Bass Harbor Sunset

Earlier this week, we decided (last minute) to take a drive to Mount Desert Island (MDI) to watch the sun set at Bass Harbor Lighthouse. Below are some pictures from that trip. It’s such a joy to live so close (10 miles) to such a beautiful place like Acadia. I have a feeling we’re going be spending a LOT of our free time here.

Kitchen - The Final Frontier

As a now stay-at-home parent, the task of making meals for the family has fallen on me. And, I won’t lie, of all the things that scare me about my “new” life here in Maine, this is probably the scariest. In a previous life, as a single Dad working full time, dinners were an endless stream of easy-to-prepare, but nutritionally questionable, processed frozen food. Chicken nuggets, french fries, pizza, fish sticks, etc. Quick meals. Perfect for a crazed Dad who’s short on time and in over his head in the kitchen.

But, now that I have a little more time on my hands, and know a little bit more about the stuff that those sorts of foods contain, I feel like I owe it to myself (and my family) to try and prepare more nutritional (and hopefully more tasty) food options. So, earlier this week (and for the first time EVER) it was time for me to put on my chef’s hat and try preparing a dish using a (gulp) recipe.

The menu choice for this night was a crispy, parmesan chicken. And, despite my initial misgivings, it actually turned out OK. I didn’t burn the chicken (or the house down). I prepared the meal with a minimum of collateral kitchen mess. And, most importantly, the kids actually liked it! Hopefully, as my confidence builds and my culinary repertoire grows, I will attempt some more adventurous dishes.

But, until then, I will continue to keep things simple.

…and the fire extinguisher close by.

The Recipe

The Process

The Result

Big Day in Bangor

The first adventure we embarked upon as a family, since my arrival to Ellsworth, was to the big City of Bangor.

Bangor lies 30 miles to the north of where we live and boasts a few key things that Ellsworth does not. Namely a Mall, a Multi-plex movie theater and a Starbucks. Among others.  Now, with all our trips from Nashua to visit Jo’s family in New Brunswick, I’d been “through” Bangor a hundred times. But, this was the first time I’d actually got out of the car and set foot in downtown. And, it was actually pretty nice.

So, after dropping Jo off at the Mall to do some last-minute Christmas shopping, the kids and I did a little exploring in Bangor proper. We drove by Stephen King’s House, we visited the giant Lumberjack Statue, we ran around Riverside Park and we checked out a cool Bookstore in the heart of town. It was early on a Saturday morning, but there was definitely a lot activity going on down there.

Afterwards, we took a drive to the highest point in the city to look at the Thomas Hill water tower. It was built in 1897 and has an observation deck at the top from where, apparently on a clear day, you can see both the ocean to the South and Mount Katahdin to the North. It’s only open a few times a year, so we’ll have to keep an eye on that for future visits.

Once Jo finished her shopping we all met up at the movie theater to watch The Good Dinosaur. After the show we did a little browsing at Hobby Lobby and, at least for me and Ethan, spent some time making fun of the goofy stuff they had for sale. We had a late (and loud) lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings and then settled in for the 45 minute drive back to Ellsworth. All in all a good trip to the “Queen City of the East”.

Paul Bunyan

Skull-ator

Cool Windows

Hobby Lobby Fun

Water Tower Top

Stephen King's front gate

Fun's Out, Guns Out

Sister City Sculpture

Mainely Research

I always find that the best place to begin an exploration is in a library, or a bookstore. Our latest adventure began at Bookmarc's Bookstore (Stephen King's favorite) on Harlow Street in Downtown Bangor, where the kids and I picked up these three books.

My book, An Explorer's Guide to Maine, is pretty much the perfect "How-To" book in terms of places to go, stuff to do, and things to see in Maine. You name it: Maps, History, Attractions, Restaurants, Hotels, Etc. It's all there. Including info on hours, prices, directions and where or not something is kid friendly. A must have for a first-time Mainer like me!

Emily picked up, The Pocket Book for Daring Girls. A hardcover gem filled with all sorts of useful information for adventurous girls. Subjects include: How to paddle a canoe, how to look at a leaf, how to make your own zipline, and how to be a spy. Fun and informative stuff!

Ethan got it's companion, The Pocket Book for Dangerous Boys. And, I can't think of a more appropriate title for my little trouble maker. Subjects include: Making a bow and arrow, making a go cart, making a bottle rocket and how to tie a knot. And yes, I'll be watching my back from now on!

Now, armed with a little local research, we head off to explore our new surroundings. Join us won't you? We'll provide our maps and guides, if you provide your sense of adventure!