We then traveled up the Atlantic coast, spending nights in Portsmouth, N.H., Boothsbay, Maine, Kennebunk, Maine and Bar Harbor, Maine. We stopped at many places in between in these three states.
During the 286 miles from Cambridge to Bar Harbor we saw a lot and did a lot. We walked around the Harvard University campus on Independence Day. That’s a statue of school namesake Rev. John Harvard behind us. More on that visit later in this post.
Things got a little creepy in Salem, Mass. during our tour of the Salem Witch Museum.
Portsmouth, N.H. featured a bustling downtown and a prominent church- North Church- Portsmouth United Church of Christ. The congregation goes all the way back to 1671. This edifice was built in 1854.
Crossing into Maine, which has two nicknames- Vacationland and The Pine Tree State. Most of our time would be spent here; first-time visits for each of us.
Cape Neddick “Nubble” Lighthouse, York, Maine. Maine has the nation’s third most lighthouses with 65 (only Michigan and New York have more). We would see eight, with this the first one. Nubble Island has been the light’s home since 1879. Visitors can admire it from 100 yards away in Sohier Park.
The stop here proved to be a twofer when we spotted a second lighthouse in the distance. Boon island Light is Maine’s tallest at 133 feet and is one of the most remote. A lighthouse has been here since 1799. The version here today was erected in 1855. This area of the Atlantic was known for shipwrecks, including an infamous one in 1710 when desperate survivors resorted to cannibalism!
We next came upon what is surely the shortest lighthouse I’ve ever seen. This is on the Maine coast at Ogunquit. Called the Lobster Point Lighthouse, shorty was built in 1948 by White Winfield C. Littlefield whose family first settled this area. Donations funded a major upgrade of the mini-light in 2009.
On July 7 we set a route to Boothbay Harbor. On the way we checked off another Maine lighthouse with the Portland Light in Cape Elizabeth.
We scored another twofer here! Off in the distance, reachable by boat, is the Ram Island Ledge Light in Casco Bay. Built in 1905, the light marks the entrance to Portland Harbor. Shipwrecks in the treacherous waters necessitated another lighthouse along the Maine coastline.
The popular outdoor apparel company LL Bean calls Maine home. It was founded in 1912 in Freeport, Maine. We stopped by the huge flagship store. I didn’t buy a new rifle but was struck by how many are displayed and how anyone, any age can pick up one (buying one is another story). Alesia bought some slippers and socks for her and our daughter-in-law Tamy.
A pit stop to Bath, Maine produced an interesting encounter. At 3:30 traffic slowed when the shift changed at the General Dynamics Bath Iron Works. We saw scores of workers leaving the plant that manufactures destroyer warships for the U.S. Navy. Bath Iron Works employs 6,500. This includes 5,000 shipbuilders who fabricate the vessels that help defend America.
That evening in Boothbay, Maine we enjoyed dinner amid a gorgeous sunset. An unexpected delight! Appropriately the restaurant is called Sunset Lounge. It’s part of the Boothbay Harbor Oceanside Inn where we stayed.
Bar Harbor or bust! From Boothbay we crept farther up the coast, Bar Harbor bound. But what a long, arduous drive that proved to be. Our previous point A to point Bs had been relatively short, less than an hour in the car.
This route was almost all backroads. It actually felt like the backroads of the backroads. Lots of twists and turns, and not much scenery to enjoy.
This was an exception. “Big Jim” is 40 feet tall and has been promoting Maine sardines since 1959. He has been stationed at a few different locations over the years. Today he stands tall in Searsport, Maine in front of the Penobscot Marine Museum.
Finally, after about three hours of windshield time, we made it to Bar Harbor. Beautiful and bustling, it was worth the long drive.
💥 We began our New England vacation with a bang! 💥 
The show commenced more than an hour late due to earlier lightning threats, testing our patience. Guys standing next to us who smelled of marijuana didn’t help. We eventually moved back behind the main crowd where we are more comfortable.
Drones opened the display, and it is amazing what the show producers did! A dozen or more patriots and patriotic scenes are depicted out of drones. Just amazing!
A crowd favorite showed boxes of tea being tossed off a ship into Boston Harbor, the Boston Tea Party. I didn’t get a good photo of it, but click here to see a video CNN produced.
The fireworks show is the best I’ve ever seen. Long, loud and, yes, spectacular.
Yes, I couldn’t resist a selfie. Thanks to the friendly fellow from Iowa who offered to take this next picture.
The Spirit of ‘76 was present in many ways on the ground too.
The police presence was appreciated as well.
Such a great way to start our holiday. Happy Birthday America! 🇺🇸
It was quite a warm day. These ladies were smart to bring umbrellas
Many people patiently waited in line for a photo at the statue of Harvard’s namesake, John Harvard.
We chose a faster way to get the picture.
Rev. John Harvard was English, a Puritan minister, who in his will when he died in 1838, left his 300-book library and half his monetary estate to the young colonial college founded just two years prior as “New College.” Yes, a better name was needed, and out of gratitude to Rev. Harvard for those donations, the name was changed in 1639.
In 2024 when we visited Boston and Cambridge we didn’t make it to Harvard so I’m glad we did so this time.
There are many architectural flourishes on the exterior. I would have liked to explore inside the Memorial Hall too. The massive structure was built in the 1870s.
This monument in Cambridge is especially pertinent on July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and, per the inscription, the eight-year war with England to win our freedom.
We hear how freedom isn’t free. An example of what this means is found in a lovely small park near the Residence Inn in Cambridge where we stayed. The first time I passed by this memorial plaque I noticed how Danny Lewin was only 31 when he died and he co-founded Akamai Technology, a global cloud computing and cybersecurity company located in the vicinity. I snapped a photo of the plaque, curious to learn more. The next evening in the hotel room, I googled Danny Lewin and learned that he died on Sept. 11, 2001. He was a passenger on a United flight from Boston that terrorists hijacked. Trained during a stint in the Israeli Defense Force (and fluent in Arabic), he apparently tried to fight a terrorist but had his throat cut by a terrorist sitting behind him. Danny Lewin is considered the first fatality on that horrific day 26 years ago.
