store is in our future. Which is good because I hear they sell vodka cheap in drug stores in Maine and I have a feeling I'm going to need it.

Survival Tip: When you double back to get your forgotten purse, you should also pick up other things you forgot including more sleeping pills.....

Handling Minor Setbacks (and how to not place blame....)

So sometimes things don't always go as you plan - or - perhaps as a good friend of the family likes to say "Man plans, and God (or insert your own personal deity, moral code, universe etc.. here) laughs".

So Mom and Dad showed up around 10:30 as planned with Fred in tow. The two furballs settled in fairly quickly with minimal growling. Both seemed resigned to their fate to be roommates for the week and once various safe zones and food bowl choices had been made each retreated to their own corner giving only the occasional weak hearted hiss.

And so, after a few last minute packing items we departed. As predicted, the arguments that ensued were over the directions and why wasn't I following the Garmin and the radio. But, in the relative scheme of life in the Nigro Family these were normal calm quiet discussions that any family could have :).

After a bout of traffic on the Hutchinson Parkway set us back about a half an hour we started to make great time. Around 1:00 we decided it was time to stop for lunch and pulled into an Outback. And that my friends, is where it all went wrong....

Getting out of the car I spoke the words "Hang on...let me grab my purse" only to have my nightmares realized. I checked the front seat - no purse. I checked the back seat. No purse. I checked the trunk. Nothing. I checked everything again. Nothing. No drivers license, no credit cards, no cash, no cash card, no make up...nothing. I frantically called my cat sitters in the hope that they would be able to access my apartment and make sure the purse was in fact there. My other fear was that I did in fact take the purse with me, put it on the roof of the car and drove away leaving the bag (which was purchased in Venice and is one of my favorite) to the wind. Both sitters were not in the area. I called another friend who happened to be on his way to Norwalk in the hopes that he could connect with the Super who also has a set of my keys. Only the damn Super is in Europe and his wife was in NJ throwing a baby shower for her daughter! The fates were against me.

I had to do it. I had to come clean. The first stupid setback of the trip belonged to me. We had to go back. Back down Route 8, back down the Merritt Parkway, across the Hutch and the Cross County to the Sawmill, to the Henry Hudson to Broadway and back to the apartment. Thankfully the traffic gods were on our side and we made it in just about an hour. I ran up and sure enough, there was the purse precisely where I left it. After a quick bathroom stop, we got on the road again. Up Broadway, onto the Henry Hudson (where my father reminded me that his E-Z pass now got to pay the toll twice....), up the Sawmill to the Cross County and the Hutch, up to the Merritt and back up to 8. By the time we hit Hartford I had been driving for well over 5 hours. We all remarked we didn't realize Hartford was quite so far and then realized - it actually wasn't.

We crossed into Massachusetts sometimes after 6 and I knew that my plans of Portsmouth were slipping away. The stress of the day and the extra two hours of driving were taking their toll on all of us. Dad stopped complaining about the radio and the temperature in the car. Mom's idle chatter about everyone and everything slowed to a crawl. When I passed a sign that said 69 miles to Portsmouth I felt a renewed sense of energy. Until I realized those were the 69 miles I already drove to get back and forth to the apartment - and finally, upon seeing the green lights of a Holiday Inn somewhere north of Worcester, MA I gave up the goat.

Here I was planning on blogging about how to survive a trip with my parents but maybe I should be blogging about how they survive the trip with me? Can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring... For now all is well. I have a comfy king size bed, Family Guy is on back to back episodes and the security guards just kicked out the loud family sitting by the indoor pool directly outside my room. Dreamland calls.

Survival Tip: A little OCD checking of EVERYTHING you need to have with you doesn't hurt anybody.

And it begins.....

After weeks of planning, here we are on the morning of departure for our family trip to Maine. Mom and Dad are on their way to me as I type, with their cat in the backseat whom they insisted would benefit from spending the week while we're all away with my cat so they wouldn't get "lonely". Number 1 - their cat (Fred) hates my cat (Meatball). Number 2 - do cats get lonely? I mean I know Meatball will miss me but as long as his Aunt Stacie and Aunt Wendy come by to give him some food and a scratch he'll be fine. Meanwhile - the question of whether or not I'll have an apartment left after these two try to kill each other is another story.

Moving on, I'm nearly packed except for the 40 something pounds of technology I'll be carrying with me. Laptop, Charger, Ipad, Iphone, Charger, Nook (b/c I can't read on the Ipad in the sun) and charger, Digital Camera and charger.... So glad I'm heading up to Maine to 'reconnect' with nature. There's also a work folder I'm bringing up with a horrific looking macro that I need to finish updating at some point. Don't tell my mother this. She hates when I work when we're on vacation. What she doesn't realize is I do to - I just sort of would like to make sure I have a job to come back to! (Otherwise that will be another blog: How to survive moving back with your parents at 33.....)

So after they drop off the cat, and we attempt to have them make 'friends' we'll load up the car and begin the journey northward. My guess is that we'll stop somewhere in Riverdale for lunch (for those of you who don't know I live in Washington Heights). After that it's (hopefully) a straight shot onto Portsmouth, New Hampshire where we'll be camping (in a Marriott) for the night. This is where it gets fun. My parents have a Garmin that they have come to rely pretty heavily on for travel. But a friend of mine has made the trek from NY to Maine a few times lately and sent me what he promises are better directions. I have warned, and rewarned my parents that since I'm driving I get to pick the route. And to at least get out of Connecticut with minimal hassles we're following the directions that I have which say avoid 95 at all costs and take smaller less traveled roads for no traffic hassles. I'm opening the betting pool now that our first argument (possibly even before the lunch stop after 10 minutes of driving....) will be about how my directions are different from the Garmin....

The other fun part of this is going to be the radio. I meant to get a ipod car connector as I have a few playlists that even my parents would like, but of course, forgot. Now you have to understand that until I was about 14 I thought that cars only had AM radio and the only thing you could listen to on long family car trips was talk radio - generally Dr. Melzer (sp?) who gave what I think was the worst advice ever. Occasionally there would be Arthur Schwarz and Food Talk which I grew to not surprisingly love. There was also a woman Joan Somebody....can't remember who talked about travel and shopping etc... She grew on me as I got older and realized that anyone was better than Dr. Melzer! Now in the New York area I can probably get away with NPR for a while but when we leave the tri-state it should get more interesting. So the 2nd fight after the directions (and possibly a tiff over lunch) will most likely be the radio. Too bad driving with headphones is frowned upon....

Survival tactic? Taking a tip from Dory in Finding Nemo - just keep driving.