Our day along the coast! Most of the day we spent in the car travelling along the turnpike, but also wound up and down the back New England roads. The first stop was We started the Portland Head Lighthouse! I'd been there once, but I wanted Matt to see one of the 50 beautiful places to visit in the United States according to Life Magazine. The lighthouse is actually located at Cape Elizabeth, ME near the grounds of Fort Williams, a World War II harbor defense facility. It is the oldest lighthouse in Maine, wasn't easy to find, but we loved the look of the city. At this lighthouse, you can not take a bad picture. The pictures above were taken by me!
We learned out two amazing facts in the museum that is located in the lightkeepers' house. 
1. On April 24, 1945, the U.S.S. Eagle built by The Ford Motor Co. was fired upon in Portland by a German U-Boat. There were 13 only survivors of the 67 member crew. 2. On March 3, 1947. the U.S.S. Oakey L. Alexander from Wilmington, Delaware initially assigned to patrolling the Delaware Capes, ran aground at Cape Elizabeth, and all were saved including much of the cargo of coal.
We headed back north along the coast through small seaside towns until we reached Boothbay Harbor. It is a region where you can explore quiet coves, rocky shores, and meandering country roads. It is where I hold memories of my first exploration of Maine's rocky coast. Part of my trip to Maine, was to take him where I had taken his Dad on our honeymoon. He wanted to know exactly where his Dad stood, where we ate, and what we saw! 
As we found the spot where his Dad loves talking about eating a 2 lb. lobster, we went into the restaurant. Matt decided on a shrimp basket. The waitress told me they only had three left! Was I lucky or what? You guessed it, I ordered one! The view - - incredible. We were on a seaside deck at 5 pm watching the cruise, fishing, and sailboats coming in from a day out to sea! 
The dinner was delicious but the sun seemed to go down in no time at all. I really wanted to get to the Pemequid Point Lighthouse located in Christmas Cove! We drove and drove and finally got there, just as the sun had gone down. Matt excitedly got out of the car and walked down towards the rocky edge. I showed him where we could walk out on the rocks. We only had a matter of minutes! I shared my disappointment with him. I felt like I had let him down, but he didn't care. He loved the cool mist of the sea air, the lighthouse light swirling its beacon, 
and the shadows of the rocks. The fact that he was standing where we had been 12 years ago was enough for him. I told him that a new memory was created because I had never been to the lighthouse at night! He smiled and agreed that it was amazing nevertheless. He was glad we decided to stick to our plan and visit it anyway! Several couples were still sitting on the rocks near the splashing water as Matt helped me up the rocks. I took a picture of him and then he called his dad, stating "We got here and I'm stood right where you were!"We got back in the car and drove home. It is very different driving on dark, curvy, hilly, forested roads at night. You never know what type of critters will see. You can't see the houses because there are no street lights. However, if you were born in Maine, like me, somehow you feel your internal compass guiding you back home to safety.
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