Why I Want To Go To Iceland

"Now with lava fountains" 60 meters high #ashtag #Bardarbunga Fresh images of seismic activity http://t.co/qnM4oQnXNI pic.twitter.com/9tV9uIfmLe

— professorsabena (@professorsabena) August 31, 2014

Road Trip!

It's been a long time since I took a road trip vacation. I had forgotten the planning that has to go into packing up the car and driving 500 miles from NJ to ME. We were sharing a house with four friends; we each had a list of things to bring - games, food, linens, etc.

This trip really was all about lists. A list for clothing, a list for food, a list for specific items we knew we'd need (our own coffee grinder/pot). I'm not used to packing as much as we wanted to; no 3-1-1 bags! I brought an entire bottle of shampoo. It felt decadent.

On our way to South Bristol (where our rental house was), we stopped in Freeport to visit L.L. Bean and some other outlet shops. It's a good thing I drive a Honda Element - plenty of room for shopping bags :-)

We ended up spending the better part of a Saturday here, browsing and eating and shopping.

The house (view from our bedroom, above) was spectacular, if a bit remote. It was a good 30 minute drive to anywhere, but that's ok. Each morning we awoke to the sounds of the water lapping at the rocks below the window as the tide came in.

Our days consisted of day trips, mostly involving some sort of water activity, whether it was lighthouse visiting, whale watching, kayaking, or sailing. We were very fortunate to have gorgeous weather almost the entire trip.

All in all, it was a very relaxing week spent with good friends. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the New England coast, and am looking forward to my next opportunity to head north.