Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse

It was pretty hot early this afternoon, so ice cream was a must have before walking the trails at Fort Williams Park. You can see the Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse in the background.

Here are the remains of the Goddard Mansion. We could go through the inside portion of the structure, but still rather cool to look at from the outside. 

We also were able to check out a number of different wartime structures built or used during the civil and/or the two world wars. According to our guide this morning, there has been a prevailing fear of being under attack here in the Portland Bay.

Kayaking to Fort Gorges

This morning we kayaked out to Fort Gorges; a fort built for the civil war but never used. We were able to walk around inside most of the fort. On our way back to shore, we kayaked around the back side, which meant we were able to experience some of the ocean swells. We saw a harbor seal on our way back too!

Portland, Maine

Today we finished the drive to Maine, after stopping in Boston last night. On our way, we stopped at Wells Beach to dip our feet in the sand and feel the ocean waves.

Our evening consisted of eating lobster rolls and strolling the sidewalks of Portland, Maine.

Another Day at the Falls

We started our day off with a ride on the Maid of the Mist, a boat that takes you right into the bowl of the Horseshoe Falls. What an amazing experience! Last time we were here we road the Canadian side boat, which the kids only had snippets of memories of. I am glad they were able to experience it again and hopefully they will remember it a little more.

We then walked out to Horseshoe Falls along the top.

Having the state’s side of the falls set up as a state park makes for a day of walking paths along the river. It was a much more enriching experience to see so much of the river upstream of the falls than just seeing the view from across the river like we did last time. 

American Falls

Alstan made sure we made the trek back out to horseshoe falls one more time tonight. It was a bit misty and chilly at night, but so worth it.

Niagara Falls

We were lucky they had the Observation Deck open tonight.

Today we arrived at Niagara Falls. We spent our evening checking out the falls and later watching the fireworks. We happened to see a news reporter on our walk back. Since Alstan enjoys learning about filming, we sat and watched them prepare for their newscast. We found out that the fireworks were celebrating New York state reaching 70% of its population being vaccinated. 

Henry Ford Museum

This was the first exhibit we saw when we entered the museum. Dad was pretty happy.

Check out the school bus. Don’t the kids look ready to head to school?

Alstan made sure we looked through every section. By the time we had gotten to this end, we were getting tired of walking, so dad tried to do a quick walk by. Alstan wasn’t having it: this was the section he remembered from last time and he did not want to miss walking past each and every train.

Greenfield Village

The round house was Alstan’s favorite part. We couldn’t help but be reminded of his Thomas the Train fix he had been on for some time when he was younger.



Today we visited the Greenfield Village. Even though there was some things that are still not happening due to COVID-19, we still were not able to see everything. Since most of the restaurants were closed, we decided to have a picnic in the shade.

1st Travel Day

On our way through Chicago, we stopped at the American Girl Doll and Lego stores. The last time we were here Elsie got her first American Girl Doll and Alstan got a Lego set simply because Elsie got something. Today Elsie was picking out outfits for her dolls after paging through magazines for the last week deciding what to buy. Alstan couldn’t wait to get yet another Star Wars Lego set. 

Of course we had to stop by Ann Arbor too.

Portland Maine, Here We Come!

And we’re off! 

Jammin’ on the Porch

They had an ice cream truck there tonight. 

Yay! The Jammin’ on the Porch performances are back! 

Water Fight

Alstan and Elsie set up a water fight with their friends from Lisa’s and Lisa’s grandchildren. The lawn may have been as happy for the water fight as the kids.

Pamper Day

Elsie wanted a pamper day before leaving for vacation. This is her first experience with face mask.

First Camping Trip of the Year

Dad’s school year ran later than Mineral Point’s this year, so mom and the kids decided to enjoy some tent camping. Alstan picked our site, and we all agreed it was a winner.