After a particularly stressful time, we were able to go away together for several days. My husband loves history and I love the ocean, so we chose the East Coast states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.
We soaked in lots of pilgrim history (Plymouth) and sunshine (Cape Cod) and visited with old friends near Boston.
Then we drove north to New Hampshire and Maine, where we traded sunny days for gray, rainy ones. I don’t mind the rain but my husband thoroughly dislikes it. I certainly didn’t want to sit in our hotel room bemoaning the weather. I wanted to get outside, see more of the beautiful landscape and walk along the ocean. Thankfully my husband is a pretty good sport and, after all, I had followed him around museums and graveyards related to his ancestors and other pieces of history I was not especially interested in, so he agreed to do some things I enjoyed as well.
We walked along the Little Boar’s Head Trail near North Hampton, New Hampshire. Man, it poured! Here is my honey giving me his best grumpy old man face (at my request), which puts me in mind of the character in A Man Called Ove. (Or Otto, if you prefer the Tom Hanks version). Cracks me up!
Then later, in Ongunquit Maine, we walked along the Marginal Way. Still gray and drizzly but thankfully not pouring.
When contemplating this post, the line “into each life some rain must fall” came to mind and when I looked it up, I learned that Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (no stranger to hardship) wrote “The Rainy Day” in Maine so it seemed fitting to include. Here are a few more lines:
Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall. . .”
Overall it was a good trip but we both both caught something nasty and came home sick. Not the souvenir I would have wished for! Thankfully my husband is already feeling better and hopefully I will recover soon too. Ah, well; into each life some rain must fall…
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Love your hubby’s Ove face. That is so like Ken and me—I don’t mind the rain at all. Ken would be grumpy. 🙂 But your trip sounds great. Those are places on our bucket list!
I love that area of the country! What a great trip, but so sorry you came home sick. 🙁
I now have another trip to make after reading this post, except I’d be like Brian and my hubby would be like you. Thank goodness Minnesota has given you sunshine as you recover from your vacation.
So sorry you caught something on your trip, Julie. Hope you’re better soon. Loved your hubby’s “Ove” face. LOL!
This was the same trip my husband and I took over 20 years ago. Our last stop was Ogunquit, which we found out means “beautiful place by the sea.” We walked the Marginal Way. Our stay in Ogunquit convinced us we needed to spend more time in Maine, and we did! We took another trip exploring coastal towns, staying in B&B’s in Kennebunkport, Boothbay Harbor, Newcastle/Damariscotta, Camden, and Bar Harbor. Bar Harbor became our favorite, and we spent many summers there. I highly recommend Maine!
Thanks for sharing your trip and bringing back many fond memories for me. Hope you feel better soon.
Wishing you a speedy recovery, Julie!
Oh, Julie – your husband definitely has the “Ove” face down pat! But it does sound like a great trip until you got sick. Hope you’re feeling better – take care!