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| Acadia National Park |
Three years ago Ryan and I headed northwest to Kennebunkport, Maine and Boston, Massachusetts. To this day, it remains
one of our favorite trips and we frequently talked about returning, but are
always torn over returning to a place we loved and exploring someplace new.
When my pregnancy prevented us from running a RAGNAR relay this year as we’ve done
the past four years (2014 RAGNAR, we’ll be back for you!), we decided to take
advantage of the time and money we’d set aside for a trip and venture back to
Maine in the height of its fall colors.
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| Acadia National Park |
We spent a blissful five days with
friends both exploring the little towns near and around Kennebunkport and
venturing further north into Acadia National Park (which thankfully re-opened
after the government shutdown the day we arrived!). The scenery was far more
beautiful than anything I’d envisioned—last time we went in September and it
was amazing what a difference that month made. Longtime readers know I’m a
summer fan and that fall typically depresses me because it hints at the onset
of winter, but this trip gave me a new appreciation for the beauty of the
season…not to mention a deeper awe for the Creator behind it all!
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| Acadia National Park |
Although running upwards of
twenty-five or thirty miles at an all-night running relay wasn’t in the
cards for me this year, we still managed to stay plenty active on this trip and
satisfy my itch for adventure. I had three gorgeous morning runs, two with
running buddies and one solo, which reminded me that while summer might be my
favorite season to live in, fall is absolutely my favorite season to run in!
While in Acadia, we made it to the top of two mountains (we did the Penobscot
Mountain/Sargent Mountain/Jordan Pond Loop)
and even
though the foggy, rainy weather made it impossible to take in the views, the
beauty amongst the rocks and trees, even in the weather conditions, was far
more gorgeous than anything we were able to capture on capture. Finally, we
spent a sunny afternoon biking around Kennebunkport, an adventure that nearly
cost me my friendship with Paige (it’s always the wary biker that ends up with
the broken bike!) but was a fun way to take in the sights of this little town we’ve
fallen in love with!
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| Ryan, Natalie, & Baby McLaury (23 weeks) |
Of course, like any vacation of ours, there was a major emphasis on the
food, our favorites briefly outlined below:
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| Amazing Vegetable Hash at Hot Suppa |
Hot Suppa: Heading
north toward Acadia, we made a stop in Portland, ME, a foodie mecca that I
could easily spend days eating my way through! We enjoyed a leisurely brunch at Hot Suppa, surprisingly full at 10:30 am on a Thursday morning. Ryan, Mike, and I
all ended up ordering the same thing, something we normally avoid, but the
day’s special sounded too good to pass up. The autumn vegetable breakfast hash
was as good as it sounded and I’m thankful I didn’t have to share a bite of
mine with anyone! Red potatoes, kale,
kabocha squash, and beets tossed in fresh herbs
and topped with eggs managed to taste as pretty as it looked. Since returning
home, we’ve already recreated a version of this twice and as soon as I make it
again and photograph it, I’ll be sharing it with all of you!
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| Young's Lobster Pound |
Young’s Lobster Pound: After
spending way too long trying to find the perfect lobster “shack” on Yelp, we
finally ended up at this place in Belfast, ME for a late lunch. It doesn’t get
much fresher than this place, which was teeming with fresh lobster that they
cooked up right before you. Ryan got a lobster platter that I stole a few bites
of and loved his generous portion of mussels. I opted for the lobster bisque,
which was chock full of meaty lobster and cream…likely the culprit of my
healthy pregnancy weight gain whilst on vacation ;)
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| Rosalie's Veggie Slice |
Rosalie’s: We spent an evening in
Bar Harbor the night before we did our hiking in Acadia, and popped into this
buzzing pizza place to grab a slice before we took in a show at
ImprovAcadia (HIGHLY recommend!). For
just a few bucks, we found ourselves with warm slices of thick pizza that was
simple, satisfying, and that totally hit the spot!
