Helene and I got a chance to get away this week for a few days and head up for some sights, smells and tastes of the southern coast of Maine and a bit of New Hampshire. We stayed in Kennebunkport where we had booked room reservations. From there, we did some shopping and sightseeing around town and the general area. This week was a good week to travel because its the last week of summer and there was nowhere near the amount of people on vacation.  A lot of people are back home this week because schools have started back in session.
We did take the ride out to The Presidents compound  just outside of Kennebunkport and by the amount of activity that was going on out there I believe the Bush families are in town enjoying the last week of the summer. We were also able to take a day trip to Ogunquit and spend some time down there and walk a bit down Marginal Way.  We finished our trip by taking a drive down the winding coast, with stops for pictures at the Nubble and Whaleback Ledge lighthouses and many of the early American Homes that are so plentiful from Kennebunkport down the coast to Strawberry Bank in Portsmouth NH and then out to New Castle NH and Wentworth by the Sea. Maybe some day I will be lucky enough to stay out there. There was also a stop at my grandparent’s old home in Kittery where I still have good memories from those days, long ago. I posted some pictures on Good Diggin Facebook page.  A few of the places we ate at worth mentioning are,

The Port Lobster Co in Kennebunkport serves a big lobster roll that is stuffed full with lobster for $10 bucks.  It was very good with just enough mayo to bind it together nicely but not overpower the flavor of the lobster.  I have had the expensive lobster roll before at The Clam Shack, in town and its also 
very good, the lobster roll at the Port Lobster Co, is just as good!  We upgraded and got the lunch box
special for $11.99 It included the  lobster roll on a toasted  New England hotdog roll, Cole slaw, chips and a piece of chocolate. We also had their Clam chowder and it was  good. This place is lobster pound / fish market that has no indoor seating.   There are a couple of chairs outside and we sat down and enjoyed life going by.

The Maine Dinner in Wells   where we were greeted by the ever present line of people that are waiting to be called for the next available table. We started with the seafood chowder which is one of the best you will ever have. Helene had the Fried Whole Belly Clams that comes with a choice of two sides.  I
had the Lobster Pie which is chunks of lobster meat that is covered with a corn meal topping and then baked.  It is served with a small cup of melted butter and your choice of two sides. Both meals come with a corn bread muffin. I will say that we were extremely satisfied with everything that we had and the wait is absolutely worth it. They only serve Wicked Good food here and I can’t wait till I get back there again.

Chauncey Creek Lobster Pier in Kittery Point   It's an open air lobster house that has a totally unique atmosphere. You sit on picnic tables that are on a large deck overlooking the tidal river.  Half of the deck is covered from the sun and the other half is wide open.  If that does not sound unique did I mention the pine tree forest as a backdrop across the river? If you want a whole Lobstah, you go to the tank and pick the one you want and then it is cooked for you. This is a place to enjoy some good food and enjoy the scenery. Besides lobster you can also get steamed mussels or clams and a great selection of sides. This visit was a first for me and it’s now another place that I will be back too and work on that menu a little more. You are also welcome to BYOB (They are not licensed to serve) as well as any side dishes not listed on the menu.  It was cool to see the locals coming in with picnic baskets, wine and beer. It's definitely a gem and exactly what you'd want from a Maine Lobster Shack.  

There’s something very different about Cap Cod this year. Yes the beaches are still some of the best on the East Coast and the number one reason that people come to the Cape. The Cape has attracted a whole new group of guest that are coming to the beach to enjoy the summer and dine on some great Cape Cod seafood. The Great White Sharks are becoming a more common sight along the elbow of New England’s coastline and most beach-goers are taking the new threat in stride. The sharks have come to prey on seals, whose numbers have skyrocketed in recent years due to the Federal protection that they are given. The warmer waters are attracting seals, and seals attract sharks. Chatham, the quaint village has become ground zero for the big fish. The beaches are also the number one reason tourists go there. 

This has become Shark Summer on Cape Cod, and rather than fleeing, the crowds are flocking. All over the
Cape, tourists are buying T-shirts printed with white sharks or shark jawbones. Seals taste like chicken,” one T-shirt says. “It’s always shark week in Chatham,” says another. Walk through the stores this year and everything is great white. It used to be seal merchandise. The Monomoy Island Ferry, which offered seal cruises on two different vessels have increased their daily departures with extra boats  and makes four trips a day, the prospect of seeing a shark, although rare, is enough to entice people. Remember the movie Jaws when the politicians tried to deny the existence of the great white shark? This is Shark Summer on Cape Cod, and rather than fleeing, the crowds are flocking. They have brought out the curios to marvel at the mysteries of nature. Yes we all love wildlife. Beaches, Clams, Ice Cream,  . . . and now sharks have become another of the Cape’s many attractions.