This is adolphus Busch Hall at Harvard, built in 1917. Appropriate to its design, the hall is home to the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies. It originally housed Harvard’s Germanic Museum. Adolphus Busch, co-founder of the Anheuser-Busch beer company, donated $265,000 to the school. That'll get your name on a building!
Finally, ahead of the July 4th fireworks show, I captured scenes of the Charles River and the Boston skyline.
By one count, today there are 100 or so businesses related to the Salem Witch Trials. This is when 19 residents (14 women and five men) received sentences of death by hanging after juries convicted them of being witches. A 20th victim, a man, died by the Medieval heavy stones press torture device. Five other people died in prison while awaiting trial.
America’s most beloved witch has a prominent spot in Salem. She is, of course, Samantha Stephens (play date by Elizabeth Montgomery) from the TV “Bewitched.” The sitcom ran from 1964-1972 and is one I fondly remember from my childhood. “Presented by the People of TV Land” says the plaque (below). TV Land is a channel known for airing old comedies like “Bewitched.” 
On first look when we pulled into town I thought he must be the warlock in charge.
Our first stop would be the Salem Witch Museum. I figured let’s get the straight facts right away. The building that houses the museum is perfect, an imposing 1845 Gothic Revival design that was for many years a church. We paid the $17.50 senior fee and, with a few dozen other visitors, were led to a theater.
They told their parents and other adults that they were “bewitched” and pointed fingers at women in the community as being responsible. Hysteria ensued, and so eventually would 19 hangings! All told, 200 women and men would be accused of practicing witchcraft. Several would die while imprisoned.
One online analysis says that, yes, children’s accusations sparked the crisis: “the trials were ultimately fueled by the panic, religious beliefs, and political divisions of the adult community.”
The 1939 classic film, “The Wizard of Oz” was a major influence, the guide stated. The Wicked Witch’s green face, for instance, was purely a Hollywood move.
This really old church, Salem’s first, founded in 1629, seems to be in great condition.
This church was constructed in 1836. The earliest place of worship was erected in 1635. The congregation claims to be one of the oldest continuing Protestant churches in North America.
My taste for old burial grounds was sated here. Talk about old! Mayflower pilgrim and passenger Richard More, who died in 1692, is buried here. That’s his grave on the left. He was just 5 or 6 when the Mayflower arrived in Cape Cod Harbor, Massachusetts in 1620. As an adult, he became a prominent sea captain.
Charleston’s old church graveyards have a smattering of 17th-century burials with the dark slate stone markers common back then. This cemetery is full of graves that old.
Alesia had heard of Rockport’s Roy Moore Lobster Co. restaurant so that is where we we enjoyed our first lobster roll. When in Rome, as they say. And, man, it was good.
You want fresh? We saw lobstermen unloading their catches in the marina directly behind Roy Moore’s. This worker is pouring butter on a full, freshly caught lobster, no doubt.
To say the restaurant offers casual dining is an understatement. This family picked apart their lobster meal on top of crates used to catch the delicacy in nearby waters. We shared our lobster roll sitting nearby on a chair (her) and standing (me).
My photography instincts kicked into high gear in this picturesque community.
A small beach in town was full of folks enjoying themselves. The July 4th holiday is peak vacation season around the country. Families are out in force at all the New England places we visited.
This sign in front points out the historic significance of some eternal occupants, saying about the Olde First Parish Burying Ground that the first English settler here, Richard Tarr, gave the land and that he was buried here in 1732. “Here lie most of early settlers and many of the officers and soldiers of the French and Indian, Revolutionary, and War of 1812.”
Now that covers a lot of early American history! The sign was erected in 1930 by the Massachusetts Bay Colony Tercentenary Commission. Between 1630-1640 20,000 English Puritans fled religious persecution in Europe to settle around Boston, Salem and Charlestowne. Rockport (first called Sandy Beach) too it would seem.
Wow, what a busy day we had in Salem and Rockport! We weren’t finished yet. We drove to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where we spent the night. The Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel is very nice, just a short walk from the town center. There are the orange daylily flowers again, so pretty and vibrant!
War of 1812 relics!
Clean streets and a vibrant Victorian-era venue. Portsmouth’s Music Hall dates to 1878 and is very much in use today.
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is a major employer in this area. Its address is Kittery, Maine on Seavey Island at the mouth of the Piscataqua River.
We enjoyed a delicious dinner of New England clam chowder at the Sheraton Hotel. Award-winning clam chowder, two restaurant staffers mentioned. We believed it! Delicious. Wish I had a photo to share.
The next morning just across the Piscataqua River we entered Maine. Vacationland here we come!
Maine is known for lighthouses. It has 65 beacons, 57 of them are still active. These are needed to aid ships in navigating the state’s jagged, intricate coastline, the nation’s fourth-longest behind only Alaska, Florida and Louisiana.
The historic plaque says the Cape Neddick "Nubble" Lighthouse was erected in 1879 to protect mariners from the “savage rock.”
“Savage rock” was the description given this small island in 1602 by an English explorer.
Nubble Light is still in operation and is closed to the public. Visitors enter Sohier Park and view the lighthouse compound from afar, but not too afar, as you see.
A colony of Cormorants convening on the rocks.
More views from Sohier Park of this scenic coastal area…
A remote second lighthouse is visible from Cape Neddick. This one is called Boon Island Lighthouse. It was built in 1855. Boon Island is small and barren. Before this lighthouse was built, it could be treacherous for mariners.
In 1710 the Nottingham Galley wrecked on Boon Island. The crew, so desperate to survive, resorted to cannibalism. So the infamous story goes. More here.
On our drive to our next evening accommodation we stopped for gas in Wells. Founded in 1643 it is Maine’s third oldest town. As we pulled next to the pumps, I saw to the left this open area with a number of headstones. With my photo data, the location is near the intersection of Post and Littlefield roads next to a Mobil service station. 
The shapes and color indicated to me that some are very old. I spent a couple minutes exploring and taking these photographs. I saw no sign giving the name of the burial grounds. I asked the convenience store attendant what she knew about it, and she had no information. This kind of research with my books and other projects has become second nature to me.
