Bath: We Love You!

 29 June 2021  Bath Maine

Located on the Kennebec River, Bath is the perfect place for us.  We checked into a Residence Inn and popped right back out into old town Bath.  We walked downtown and stopped in an artist collective. We sat in Adirondack chairs in the riverfront park.  We drove around a saw lots of very large, old buildings. We had a fun filled dinner and afterwards we saw a concert of the Bath Brass in the Library Park.  Along the riverfront there were many informative signs.  In 1607 the English tried to establish a settlement here.  It did not work out so well and the remaining settlers built the first ocean going ship in North America by the British.  They all jumped on board and sailed back to England.  

Welcome to downtown Bath

General Dynamics Iron Works

Calling out to us...

A cool breeze made this location prime real estate

Watching the river

Very well behaved dogs

It was one happening bar scene behind me

Bath City Hall

Lead me to your lobsters

Half the town has shown up for the concert

Color coordinated

Sax solo

More Cow Bell!

Good night Bath

Portland Maine or Not?

 29 June 2021  Portland Maine

Foreshadowing

Even if you don't have much experience with window air conditioners, you could probably guess that this tiny unit is not powerful enough to cool 7 rooms.  As it turns out this is an understatement.  Even with this AC running full blast we were sitting inside the AirBnB and the temperature was in the upper 80's.  This was not going to work.  We tried to contact the host but no answer.  We called AirBnB corporate office and told them that it was unacceptable.  We never even unloaded our stuff and we took off for Bath Maine.  Even before we got to Bath we had been notified that we will receive a full refund!  We are learning lots about the AirBnB advantages and pitfalls.

the AC unit seen with perspective on its size

Otherwise clean and nice

If we stayed I would be sweating all night right here.

Hmmm why is this in the closet?

Too hot to play around with

Picnic lunch in Portland Maine

 29 June 2021 Portland Maine

We got into town a bit early to get into our place.  So we decided to have a picnic in the Promenade Park.  We stopped by a market to get mustard for our sandwiches and then drove to the park.  It was the site of an old windmill and the millstone was used to decorate the stonework.  We were across from the City Hall and the Fire House.  We heard the tourist narrative from the Duck Boat Tours as they passed us by.  We also saw a Firetruck Tour which would have been our choice of tours to take to see the city.  A handy park bench was all we needed to have a fun lunch.  The heat wave has not crested yet and we saw folks wading in the fountain and one guy went all the way under.

The park was peaceful but the grass was thirsty

Sandwiches

Cool drinks in the heat

Down by the water in Portland Maine

A hot stroll in downtown Boston

28 June 2021 Boston

Its so hot that the iron is melting!  We left the aquarium and went to Quincy Market.  We found an air conditioned bar with a two top nestled in the corner with views of both the inside and the outside. The folks that came into the market all let out big sighs of relief as they hit the AC.  The folks outside were mopping up sweat and spreading out to try to keep cool.  The news later told us that the 97 degrees was a record for the day and the all time high for any day was 104.  A salad for both of us and some Guinness Beer Onion Soup for me and chowder for Leslie.  We strolled the market and we were prepared to walk to the Hay Street market but we decided to head back to avoid the traffic.  We took a Lyft there and back and what a great decision.  The number of turns, tunnels and overpasses was overwhelming, its best to leave this to the professionals.  Our Lyft vehicle indicated that the outside temperature was 104.  We got back in time to shower, do an initial pack for our departure and then meet up with Katlyn and Matt for dinner.  We had Jamaican food from "Jamaica Me Hungry" a restaurant in her building.  The food was great and the company even better.  To top it all off we had ice cream delivered.  A very fine Boston experience.  We are so happy to be the Katelyn's first visitors as well.

The "Soup and Salad" crowd

Quincy Market

Quite extensive

Perhaps we will visit this island next time

Serious beer vending devices.  Little spigots on the base of these contraptions.

These fans are cooling no one!

Dinner is served and consumed.

View from their apartment

 

The Age of Aquariums

 28 June 2021  Boston

A riot of color, a crush of people, many schools of fish, and icy cool air was all our at the New England Aquarium.  It was not a crush of people but enough that we wore our masks the entire time we were inside.  With record setting heat wave going on outside the cool and dim surroundings of the aquarium was the perfect place to be.  I apologize right now for showing so many fish pictures.  It was in the high 90's when we got to the aquarium and it was evident in the red faces and sweat stains on lots of folks we saw.

Baby pajama shark

Fish Scale Exterior.   Thanks Tony B.

Tha Harbahh

The pink footed penguin

This guy was big

Barracuda 

Little eels waving in the current

Six feet from beak to tail

Day glow ready for the club

So many reef fish

Penguin in the water

Whale tail

Chillin out