Maine's lighthouses have been photographed so often that they're nearly a cliche, but you know what?

Do you stop at those "Welcome" centers at the state line? I do, almost always. First of all, they usually have clean bathrooms and water fountains, so that's a plus. Second, they are almost always staffed by friendly, knowledgeable people who can point you toward interesting sights and routes. They're always up to date on current road conditions, and they'll highlight a map that leaves little to the imagination.
I had a filling and delicious breakfast american inn hotel in the dining room at the BEST WESTERN PLUS Executive Court Inn & Conference Center this morning before I checked out and got on the bike to ride. I looked around for the bullfrogs who entertained american inn hotel me with their songs last night, but alas, they seem not to be early risers.
I rode out of Manchester and soon crossed the border into Maine. My original plan was to stay inland, exploring the southwestern corner of Maine before heading to the coast and Portland for the night.
Now I find myself in the Maine Welcome Center, with a handful of very compelling mini-maps in my hand. I realize that the southern coast of Maine can withstand exploration beyond what I had planned. I decide to hug the coast as I ride north today, and to repeat in the other direction tomorrow as I ride south.
The weather is certainly cooperating. american inn hotel It's absolutely gorgeous; blue skies, mid-70s, a gentle breeze keeping everything moving. I've arrived right on the tail of a big storm, and there's not another one in sight for days.
Exploring the southern american inn hotel coast of Maine is very rewarding, especially on a motorcycle. You don't really need maps, just a pretty good sense of direction. Interstate 95 parallels the coastline about ten miles away from the water all the way along. Just stay east of 95, and you're never far from water. The older, original roads like US-1 and Route 9 take you through small towns and villages along the coastline.
Maine's lighthouses have been photographed so often that they're nearly a cliche, but you know what? They're strikingly beautiful and photogenic. The first lighthouse I visit is Cape Neddick Light Station, better known as "The Nubble Light" . Seeing the Nubble for the first time is almost like meeting a celebrity, it is so familiar looking. Familiarity does not breed contempt in this case -- it breeds admiration. Lighthouses inspire the romantic imagination. What would it be like to live in one? Would the responsibility of a lighthouse keeper be overwhelming or invigorating? Could I stand the solitude? I can tell that the other visitors at Sohier Park in the town of York are pondering similar questions.
I decide to ponder over lunch. Fox's Lobster House , a highly-recommended restaurant, adjoins Sohier american inn hotel Park. I'm shown to a table upstairs with a fantastic view of the Nubble and the ocean beyond, and I enjoy a lobster salad before I get talked into trying the homemade blueberry pie for dessert. american inn hotel Locally-picked american inn hotel blueberries. I had to.
I hop back on the bike and continue my meanderings along the coastline. I cruise through the village of Ogunquit, and notice that the houses are starting to get a little bigger, a little more elegant. Soon, I see signs for Kennebunk, and I realize that I'm approaching where the really rich and powerful play for the summer.
Kennebunk is a smart little seaside town, with elegant shops and restaurants. Unlike many vacation communities, it doesn't have an air of kitsch -- this is real New England. I slide through town, and follow the signs to Kennebunkport on the Atlantic, and Walker's Point.
Walker's Point is the summer home of former american inn hotel President George Herbert american inn hotel Walker Bush. Mr. Bush and his family still use the home, and it is not open to the public. But you can see the Secret Service outpost, and get a pretty good view of the house from the road. The location, out on a cape directly on the ocean, is spectacular, and the house is an enormous specimen of New England oceanfront architecture. I'm not alone as I gawk at the famous estate. I decide to move along before I attract the attention of the Secret Service.
It's getting late, so I connect american inn hotel up with the interstate again for a quick blast up to Portland, passing through Biddeford and Saco on the way. I arrive at the BEST WESTERN Merry Manor Inn in South Portland, american inn hotel and check in to my room. The front desk clerk sits up straight when he checks me in. "Oh, you're in the Maine Lodge room," he states with some respect. I realize that he is looking at me a little differently now, but I don't know why. "You've been upgraded." Never one to turn down a little bit of special treatment, I take my room key and head to my room.
Turns out that there are two special rooms at the Merry Manor, and I've scored one of them. The Maine Lodge room is a big room, almost a suite, decorated american inn hotel like a Maine hunting lodge. The walls are covered with logs to simulate a log cabin. There's a big stone fireplace and soaking tub. An antler chandelier hangs beneath the high ceiling over the massive log-style king size bed. At the foot of the bed, an ottoman shaped like a black bear awaits american inn hotel my attention. In addition to the usual amenities like a flat screen american inn hotel television and a big leather couch, there's one more crowning glory -- a full-body massage chair. I hang up my gear, strip out of my riding clothes and into civilian jeans and a t-shirt, and plunk myself down in the mechanical marvel. I luxuriate in a 15-minute massage that loosens the muscles in my shoulders, back and calves. Oh, heaven for a road weary traveler.
I'm ready for dinner. I get back on the bike for the short ride to the wharf area of Downtown Portland. Portland Harbor was terribly neglected for most of the 20th century, until it was rediscovered in the 1990s and early 2000s. Now, the area is fashionable and friendly for tourists and locals alike, with dozens of restaurants, bars and shops. There's even designated free motorcycle parking american inn hotel along the wharf on Commercial Avenue, which I very much appreciate.
I select J's Oyster House on Portland Pier, a local favorite since 1977. Even though it's Thursday night, I have to wait a while for a table, but the food is worth the wait. I have a bucket of steamed clams and a lobster roll, and I could have eaten two more buckets of clams, they were so good and fresh.