This slate stone marker is rich in symbolism. At the top is a large weeping Willow tree suggesting grief and sorrow with its drooping branches resembling weeping tears. And under the branches is an hourglass indicating that times and lives are fleeting, death is inevitable. The name and date on the stone, I cannot make out.
But note the similarities that marker has with this one. Same shape, weeping willow tree. But now I’m thinking instead of an hourglass that is a chalice under the tree, perhaps the flaming chalice of the Unitarian Universalist church. The name on this stone is legible: Gideon Littlefield who died on July 18, 1836.
Next to Gideon’s grave is Betsy, wife of Gideon R. Littlefield, reads the inscription. She perished Oct. 8, 1857 at age 88 years, 11 months. My research finds that the early Littlefield family of York County in this area were Puritan dissenters who wanted more religious freedom of thought. Patriarch Edmund Littlefield was among 175 believers or followers who in 1637 were banished from Massachusetts. Many would settle here in Wells. The rabbit hole of research took me on this detour. The name Littlefield is prominent in this coastal part of Maine and will soon come up again in this post. 
It is situated along Marginal Way, a "famed" (according to one source) 1.25-mile walking path along the rugged Maine shoreline. We did the walk and saw lots of birds in the water and on the rocks.
The ones seen above are female Eiders. Shown below, with the prominent white parts, is the male. I’ll post my many bird photographs, including other lifer birds, in a separate post.
KENNEBUNK, MAINE
The Beach House today has 34 cozy rooms, free parking away from the highway in front of the inn, and amenities such as bicycles, beach and Adirondack chairs, and a charming common area with a beautiful ocean view. Oh, lest I forget- the inn has a very nice gift shop as well. We acquired a few keepsakes there.
The best thing about the inn is the close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Just cross the street, and you’re there.
My camera and I encountered more Common Eiders, a family of them on the move.
And an adult male.
Herring Gull.
Be sure to read my bird post for my full avian count.
Daylight sure begins early in Maine in July! I read that because Maine is the eastern most state in the U.S. that it does see the sun first. I took this picture at 5 a.m. I woke up early, fixed myself a coffee and walked to the beach, ready to witness a glorious sunrise. But it was not to be. I think the sun came up more north of here. I had to settle for a selfie and some good bird photos.
You hear a lot about Maine and its blueberries. For breakfast we went to Mike’s All Day Breakfast in Kennebunk, which was recommended by the inn manager. There we enjoyed, you got it, blueberry pancakes.
We didn’t do too much sightseeing in Kennebunk or its better-known neighbor Kennebunkport. We passed on trying to see the Bush compound. We did see signs of wealth, including tennis courts where everyone wore white. I thought it might have been a tribute to the Wimbledon tournament underway in England. But the inn manager said white attire is required year-round. Wish I had stopped to photograph that.
PORTLAND HEAD LIGHT, CAPE ELIZABETH, MAINE
I'm really glad we saw this one. This is the Portland Head Light, the oldest lighthouse in Maine. The Portland Light is the center of attraction at 90-acre Fort Williams Park.
Construction began in 1787 when the Massachusetts legislature (Maine was still part of the Bay State) gave $750 to start the project. In 1790 the U.S. government, after taking responsibility for the new nation's lighthouse, added another $1,500 to complete the project.
A museum is inside the old lightkeeper's house. We passed on that, not wanting to pay the admission fee. The grounds offer free access and parking, however.
The lighthouse, unfortunately, failed to prevent a shipwreck on Christmas Eve, 1886. The Annie C. McGuire, an English three-masted bark vessel sailing from Argentina, crashed into a ledge near the lighthouse. The lighthouse keeper, Joshua Stroot, his son and some volunteers rigged a gangplank to the damaged ship and safely rescued all aboard. The crew said they saw the lighthouse in the dark and didn't really know why the ship still got to close to the rocks.
I’m always a fan of an old bell. This one was forged in 1901 and was used to warn of fog. Just a few years ago, it partially fell from its spot in the Portland Head Light.
Two hundred years of light keepers are honored with this plaque. It was dedicated in 1989 “to the men and women of the U.S. Lighthouse Service and the U.S. Coast Guard in appreciation of heir two hundred years of service.”
You see a lot of this along Maine’s coastline. Lighthouses? Yes, but I’m referring to the rugged rock, very distinctive. I think this is granite but I’m not positive on that. Neighbor New Hampshire is called “The Granite State” and Maine has abundant deposits too.
The Ram Island Light has a rocky history filled with failed previous structures and multiple shipwrecks. The version, 90 feet tall, has stood up to storms and guided mariners since 1905. In 1958, it became electrified when an underwater power cable was run to it from the Portland Head Light.
Near Bar Harbor, we visited Acadia National Park where we ascended Cadillac Mountain, the highest summit on the U.S. eastern seaboard at 1,530 feet. This is where we are pictured on July 10.
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| Panorama of Cadillac Mountain. That’s Frenchman Bay filled with numerous small islands. |
During the 286 miles from Cambridge to Bar Harbor we saw a lot and did a lot. We walked around the Harvard University campus on Independence Day. That’s a statue of school namesake Rev. John Harvard behind us. More on that visit later in this post.
Things got a little creepy in Salem, Mass. during our tour of the Salem Witch Museum.
In Rockport, Mass. we saw this red fishing shack (Motif No. 1 is its official name), an iconic 1884 structure considered “the most painted building in America.”
Portsmouth, N.H. featured a bustling downtown and a prominent church- North Church- Portsmouth United Church of Christ. The congregation goes all the way back to 1671. This edifice was built in 1854.
Cape Neddick “Nubble” Lighthouse, York, Maine. Maine has the nation’s third most lighthouses with 65 (only Michigan and New York have more). We would see eight, with this the first one. Nubble Island has been the light’s home since 1879. Visitors can admire it from 100 yards away in Sohier Park.
