Two Lanes, Top Down, Green Dots: Day 26: St. Andrews NB to New York City

Day 26

Miles 592 (7809)
Two Lanes 175 (6011) 77%
Top Down 592 (6946) 89%

Time to head back to the good ole US of A. We knew we would have a long day when we chose to spend July 1 in Canada to join their celebration. 600 miles to NY, so many freeways today. But two big stops: The Maine Coast for lobster, and the Biondello’s for dinner.

We have been reading two road foodie books: Road Food, and Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives. There were two spots in Kennebunkport, Maine. This is an old money town, and the place where the older Bushes have had a vacation home for decades. We doubted we would be invited to lunch (especially with how little we have supported that family sat the polls!) So we headed for Nunan’s, famous for lobster, but they were only open for dinner. So we went to Mabel’s Lobster Claw for some yummy local seafood.

Then back on the road. Frank and Diane Biondello, and their children Amy, Sara, and Brad, were our neighbors for over a decade in Benicia. Great people. Can’t have better friends and neighbors. They ended up back near their roots in Connecticut. Lissa and Kristin and I had the pleasure to visit them in their Glastonbury home when Kristin moved back to NY to do her master’s in 2007. Linda was teaching and could not participate in that trip.

Good friends are easy to spot. Time and distance is made up at first sight. It was like old times, except Amy and Sara had gone from girls to young women. Nothing else seemed to change. We caught up quickly and had dinner at their beautiful country home. As dinner was winding down, Linda mentioned that she had called her father to wish him Happy Birthday. Diane then casually remarked, “Today’s my birthday, too.”

What? She was opening her home to us on her birthday and we weren’t reminded (knew years ago) that it was her birthday until after dinner! She was nonplussed. “We had cake with my mom yesterday, and it is just another birthday.” No such thing. Every year that we make it through this life is a milestone. When Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda told the great Dodger announcer Vin Scully that one of his pitchers was “day to day”, Vinny quickly retorted, “Aren’t we all?”

Sara and Amy brought out birthday cake and we all sang. It was quite festive. Good friends get to crash good friend’s birthday parties. That is a sort of a litmus test.

Then off to New York to see Lissa and Jon. Not much traffic driving into the city at 10 pm, so we arrived shortly after midnight.

Next 3 days: The Big Apple.

Good morning: the view from our room

The historic Fairmont Algonquin

The only chain we have visited, and we have gone just twice. Tim Horton's specialized in coffees and breakfast patries and donuts all day long...and they are everywhere in Canada. One person in a small town proudly proclaimed, "We have a Tim Horton's."

Crossing the border at 830 am at Calais, Maine. Just us and the motorcycle in front of us. Three guards. Too much time for them. We are wearing Yankee hats. Top down. First question: "Why are you wearing Yankee hats into New England?" My answer" I thought that might get us 15 extra minutes at the border!" (I can feel Linda cringing next to me.)

And then we visited the Bush's in their Kennebunkport, Maine vacation home. They checked our voting record and did not let us in.

Mabel's Lobster Claw (yum)