Maine trip report - Day 7

Our week toodling around New England came to an end, so we headed back to NEC to watch Geo's final concert. Then it was time to head home to our landlocked state. At least we caught some (illegal) fireworks on our drive home.

Maine trip report - Day 6

We had a long drive from Brunswick to Boston, so we decided that the best way to get there would be to go through Williamstown. We replaced Sharky Josh's Gettysburg hoodie with a Williams hoodie. We had dinner at the Water Street Grill before making our way to Boston.

Is Josh smart enough to go here?

Hanging out in the science complex

On top of Mt. Greylock

Maine trip report - Day 5

It was time to start wending our way to Boston. This was mostly a travel day. We detoured to visit Fort George because that's a weird nickname that R and H call Geo.

We ended the day at LL Bean in Freeport, which is in temporary quarters while they build a new mother ship.

Maine trip report - Day 4

Acadia has been on M's bucket list forever, and it did not disappoint. We had a reservation to drive up Cadillac Mountain. We scoffed at how sad the elevations are around here (living in Colorado makes us elevation snobs), but the views were epic.

Cadillac Mountain view

More Cadillac Mountain view

Otter Cliffs

Random sailboat

Bass Head Lighthouse 

We ended the day with a sunset cruise on a schooner, and D helped hoist the sails.

Maine trip report - Day 3

We had to truck it to get from Boothbay to Bar Harbor, so we skipped some our planned sights and focused on what else, lighthouses.

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse 

Marshall Point Lighthouse, famous for being in Forrest Gump 

Maine trip report - Day 2

We drove up to Boothbay Harbor and on the way saw the famous Bush family compound in Kennebunkport, which is absolutely gorgeous. Time to get a family compound!

We detoured to visit a cool classic car museum in Arundel before hitting another lighthouse.

Back to the Future

Portland Head Lighthouse 

We drove through Brunswick to pay homage to a Civil War hero we named our Gettysburg shark, Sharky Josh, after.

Then it was time to settle into a corner room at the Topside Inn with an amazing view.

Million dollar view for less than an airport hotel in Boston

Maine trip report - Day 1

M is slightly obsessed with Maine and wouldn't shut up about it, so obviously it was time to drag D there to chauffeur her around to eat lobstah. She used a jazz camp for Geo at New England Conservatory in Boston as her excuse to visit Maine. The flight to Boston was delayed 2 hours so we arrived at the airport hotel around 3 am. When we arrived, she realized that the suitcase full of clothes for her and D somehow did not make the trip. Not a great start but luckily we were 5 minutes from Target and she bought an entire new wardrobe while D and Geo slept at the hotel. 

After dropping Geo off in Boston, it was time to hit the coast! We made it to Kennebunkport and saw a lighthouse and fort along the way. Maine is full of them.

Fort McClary

Fort rubble 

Nubble lighthouse

Chamber music camp

Geo spent the past week learning two movements of the Tchaikovsky string quartet. Here is the final performance.

The boys

 Celebrating H's graduation

More on Williams

M and D are irrationally exuberant about sending H to the second-most expensive college in America (based on tuition). 

Here are some photos of H in Williams gear throughout the years.

Marksmen

G and H have taken up precision air rifle in their quest to bankrupt their parents.

The Graduate

H graduated from high school and we froze our butts off in 40 degree weather to attend the festivities. Geo is already talking about ditching his graduation in 3 years.

Pull-ups

Geo asked M to buy him a pull-up bar to "get gains" (whatever that means). M held an inaugural pull-up competition for the boys ($10 per pull-up, plus an extra $50 to the winner). Here are the results:

R - 10

G - 8

H - 3

Snoopy tried to participate but got stuck.

Breaking college news

H is officially a member of the Williams class of 2030. We manifested this when he was 18 months old and take all the credit.

All that jazz

Geo had another jazz recital and had a solo in Red Clay.

Spring drum recital

Geo played Downupbeat by a Japanese fusion group called Casiopea.

Elina

We have yet another addition to our family. Meet Elina, a gift from H's ex-girlfriend. She is a Jellycat "Bashful Bunny" and H got custody of her after the breakup. She came to visit some colleges with us this week.

Bjorn the Shark

When H and G got their IKEA sharks, they made up some lore about them. Sherlock is Snoopy's father, and Bjorn is Sherlock's father. Bjorn's father is also named Snoopy. They use patronyms, so it's Bjorn Snoopyson, Sherlock Bjornson, and Snoopy Sherlockson.

M promised to buy a "chubby XXXL" shark from Amazon if Geo got into the highest orchestra at his school. Geo got into the orchestra so now we have this ridiculous shark that is 4 feet long. Meet Bjorn.

Shark.zip

Bjorn passed out from eating Five Guys

Bjorn with Snoopy

H is 18!

How could our cute smiley baby be an adult already? 😭 Here is a collection of photos from roughly every year of his life so far.