Going back to the beginning- A trip to Maine

About 4 years ago, my husband and I decided to plan a trip to Maine. Joseph, my husband, was born in Strong, Maine. He and his family moved to Mississippi when he was 8 years old and he had not returned to his birth state since. 

I was born and reared in Mississippi and if you are familiar with Mississippi weather, then you know we rarely see snow. I was excited about our trip because I was finally going to be able to play in real snow. We traveled to Maine in December. I would not recommend this time of travel to anyone who does not like cold weather. The temps were frigid. One day the high was 5 degrees Fahrenheit. 

We had so much fun, despite the cooler weather. We took our son, Eli, who was 4 years old. He was extremely excited about the snow because he had never seen the white fluffy stuff before. 

Obviously, this trip was a nostalgic one and I believe my husband really wanted to remember some happy times in his childhood that were spent in Maine. We lodged at Courtyard By Marriott in Portland. This hotel is in a perfect location. There are shopping and restaurants all within walking distance. The cobblestone streets of Portland are beautiful and even in the snowy weather, it makes for a beautiful scene. 

Maine is known for their Whoopie Pies. A whoopie pie is two cookies sandwiched together with cream in the middle. That may sound like an Oreo to you, but think about an Oreo on a much larger scale. The cookie is almost cake like and they come in all flavors, but chocolate is our favorite. 

There are so many delicious restaurants to eat at in Portland. DiMillos On the Water is just like its name, on the water. You actually dine on the boat. Now it must be noted that this is a seafood restaurant and we traveled to Maine prior to adhering to Levitical food laws.  Lobster was one of my favorite foods so I ate lobster everyday and even twice a day while we were in Maine. It's fresh and it's cheap and did I mention, it's delicious. 

If seafood isn't your thing, then make sure to try Portland Pie Company. I think this was Eli's favorite place that we ate. He really enjoyed Capt'n Eli's Root Beer. He drank one of these every day we were there. They even had Capt'n Eli comic books that our Eli just had to have. Capt'n Eli's Root Beer is made in Portland, ME. 

Did I mention the snow? Isn't it beautiful? We bundled up and walked all over Portland and enjoyed shopping on Commerce Street. 

We rented a car and drove to Joseph's childhood town of Strong, ME. A good bit had changed, but he still remembered the creek that he played in as a child and we snuck in a visit to his parent's friend that still lived in Maine. Joseph enjoyed telling Eli all about the adventures that he had while living in Maine. 

We also drove to Kennebunkport, ME. This town is beautiful and even some of our United States Presidents think so! Walker's Point is the Bush's summer home and can be seen as you drive along the coast. 

Kennebunkport is filled with adorable shops, restaurants, and art galleries. There is a beach, but the high that day was 5 degrees Fahrenheit while were were there. I was amazed because I had never seen ice crystals on a beach. This was the coldest day during our journey. Most days were in the 30s.  

The company LL Bean is based out of Freeport, Maine. We also traveled to their flagship store, which is super cool! They have so many animal displays and a good bit of interactive activities for the children. 

There is also a good bit of dining and shopping options in Freeport, but I think I was more interested in the snow. 

We traveled to Maine just one week before Christmas. It was a wonderful experience and I wanted to bring some of those delicious lobsters home. If you have never cooked lobster, let me explain. You boil them alive. This means that if you wish to take Maine lobsters home with you, they are sold alive- crawling around and moving. I thought to have the lobsters shipped back to our home, but this is really pricey. Maine lobsters (about $10 per lobster) are super inexpensive, but the shipping costs are where the expense lies because they are a fresh food and must be shipped overnight. 

Alas, I was dismayed that I could not bring back any Maine lobsters for the Christmas Eve dinner we had planned with my parents. That was until we arrived at the airport to catch our return flight. Our gate was located directly across from a restaurant that had a tank full of delicious Maine lobsters. I walked over and asked the chef if he could possibly pack up some lobsters for me and he happily obliged. He helped me pick them out of the tank and wrapped each lobster is wet newspapers. Then he placed them in a Styrofoam cooler with instructions on how to cook them and away I went- happy as a lark!  

Christmas Eve dinner was a hit. Some locals at the airport, who were flying south for the winter, told me that they always let their children play with the lobsters before they were boiled. Eli and Hub did not know what to think of the fact that we were letting them play with their food. 

I let my mother cook the lobsters because I just couldn't bring myself to drop something that was still alive into boiling water. Those lobsters will try to climb out of your pot and you just have to knock them back in the pot. The chef at the airport had warned me about this. I had to put that out of my mind as I ate them. 

In summation, we had a really wonderful trip. It was cold, but it was also Maine in December. We hope to return and maybe go in the warmer months. Please feel free to comment with any questions or comments! 

Happy Travels, ya'll!