Vermont was my wife’s 45th state on her way to 46 and 47, before the day was done. We picked up a celebration magnet and enjoyed the BLT lunch that was packed for us by our overnight hosts. We’ll eventually get her to Nebraska and the Dakotas, so she can join me in the prestigious “50 State Club.” Our overnight reservations were at Otter Creek in the Acadia National Park. We also picked up a New Hampshire magnet on the way there. We had finally arrived at the northernmost point of this journey with the odometer reading 23,960.

When we first crossed the state line, any chance for a photo of the welcome sign was obstructed by a MEN WORKING warning. There were indeed lots of road delays along Hwy. 1, but we did see a covered bridge along the way. Due to our remote location and late arrival, dinner was a disappointing cheeseburger under warming lights and re-heated chowder in a Styrofoam cup. The inn was charming on the outside but had cheap towels, no hair dryer, and a lumpy mattress. On the positive side, there were at least fresh blueberry muffins at check out.

August 8th was our 25.5 first-date anniversary (Eddiversary) and the 11th day of this journey. My wife had lunch with a best friend at Eddy’s Restaurant in Fishers last week, where this particular occasion gets its name.  We had also acknowledged the 10-year date when we first moved to Portland, Oregon in 2014 while passing by “sister-city” Portland, Maine. 

Our second and final Maine reservation was at Ocean Acres in Ogunquit. Road construction had slowed our progress into scenic Boothbay after shopping and walking around Bar Harbor. We were searching for last night’s elusive lobster roll and found it at the Nautilus Restaurant in Belfast. Dinner was also lobster at the Ogunquit Lobster Pound. My wife picked one out of the tank while I ordered lobster pie. We were pleased to find that our room even had a hair dryer, tub, and a TV that worked without multiple remotes. However, you would think that with a name like Ocean Acres, it would be on or even near the Atlantic, especially with the inflated price tag. Not the case!