Birthday Minus One in Portland, Maine

 Today marks the first day of my birthday week celebration.  To get the festivities started right Ben and I and Paul and his friend, Tommy, flew up this morning to Portland, Maine.  We'll be here tonight and tomorrow we'll drive to Bar Harbor, where we'll spend four days enjoying the wonders of Acadia National Park.  When Ben and I were thinking about what we wanted to see on the East Coast before we move to Colorado next year, Portland and Acadia were on the "must do again" list.

So here we are, and what a great idea it was to come.  With generally sunny skies, temperatures in the 70's, and no humidity, summers up here are a real pleasure.

This afternoon we took the ferry over to Peek's Island, one of the many islands in the Casco Bay within a relaxing half hour ferry ride from the Portland wharf.

After lunch at one of the island's restaurants, we walked to the beach.  I waded, the boys swam and built a dam to rechannel the water, and Ben just chilled out on the big rocks that lined the shoreline.   

Peek's Island is filled with vacation cottages which were quite fun to see.  The ones shown here were on the water and had lovely landscaped yards and decks overlooking the ocean.  Heaven!

We are in heaven here in our King suite at the Hilton Garden Inn on the Portland waterfront.  Besides waterfront views on two sides, the boys have a big pull out sofa in the living room with their own TV and Ben & I have a bedroom with one of those heavenly Hilton beds.  Ben really needs a good night sleep since he spent the past three days driving out and back to Indianapolis to be with his father while he had a medical procedure.  It all turned out better than anyone could expect, but it was a stressful couple of days.   

I think he's looking more relaxed already!