That night we rested our heads at this delightful Victorian inn in Kennebunk, Maine. The Beach House Inn was constructed in 1892. It sits right by the ocean, so the location could not be better. Kudos to Alesia for plotting our path and reserving all of our accommodations well before we began the trip.
More later in this post on our stay here as well as all of the other stops you’ve seen so far.
On July 7 we set a route to Boothbay Harbor. On the way we checked off another Maine lighthouse with the Portland Light in Cape Elizabeth.
More to come on this quaint fishing village, which may have been my favorite New England place.
This route was almost all backroads. It actually felt like the backroads of the backroads. Lots of twists and turns, and not much scenery to enjoy.
Maine. Forged by Nature. So says the state map. Believe it!
This was an exception. “Big Jim” is 40 feet tall and has been promoting Maine sardines since 1959. He has been stationed at a few different locations over the years. Today he stands tall in Searsport, Maine in front of the Penobscot Marine Museum.
Finally, after about three hours of windshield time, we made it to Bar Harbor. Beautiful and bustling, it was worth the long drive.
To follow, our New England adventure with more photos and details.
BOSTON POPS JULY 4TH FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR
The Residence Inn Cambridge is our base of operations for two nights in the Boston area. Memorial Day weekend in 2024 we stayed here, meeting up with our son Joseph who lived in New York at the time.
On Independence Day- America’s 250th birthday- we walked several blocks to the Charles River, joining throngs of revelers for the Boston Pops July 4th Fireworks Spectacular.
The show commenced more than an hour late due to earlier lightning threats, testing our patience. Guys standing next to us who smelled of marijuana didn’t help. We eventually moved back behind the main crowd where we are more comfortable.
Drones opened the display, and it is amazing what the show producers did! A dozen or more patriots and patriotic scenes are depicted out of drones. Just amazing!
A crowd favorite showed boxes of tea being tossed off a ship into Boston Harbor, the Boston Tea Party. I didn’t get a good photo of it, but click here to see a video CNN produced.
The fireworks show is the best I’ve ever seen. Long, loud and, yes, spectacular.
Yes, I couldn’t resist a selfie. Thanks to the friendly fellow from Iowa who offered to take this next picture.
The Spirit of ‘76 was present in many ways on the ground too.
The police presence was appreciated as well.
Such a great way to start our holiday. Happy Birthday America! 🇺🇸
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Earlier in the day on the 4th of July we drove to the Harvard campus. Online it says the school is closed for the holiday, understandably. So we didn’t have high expectations that we could walk around the hallowed grounds. It was a pleasant surprise to see Harvard was indeed open to visitors, and many visitors there were. Tours were even underway.
It was quite a warm day. These ladies were smart to bring umbrellas
We chose a faster way to get the picture.
Rev. John Harvard was English, a Puritan minister, who in his will when he died in 1838, left his 300-book library and half his monetary estate to the young colonial college founded just two years prior as “New College.” Yes, a better name was needed, and out of gratitude to Rev. Harvard for those donations, the name was changed in 1639.
In 2024 when we visited Boston and Cambridge we didn’t make it to Harvard so I’m glad we did so this time.
I was especially impressed by this huge building that I thought was a church.
Not a church, this is Memorial Hall, described as “a towering High Victorian Gothic Masterpiece built to honor Harvard men who fought for the Union during the Civil War.”
There are many architectural flourishes on the exterior. I would have liked to explore inside the Memorial Hall too. The massive structure was built in the 1870s.
A vibrant eclectic shopping area, Harvard Square, surrounds the campus. At a bookstore, we spotted a favorite of our children (Go, Dog. Go!) when they were little.
Lots of history in these parts…
This monument in Cambridge is especially pertinent on July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and, per the inscription, the eight-year war with England to win our freedom.
A few more Cambridge and Boston shots before we head up the coast.
Harvard’s University Museum of Natural History was open on July 4th. We chose not to go through it after seeing the admission fees: $20 per adult; $18 for senior citizens 65 and older.
The hall is a popular venue for events such as weddings. Inside, based on images found online, looks fabulous. What caught my eye though, was at the top of the building. Research tells me this is a replica of a centaur-like figure in Vienna, Austria. The German wording beneath translates to “Art is Skill” or “Art is Ability.” The half-man, half-horse creature wields a large club.
Next, a highway near Harvard. The old-time fire emergency box today serves as a unique piece of street art.
We saw these pretty flowers all around New England. They are orange daylilies.
Finally, ahead of the July 4th fireworks show, I captured scenes of the Charles River and the Boston skyline.
SALEM, MASS.
To say that Salem, an easy drive north from Boston, has capitalized on and commercialized the infamous witch trials of 1692 is an understatement. My head was spinning from the countless witch, sorcery, black magic and horror-themed shops, museums and other attractions in the downtown tourist district. It is a bit overwhelming. Had a spell been cast upon me?
By one count, today there are 100 or so businesses related to the Salem Witch Trials. This is when 19 residents (14 women and five men) received sentences of death by hanging after juries convicted them of being witches. A 20th victim, a man, died by the Medieval heavy stones press torture device. Five other people died in prison while awaiting trial.
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| A Joy Division band T-shirt? The album cover image fits Salem, I suppose |
Salem has plenty of kitsch to go around. Need a witch’s broom like Samantha’s? A shop here will make one for you. Frankenstein’s castle is also available for touring. For those with interest in the occult and the “metaphysical,” there are several shops with “crystals, potions, bags, candles, and everything else in between,” per HausWitch Home + Healing at 144 Washington St.
On first look when we pulled into town I thought he must be the warlock in charge.
He arrived at Plymouth from London in 1624. He would become the first governor of Massachusetts and is credited with founding Salem in 1626.
Our first stop would be the Salem Witch Museum. I figured let’s get the straight facts right away. The building that houses the museum is perfect, an imposing 1845 Gothic Revival design that was for many years a church. We paid the $17.50 senior fee and, with a few dozen other visitors, were led to a theater.
We sat on round cushions that allowed us to watch a different type of presentation. In counter-clockwise fashion, large depictions like the ones you see here are projected on the walls as a recorded narration tells the bizarre tale. It is said that some Salem girls sparked the witchcraft probe when they began experiencing strange fits.
