More Lighthouses! Day 10

The Hilton Garden Suites hotel in Freeport, Maine, August 15, 2014.  It must be said that this is an extremely fine, well-equipped hotel with a wonderful staff and outstanding breakfast!  We will stay there again, should we be able to do so.

Friday, August 15, 2014:  We all arose early this morning.  Michael and Dave wolfed down breakfast and trudged over to L.L.Bean for a day trip to the archery range.  Meanwhile, Mary and I had a leisurely breakfast and packed up all our essentials.

The four of us met at L.L.Bean as soon as the menfolk were finished, then shopped for some camping gear they needed: camping chairs, a table, a Michael-sized archery set plus "bowstring wax" (did you know there was such a thing?), and a pink hat for me.

Mary and Michael playing in one of the tents at L.L.Bean super-store.

We agreed that we would eat lunch at our next destination, The Portland Lighthouse.  It didn't take long to get there, around an hour or so.  The Portland Lighthouse, in the large city of Portland, is in the Fort Williams Park.  There are old walls of the Fort and concrete floors scattered about the hills grounds, but the main attraction is the magnificent lighthouse, keeper's house, museum, and gift shop.  More than that, the incredible view of the harbor is unequaled!

Portland Head Lighthouse, August 15, 2014: fabulous!, the first lighthouse in the State of Maine.

This view of the coast around the Portland Head Lighthouse shows the rocky cliffs, high above the pounding ocean.

There were dozens of sailboats and ships of all kinds in the harbor.  I wish I could have watched them for days!

Just look at all the white water around these rugged rocks!  It was far too dangerous to get near this!

Ram Island Ledge Light: out in the bay beyond the Portland Head Lighthouse.

The Portland Head Lighthouse is closed to public climbing.  We leisurely walked the grounds then, about the time it started drizzling rain, walked back to the car and drove south on Interstate 95 to Foxborough, the site of the New England Patriot's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.  Dave and daughter #5, Theresa, wanted to root for the Patriots.  Mary, Michael and I returned home, retrieved the dogs, Lily and Dudley, from doggie day care, unpacked, and sat around and chatted: a wonderful 3-day vacation in Maine!