Every year my family would take the ten hour drive from Pittsburgh to Topsail Island, North Carolina. This year, the plan changed. I'm going to college in the fall, and I hadn't seen much of my own country. We wanted to go on a trip that would allow us to see as much as possible, the highlights and the best of the best. It just so happened that my cousin was getting married this June! In Maine! I've never been to the Northeast, so after weeks of planning and sketching travel routes, we set off on the Roadtrip of Summer 2K14.
The schedule of events:
-Portland, Maine
-Acadia National Park
-Salem, Massachusetts
-Boston, Massachusetts
-Newport, Rhode Island
-Providence, Rhode Island
Surprisingly, it was next to impossible to fit all of these cities into one week. It was not going to be a relaxing vacation at all!
We left our house much later than anticipated- 4:30 PM on a Thursday night. Needless to say, there was no way we were driving straight through the night. The whole family needed to be in Portland, Maine, the next day for the rehearsal dinner for my cousin's wedding. We made it about four hours before checking into a hotel in northeastern Pennsylvania. Couldn't even get out of the darned state!
Bright and early the next morning, we took off for the eight hour drive remaining. I knew we were getting close when we stopped in at Panera for lunch and saw this sign.
I know that lobster rolls are a New England speciality, but I never expected to see advertisements everywhere! I got a good chuckle out of the amount of people walking out of Panera carrying lobster rolls.
Finally! We arrived in Portland! I could tell right away that Portland is one of those towns that is meant for coffee and sea breezes. It is remarkable! The port side dining and shopping is a mix of quaint and big city. It is also the most walkable town I have ever been to. The sidewalks take you everywhere and the scenery is breathtaking. At every corner there is a quirky little shop or a coffee place. As a vegetarian, I was astounded by the amount of meat-free eateries. 
The architecture in Portland is a mix of old and new. The brick buildings are something I'm not used to seeing. I wish that we were able to spend a bit more time exploring the city by foot, but we needed to go to the wedding; the reason we were in the city to begin with. Now, I like weddings as much as the next person, but sometimes I just cannot stand the stuffy churches and the long ceremonies. This wedding was nothing like that at all!
The bride and groom chose a park right outside of Portland as the spot for their nuptials. It was the best way to show off the beauty of Maine. All of the out-of-town guests were stunned by the combination of the sea, rocks, and grassy knolls.
After an amazing wedding and roof top reception, we only had a morning left in Portland. Looking back on the entire trip, I can safely say that this was the best part of the vacation. Too bad it was at the beginning! Everywhere else we went had to attempt to live up to the vibe of Portland.
We still have 5 days to go on our Vacation 2K14, so stay tuned!
xoxo,
Royse
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