They told their parents and other adults that they were “bewitched” and pointed fingers at women in the community as being responsible. Hysteria ensued, and so eventually would 19 hangings! All told, 200 women and men would be accused of practicing witchcraft. Several would die while imprisoned.
One online analysis says that, yes, children’s accusations sparked the crisis: “the trials were ultimately fueled by the panic, religious beliefs, and political divisions of the adult community.”
One pour souled refused to make a witchcraft confession even while being tortured with huge rocks crushing his body (image below).
The evolution of witches in literature, film and television were also addressed by a tour guide and displays. Very interesting!
Superstitions, such as the lucky horseshoe, are also examined.
Salem has many gimmicky attractions. The witch museum is not one of them. It is well worth the time and money. And its has a nice gift shop too.
Walking around town, we came upon more history. Patriot Paul Revere had a foundry in Boston and cast this bell in 1801. It was used in Salem’s East Church, which today is the Salem Witch Trials Museum just featured.
This really old church, Salem’s first, founded in 1629, seems to be in great condition.
This church was constructed in 1836. The earliest place of worship was erected in 1635. The congregation claims to be one of the oldest continuing Protestant churches in North America.
Note the Unitarian symbol at the top of the tower and on the red door.
My taste for old burial grounds was sated here. Talk about old! Mayflower pilgrim and passenger Richard More, who died in 1692, is buried here. That’s his grave on the left. He was just 5 or 6 when the Mayflower arrived in Cape Cod Harbor, Massachusetts in 1620. As an adult, he became a prominent sea captain.
Established before 1637, Charter Street Cemetery (original name the Old Burial Point) is one of the oldest European burial grounds in the U.S.
Charleston’s old church graveyards have a smattering of 17th-century burials with the dark slate stone markers common back then. This cemetery is full of graves that old.
Many Puritan gravestones had skull and bones carvings like these two. The design can be called “death’s head.” They served as a “memento mori,” a Latin phrase meaning “remember you must die.”
Some stones also feature the winged skull motif. The stone on the right also has two hourglasses at the top. They symbolize how time flies, how quickly a life can end.
An American Robin rests on an old headstone.
A few final Salem images. What a great few hours we spent in this quirky, historic town.
The great American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem in 1804.
He is best known for “The Scarlet Letter” and “The House of the Seven Gables.” He died in 1864 and is buried not here but in Concord, Mass., at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.
We would see a reference to another great American writer days later up the coast in Maine.
ROCKPORT, MASS.
We were so fortunate to have nice weather for our week exploring the New England coastline. North of Salem, Rockport, Mass. was our next stop. I knew about the iconic red structure in the marina and we spotted it right away when we pulled into this quaint fishing village.
Quite a claim to fame has this “shack”: the most-painted building in America!
It is officially called Motif No. 1, it was first built in the 1840s. It was used to house fishing supplies and daily catches. Motif No. 1 is a reference to it being a favorite subject of area painters.
A blizzard in 1978 destroyed the red shack, but it was soon rebuilt to exact specifications.
Alesia had heard of Rockport’s Roy Moore Lobster Co. restaurant so that is where we we enjoyed our first lobster roll. When in Rome, as they say. And, man, it was good.
You want fresh? We saw lobstermen unloading their catches in the marina directly behind Roy Moore’s. This worker is pouring butter on a full, freshly caught lobster, no doubt.
To say the restaurant offers casual dining is an understatement. This family picked apart their lobster meal on top of crates used to catch the delicacy in nearby waters. We shared our lobster roll sitting nearby on a chair (her) and standing (me).
My photography instincts kicked into high gear in this picturesque community.
A small beach in town was full of folks enjoying themselves. The July 4th holiday is peak vacation season around the country. Families are out in force at all the New England places we visited.
I have a sense that people who live in this part of the country really go for it with their summer vacations, knowing the window for nice weather like this is limited.
In New England towns, cemeteries, or burying grounds as they were called, often have prominent, highly visible locations. In Rockport, it sits on a rise overlooking the beach and marina.
This sign in front points out the historic significance of some eternal occupants, saying about the Olde First Parish Burying Ground that the first English settler here, Richard Tarr, gave the land and that he was buried here in 1732. “Here lie most of early settlers and many of the officers and soldiers of the French and Indian, Revolutionary, and War of 1812.”
Now that covers a lot of early American history! The sign was erected in 1930 by the Massachusetts Bay Colony Tercentenary Commission. Between 1630-1640 20,000 English Puritans fled religious persecution in Europe to settle around Boston, Salem and Charlestowne. Rockport (first called Sandy Beach) too it would seem.
I want to interject at this point that the birding proved very good on this trip. I’m going to feature that photography in a separate post, after completing this one. Along with these Mallards, I photographed 17 different species (including Puffins!) and scored several first-time lifers.
PORTSMOUTH, N.H.
Wow, what a busy day we had in Salem and Rockport! We weren’t finished yet. We drove to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where we spent the night. The Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel is very nice, just a short walk from the town center. There are the orange daylily flowers again, so pretty and vibrant!
Portsmouth has a nice shopping district. We picked up some nifty souvenirs at one of the gift shops.
With its tall white steeple, North Church dominates Portsmouth’s skyline. It was built in 1853, after the existing sanctuary was demolished. The Protestant denomination was Congregational and is today the United Church of Christ. George Washington attended a service here at the old church in 1789 during a visit to New Hampshire while U.S. president.
You write the caption for this photo of the North Church entrance.
War of 1812 relics!
Clean streets and a vibrant Victorian-era venue. Portsmouth’s Music Hall dates to 1878 and is very much in use today.
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is a major employer in this area. Its address is Kittery, Maine on Seavey Island at the mouth of the Piscataqua River.
We enjoyed a delicious dinner of New England clam chowder at the Sheraton Hotel. Award-winning clam chowder, two restaurant staffers mentioned. We believed it! Delicious. Wish I had a photo to share.
The next morning just across the Piscataqua River we entered Maine. Vacationland here we come!
