Maine - Day 5

We woke up this morning and said good bye to the Wonder View Inn and headed to the other side of the island where there is more to Acadia National Park.

Bass Harbor Island. This one is a Coast Guard home (please don't ring the doorbell) but you can walk and climb around the rocks.

 

This lighthouse is one the Maine's National Park state quarter. 

Aren't we cute!

We left Mount Desert and headed back south (away from Down East, whatever that means) and stopped at the world's largest bridge observation deck. We rode the elevator up and saw the pretty views.

Below the bridge is Fort Knox (not that one, the Maine one) which never saw fighting but was used for a long time for various things. We wandered around for a bit. Then we continued our drive back to Portland, stopping at a cafe for lunch and ice cream at the Good Kettle in some small town! Finally! Maine LOVES its ice cream and we never really felt like getting it, but this was good.  Another thing Maine loves is gold lettering on signs and calling things Wicked Good and little pretty churches and lobster and blueberries, the stereotypes are true.

Back in Portland, we went back to our LQ and then to the other port part of town for a stroll along the harbor and for dinner at a fast food pizza restaurant-I think Amato's- a friend who's family lives here recommends. We finally got a Whoopie Pie.

This evening was spent on our phones and watching tv in the hotel room because it was dark and we didn't know what else to do.

Maine - Day 6

Our last day...we headed south of Portland to see two lighthouses, the Portland Headlight

which is in a pretty park and tour buses joined us there.

Then a little further is the Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse. Great name!

Kathy rested in the car, Mom enjoyed the view and I scampered on rocks.

Beside the lighthouse is a famous restaurant-Two Lights, there was a great view and we got three things to split and all were the same size-whoopie pie, blueberry pie and a burger. After this we drove to the airport, turned in our car and hung out before flying back to Texas. First leg I sat by a young guy from Syria interviewing at dental schools, second leg by an Indian family who didn't talk. Back home to Texas! Great trip to Maine, which I had been wanting to visit since I did a report on it in elementary school.

Gloria's Birthday

 Gloria turned seven! We decided this year to do a big friend swim party and then slumber parties on birthdays. Per Harris family tradition the girls planned and helped make their cakes. Gloria wanted a strawberry layer cake with blue icing

 Two friends came home with us from school-nieghbor Kylie and classmate Hazel. First fun, a maze for Tiny the hamster.

 Then sisters, Abby & Harper joined us and we began the spa portion of the party! Face masks and cucumbers on eyes, then feet soaking with lavender epsom salts and scrub.

 Lydia and I painted nails, and Lydia did back massages and then they were out playing.

 They made their own pizzas (and ate a little bit of them)

 Birthday cake time! and presents!

 Outdoor fun, I thought this was cute as they were all on different levels. (Harper is on a huge rubber band we use as a jumpy).

 and this one because they are grouped by grades: Kinder, 1st & 3rd.

 Then movie fun, they wiggled, got popcorn everywhere and watched The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Then they went to bedrooms and kept wiggling, giggling and playing. It was funny that they all fell asleep in stages, but it was finally quiet at 11:30......and they started waking up at 5:50am!

Next morning, it was cold but they played in the back while the sun was coming up, had yummy daddy made pancakes, played with the pets and had time for one more spa treatment before friends had to leave.  Gloria has great friends and a fun time was had by all!

ADS had a groundbreaking for the new school and picnic, then we headed to Merle Norman for (hopefully) nonallergenic ear piercing! She picked small diamonds and didn't cry!  Happy Birthday Gloria!

Lucy Birthday Fun

 We took a trip to Dallas to help Lucy Boyd celebrate her 4th birthday. She loves her cousins and said Lydia and Gloria miss me. Here Gloria has a praying mantis on her face.

 Bill pulled out his drone for birthday fun. Rosie, the dog, doesn't like it but the kids sure did. One said it was an alien from another universe (or something like that)

 It was a circus theme.

 Girls running

And a slumber party. See Lydia in the fence/fort. Loved the big smiles and family time!

Sea World

 When both girls were going into kinder, we took them to Sea World alone. This was the first time for us to as a family of four. (and yes we thought about not going because of the conditions of large mammals in small tanks, but we got a great deal on the tickets....)

 We first saw the seals and sea lions, we fed them and watched their show.

 Journey to Atlantis, Gloria thought it was only scary not scary and fun.

 Feeding ducks!

 They are redoing the dolphin area so this is where they are being kept until then, they did jump and play but were pretty far away.

 Next up Rio Loco tube ride where we got wet.

 But we needed to cool off more so we headed to the splash park.

 and saw a rescue pet show for the first time, it was cute and worth the time.

 Rides...

 and dipp'n'dots with a lake view.

 Azul show

 and posing with performers.

 We got our picnic out of the car and ate it in the shade

 before going back into the park

 for more rides,

 we stumbled upon a Seseme street dance party!

 Acted silly while waiting in line one more time for Rio Loco.

 And made it to the end for Shamu's night show, we headed out with the huge crowd (it was a Tuesday in late July!) and were happy for such a great day.