Massachusetts has emerged as the white shark hotspot in all of the Atlantic Ocean.  Captain Quint you were born at the wrong
time.


 

This will be another great week of events for the Free Fun Friday’s program that is sponsored by The Highland Street Foundation. Five of the events are for Art Museums and the sixth event is for the New Bedford Whaling Museum. All of these museums are top notch and would be worth the trip at any time.  From the fantastic exhibits in New Bedford Ma of our Whaling History to the hills of the Berkshires in Western Ma and a major exhibit of some works of a truly great American Illustrator and Artist, (in my opinion) Winslow Homer. In addition to The Free Fun Friday Program this week, the Worcester Art Museum will also continues to offer free admission during the month of August.

Speaking of Museums, National Museum Day is next month on the September 28th.  There are many museums all over the Northeast and the Country that participate in this program. The Smithsonian Museum will send you free tickets to visit the museum of your choice if you submit the request to them. To receive your free Museum Day Live! Ticket for two people only, please enter your information into the request and send it out to The Smithsonian Museum . Your Ticket will be emailed to you after you submit your information. You must print your ticket and present it to receive your free admission.

Here are a few other Free Events that will be held throughout New England this week. For more events, check on the pages of Good Diggin. If you like this, Please Like us on Facebook.

Vermont Music Fest           Saturday     12-10pm in  Waitsfield Vt
This is a free, all-day, volunteer-run music festival, featuring non-stop music on two alternating stages, local food & artists, and fun for the whole family. Bring your blanket or lawn chair and Come to dance, come to play. Come to celebrate Vermont!

Plainville Balloon Fest         Friday-Sunday in Plainville Ct
Once again, the skies over Ct will be filled with hot air balloons that will participate in the Hot Air Balloon and Craft Festival. This event will also feature a car show and fireworks display and plenty of food. There will be a Balloon Glow on Friday evening as well.

Waterfire    Saturday evening after dusk Providence RI    
This will be the fifth full lighting this year for Waterfire. Over eighty bonfires will be lit along the river in downtown Providence. As you walk along the paths in Waterfront Park, past the arched bridges and beautiful sculptures; your senses will be captivated by the flames, aromas of burning wood and music from around the world. There will be torch-lit vessels that travel
down the river, street performers and  live performances by a few groups at the Steeple Street Stage. WaterFire has been enjoyed by of over ten million visitors since its flames were first lit in 1994.  I will say that when we went to the show two weeks ago it was without a doubt the largest crowd I have ever seen and still it was fantastic. This event is free but donations are what keep it going and you will see the kiosk for them along the walkways.

    
Blackstone Valley Explorer River Tour      Sunday in Central Falls, RI
As you enjoy a boat ride on the Blackstone River cruises you may see swan, herons, geese, ducks, turtles, hawks and beautiful plants and trees! The tour guide explains the ecology of the river and surrounding wetlands interspersed with stories about the people and history of the region.  Every your time on the river, you’re bound to see something cool!

Jacobs Pillow Dance Inside/Out Performances        Wednesday-Saturday in Stockbridge Ma
These are the free performances that happen every week from Wednesday through Saturday during the Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival. The shows are performed outside, with a beautiful backdrop of the Berkshire Hills in the summer. When the weather is threatening the performance will move to an indoor studio with very limited seating. Call the Box Office after 5pm the day of the performance to find out if it will be outdoors or indoors. 

Who is playing this week in your neighborhood ?….Town Concerts on the green

I drove back from Rhode Island this week and there are spots in the wet, low areas along Rt. 146 North where the leaves have already changed their colors and were bright red. How does that feel with two weeks left of summer?  Thanks to a very hot July this year followed by August which has given us some rather cool nights  New England's foliage season will probably start early this year. I remember last year when we went to Chesterfield Gorge in the Berkshires on Labor Day, I saw the first signs of fall foliage when there was one tree that had turned a brilliant red set in a backdrop of others that were still green. I thought it strange as we took what turned out to be our last swim of the year by a tree that was in its full autumn splendor.

The Country Fairs all over New England start of pretty strong this week and will continue on for the rest of the season. You can find out where and when every fair in New England is taking place from this web site. With the scorching days behind us, a couple weeks left of summer, I have always believed that coming up are the best eight weeks of the year to get out and enjoy life. So get out there.

What is happening with the price of Lobster?  Well, the lobster catch has been increasing yearly for more than 23
years, growing from less than 30 million pounds in 1990 to a total of 123 million pounds last year. The catch from the coastal waters again this year is surging and it’s created a glut of Lobsters which has depressed the value of Maine’s signature seafood. It has caused the price of Lobster to drop to an average price was $2.68 per pound, the lowest in 18 years. 

