06 October 2009

For the love of autumn... (part 1: Maine 2005)

"New England has a way of doing this to people; they can be homesick for it even if they have never seen it."
~ Mark Van Doren

It is now October, and autumn is in full swing.  Maybe not really yet here in Texas, but we did have our first 60-degree day on September 22nd, the autumnal equinox.  I took a solitary stroll through the neighborhood at lunchtime.  As I left for my walk, I snapped a small sprig of rosemary from a plant by the curb and held it between my fingers the whole way - a sniff here, a whiff there.  Nature's aromatherapy.

Autumn, to me, means destinations - adventure and discovery of new places.  For the last four years, the season has brought along beside it a trip to the northeast, the best place to spend the fall in my opinion.   I grew up there, you know, in New Jersey where in autumn we retrieved our J. Crew sweaters from hibernation and donned duck boots as we raked leaves in the front yard.

In celebration of the best season, I thought I'd share some of my favorite autumn experiences over the last four years.  2005 was when it began.  That September, I went on a mother-daughter trip to the glorious state of Maine.  Maine is where I officially fell in love with New England - lobster boats and all.  Sure, I had visited New England before as a child and teenager - Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Mystic, Connecticut; Newport, Rhode Island.  But Maine is in a league of its own.  Its anonymous cottages tucked in the woods, sparsely populated fishing towns, and hibernation-inducing winters simultaneously make Maine cozy/quaint and the material of ghost stories.  I understand now why Stephen King based so many of his novels there...

Our trip was spent in Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park, and it was a true New England experience.  Bales of hay and mums decorating the steps of general stores...restaurants on fishing piers...tea and popovers...tiny towns lit by street lamps and lanterns.  Here are some of my favorite photos from that trip...



only in maine...


roadside autumn


lobster boats in castine


a typical maine scene


general store in castine


fall breaking through acadia national park


stunning view where we had popovers and tea at jordan pond house restaurant


sunset in acadia national park


Stunning.  Restful.  Just how autumn should be. It's why everyone has a love affair with New England, even if they've yet to see it with their own eyes.


11 comments:

jenni said...

Beautiful! Take me back there with you, please. And I love your new seasonal blog header. :)

Susan said...

i love maine and fall. was just remembering too how talking about maine is one of the ways we became friends. :-) can't wait for more fall memories.

and LOVE the new header for the blog!!!

vdkn said...

hey christine! michelle's friend vicky here...just wanted to say thanks for getting me pumped about my upcoming trip to boston/portland, maine! i'm so excited about experiencing an "east coast fall."

marisa said...

maine is on my list of places i want to see!! you make me want to go tomorrow :)

lisa said...

bar harbor and acadia park was one of my favorite destinations/ trips as well! beautiful! and your pictures make me nostalgic for it :) hmm...might be time for a second trip

maryh said...

amazing pictures. brad and i keep talking about how we want to visit maine and vermont - i know the winters are brutal, but i think it would be amazing to live in the neast for a few years.

The Morginskys said...

love it! and i LOVE how you and your mom have so many trips together, so wonderful!

abbiegrace said...

Wow--gorgeous photos!

Jody said...

"Blueberries, Mooseantlers and Cranberries"

That's not only in Maine. That sounds more like Minnesota to me.

:)

Tara said...

That quote is so true. I have joked for a long time with Todd that I want to retire in Vermont and I have never even visited!

Mandy said...

all of your pictures are breathtaking. Really, I think my heart skipped a beat and paused when I saw some of them!