Unblogged Life

 Obviously I have been neglecting my blog. I blame my smart phone and Instagram mostly, but it's also that lack of computer interest. It's just so much easier to snap a shot with little or no editing or cropping. All of these photos are straight from my phone. I've been enjoying October and will continue to enjoy it for a few more days. Hiking has been especially wonderful. This was Hickory Hills but I go to Katowski very close to home most of the time.

 Apple pie and knitting for Christmas. It's clear that summer is over. I made Walker's stocking before he was born but got so excited about getting his name ready for this year.

 I love spending time outdoors in the Fall and fortunately its been nice enough that my family has been willing also. Lincoln especially loves being outside whenever possible.

 Walker has been so great when Ashley puts him in the carrier for a hike or a walk. He loves the leaves as much as I love them too!

 Kirby is always willing to walk with me! It's just coordinating my schedule with Jay's.

 So much beauty out there and I am loving it. Maybe I will have more time to blog when the snow flies. I have photos on both cameras too. It's my goal to get those transferred to the computer tonight. See, its just more work when I don't use the phone. Of course the photos have a different quality also. For now I will focus on enjoying the last days of October!

Football Time

 It finally worked out to get Lincoln to a football game this weekend. Dale and I have seen Wartburg and Drake play this fall but the Friday night Sophomore game with CF and Waterloo worked out perfectly with Lincoln's schedule so we went. It was foggy and muddy for the players but we enjoyed all the tackling and passing.

 After the game we got to come home to enjoy some hot chocolate and a couple of innings of the World's Series. It was the perfect time for an overnight.

 Saturday morning waffles and a hike around the lake made a perfect morning for me. Lincoln did a great job of hiking and throwing rocks and sticks into the lake. It was 1.3 miles and he kept up great. At the end he said, "Just a beautiful day for a hike."

Saturday afternoon was a celebration in Mason City for Brecken's fourth birthday. Lincoln rode with me and was a great travel companion. I didn't take any photos...all those cute kids and no photos! Dan's got five grandchildren so it was lots of fun. I love seeing all the kids and Cindy is so good to get the photos...and suggest the sibling shot too! It was a wonderful day in Mason City. I even made it home on time for the UNI Volleyball game.

Grammy's Home

I've been home for almost two weeks but it took me that long to catch up on vacation blogging. The best part of getting home was spending time with my grandsons. Walker is changing so quickly and has to be one of the happiest  babies I have ever known.

Lincoln was thrilled to have me home and gave me lots of extra hugs. It was fun to have him help me with my new baseballs and just get to do some of our normal things together, like play in the rain and go on a coffee date.

Walker is already seven months old! He makes October look even better.

Vacation Ends

 It was a fabulous vacation with so many highlights. We saw some beautiful places and I reconnected with some wonderful people. We visited every state in New England and New York City also. We didn't make it to the NASCAR race but we did make it to two major league ball parks.

 We also got to six capital state houses and got a glimpse of each of the cities that serve as state capitals. We tasted lots of local food and found some new favorites. We were out of Iowa for eleven days but it was still hard to stay good-bye when we flew out of NYC. I am sure that we will be back. We need to get to the track in New Hampshire.

Bar Harbor and Acadia

 It was late afternoon when we pulled in to Bar Harbor. We had already had a busy day but I was anxious to get out so I walked while Dale rested. I walked to Bar Island at low tide and explored Main Street a bit until it was time to meet Dale, Chloe and Scott for dinner. I stayed at their home when I first came to Maine nine years ago. They were very good friends of Randy's and it was wonderful to catch up with them and share stories. It really touched me deeply to share the evening with them.

Chloe and Scott gave us great tips for exploring Acadia National Park the next day so we got up very early to visit the more popular places before the cruise ship crowds arrived. We set an alarm and were rewarded with an amazing sunrise on Cadillac Mountain. Lots of people joined us. It is a spectacular view when the sun touches the USA for the first time in the morning. 

 

 

 Another highlight of our trip to Acadia for me was a hike up Dorr Mountain on Emery Trail. I didn't make it to the top of the mountain but I did make it up half a mile of stairs which was pretty exciting and empowering for me. It was a gorgeous place to hike and I was grateful that my legs and lungs were up to the challenge. We didn't realize what we were starting when we took off up the stairs but I have read more and found it is the second highest point in Acadia.

 

 Acadia is gorgeous. A man we met said something about how rare for the mountains to meet the ocean in the USA. Maybe that is part of the reason that it seems so special. We did see some beautiful fall color but even without the foliage the colors, especially the blues are spectacular.

 

 

We took Chloe's advice and headed toward Schoodic Point and Corea that afternoon. It was a glorious slice of Maine. I can see why Scott and Chloe moved to Maine after vacationing there annually.

 

 

 After a day in the national park and enjoying nature we spent sometime enjoying the commercialism and tourism of Bar Harbor. It was especially fun to go to Dale's first lobster pound. Ice cream on Main street afterward was fun too and reminded me of my time there with Randy and Tom.

So many wonderful things about Maine that made it hard to leave at the end of our time. I think I'll get back to Maine and I would love to do it while I could try to climb Dorr Mountain again, now that I know more about it!

 

Traveling in Maine

Lighthouses captivate me and I will go out of my way to visit and photograph a new lighthouse. These two happen to be my favorites and they are not many miles apart on the Maine coast. I visited them for the first time in 2005 with Randy and Tom and was anxious to return on this trip. Above is Portland Head Lighthouse at Cape Elizabeth.  Cape Neddick "Nubble" Lighthouse in York is below.

 

Amazing wild Maine blueberry ice cream on the coast of Maine visiting a lighthouse! Perfection!

Wiscasset, Maine and Red's Eats were recommended by friends and I am grateful that we were able to visit. We were warned about lines that could stretch blocks down the street but Dale and I got very lucky when we arrived and were able to walk right up and order the very best lobster roll I have ever eaten. It was amazing, buttery and tasted like Maine.

 We sat on the patio to enjoy our dinner and walked down to the harbor to enjoy the sunset. Fortunately we had incredibly great weather for this trip. Red's doesn't even have any indoor dining.

 Because I love to linger at the lighthouses and the sunset we didn't arrive in Augusta until after dark to visit the state house. Since we were staying over night we stopped back in the morning to see the capital building in the daylight. That also allowed us the opportunity to stop for Tim Horton's donuts for the fist time ever.

 We also got to go inside the capital in the morning. My favorite spot was the balcony overlooking the front lawn and the park across the street. The light Maine fog just added to the atmosphere for me.

After our stop in Augusta I was anxious to head back to the coast to visit small harbor towns and lighthouses. It was my first time to Rockland Breakwater and I loved it! This ship sailing by was just frosting on the cake. I just love Maine!

 

One thing that I loved about Rockland Breakwater was the amazing 7/8 of a mile walk out to the lighthouse on the rock breakwater. It was an incredible experience. Our next stop was Camden and it was a great place to enjoy lunch on a patio overlooking the gorgeous harbor. My first visit to Camden will hopefully not be my last.

 

 

Official drink of Maine is Moxie. Dale bought a bottle. I took one taste and we didn't need to buy anymore, but it was fun to try. The official dessert is Whoppie Pie and those were worth repeating. We got them twice. As much as I was enjoying our exploration of Maine I was very excited to move on toward Bar Harbor and Acadia for the next chapter.