Trip Recap #2

The main reason for our trip back East was our friends' wedding in Maine.  As mentioned in the previous post, I quickly fell in love with the town's charm.  Both Friday night's dinner and Saturday's reception were held at the Stonehouse Manor which sits on Silver Lake.  Canoes and rowboats were available as well as lawn games all day Saturday and bonfires both nights.  We quickly hopped in a rowboat after the ceremony.  It was so nice to sneak away for a moment and also still be so close to all the action.

Walking down to the boats.

Looking back at the wedding tent from the rowboat.  Adirondack chairs peppered the lawn creating little moments for a glass of wine and conversation.  The fog seen here quickly lifted and the rest of the day was bright and sunshiny for the newlyweds.

This was my first time to see an actual lobster bake.  I'll narrate...

Live lobsters and clams get thrown on top of a bed of seaweed and wrapped corn on the cob.

The whole thing gets covered by butcher paper.

And secured all around with bricks.  Those guys weren't going anywhere!

And then covered with more seaweed.

Then the whole thing gets lit from underneath and people stand around drooling.  I can say without a doubt that this was the freshest lobster I've ever had.

Pretty and bright floral arrangements decorated the mostly white tent.

The place settings.

Reeses with the couple's initials and wedding date.  I planned to save one of these, 

I have no idea where it could have gone...

Saturday night, the late night crowd was treated to some sort of amazing Croatian shot (groom's heritage) served by the groom himself down by the bonfire.  What a treat! 

Trip finale tomorrow...

Trip Recap

We stayed at the Sebasco Resort during our visit to Maine.  What it lacked in air conditioning, the resort made up for with it's charming lodge and cottages and abundantly lush flowers and sprawling lawns.

One of the buildings you can stay in is the lighthouse.  

The top floor is open to all guests and a great spot for coffee in the morning.

We really enjoyed our stay here and were disappointed not to have time to visit

the Fairwinds Spa on the premises!

Back Again

Well well well, yet again, I've been a delinquet blogger.  Fortunately, this time, I feel like I have an excuse.  Having taken on four jobs in the last month (2 part time, 2 freelance,) and taking a 9 day jaunt across the US, I've had little time to sit down and write.  That shall change this afternoon!  I don't want to make false promises that I'll be posting everyday again.  But I've got lots of good material!  Let's start with the trip.  Our first stop was in KTW's hometown of Milwaukee.  Unfortunately, I didn't get too many pictures, we were quite busy.  But I think the pic below captures Milwaukee's essence :)

 

Just kidding, I swear we did more than drink here!  Other Milwaukee activities included a Brewers game, seeing Midnight in Paris at The Oriental which has been named one of the 10 top movie theaters in America, viewing the impressive Emperor's Private Paradise: Treasures from the Forbidden City at the art museum, a three hour kayak tour of downtown, lots of golf, and some really yummy homemade meals.

Our next stop was Boston, where we would meet a few NYC and Boston friends for dinner before riding two and half hours north to Phippsburg, Maine for a wedding. Stella was our destination for dinner and it did not disappoint.  Fabulous cocktails, scrumptious food, and great company, you could say we started the wedding celebrating early.

Next up, the wedding in Maine.  Stay tuned tomorrow, you won't want to miss this gorgeous affair!

Playing Tourist

This weekend, I walked down the crooked part of Lombard for the first time.  Having been here a little over two months now, I figured it was time to bite the bullet and risk looking like one of the other million tourists that venture down this street each day.  I never quite understood the appeal of walking down a crooked street.  Now I do.  The homes are so gorgeous, the constantly in bloom hydrangeas that take over the inner curves of the meandering street, the scent from a million different plants growing next to/on/above the houses, the steepness of the stairs that guide you along the edges away from the cars, it is truly an engaging experience.  Here are some quick shots I took.  Isn't the bougainvillea incredible?  It grows on many of the homes here.  I love the bright shades of purple and pink that it comes in and how full and overgrown it looks.