Maine ~ part 2. Memory Lane and a Lobster or two.

Oh how good it was to be home.

Memories... 

The town I grew up in has changed and while some areas look completely different, many are exactly the same.  Like the Rollodrome, it was the pre-teen hang out.

I remember waiting in the long line that gathered out front on Friday and Saturday nights.  We would wait, sometimes in the bitter cold, with skates slung over our shoulder.  We waited like Target shoppers on Black Friday, less the riots of course. 

Then the doors would open and we would skate for hours, under the disco ball, to the tunes of the 80's.  We would circle around and around on that gleaming wood floor, while the DJ spun, Come on Eileen, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Safety Dance and the rest of the Casey Kasem's Billboard Top 40 hits.  Then the vibe would slow down for Journey's Faithfully or We've Got Tonight by Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton, oh the 80's were good, weren't they?  Next trip home I am so going skating at the Rollodrome.

Then we drove to Poland and visited the Summer Camp I worked at for three incredible summers.
 

I had an amazing experience at Tripp Lake Camp.  I never realized at the time how attached I had become to this magical place.  I still feel very connected to the property, the meticulous grounds, the dark green buildings, the people I knew there and the lesson I learned. 


Now it is owned by Joan Lunden and her husband, Jeffery Konigsberg, yet many of the directors I knew are still there.  I believe the key to TLC's success is the fact that the owner's have been incredibly detailed about continuing the same mission and traditions held there since the camp was established, in 1911. 


TLC pride's themselves on nurturing strong, confident girls with a deep sense of self worth.  This camp is amazing and the family they create is bonded forever. 
  

It looked exactly the same and while we only stayed for a minute or two, it was so good to be there.

Fall in New England...
As everyone knows, Maine has four very distinct seasons and everywhere we looked, Autumn was smiling back at us.  The air was cool and crisp with the earthy smell of fallen leaves wafting through the air.  


The sky in it's brilliant blue was a perfect backdrop for the vivid display of  Fall colors.  And may I just say, the Maple and Oak trees in Maine deserve a standing ovation.  Their final show of color is both breathtaking and graceful, and the fact that it is fleeting just adds to the beauty bestowed upon those who witness it.

Jen - this pics for you.

LL Bean and a Lobster lunch.
A trip to Maine is not complete without our usual trip to Freeport for a quick stop at L.L. Bean.

......and just in case you did not know, Lobster in Maine is everywhere:

Lobster door handles,



Lobster pillows,



.......and least you forget the Lobster Theatre,

 
"To eat or not to eat, that is the question".......

We ate, at our favorite lunch spot.



Behold the perfect Lobster Roll.


 and a Lobster Dinner.


and yes, it was delicious, right down to the last bite!!!


Final Maine post to come, Family, Pumpkin Carving, and more Lobster.