CAPE NEDDICK (NUBBLE) LIGHTHOUSE, YORK, MAINE
Maine is known for lighthouses. It has 65 beacons, 57 of them are still active. These are needed to aid ships in navigating the state’s jagged, intricate coastline, the nation’s fourth-longest behind only Alaska, Florida and Louisiana.
The historic plaque says the Cape Neddick "Nubble" Lighthouse was erected in 1879 to protect mariners from the “savage rock.”
“Savage rock” was the description given this small island in 1602 by an English explorer.
Nubble Light is still in operation and is closed to the public. Visitors enter Sohier Park and view the lighthouse compound from afar, but not too afar, as you see.
A colony of Cormorants convening on the rocks.
More views from Sohier Park of this scenic coastal area…
In 1710 the Nottingham Galley wrecked on Boon Island. The crew, so desperate to survive, resorted to cannibalism. So the infamous story goes. More here.
WELLS, MAINE RANDOM CEMETERY
The shapes and color indicated to me that some are very old. I spent a couple minutes exploring and taking these photographs. I saw no sign giving the name of the burial grounds. I asked the convenience store attendant what she knew about it, and she had no information. This kind of research with my books and other projects has become second nature to me.
This slate stone marker is rich in symbolism. At the top is a large weeping Willow tree suggesting grief and sorrow with its drooping branches resembling weeping tears. And under the branches is an hourglass indicating that times and lives are fleeting, death is inevitable. The name and date on the stone, I cannot make out.
But note the similarities that marker has with this one. Same shape, weeping willow tree. But now I’m thinking instead of an hourglass that is a chalice under the tree, perhaps the flaming chalice of the Unitarian Universalist church. The name on this stone is legible: Gideon Littlefield who died on July 18, 1836.
Two graves at this small cemetery appear to have fresh decorations for America’s 250th birthday. The one above also shows the name Littlefield. The inscription is hard to read. What I can see is “In Memory of Daniel, son of Maj. Daniel Littlefield.” The death year May be 1847. Hard to tell but he may have only been 18 when he died.
Both of these men may have been military veterans.
Theodore Eldridge died in June 1850 at 66 years old. I like the big print on this one.
I came across a 1997 lists of graves in Wells. A few hundred a names and locations are included. Two locations are listed as “Slaves.” See the link on page three and four.
I never thought of Maine and New England as having enslaved people from Africa. But in the early colonial times they did, apparently. The English allowed such servitude and brought over enslaved Africans on their ships. Maine was still part of Massachusetts in 1783 when the state prohibited slavery. In 1820 Maine entered the United States as a free state as part of the Missouri Compromise.
OK, let’s climb out of the rabbit hole and move on to our next stop!
OGUNQUIT, MAINE
The map showed another lighthouse so we made our way to coastal Ogunquit. I’m still not sure how to pronounce this name but just learned it comes from the indigenous Abenaki language. Loose translation: beautiful place by the sea. That it is!
Lighthouses come in all sizes. This is by far the shortest one I’ve ever seen. The Lobster Point Lighthouse stands 20 feet tall to 48 feet tall, depending on what you read. It was built in 1948 to cover a sewage pumping station. Smart move! This "mini light" is also described as “scenic, quirky, adorable and charming.” Winfield C. Littlefield, part of the early Maine settlers Littlefields, previously mentioned, is responsible for the little light being built.
It is situated along Marginal Way, a "famed" (according to one source) 1.25-mile walking path along the rugged Maine shoreline. We did the walk and saw lots of birds in the water and on the rocks.
The ducks (below) are Common Eiders. Ding ding- lifer bird for me!
This is also a Common Eider.
The ones seen above are female Eiders. Shown below, with the prominent white parts, is the male. I’ll post my many bird photographs, including other lifer birds, in a separate post.
KENNEBUNK, MAINE
Our home for the night in Kennebunk was different from our previous hotels in Cambridge and Portsmouth. The Beach House Inn welcomes guests in a restored 1891 Victorian dwelling that has always been an inn. Way back in the 1600s, ferrymen would stay here waiting to transport people in their boats.
The Beach House today has 34 cozy rooms, free parking away from the highway in front of the inn, and amenities such as bicycles, beach and Adirondack chairs, and a charming common area with a beautiful ocean view. Oh, lest I forget- the inn has a very nice gift shop as well. We acquired a few keepsakes there.
I really liked the blinds in our room. They don’t require a long string to raise and lower like the ones in our home. Just gently push up or pull down.
I found it very relaxing to walk along the rocky beach looking for shells and birds, both of which were in abundance.
My camera and I encountered more Common Eiders, a family of them on the move.
And an adult male.
Herring Gull.
Daylight sure begins early in Maine in July! I read that because Maine is the eastern most state in the U.S. that it does see the sun first. I took this picture at 5 a.m. I woke up early, fixed myself a coffee and walked to the beach, ready to witness a glorious sunrise. But it was not to be. I think the sun came up more north of here. I had to settle for a selfie and some good bird photos.
You hear a lot about Maine and its blueberries. For breakfast we went to Mike’s All Day Breakfast in Kennebunk, which was recommended by the inn manager. There we enjoyed, you got it, blueberry pancakes.
We both enjoyed our brief time in Kennebunk and at the Beach House Inn and recommend it to fellow travelers. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
PORTLAND HEAD LIGHT, CAPE ELIZABETH, MAINE
Another day, another lighthouse- or two!
I'm really glad we saw this one. This is the Portland Head Light, the oldest lighthouse in Maine. The Portland Light is the center of attraction at 90-acre Fort Williams Park.
Construction began in 1787 when the Massachusetts legislature (Maine was still part of the Bay State) gave $750 to start the project. In 1790 the U.S. government, after taking responsibility for the new nation's lighthouse, added another $1,500 to complete the project.
The 16 whale oil lamps atop the 72-foot lighthouse were first lit on January 10, 1791.
A museum is inside the old lightkeeper's house. We passed on that, not wanting to pay the admission fee. The grounds offer free access and parking, however.
