~Saturday, September 25, 2021~
Day 468
The campground is in full swing with it being a Saturday. Every site seems to be full as people begin their day….people bicycling, swimming, cooking breakfast, what have you. Love the energy!
Has anyone out there heard of a quaint, charming town named Ogunquit. Our neighbors Tim and Betty recommended taking a day to tour around this beautiful place by the sea, but didn’t know Jeff already had it on the list. So we made today the day. Sadly, being a Saturday, it was a complete mob-scene. The cars coming from the other direction appeared to be backed up at least a mile just to get into the town, with the likelihood of nowhere to park. We should have known better with our past experience not to go to tourist destinations like this on a weekend. Not sure what we were thinking there. Discouraged and completely stressed out driving “Hank” through the narrow streets lined with people, we headed back to Kennebunkport. But all’s good as we’ll come back another day. And there’s so much to see in Kennebunkport. In the end it turned out to be a fabulous day.
Even between the two towns, there seems to be a plethora of shops, restaurants and things to check out. Since we were going back to Kennebunkport, we really wanted to see St. Ann’s By the Sea Episcopal Church, but another road block (literally). There was a wedding taking place there for the afternoon so it looks like we’ll have to come back later. Strike 2. But my goodness, what a breathtaking location for a wedding. It was tempting to play a little “Wedding Crasher” business for the day. 😉So instead, we got a great parking spot just outside the church grounds and walked into town. If you’re ever in Kennebunkport, save a $25 parking fee (unless it’s raining), park just outside the town on the waterfront and stroll in. It was probably about a mile or so, and delightful.
Not sure why, but Dock Square in Kennebunkport was way less crowded than Ogunquit, though bustling. Of course we couldn’t resist the Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream shop begging us to make a stop. It seems to have become a ritual for us, while visiting small charming towns. We stopped in a few shops, one of which was a candle shop (always a sucker for those) but it also had a Christmas shop in the back, where I had to really resist the temptation to not buy one more thing for the trailer. We were also on a mission to buy our children unique birthday gifts with October birthdays just around the corner. No luck today. Later, we stopped at Batson River Brewing and Distilling.
The atmosphere and location was great as our table was tiered up so we could overlook Main Street’s action with dogs, people and musicians. In fact, one trio was just setting up as we were being seated…...acoustic bass, guitar and drums. Just wish we could have heard them better since there was competition from our 80’s disco to their Reggae vibe. Unfortunately, my wine was subpar and Jeff’s beer was a 6 out of 10, but our pita/hummus/olive plate was absolutely delicious. And our waitress was very nice.
Enjoyed the early evening views from the marina as we popped into a few more shops. We noticed the crowds really dying down
after 5:00 with fewer shops open, so maybe that’s the key. Arrive later in the day until sunset. The early evenings are just lovely this time of year. As we made our way back to our car, we noticed an inviting little park overlooking the marina with a few benches. The sun was just setting, so we couldn’t help ourselves. I was really hoping that we still had time to see the church before the sun set, just a few hundred yards from where we parked the car. Bingo! Though we’re sure the views are stunning during the day, it was actually meant to be that we saw St. Ann’s Church
during sunset with the church uplit against the evening sunset with the gentle waves rolling in. The church was built in 1887 and is a destination for many Kennebunkport visitors and sought after as a wedding venue with its amazing location, beautiful stone facade, stained glass windows and inviting gardens. We sat on one of the pews at what they refer to as the “Seaside Chapel '' that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. Once we got back to the car (we were the last car), the sexton, Mr. Reggie, politely asked us to mosey along so he could close the gates. We always seem to be the ones closing down places, whether it be church grounds or restaurants.
Sadie was very happy to see us, and very eager for a walk. It was so fun to see festive lights at everyone’s campsites, conversations being had fireside, and dinners being made. We even had one excited girl approach us asking if she could pet Sadie? I’d say she got her dog-fix for sure. Jeff made a fantastic dinner of Ahi, with the most delicious spiced salsa for garnish and mashed potatoes. Yum!! Turned out to be a wonderful day after all!