We started our first full day in Kennebunkport with a beach day. The hotel's concerige recommended Goose Rocks Beach, one of the longest white sand beaches in Maine, but warned us to get there early as the public parking spaces are limited and fill up quickly. We took her advice and were one of the first cars parked on the side street at 9 that morning! We had been hearing so much chatter about the low tide/high tide up here, something us Midwestern'ers know little about, and soon saw it for ourselves as we walked onto the huge expanse of sandy beach just a few hours before low tide. The beach was huge, three miles long to be exact, and at low tide, it seemed as though you could have walked a mile out and still been able to touch the sea bottom. There were seashells galore and miles of sand, perfect for walking and sand castle building. There weren't many people there yet, and we let the kids run like wildlings behind us while Beau and I walked and once again admired the rocky coast and the gorgeous beach homes that surrounded it.
The kids were hilarious. Cruz loves the ocean and has always exuded this wild spirit around it, as if to match its own wild and all-encompassing power. He jumps the waves, puts his hands up in a fighting position in attempts to fight the waves as they crash against him, and every now and then, lets them overtake him. Mila was finally old enough to not feel so intimidated by its size, and would do her best to follow Cruz's lead. Because it was low tide, they had a pretty long way from our towel setup to the water, and I lost count how many times they ran back and forth, Mila often to "wash her hands," only to return with them once again covered in sand. So much sand!
We built castles, played frisbee, collected seashells, and buried Cruz in the sand. He thought this was pretty funny, until Mila "accidentally" dropped a goldfish on his chest and seconds later, a hungry seagull landed too close for comfort. And I got pictures to document it!
As the beach filled up and the kids got hungry, we packed up our stuff and drove in to town for lunch before an afternoon nap called our name. We had lunch at the bustling Clam Shack, known for the best lobster roll in America. It didn't disappoint! We sat outside around lobster cages turned into tables, drank fresh squeezed lemonade, and I did my very best to savor every last bite of that sandwich.
Our afternoons in Maine might go down as some of our favorite memories of vacation. Especially if you ask Cruz. Knowing it would be best for Mila to get a good nap in each day, this time turned in to special time with Cruz at our home away from home. While Mila and Daddy napped, Cruz and I snuck away to the clubhouse. We ordered a chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich for two, and my favorite blueberry lemonade cooler, and played Sorry at the Dory. Cruz also learned to play checkers with Beau, and became pretty good at bean bags. I'm pretty sure Cruz could have spent his entire vacation just hanging out around our lodge!
Later, we spent our night exploring more of Kennebunkport. It was a beautiful night and the town was hopping with tourists. We let the kids fill bags of candy at the Sugar Shack, I browsed in a few shops, and we landed at David's KPT, a beautiful waterfront restaurant with a fantastic view. We had more seafood, more wine, and gave the kids more of our phones so we could enjoy our dinner!
We ended the night back at the lodge for a family movie night at the clubhouse. The kids watched Inside Out on a big projection screen, had freshly popped popcorn to eat, and the adults sat around the fire outside. It was fun to get to know a few other families, most of them East Coasters who were quite floored we drove that far. And then we had the last laugh when we started talking about housing prices in New York City compared to Iowa. Wowza!
Another great day in the books! Maine had officially stolen my heart.
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