Longfellow was born and grew up in nearby Portland, Maine. Acccording to the plaque, he would walk to the lighthouse, sit on this rock, and ponder life, death and everything in between. Click on the plaque to read a poem he wrote about the Portland Head Light.
Like, Longfellow, I pondered important matters on his rock- like what I’d like for lunch. ;-)
The lighthouse, unfortunately, failed to prevent a shipwreck on Christmas Eve, 1886. The Annie C. McGuire, an English three-masted bark vessel sailing from Argentina, crashed into a ledge near the lighthouse. The lighthouse keeper, Joshua Stroot, his son and some volunteers rigged a gangplank to the damaged ship and safely rescued all aboard. The crew said they saw the lighthouse in the dark and didn't really know why the ship still got to close to the rocks.
I’m always a fan of an old bell. This one was forged in 1901 and was used to warn of fog. Just a few years ago, it partially fell from its spot in the Portland Head Light.
Two hundred years of light keepers are honored with this plaque. It was dedicated in 1989 “to the men and women of the U.S. Lighthouse Service and the U.S. Coast Guard in appreciation of heir two hundred years of service.”
You see a lot of this along Maine’s coastline. Lighthouses? Yes, but I’m referring to the rugged rock, very distinctive. I think this is granite but I’m not positive on that. Neighbor New Hampshire is called “The Granite State” and Maine has abundant deposits too.
Cape Elizabeth, as was the case earlier in our trip when we were in York, Maine, offered two lighthouses for the price of one, so to speak. Here is the remote Ram Island Ledge Light in Casco Bay marks the entrance to Portland Harbor.
The Ram Island Light has a rocky history filled with failed previous structures and multiple shipwrecks. The version, 90 feet tall, has stood up to storms and guided mariners since 1905. In 1958, it became electrified when an underwater power cable was run to it from the Portland Head Light.
FREEPORT, MAINE- L.L. BEAN COUNTRY
Alesia was interested in stopping (and shopping) at the big L.L. Bean Flagship Store in Freeport, where the outdoor business was founded in 1912 and is still headquartered. We passed the massive fulfillment center and distribution center before arriving at the very busy store.
What an interesting story is founder Leon Leonwood Bean (1872-1967). Orphaned at age 12 he grew up working on the farms of relatives and friends. He was an avid hunter and fisherman. He didn’t like how the shoes he wore for these passions would get soaked, his socks and feet too. So he sought to develop waterproof boots. An outdoor attire, hunting, fishing, and camping gear empire was born.
The flagship store is huge. Definitely a large supply of rifles are for sale.
We looked at this hat for one of our sons, sent him photos, but he wasn’t interested. Alesia found some slippers and socks she liked.
We checked the L.L. Bean box and soon moved up the road.
BATH, MAINE
We made a pit stop in Bath and lucked into some interesting encounters. This is the Virginia, a 51-foot replica of the first ocean-going English ship built in North America.
The Virginia is available for tours at its home port on the Kennebec River in Bath.
It was built by early settlers in 1607-1608. It’s a pinnace, a small rowed or sailed ship. It was built for colonists who wanted to return to Europe. Can you imagine sailing across the Atlantic in such a small vessel? It did just that, safely transporting settlers back to England when their Popham Colony was abandoned in October 1608.
We stopped at the Bath visitors’ center (formally called the Bath Regional Information Center & Train Station), which is next to his bridge to nowhere. The double-decker Carlton Bridge was constructed in 1927. Trains moved on the lower deck and automobiles on the upper deck. In 2000, car traffic was moved to a new bridge nearby. Trains, on occasion, still use the tracks on the lower level.
Driving through Bath (2025 population 8,835) at around 3:30 p.m. we came upon the shift change at something we didn’t know was here: the General Dynamics Bath Iron Works.
We slowed down as a stream of workers was leaving the plant, heading home after a day of work.
Bath Iron Works employs thousands of men and women. The ships they build are vital to America’s military might: Destroyers for the U.S. Navy.
Destroyer production has been going on in Bath since 1910. During World War II, minesweepers were also built here.
For more than 300 years, since the first English settlers crafted the Virginia, Bath has been one of our nation’s top shipbuilders.
The workers we spotted briefly on this day are the latest in a long and proud tradition. And it makes me proud of them for such crucial service to our country’s defense and safety. "Bath Built Is Best Built" says the company's website.
BOOTHBAY HARBOR
We continued to enjoy nice weather and an easy scenic drive on the next leg of our travels. Boothbay Harbor is about 25 miles from Bath. We spent the night in this delightful fishing village. It would prove to be possibly my favorite place.
Our hotel, the Boothbay Harbor Oceanside Inn, was close to everything, it felt like. Below is the view from our second-floor room.
The marina was picturesque, the footbridge was a neat surprise, and the commercial district it took us to is diverse in its offerings, busy with fellow tourists but not overly so when we were there.
The shopping and dining district is colorful and fun to explore.
I bought a yellow Boothbay T-shirt at the Maine Trading Post after we had coffee at Brisetto’s Second Cup.
For dinner, we kept things simple and went nearby to the hotel restaurant called Sunset Lounge. We were able to get a table outside overlooking the harbor and marina.
The meal was good but the sunset was magnificent, a delightful surprise. I had to get up and take these pictures with my iPhone.
These photographs are among the highlights of all the ones I took on this trip.
Early the next morning I really enjoyed fixing coffee in the room, then sitting outside the door enjoying the quiet, peaceful setting. It felt like such a simple pleasure. But then things became a little rushed when we realized our checkout time was 10 a.m. We did get a late checkout at 11 that helped.
Living in the South for so long, I'm used to seeing Civil War monuments from the Confederate perspective. Here in New England I missed the chance to examine and photograph a statue like this in a town we earlier went through. When we entered Boothbay Harbor, I spotted this one and made a mental note to stop when we left town.
The Union monument here is very well landscaped and maintained.
I like the droopy mustache the soldier has and the relaxed way he stands, holding his musket.
With such statuary in a very visible part of Boothbay Harbor what is stated will always be true: "The World Can Never Forget What They Did."
