krissyFor our 2018 Spring Break trip, Aaron and I really wanted to explore the North East. Aaron wanted to color in his geocache state map by finding a cache in each state and I have always wanted to visit Boston and Maine. If beaches, warmth and sunshine are your requirements, then the northeast is not the place you want to go for Spring break. It was cold with lots of snow on the ground, but we did not mind it. I do want to go back in either the summer or fall. I have heard the fall foliage is breathtaking.
Evelyn was only three at the time, and she does not remember anything about the trip, so I would love to take her back as well.
There are so many things to do in Boston that we only got to do a tiny smidge of what I wanted to. We were scheduled to go whale watching, which I have never done before, but unfortunately the weather was too bad and our boat trip got cancelled. I am still waiting to check that off my bucket list.
If you love learning about history, then Boston should be on your list of places to visit. This place is rich with it. From the Boston tea party to the midnight ride of Paul Revere you could spend a whole week just walking around town and reliving history.
Before leaving for your Boston trip, take a look up the Go City Card Pass. You can visit a lot of different places for a bundled lower cost! We did this for both Boston and Las Vegas, and it turned out a lot cheaper for us.
Southwest is the airline for us. I loathe when I have to fly another airline. Our direct flight to Boston only took about 2 hours and 30 minutes. To keep Evelyn entertained, we packed lots of snacks, a backpack with a few toys and her tablet. Oh, and Pony, never forget Pony! She goes everywhere with us.
After landing, we jumped in our rental car and started our adventure! We dropped off our luggage at the hotel and bundled up for some geocaching fun. Our first stop was the oldest geocache in Massachusetts located at the very top of a steep mountain. Here I am climbing a steep snow-covered mountain in tennis shoes! That was a terrible idea. However, after we finished, I had the perfect excuse to buy me a new pair of tennis shoes. So, score one for me!
Our next stop was Mine Falls Park in Nashua, New Hampshire. Aaron wanted to find the oldest geocache is New Hampshire, so we drove an hour north west. Unfortunately, I had to switch back to my soaked tennis shoes, so my feet were completely frozen and soaked by the time we were done.
Here is us with the oldest cache in New Hampshire.
After hiking back to the car, we headed off to Maine to find the oldest geocache in the state. I am a huge lover of lighthouses. Just something about them gives me all the feels. These tall, magnificent structures are made to withstand storms while subsequently being a beacon of light to the passing boats. The view from a lighthouse just takes your break away. Can you imagine being a lighthouse keeper back in the day? Tasked to keep the light going, the safety of countless ships being in your hands. The sunrises and sunsets you would get to see and never grow tired of. Not to mention the calf muscles you would develop from going up and down all those steps, am I right?
Nothing I have yet to see can compare to seeing a lighthouse on the coast of Maine. It was exhilarating standing on the edge of the cliff looking out over the ocean and hearing those angry waves crash against the rocks below us. If it weren’t so cold out, I could have sat there all day.
This gorgeous lighthouse is located in Cape Elizabeth, Maine and is known as the Portland Headlight. It sits at the entrance of the primary shipping channel of Portland Harbor. Completed in 1791, at the directive of George Washington, it is the oldest lighthouse in Maine. It cost w whopping (for the time) $1,500 to build and was originally lit by using whale oil.
The lighthouse has a little museum in it that tells you all about the history of the lighthouse as well as a gift shop. You can pay a fee to climb the 101 feet to the top. Aaron did not want to carry Evelyn up all those stairs, and I can’t say I blame him, so we forwent the chance to see the view from the top. It is ok though, the view from the ground was spectacular by itself.
After we finished sight seeing, we walked the 200 and some yards to find the oldest geocache in Maine!
After finding the geocache, we headed over to Portland to check off a bucket list item of mine. I have always wanted to eat lobster in Maine. I absolutely looove me some lobster, friends. I could eat it every single day. They say the freshest lobster comes from Maine, so I just had to try it and see for myself!
Aaron reserved us a table at DiMillo’s on the Water. This fancy restaurant is located on a boat. Even though we had a reservation, the wait was long, but once we got a table and ate our food everything was right with the world again. Since it was winter. The boat was still enclosed with no outdoor dining. I would love to return one day in the summer and be able to sit outside and see the harbor.
After stuffing our faces with our delicious dinner, we headed back to our hotel to rest up for day two!
