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.
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.
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