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| 50 Local |
50 Local: This farm-to-table
restaurant in Kennebunk (not to be confused with nearby Kennebunkport) was one
of our most memorable meals of the trip. Between the assortment of warm breads
served to the flavorful first courses (mussels, butternut squash soup, local
greens,
pork belly,
and more!) to the homey entrees, everyone found something they loved. Although
I rarely order chicken when eating out, I couldn’t resist the highly
recommended roast chicken with carrot ginger puree and roasted fall vegetables which, true to the
server’s declaration, was not a boring dish! If you’re wanting a dish that
truly impresses, go with the seafood stew…our friend Zach couldn’t wipe the
silly grin off of his face after licking his bowl clean!
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| Buttonwood Farm & Lobster |
Buttonwood Farm & Lobster: Determined to take
advantage of all the fresh seafood we could get (and wanting to recreate
our fabulous lobster meal from our lastvisit!), we picked up 10 lobsters from
Buttonwood Farm & Lobster. Since we stayed at Ryan’s
aunt’s place again, we had a large and fully stocked kitchen which made it easy
to cook breakfasts for the group as well as a lobster dinner. Although cooking
up fresh lobster as a bunch of Midwesterners is a humbling experience that
requires a lot of Googling, we managed to execute, and our night sitting around
the table together trying to avoid squirting lobster juice everyone is one of
my favorite memories of the trip!
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| Rococo Ice Cream |
Rococo: It isn’t a McLaury vacation if there
isn’t at least one stop for ice cream and we were thrilled to discover this ice
cream shop which had opened since the last time we’d been there. It
was constantly packed with people, even when
the temperatures dipped and the winds picked up, proving that the scoops
churning in this tiny shop were something to be savored. I ended up with the
molasses gingersnap and the sweet cream with sea salt (must recreate!), but
every flavor I sampled—most of which change daily!—was positively exquisite. If
I were ever to open an ice cream shop,
these
are the types of flavors I would want to incorporate…along with whate
ver Rococo’s secret is to
making such creamy, airy ice cream!
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| Crab Roll at Cape Pier Chowder House |
Cape Pier Chowder House: In need of a place to wait
for bike repair during our adventure, we luckily found ourselves here just as
our stomachs began growling. Thankfully the seafood made up for the woe of
broken bikes and of cranky employees at this little seafood stand. I had my first
ever crab roll which may have been my favorite seafood dish on the whole trip.
The hot dog bun was stuffed full with crab and it was so light on mayonnaise
I’m doubtful it was even on there! Ryan finally got his fried clam fix here and
Zach gave two thumbs up to the Maine blueberry pie.
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| Biking in Kennebunkport |
Alisson's: Needing a place to watch the Packer
game and rest our legs, we headed to Allysons in downtown Kennebunkport. Most
notable was our fantastic server, who gave us all the time in the world to
watch the game and work up some hunger while keeping us entertained with quick
quips and a great attitude. Seeking a bit of balance, I ordered an arugula
salad with goat cheese, beets, and walnuts that was just hearty enough to hold
me over. Ryan’s brunch burger was the real show stealer, however, and I managed
to steal a few bites and wish I’d been hungry enough for a full one!
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| Stonewall Kitchen Cafe |
Stonewall Kitchen Café: On our
way out of town and to the Manchester Airport, we stopped in York to visit the
Stonewall Kitchen flagship store and café. Not only did we have the opportunity
to sample just about every Stonewall Kitchen item we desired, but their café
selections were equally impressive. I couldn’t finish my gigantic salad (though
I did enjoy every single one of the roasted pears on it!) and Ryan loved his
Thanksgiving sandwich and clam chowder. Although this is definitely a hopping
tourist attraction, it’s a must-stop if you love Stonewall Kitchen!
And just like that, we returned home from another vacation, more than
satisfied with both the foods we enjoyed and the adventures we encountered!
It’s hard to believe it was our last true vacation before we add a baby to the
mix and I’m thankful we had the chance to steal away for a few days before the
craziness of the holidays and then the (welcomed) craziness of a new family
member!
One Year Ago: Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Two Years Ago: Blues City Deli (Best of 2011)
Three Years Ago: Roasted Eggplant and Peppers Tart with Chickpea Crust
Four Years Ago: Chocolate Chip Coconut Pumpkin Bars
