In August 2014, I went on a mini vacation to York Beach, Maine. Ricky, his sister Annie, and I took the 4 and a half hour trip to this cozy beach town. We stayed at the family vacation home of Annie's boyfriend, and the location was ideal- a 10 minute walk to the beach!
Day 1
The three of us left New York City a bit late- and by the time we reached New Hampshire, it was 8:00pm and we were starving! We were so close to eating at the Wendy's we stopped at, but we were surprised to see a Cracker Barrel right next door to it! Coming from the city, we have never seen these around, and to be honest, I have never heard of it until that day. The restaurant was connected to a themed gift shop, and the decor had a very western flair. The menu was entirely comprised of comfort food- just what we needed!
The portions were generous, so we really only needed two meals to share between the three of us. We ordered rainbow trout and fried chicken. We also ordered a side of fried okra....I'm not entirely sure if they were used to the texture, but I ended up eating most of them.
We finally reached the house when it was close to 11:00pm, The house was beautiful, and in a friendly community. I was very grateful to be able to stay in such a comfortable setting. It was very late once we settled in, so we were more than happy to go straight to bed.
Day 2
I wore an open knit gray sweater over a romper dress. I paired this with brown brogues and my Coach Classic bag. For the makeup, I used a sample of the Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream in Blooming Fit. It had a medium coverage and seemed promising at first, but it was very drying and uncomfortable, so unfortunately I had to remove it within an hour.
Today was the day for the fun local activities. Our first stop was the zoo! I really like how everything is walking distance from the house. The zoo was only 15 minutes away. To get to the entrance of the zoo, you have to go through a carnival/theme park. If I was 10 years younger, I would probably be having the time of my life at the park. But my priority was for the animals.
The zoo is very different compared to the Bronx Zoo in NYC. In the Bronx Zoo, most of the habitats are set back at least 30 feet or so- to put enough space between the visitor and the animals for a moat. Here, the animals were on display in enclosures that were right along the paths. This allows everyone to see the animals at a much closer distance.
I saw many animals- some were stoic and unmoving. Others were playful and jumpy. The monkeys were especially active here. Many of them were exercising and play fighting with each other. I have never seen more energetic monkeys in person. Many others were intrigued by their activity as well, because the monkeys were all able to attract crowds of people.
I was the happiest when I fed the deer at the petting zoo. Their large, beady eyes are hard to resist. I was one of the few who were willing to get their hands dirty. It wasn't until it was too late did I realize there were no sinks nearby- only hand sanitizer. I had pumped myself quite a considerable amount before I felt "sanitized".
Ricky was really excited to see the white tiger. A lot of other people were too, because it was very difficult to find a space to squeeze into for the best view. The tiger was napping out of view when we arrived, but we were lucky enough to see her walk out from behind her boulder.She is beautiful, and it seems like she knows it too! She was definitely posing for everyone's pictures.
This zoo had many nice surprises. We made our way to the butterfly garden, and the path leading to the exhibit was a cute and romantic garden. It comprised of a meandering path with a vast amount of plants and flowers of all kinds. I really liked the arbour benches. They are the perfect addition to a beautiful garden.
With the zoo closing in 30 minutes, we headed toward the pedal boats. It was my first time working them, and it was a lot of fun! The best part was that we were able to ride right next to all of the ducks in the pond. At one point, I pedaled too hard and I went veering toward a group of ducks! Most of them moved away, but I accidentally nudged one that was asleep. It woke up and seemed slightly startled at the large boat that was right next to it. The duck moved away unharmed, and I got a good laugh out of it.
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| Annie and Tim pedal boating |
On the way out, the guys were intrigued by the batting cages. Tim decided to have a go at it, and swung and hit all 10 balls that were lunged toward him.
It was Ricky's first time swinging a bat (at a ball), and he managed to hit around half of the balls. That was quite good for a first timer. I had declined to play, only because I knew I would be making a fool out of myself. (haha)
The four of us walked back to the house to gain our energy back. We decided to end the day with ice cream and a view of Nubble Light, the lighthouse of York Beach.
Tim's favorite was the blueberry, and since Maine is the state for blueberries, I decided to try it, along with the blackberry flavor. I'm more of a chocolate fan, but the blueberry was fresh and delicious! Ricky got his favorite- cookies and cream and cookie dough. With our ice cream in hand, we headed to the lighthouse and beach.
Even though it was August, it was very cold in Maine. My sweater was not enough to keep me warm, and the ice cream I was eating did not help with warming me up. With the sun setting quickly, the temperature dropped, and the wind picked up. This is typical in Maine, I suppose.
