We headed up to Philly on the 7th. It worked out well, because the concert was at night, but the annual Havertown Pub Crawl was that day. So we went to a few bars with the pub crawl crew before heading over to the concert.
The next day, we jumped in the car and drove to Bar Harbor, Maine. I had never been and was excited to explore the area for a few days. Chad and I were BOTH excited to eat our body weight in lobster rolls. Chad came close. He had lobster in every meal!!
Our first stop was Bob's Clam Hut, right over the border into Maine. It was recommended by Grammy and Grumpa and did not disappoint.
After that, it was a few more hours until we reached Bar Harbor. Chad unloaded the cars, and I hurried down to the Thirsty Whale, down the street, to order more lobster rolls before the kitchen closed. We weren't kidding when we said we were going to eat as much lobster as possible. =)
While in Bar Harbor, we stayed at the cutest little bed and breakfast, the Central House. It was right downtown and a quick walk (1 block) down to the water and to all of the shops/restaurants. Our room was up on the 3rd floor and it was perfect. Very comfortable with a large King sized bed and a quaint, but good sized, bathroom. I cannot wait to go back!
On our first morning in Maine, we did a little shopping and had an early lunch before our whale watching tour that afternoon. Shocker, Chad had another lobster roll and then we shared the most amazing piece of blueberry pie!!
We still had an hour to kill before our tour, so we went to a bar, down on the water, and ordered some drinks. When in Maine, you have to eat blueberries, and why limit that to just food? Chad ordered a blueberry martini and I had a blueberry mojito. They were both soooo good. It was a good thing we couldn't stay there all day!
Then it was time for our whale watching tour. I was very excited to get out on a boat and see some whales. The tour company warned us that the temperature would drop significantly, so we needed to wear warm clothes, and that we would be heading out into the ocean, so the swells could get high. I was not sure if I would get seasick or not, but Chad informed me that they sold medicine on the boat, so I figured we would be ok.
It was pretty hot while in the harbor, and it was also very calm. Chad and I found a great spot, right in the front of the boat, and happily posed for photos! We really did have an amazing view.
As we headed out to the ocean, the temperature dropped immediately. I figured it would gradually cool down, but it literally dropped 25 degrees in one second. Everyone was scrambling to add some layers as we realized that the swells were also getting bigger. With the wind and the swells, it was actually quite difficult to get our sweatshirts on. But we managed. For an hour or so, we headed further out. The boat began to shift up and down and people all around us started getting sick! Chad and I were still fine. The wind was also pretty intense. Check out the crazy hair below. Thank goodness I put my hair up that morning. ha ha ha
After a few hours of navigating over swells and searching for whales, we still had not found anything. At one point, we hit a huge swell and as the boat moved down a wave crashed over the front of the boat and soaked everyone up there, Chad and I included. Now that we were soaking wet, the wind was even more cold. I couldn't take any more, so we headed inside. Once there, we discovered that about 90% of the boat was sick. People were throwing up inside, in the bathrooms, and over the side of the boat. Somehow, Chad and I were still ok. Given that most of the boat was sick, the Captain made the decision to turn the boat back early. We never saw any whales. =(
But, we did receive a voucher for a free return trip, which I hope to use in the next year or two. Once we got closer to the harbor, Chad and I stepped outside to escape the vomit and to dry off in the sun. It felt good to be back outside again.
That afternoon, we changed out of our wet clothes, did some more shopping, tried some lobster ice cream (it was actually really good), and enjoyed some Maine beers before having dinner at Havana. One of the best dinners I have ever had.
The next morning, we had breakfast at the Great Maine Breakfast, down the street from our hotel, and then hit the road for Montreal. The drive was beautiful. We meandered between mountains, dotted with lakes and rivers. The road was windy and Chad had fun driving his car.
At one point, we stopped to take a photo and Chad realized that someone had sideswiped his car in Bar Harbor. The photo op was ruined, and Chad was very annoyed. So we headed on to Montreal in the hopes that his mood would improve. (Spoiler alert: It did)!!
Once in Montreal, we were amazed at how European everything felt. The old town area was so cool. Cobblestone roads, old buildings, and neat side streets filled with restaurants and shops. We both loved every minute.
As soon as we got to the hotel, we enjoyed a complimentary glass of champagne, on the rooftop terrace, and then walked around before dinner.
That night, we had dinner at the restaurant in the hotel and it was amazing. We sat at the bar, chatted with our french bartender and enjoyed a fabulous meal. It was the perfect way to end the day, especially since we only had to go upstairs to crash! =)
The next day, we woke up, had breakfast at the hotel, and then ventured out into Montreal. We didn't have a set plan, but knew we wanted to see Notre Dame, the botanical gardens, and walk around old town. Since Notre Dame was right around the corner, we went there first. We walked through and discovered that the organist would be doing a concert later in the day. We re-arranged our plans because we did not want to miss that! We spent the morning at the botanical gardens, went up the world's tallest inclined tower (yes, even Chad did this), and then went back for the concert. It was all amazing!!
That afternoon, we went to a market and bought some bread, meats, and cheeses. Then, we headed back our to room to enjoy a snack before heading out for the evening.
That night, we walked around, watched people, and ate poutine in a cool outdoor courtyard!!
While at dinner, Chad read about a speakeasy online. Apparently, it was right down the street, so we decided to go on a little adventure to find it. We walked down an alley and looked for the secret door. I stopped at one spot to see if it was the right place. It was not, but the door person pointed us in the right direction. We finally found it. After ringing the bell, the steel door opened, and a man escorted us inside. We took a stairwell downstairs and came through curtains to a crowded bar. It was pretty cool, and the drinks were delicious!
You could not leave through the same door, so after a few drinks, we had to go up a different staircase and exited through another unmarked door, on a different street.
The next morning, we had breakfast in the hotel, and then hit the road for Toronto! Chad and I were excited to go back to a city we loved so much 8 years ago! But first, we had to stop for some Tim Horton's coffee. =)
After checking in to our hotel, we walked over to the Foo Fighter's concert. We had floor tickets, so we got there right when the doors opened in order to be up front near the stage. There were 2 opening acts, so we had to wait nearly 3.5 hours before the Foo even came out onstage. After 1 beer and a slice of pizza, I realized we were cut off because there was no way we would get back to our spot once we left. The crush of people was insane, and it only got worse as soon as the concert started. I am glad I did it once, but I will never do it again! ha ha ha
The view behind us!!
The rest of our time in Toronto was filled with walking around and eating!! We ate at a restaurant known for delicious meats, had cocktails at a Harry Potter inspired bar, and stopped for wine at Wayne Gretzky's winery.
We finished off our amazing trip with a drive down to Buffalo, to see our good friends the Slevars. They had just had a baby and moved back to their hometown, so we were anxious to see them. Of course, any stop in Buffalo is not complete without some wings, and Brian and Amanda took us to one of their favorite spots. They were delicious. We also got to stop in and visit Brian's family, who also live nearby. It had been a while since we had visited with any of the Slevar clan, so we really enjoyed ourselves. We finished the night relaxing at their house and catching up.
It was a great week away, but we were ready to get back home, see our kids, and enjoy the rest of the summer. So many more fun things to do...
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