After finally taking a morning to sleep in (cue big rainstorm that gave me a very nice long morning to feel okay with staying in bed), I said goodbye to my favorite little corner in Southwest Harbor with a warm coffee and all the good vibes. I made my way down to Boothbay as the rain continued to pour down. A long, slow drive listening to mood music let me feel and think about things that only a rainy day in Maine can do. I got to Boothbay and spent some time exploring the quaint town. First association…a very specific one…it reminded me of the captain’s house from Mary Poppins. A perfect little harbor town. I needed a plan for the evening so I made my way around to the restaurants to make my choice – one goal, I needed a true lobster before I left the state. I found the best place but wanted to enjoy the live music they were having later that night. I made my way over to Footbridge Brewery to enjoy a flight and more soul-healing reading. It was a very cute, hole in the wall place hidden on the underside of the main street…matched the vibes of the town. Great beers and even better feelings to self-reflect in a little town that made my heart feel like it grew 10 sizes. I ventured back to the lobster restaurant and sat myself at the bar and made very good friends with the bartender because I needed help through this lobster experience. After an hour of live music and conquering my first lobster (it was a JOURNEY), I made my way back to my Airbnb to enjoy some more wine and soak in my last real night of my Maine experience.
Another morning of sleeping in, I made my way back to Portland on another slow drive but this trip was the most beautiful beginning of fall day to drive through the tree lined roads. I diverted my directions to Old Orchard Beach. My sister’s boyfriend had lived here at one point so it was on the recommended list and it definitely was a good spot to hit. This little stop reminded me of a slightly more upscale version of Myrtle but the ice cream and beach beat Myrtle by a mile. The pier is definitely an experience to have and, after driving around the little beach houses, it seemed like it would have been a nice place to stay for a couple beach days. Maybe when it was a little warmer, however, because thinking about getting in that water when the air was maybe 60 degrees was a little intimidating. I got into Portland and the last goal of the trip was to see all the lighthouses I could in one day. Spring Point Ledge Light was the first stop and turned out to be a full-circle moment for the trip. I walked up along the rocky ledge and had thought back to the painting I had bought on my first day. The image sat in my mind and it made the moment crossing over those rocks even more special. First lighthouse done so I made my way to the next one. Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse was a nice place to see while being tucked in a neighborhood. However, the closest you can get is the bottom of the private driveway. So good for the experience but it was about the journey and not the destination. Onto the next. Portland Light House turned out to be my favorite little space from the whole trip. Fort Williams Park has a beautiful coastal nook with the white waves crashing against rocky ledges. I spent hours listening to the waves and people watching as groups wandered through the sand and rocks. Starting on the left side of Fort Williams looking out to the water, I made my way from the historical site of an old home to the lighthouse on the coast’s edge. A perfect afternoon with only the downfall of a parking ticket because of my presence in the moment making my mind slip from a ticking parking meter. At this point, I was lighthoused out and needed to find somewhere for dinner. As I was driving into Portland, I saw a concert looking venue and, since it was Friday night, I longed for live music and a good vantage point of the setting sun. After frantic googling, I found Thompson’s Point and made my way over to the venue. Listening to live music and eating a food truck dinner (let’s acknowledge that these food trucks were superior, think boujee food trucks), made me feel like I was back home in Charleston, WV at our riverfront Friday night concert series. See, I knew Portland felt like home in my heart for a reason. My Maine trip was coming to an end but I knew that this trip changed something in me that I don’t think I’ll get back…in a good way. My first solo trip, my first time in the state that had been ingrained into my brain from the moment I was born, my first time in a place that brought back feelings from my Iceland trip, feelings from the bottom of my heart that only pop up in those special & wholesome moments. I loved every second of this trip and my photographs will forever hold a special place to bring me back to these moments that I could feel myself growing new.
Journey with Jessica Leigh 