Despite the cold, the view was exceptional. The air in Maine is so fresh and crisp, and even the water smelled nice. This beach is not a sandy one. It has large rock formations and boulders piled on top of each other. We showed off our balance by hopping over and across these rocks while eating our ice cream.
I was expecting to be able to walk up the the lighthouse, so it surprised me to see that it is situate on its own island, away from the beach. We all took turns trying to figure out how people can get on and off the island. By boat seems the most logical, although it looked very rock and steep along the perimeter. There were also large suspension cables that stretched across the water, connecting the two land forms. This is obviously used somehow for supplies and maybe even people, but it was too cold for us to ponder for too long.
Soon, the sun had disappeared completely beyond the horizon, letting us know it was time to go back. We hiked back up the rocks to the car. I was a little less graceful on the way up.
Day 3
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| Seafood and beach view. |
Today was a lazy day. It was chilly and cloudy outside. The four of us stayed in for the morning. Annie and Tim went out for a run, while Ricky and I went to get lobster rolls for brunch. We took a walk on the road adjacent to the beach, and went into the first place that sold them. It was a deli/convenience store, and even though the seating wasn't the most ideal, the food seemed promising. We ordered a lobster roll to share, as well as their "Award Winning Clam Chowder". The lobster roll was delicious; probably the best I've eaten so far. The clam chowder was slightly like a stew. It was good, but I prefer my chowder to be creamier.
Next, the two of us went out to the busier part of town. It has everything you would expect in a community by the beach. The atmosphere seemed nostalgic, for the stores were all in traditional style buildings. Our destination was The Goldenrod. It's an old fashioned candy store and diner. Here, they make fresh saltwater taffy! The candy making process is all displayed behind windows, so it is common for the views to be packed with tourists. It's very hard to look away from the taffy pulling machine- it's mesmerizing! (Someone started speaking when I began recording, but what she says seems appropriate. Haha!)
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| Can't...look...away |
It took us a while before we actually went inside the store... we were hypnotized! The candy store is always crowded; packed with families and many happy children. Here, they sell candy of all kinds- not just saltwater taffy. You can buy treats per piece or by the pound. There was even a section that specialized in Maine Blueberries. I picked out a variety of the most random treats, from Krabby Patty gummies to blueberry tea. I also got myself a sampler bag of saltwater taffy, so I could get a taste of everything.
Once we got back to the house, we set off for a kayaking lesson! This seemed to be the vacation of first-time activities, because Ricky and I have never gone kayaking, either. We drove to the harbor and met with our instructor and another friendly couple. I was excited to see that they had tandem kayaks. This means there can be two seated in one!
All of the ladies took the front seat in each kayak. The lighter person is recommended to be seated up front for better balance and power. Setting off was an interesting experience, and not what I expected. We waded calf-deep into the water before we stepped into the kayak. The inside of the kayak was bound to get wet from paddling anyway, so it didn't matter that we were trodding water onto our seats. Paddling was also something we had to get used to. We were taught to pull and push in a specific motion, and we were also given tips on how to steer- stick one end of the paddle into the water to propel you in a certain direction. Ricky and I were probably the least experienced of everyone, so the moment we kicked off, we started moving in awkward curves. We even pushed ourselves back to shore! I caught on to the methods a bit faster, so I guided while Ricky powered forward. Once I felt confident, I was able to pull out my camera and snap some pictures!
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| View from the front of the kayak |
Our guide gave us a little tour of the harbor, and we tried to go with the current for easy paddling. There were many beautiful estates with their own private docks along the shore, and the houses looked like mansions! When I mentioned that we were going to get wet, I wasn't kidding. We were soaked. When you paddle, water is drawn up with your upward motion, and it drips down your arms. I was wearing a thick sweater, so my sleeves got so heavy with water that I was able to ring it out! This was also a great upper body workout. Towards the end, I was too sore to keep up my pace, but Ricky was nice enough to do the work for the both of us while I rested.
Kayaking really is a lot of fun, Even though you'll get drenched and your skin and hair will become salty, it's all worth it!
Day 4
Today was our last day in York Beach. Tim's parents came over in the afternoon to see Tim participate in a triathlon that was taking place next morning in the next town over. The weather was nice for a change. It was sunny and warm. We ate lunch together and then the four of us went to the beach to relax. None of us planned on going into the water, but that didn't stop us from wading ankle-deep into it.
I'm really going to miss the natural beauty of the Maine coast. York Beach has the feel of a perpetual vacation, and fresh seafood is never hard to find. I'd love to come back on an even warmer time of the year, and I am getting myself a box of blueberry saltwater taffies when I do!
♥ Thank you for reading ♥
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