Dale & Patti Schumacher's Travel Log: Day 43 - A Side Trip to the Southern Maine Shore

Maine isn't that far and we've only been there one other time. Bar Harbor via cruise ship. It's only about 180 miles round trip, nice drive for lunch and a glimpse of the North Atlantic. Kennebunk Port ME and back. Lobster Roll it is.

Nice and sunny this morning. The high temperature reached 70 degrees before we returned to Concord NH. Very little Interstate Highway today. Mostly the back roads of New Hampshire. And, the beach road, U.S. 1A, along the Atlantic. Fabulous day for "Leaf Peeping," the purpose of this 2015 Fall Color Tour.

We reached Maine and only saw one Christmas Store along the way (U.S. 4). Patti had to stop. It was more like Hobby Lobby. Big disappointment in that they are more seasonal than Christmas. Lots of Halloween stuff. They told Patti the Christmas stuff would come soon after Halloween. Oh, well.

Nice visitors center in Kittery ME. Had to cross a very impressive bridge into Maine. Left I-95 here, after only about 10 miles or so and headed north on U.S. 1, the other end of the highway that begins in Key West - Mile Marker 0. After a short trip north, we noted U.S. 1A (not A1A like in Florida), so we turned to the beach. Beaches are a bit different here.

As we drove along 1A we noticed that traffic was moving along at a pretty good pace. Then Dale looked in the mirror and realized that we were leading the parade. Many cars behind us. Pulling into Kennebunk Port ME it was time for lunch. Lots of crowded choices. We finally settled on The Clam Shack. Not often do you pay $50 for lunch at a roadside restaurant that has no inside seating, only to drive in congested traffic to sit in the Kennebunk Savings Bank parking lot to eat...LOL :) Interesting.

Time to leave the Beach and return to Concord NH. Tomorrow, another adventure.