Road Trip: Day Five

Day Five

Starting Location: Boothbay, Maine

Number of States: 3

Number of Stops: 2

Ending Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Today started with a rainy run through Boothbay, Maine. But there were still some great views of the water. Once we got packed up, we were on our way to Barnacle Billy's in Ogunquit, Maine. But before we got too far, we came across this great sign:

I really wish people felt far less entitled to things (especially things they are not willing to earn or pay for). But I digress. . . .

Jen first heard of Barnacle Billy's on Gilmore Girls, and it turned out to be a real place. As if everything on TV is not real. Not only did it turn out to be real, it turned out that it was also rated one of the top 10 lobster places anyway. Also turns out Ogunquit is a major tourist haven in the summer (and all the business owners leave in the winter). But once we fought through the crowds we were not disappointed.

Melanie was our server. She was great and also patient with us. So lunch was Barnacle Billy's Rum Punch and boiled lobster. Yum!

But the entertainment began when the lobster arrived. Of course in Maine, you have to clean your own lobster, which was quite fun and messy. We had lobster guts (which Melanie tried to convince us was a delicacy, but just tasted like clams), lobster tails, and lobster shells flying all over the place. Quite literally. We had many laughs and lots of good lobster, oh and yummy rum punch. I think I could have sat there three or four more days and just had more lobster and more rum punch. But alas we had to keep on keeping on.

The next stop was Concord, New Hampshire for another state capital. As we got within about 3 miles, the rain started again. So the capitol building was set against a gray, sullen sky.

From there it was off to Boston. But before we got there, we were treated with a very large rainbow.

While we looked for the pot of gold, we never did find it. Once in Boston, our hotel room was not only centrally located, but had a cool balcony - giving us this view of the state capitol building at night.

John and I wandered a bit for a bar. But the one we found was quite dead. Well, I should say that there were three guys who were engaged in a pre-arranged video golf competition. Needless to say, none of them had girlfriends or any place else to be. So after a beer, we headed back to the hotel bar where we played my favorite hotel bar game: who are these people and why are they here?

So there was the guy at the end of the bar who looked like he was here on business and from D.C. He was sad as it seemed he was looking for someone to talk to, but ended up being by himself. Then a guy sat down next to him, but he brought his companion - a computer.

Sitting next to them was the podiatrist from New Jersey and his wife?????? Well I cannot say he was actually a podiatrist, but he certainly looked like one. We voted for podiatrist or accountant.

The other end of the bar was quite entertaining.- led by Chip. Chip was from California, hitting on some woman from Sweden sitting a few stools away. and was proud to have his marijuana card. Yes, I said marijuana card. He was elated with Obama and the fed's new policy not to enforce marijuana use - I mean medical marijuana use. We are not sure where in California Chip was from but he lives within 10 minutes of 5 marijuana distilleries, a fact about which he was quite proud. While he looked like a truck driver, we were in too nice of a hotel for that. But he did say he had something to do with shipping.

Chip was talking to some guy who sold financial packages - let's call him Fred. I say that because Fred acted like he was all that, but it was clear he was not. He was proud that two years ago he ate Thanksgiving dinner at the hotel bar, and had some long distance relationship with a girlfriend, but apparently was hitting on girls at the bar anyway.

Then there was the newly married Ethiopian couple who sat down. And by newly married I mean they had come straight from the wedding. The only oddity was that there was a third man with them, which we just assumed was the bride's father. I have to say either they were really tired, or just not that enthused to be married.

Anyway - that basically was the end of the day (or really the start of the next day) - and it was off to bed. TOMORROW: Boston - Freedom Trail, Baseball.