Each side of the pedestal lists dozens of Boothbay Harbor men who served in the Union Army and Navy. Probably a good number of them did serve in the Navy given their coastal community and the state's rich maritime history. In this photo, you can see a few U.S.N. designations for the U.S. Navy.
It was worth parking and examining the site for a few minutes.
BAR HARBOR, MAINE
Our New England vacation culminated on July 8 when we arrived in Bar Harbor. I moaned earlier in this post about the long drive from Boothbay Harbor to Bar Harbor, through remote stretches of countryside on twisty, up-and-down two-lane roads. But today, looking through the rearview mirror, the experience was enriching, part of the big-picture perspective of a state we had not been to before. Bar Harbor lived up to our perception of a beautiful “water everywhere” high-end resort.
This is the souvenir photo from the Lighthouse-Puffin Cruise we did on our second day in Bar Harbor. More on that coming up.
Alesia picked a fine hotel for our two nights here. The West Street Hotel was high quality and in a great location. We didn’t need our car until we went to Acadia National Park.
We had an easy walk to see the waterfront and many shops and restaurants geared toward visitors like us.
If and when we do our master bathroom renovation at home, I’d love for the shower to resemble this.
Each floor of the West Street Hotel has a coffee, water, and ice station like this, a first in my hotel experience. I liked it and conversed with a few other guests while getting my morning ☕️ fix.
The infinity pool on the hotel’s roof was also a first for me. We did partake in the refreshing water after our long car drive and some walking around Bar Harbor.
The pool table is another nice amenity, but we didn’t get around to playing. Next time!
Some more pretty Bar Harbor scenes…
Check out (below) M5, the world’s tallest single-masted sailboat.
We spotted her- hard to miss- in a few different places. The mast is about 291 feet tall. That’s close to 100 yards, the length of a football feed.
M5 was built in the United Kingdom in 2003-2004. The internet says the owner is Texas billionaire Rodney Lewis. The sailboat, OK let’s call it what it is- a yacht- is valued at $50 million to $60 million.
Smaller boats are allowed too!
All along the New England coasts you see lobster boats like the one below. I like their relatively small size compared to the shrimp trawlers we see in the Charleston area waters. You see some buoys in the stern.
The buoys float above the traps set by lobstermen. They also make nice decorations.
Lobsters are a huge industry in this part of the country.
The name Bar Harbor comes from the sand bar you see crossing in the background of this photo below beyond the boats. It is usually covered by water, but at low tide a path to Bar Island to the left is revealed. The original name in 1796 was Town of Eden, not from the Garden of Eden, which it kind of is, but for English statesman Sir Richard Eden. The name was changed to Bar Harbor in 1918. More on that tidbit of history here.
So folks have a limited length of time to walk across the path.
Interestingly, the West Street hotel’s restaurant is this Irish pub, Paddy’s. It opened not that long ago in April.
We shared a tasty Reuben sandwich and fries, while admiring the ginormous pretzel at another table.
For dinner we made the short walk to Stewman’s Lobster Pound where we both enjoyed the lobster bisque and bread. We saved room for dessert, delicious blueberry pie a la mode.
This was the perfect light dinner and the dessert- yum!
Stewman’s has a great vibe and excellent decor.
I’m pretty sure the couple at the table behind Alesia were also expecting a sunset show.
Two Graffiti Donuts and an iced coffee got my day started right.
Bar Harbor Beerworks was another dining destination. That evening for dinner we went Italian at La Bella Vita. Our server was an interesting guy. He is from Macedonia and is in America for summer work. Back home he is studying engineering. I have to admit I did not know this country existed today. It's officially called North Macedonia. Macedonia, in ancient Greek history, is known as the home of Alexander the Great.
Alesia got a bit too much sun during the boating excursion I’m about to show you. Always a hat and sunscreen for me, a skin cancer survivor many times over.
Earlier that day we did one of the excursions. We signed up for the Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co.’s Puffin & Lighthouse Cruise. Our vessel, a catamaran, would be the one on the left, Friendship V.
I took the above picture from the top of our hotel where the infinity pool is.
The one below I took from our table at Stewman’s Lobster Pound. On the Friendship V, we had great seats on the top deck where the two people on the left stand.
The cruise began on Frenchman Bay, which is part of the Gulf of Maine, and it's all part of the Atlantic Ocean, says this National Park Service site.
We were in good hands with Julie, a very experienced naturalist and scientist, giving passengers all kinds of information about where we were, what we were seeing, and preparing us for what to look for next. She shared extensive knowledge of birds, fish, whales, lighthouses, geography, landscapes, and weather patterns. A first-rate tour this was.
I’m glad we read ahead of time how much colder it can be out to sea and when the catamaran hit faster speeds. My heavier shirt was soon back on. Before long, an island with a lighthouse came into view.
This is Egg Rock Lighthouse built in 1875 to help guide ferries between Bar Harbor and Winter Harbor, Maine. Still in operation, becoming automated in 1976, the island and buildings are closed to the public.
But it is open to Harbor Seals, lots of them.
Several types of birds have the run of the place too.
Anhingas and Gulls.
Julie alerted us to this juvenile Bald Eagle.
Lifer bird! A pair of Black Guillemots.
Petit Manan Island has Maine’s second tallest lighthouse at 123 feet. As early as 1817 there was a lighthouse here. This structure dates to 1855 and the white keeper’s house 1877.
Like Egg Rock Island this one is also closed to the public.
It is considered one of the most important nesting islands on the entire coast of Maine. Atlantic Puffins nest on the 10 acres as do others birds such as Common Eiders (shown earlier in this post), Black Guillemots (also shown earlier), Razorbills and others.
The Atlantic Puffins are the big stars. Bar Harbor has multiple tour boats specifically to take people to see them here. There’s a whole Puffin industry! Boothbay Harbor also has a remote Puffin nesting island in its area.
Alesia and I were excited to see them. She rented binoculars so may have had a closer look that I did through my camera’s lens. I pleased to pleased to get these images.
Back in the 1980s the two agencies just mentioned were working to bring back Common Terns (above) to the island when they scored the indirect success with Atlantic Puffins.
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