Off before dawn

Trying to get to Logan before a 7:30 AM flight shouldn't be a problem except for all the traffic, it's 6 AM and dark. It turns out that Boston starts pretty early, I am driving to get to the tunnel and find myself jockeying around traffic just to get to the freeway. Then the really driving begins, for all the places I've driven, Boston seems to take their driving to a go out and take no prisoners attitude. If it were not for the fact that all the roads seem to be marked differently than most places, the locals obviously have the upper hand. But make it we did and I said good bye to my wife and she wished me the best on the first leg, telling me that I should stop for coffee. As you can imagine the adrenalin is pumping and it is still dark, you just got to go for it.

As I got out of the city the traffic started to build until it was packed bumper to bumper going into the city and almost as crowded going north out of the city. There was more than once that I figured stopping and getting something to eat would add an hour to the trip north to Freeport Maine were I was going to pick up a co-pilot and see some old friends. As I was driving I started to think about the last time I was in Maine, 26 years ago, I was wondering how much it had changed. As it turned out the whole trip had moments that brought back the same thought, and just like the Professor in the Wizard of Oz said "I can't come back".  But sometimes you can, even though things have changed a lot.

Coming into to New Hampshire I had really only driven through it in the past, so I was going to take the opportunity to stop off in Portsmouth. As daylight finally came I stopped at the first rest stop, Seabrook, one of  many to come. Up to that time it was very overcast and threatening rain. It was showing signs of clearing and the temperature was still reasonable for this time of year. The fall colors were vibrant and I was looking forward to breakfast in NH. I checked out the maps and realized how much I had missed in the state. But it turned out that I didn't add much more to my knowledge of New Hampshire, getting off in Portsmouth and touring the town left me with no place to eat and a feeling that Portsmouth was just a series of businesses set up for the tourist season. Maybe next time I will try to hit it in the evening and see if there isn't more of a local feeling and some place that might be open.

 So it was off to Maine and hopefully some food, it wasn't long and I was taking the exit for south Portland driving into the harbor and there it was the first sign that I had arrived. Fresh seafood, live lobster $4.99 a pound, I had made it to Maine. Right past the sign I couldn't resist stopping at Becky's Dinner. Open 4 AM to 9 PM! Breakfast was calling and it was a great way to start seeing Portland again. I drove up and down the water front looking for the changes and then climbing up through the streets looking at all the new improvements but recognizing most of the old buildings. Many of the buildings had the same facades and some even had the same businesses in them. Mostly I noticed that the city looked much more prosperous, it's amazing what 26 years can do.