Kennebunkport - really!

We've landed at the White Barn Inn in Kennebunkport, Maine. So far no sightings of my least favorite President or his family. Guess he spends his time in Texas these days. Our drive to Maine from Cape Cod took us on some interesting frolics and detours. On the Presidential trail, we went looking for the Kennedy compound at Hyannisport and got close. It's pretty unassuming as neighborhoods go, but then I may still be recovering from the excesses of the Vanderbilts and Astors along the Newport shore. We spent a nostalgic 30 minutes in the JFK Memorial, a small museum of mostly photos and videos of JFK, some with his voice, others his mother Rose, and my favorite, Walter Cronkite. Best thing in the museum for me - a quote by E.B. White: (to be added when found). Took my breath away. Best photos: the young JFK and Jacquie with Caroline and John John as fun-loving little kids. Carpe diem.

We exit the Cape after a final lunch of fried fish and french fries and beer. Next stop Walden Pond - how can we drive by the place that Thoreau found so inspiring. Google maps tells us how to get there and we arrive at what we think is Walden Pond, but find no signs. Walk down to the lake and think, oh this is kind of interesting. Must have been more powerful when Thoreau was here. Go back to the car and look at Google again. We are at the wrong Walden Pond. Ours is by Lynne, MA. The real one is by Concord, MA about 30 minutes away. Come on Google! Why would you send us to the fake Walden Pond, when the real one is nearby (but not that nearby). This leads us to reconsider our route. It's already 5:00 pm (based on our rigorous travel schedule). We decide to save the real Walden Pond for another trip to Boston and head off to Marblehead, MA and Salem to look for witches.

This turns out to be a good choice, as our route takes us along the coast of Masssachusetts just as the sun is heading down. We have late afternoon light on assorted bays and ports filled with sailboats. The best of these is Marblehead, the quintessential sailors' paradise. My sailor guy is happy in these parts. Every time we get near a bay filled with boats, his spirits lift and I can almost see him travelling back in time to when he sailed these waters as a college boy. Quite fun to share. We spend enough time at Marblehead for the sun to set before heading off to Salem. There we find the House of Seven Gables, which indeed looks to have 7 gables. The Salem Witch Museum is closed, so we just have to imagine what it was like.

Our current lodging has a window out to the woods with leaves beginning to turn. It's another beautiful sunny, crisp fall day. The plan is to bike or hike or do something outside. Some movement is definitely required as the food here is plentiful and fantastic.