Yes, I'm still smiling.......can you blame me? After spending time in
Portsmouth,
Dover &
Durham (
New Hampshire), as well as
Ogunquit,
Kittery,
York,
Kennebunkport,
Kennebunk,
Wells,
Old Orchard Beach &
Biddeford/
Saco (
Maine) I feel well rested, well fed, and lucky to have experienced this romantic getaway with such a great guy (sorry for the Velveeta factor). I encourage all of you to get out there and experience the East Coast, especially the coastal towns.
Thursday (4/13) Shawn picked me up in
Union Square, NYC (INSANITY). NJ would have been an easier starting point, however my music director from high school was in town and this was the only opportunity to see him. OY! FYI...Shawn encouraged it so I had full support. :-) After leaving the ridiculous NY traffic scene (I believe the Yankees caused the congestion) we made our way through Connecticut, Massachusetts, and finally to our hotel a little after Midnight in NH. We were greeted by Norman Bates (this man was CREEPY) and proceeded to bed.
Friday (4/14) We made our way to Dover/Durham, home of the
University of New Hampshire. Shawn let me drive..... it's quite liberating when you haven't done it for awhile (especially a stick). I'm glad he trusted me. :-) Shawn reminisced over his undergraduate years as we drove (and walked) around the campus. We stopped at one of his favorite hangouts (
Acorns) for the buffet (one of my favorite things in the whole world). :-) The restaurant was awesome...it had these amazingly large windows and a fireplace. It made you feel like you were eating practically in the woods.....I loved it!! Afterwards, we ended up getting a haircut from
A Nu Du, then shortly after met up with Shawn's buddy Matt in Portsmouth. WOW!!!! PORTSMOUTH IS AMAZING!!!! Please Visit!!! We wandered around, explored the town (
Strawberry Banke Museum, Downtown, etc), I bought handcuffs......hehe. We thankfully had perfect weather...the highlight was steamed mussels at the Old Fairy Landing with outdoor seating near the harbor (I know...the name is out there), and a
Smuttynose beer to wash it down. Aw, paradise.
Next stop....Kittery Maine (The outlet center). I was VERY happy (J Crew, Sketchers, Gap, Banana Republic, Calvin Klein & Old Navy). Need I say more....Yes...BIG SALE, BARGAINS, A JEW'S DREAM!!!! After successfully shopping we said our goodbyes to Matt and headed to Ogunquit (Meadowmere Resort). The Meadowmere has an indoor/outdoor pool, outside hot tub, a roman spa(inside), movie theater, a full gym, a pub if you want to have a drink and relax. It also has all these little sitting areas for you to sit and read or just have a nice conversation or just sit. Very quaint! It's only a short walk to the beach, downtown, and to Perkins Cove. After exploring the room for a bit (teehee) we made our way to town. We stumbled upon this quaint little French/Mediterranean restaurant called 98 Provence. Without a doubt, one of my top 5 favorite dining experiences ever. Something about the building, the grounds, the sign itself, just looked right. We pulled into the driveway. Yes, they could seat us without reservations, and we knew we were lucky. We just didn't know how lucky. We started off with a bottle of French Pinot Noir (the name is eluding me for the moment) and an appetizer that consisted of an artichoke heart and scallops with almond pistou accompanied by dinner which was a Veal mignon with wild mushroom port sauce & Halibut with salmon caviar-chive beurre blanc. UNBELIEVABLE! For me, it was one of the most romantic, charming, flavorable experiences I've had the opportunity to write about. We then returned to the resort, enjoyed quality time in the hot tub, and shortly after, happily fell asleep in each other's arms.
Saturday (4/15) We woke up to a foggy morning and made our way to the Amore Cafe. HAPPINESS.....another cute and quaint Ogunquit find...Adorable! After we stuffed out faces with cream cheese filled French toast & eggs benedict with corn beef hash we headed to town, shopped, and strolled along the Marginal Way (a walk along the coast of Maine) all the way to Perkins Cove. It was beautiful because the fog had lifted and the sun was shining. It was there we stopped at Barnacle Billy's for a bowl of Clam Chowder and a pound of long neck steamed clams. YUM!!! Moments later we then stopped at the Lobster Shack (footsteps away) and enjoyed another pound of long neck steamed clams. OINK!!! We spent a little more time taking pictures, holding hands, and enjoying Ogunquit. Afterwards, we explored many of the surrounding areas listed above (LOVED Kennebunkport..SO CUTE...Shawn bought me a Teddy bear & Big Fat Llama Merlot). When the sun started to set we headed back to the resort, opened the wine, headed to the hot tub, and relaxed. It's liberating to by gay (in a gay friendly resort) & feel so comfortable in your skin. It's a bonus to spend it with someone you adore. We went back to the room, dressed to impress, and headed to town, enjoyed Lobster Rolls at The Atlantic Cafe & then hit the clubs downtown (Maine Street & InsideOut). We had a couple beers and danced for hours...we were in our own element. It had been a long time since I let my hair town (so to speak). Sometime after Midnight, we walked back to the Meadowmere, smiling effortlessly from the day.....Can you see why I'm still smiling?
Sunday 4/16 After waking up and dragging my ass to take a shower, I closed the door, opened my eyes and found an Easter basket with a purple bunny, lots of candy and a Hallmark greeting. OMG....so sweet and unexpected. GRIN!!! Shawn surprised me....awww!! The only sad part was it was time to checkout of the resort (tears). I loved being there. We went back to Cafe Amore (I tried a lobster omlette) for our Ogunquit goodbye and then took a scenic route through York, stopping at Cape Neddick, enjoying the views of the ocean and the lighthouse. We drove back through Connecticut, switching to a scenic route through New York and New Jersey. Shawn's parents invited me to Easter dinner (which was wonderful). Directly after we went back to Forest Hills, watched Funny Girl (don't laugh...Shawn was a virgin) and went to bed around 11pm.
Finding happiness is like finding yourself. Thank you Shawn for making it easy. :-)
Sunday: I was fortunate to see my best buds in NYC, Dan, Alicia & Brooke Ferris at El Coyote in Jamaica. Always a pleasure. Sadly, everyone was really late so I had 3 helpings of chips and salsa. hehe I KNOW, I'm soooooo predictable. My taste buds were VERY happy. Alicia, I wish you'd let down the wall you've built so finely once in awhile....I love you and I want you to be a happy. 
