Walker headed back to NYC after a lovely long weekend with me in Maine, and my parents kindly let me stay the rest of the week with them in their hotel suite. 

Thought I would share my unedited iPhone photos of some of our adventures, because pretty much everything we did was beautiful and worth a visit, too! First up, the Back Cove Trail right in Portland. My dad ran it most mornings, but took a break to walk it with me. I loved the marsh grasses and cranes (herons?), thin and elegant.

This trip, we spent three afternoons at the Ocean Park beach, part of the very long Old Orchard Beach where my family hails from. I have probably spent more time on this beach than any other, and so it is both nostaglic, but also shockingly clean, and lovely.

Of course, we walked down to the Pier. If my sister were around, she would have dragged us up on it for Pier Fries, but we escaped this time.

Instead, I ate the second half of my lobster roll from lunch. (Bite Into Maine!)

That evening was a total blast: A Portland Sea Dogs minor league game. I was cowering a little from our prime foul-zone seats, but the best part turned out to be  . . .

1. The inning breaks. The family in front of us got chosen to play Life Size Hungry Hippo. And I loved the Lobster Toss, where people dressed up as Lobstermen and had to toss lobsters into traps. 2. The game ending on an error throw on a BUNT, and 3. The fireworks show at the end, which was legitimately incredible. It was fireworks night at the park!

The next day, we took a walk to Ogunquit's Perkin's Cove. The famous promenade was fairly empty due to threatening rain, and I loved the vistas of roses on one side, and cliffs on the other.

Looking back, it's interesting that the sky looks blue here--I had remembered the day being stormy and overcast! We walked the entire stretch of Marginal's Way and then got ice cream at a shop in picturesque Perkin's Cove.

A few years ago, my aunt took my cousin and I to Mackworth Island, a small island off the coast that's a state park. There's a small entrance fee, but totally worth it for the one mile loop along the water and through the woods. My parents and I went for a walk,

and then liked it so well, that my dad suggested a walk in the other direction round the island again.

We ended the week with a last walk along Ocean Park for some tingling salt water and sand. The weather was perfect, in the 70s and sunny. So thankful for a week to refresh.  Our flight home was a bit delayed, but we flew right smack over Manhattan and Brooklyn. Hi, home!