September Road Trip to Ogunquit, Maine

        One of the greatest blessings of retirement is the gift of time!  In September, Gary and I took a trip to New England via Tennessee.  Our first stop was the "Grand Ole Opry".   After a very entertaining evening we drove to Pigeon Forge, TN at the foot of the Smokey Mountains.  We experienced the beauty of  Smokey Mountain National Park near Gatlinburg and enjoyed some more county music entertainment in the evenings.
         We drove though the Applachians enroute to Maine.  In September, the color was starting to turn and the vistas were breathtaking.  We arrived in Ogunquit, Maine and stayed in a cute cottage within walking distance of the village.  We enjoyed fresh lobster each evening and great day trips to several of the lighthouses in Southern Maine.  My favorite was the Nubble Lighthouse, in York.  We had a beautiful sunny day and I got to sit right in front of this historical site and paint!  Gary visited with all the people from the busses who stopped by.  We joked about the fact that we were both doing one of our favorite things, me painting and Gary visiting.

As an artist, it doesn't get much better than this!

The Marginal Way is a 1.2 mile walk right along the ocean
 from Ogunquit to Perkin's Cove

      Enroute to the Portland Headlight, we drove through Kennebunkport and got to see the Bush Compound right on the ocean (along with several large bus loads of tourists).  We hiked the Marginal Way from Ogunquit to Perkin's Cove.  It is a paved walkway right along the ocean.  I couldn't resist stopping to paint the view back to Ogunquit.
     We spent 5 days in Maine and Gary and I agreed that it was a successful trip.  We were amazed at how similar coastal Maine was to Door County ( minus the ocean and the lobster).  The villages dotting the coastline were charming and very "touristy"  just like Door County.  Here are the paintings I completed during our stay in Ogunquit. 

"Nubble Lighthouse, Live!"   11x14

"Marginal Way, Ogunquit, Maine"    11x14

"View of the Surf, from Perkin's Cove"   8x10