McGregor Clan: Maine!

Well with my parents in town for Labor Day Weekend, my dad and I decided to plan a little excursion to get us all off the Cape and away from the summer-crazed tourist that dawn this place each year as summer comes to a close. We decided to head up the coast to Southwest Maine for the weekend. It was a great trip and we officially have proclaimed Maine as our favorite state in the New England area. It offers such beauty and a laid back attitude that is so much lacking here in Cape Cod.

We did stop off in Salem, MA for the afternoon to tour some less that stellar Witch Museums and visit the memorial site of the Witch Trials which were held there in the later part of the 1600's. It was a gorgeous day and I was very interested by the history this event. I have read books on the Witch Trials and one of its victims, Martha Carrier so it was very insightful to me.

At the Witch Memorial...Martha Carrier was a very interesting woman who was persecuted and hanged during the hysteria.

Old burial grounds in the middle of Salem where several governors were buried. None of the people executed during the trial were buried here though.

Statue of the original Govenor of Salem.

After leaving Salem we heading up to Maine and had a great weekend in Portland and Casco Bay. We stayed in the Old Port District which was wonderful. It is an old industrial shipping harbor that is being revitalized with shops, resturants and hotels. It was a great, central location with a very eclectic vibe. Trav and I really loved it there. There was also a great waterfront bike/hike trail that Trav and I were able to run on in the mornings.

Taylor enjoyed consuming lots of Lobster while up in Maine. An egg allergy eliminates a lot of items from her diet but luckily fish/shellfish is not one of them. She enjoyed tons of chowdah...as they say it here, Lobster Bisque and claws.

Travi with the LobsterMan

Old Port District of downtown Portland from our cruise boat. It really is a gorgeous town!

A picture of Long Wharf at sunset.

We also took a Lighthouse cruise in Casco Bay which was great. We lucked out and got ourselves a beautiful, sunny day that allowed for some great viewing of the local lighthouses and of old WWII forts that were built to protect the harbor.

An old granite lighthouse that is now unmanned because of the treacherous conditions faced when trying to get to its light.

Ft. Gorges was built to protect the harbor during WWII, as it was a vital shipping port during that time. It was never officially completed and the funding was pulled from the project.

Portland Head Lighthouse is the most photographed lighthouse in the United States. It is a beautiful lighthouse that is still in operation today.

Can you see the face/profile in this photo?

Before heading back down the coast to go home we stopped off at Two Lights State Park and also had lunch at that Lobster Shack. What a great place! We enjoyed the rocky shoreline, watched birds feed and even got a bit of sun that day all while enjoying MORE wonderful Maine Lobsters and Chowdah!