With an economy that has been in shambles for the last few years, the demand for live Lobsters has not been as strong.  If
people can’t make their house or car payments and struggle to keep groceries on the table, then there’s not going to pay for luxury items like the Lobster. Well I say it’s time to get out there and make a difference in our economy and enjoy one of life's guilty pleasures, go enjoy some “Lobstah”.  Have an American original and keep the Lobstermen working and their boats out on the water. It’s one of the few fisheries that are not on the decline for total pounds harvested.


 

  Here are a few of the Free Events that will be held throughout New England this week. A couple of concerts with big name groups will be playing this week. For more events, check on the pages of Good Diggin. If you like it, Like us on Facebook.


 Fisherman’s Feast            Thursday--Sunday    Boston Ma

The smell of Italian sausage will fill the air in the North End of Boston as the Fisherman’s Feast will once again take place this week.  This is Boston’s oldest Continuous Italian Festival. La Madonna Del Soccorso will leave her permanent chapel on Lewis Street for a solemn Procession to the Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park for the Annual Blessing of the Fishing Waters. This year the procession will be dedicated to the victims of the Boston Marathon Bombings. There will be live music daily, good food as well as arts and crafts vendors. The Festival will end Sunday with the Flight of the Angels and the closing procession.

Milford Oyster Festival      Saturday   Milford  Ct

 The Festival will have a very large food Court where you may purchase any food you can think of that would be sold at a festival. They will feature 20,000 Oysters & Clams served up many different ways. Several varieties of oysters will be sold and some of the most prominent oyster growers on the east coast will be there. Eat one or eat a couple dozen. Enjoy oysters salty and sweet, grown from Maine to Virginia. The Free Events will feature a Car Show, Professional BMX Stunt Bike Riders, Over 200 artists and artisans to participate in one of Connecticut’s largest Arts & Crafts Show. The 39th Annual Milford Oyster Festival will also host John Popper and the Blues Traveler at the Festival’s Main Stage. “Blues Traveler has been performing at the Festival for the past several years.  

Blue Oyster Cult at the DCR Hatch Memorial Shell on the Charles River.   Saturday    Boston Ma

Immortalized by the Saturday Night Live sketch parodying their 1976 hit "(Don't Fear) The Reaper"     ( I saw them that year  in Germany) The band got its start  on Long Island, New York, as the Soft White Underbelly, and then went on to become  Blue Öyster Cult.  Other hits for the band include "Burning for You" and "Godzilla" Their motto "On Tour Forever" still holds, as the band plays over 100 dates per year.

Third Thursday Street Festival                        Thursday     Willimantic Ct

Every third Thursday thousands of people from far and wide stroll along Main Street, Willimantic amid a background of musical, theatrical, visual, gastronomic, and olfactory delights. Seven stages simultaneously host a wide variety of music and entertainment while over 100 vendors showcase a variety of handcrafted goods and services. Willimantic's diversity really shines through in the delicious authentic international cuisine. Enjoy locally produced artwork, beer, music, and soda.

Jacobs Pillow Dance Inside/Out Performances    Wednesday-Saturday in Stockbridge Ma

These are the free performances that happen every week from Wednesday through Saturday during the Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival. The shows are performed outside, with a beautiful backdrop of the Berkshire Hills in the summer. When the weather is threatening the performance will move to an indoor studio with very limited seating. Call the Box Office after 5pm the day of the performance to find out if it  will be outdoors or indoors.

The Highland Street Foundations Free Fun Fridays           6 events throughout Ma
Worcester Art Museum                                                       Worcester, MA   Free Admission in August
Bascom Lodge Mount Greylock                               Sunday Performances in Western Massachusetts
New England Town Concerts on the green                       for this week

The TaxFree Holiday was originally planned to ease the financial burden of back-to-school shopping. Most states in the country that feature the program offer tax forgiveness on clothing and school supplies, including computers.
 
Connecticut shoppers Annual One-Week Sales and Use Tax Exclusion for Clothing and Footwear Costing Less Than $300 runs from Sunday, August 18th thru Saturday, August 24th

Massachusetts shoppers can begin making up their shopping lists for another summer tax-free weekend. Last Friday the Governor again signed the bill creating the tax holiday for the weekend of Aug. 10 and 11.  The one-time tax break will apply to retail sales, but will exclude any single item priced higher than $2,500. It also excludes vehicles, motor boats, tobacco,
meals and utilities. It’s very popular with shoppers and important to most of the retailers, many of which say those are the best two days of sales during the year. ........................Time to get my new weed wacker.

The rest of the New England States its business as usual,  some never offer the tax break and others are..........

New Hampshire .........You folks have it everyday....Lucky
Maine.........................Better Luck next time or time to travel
Rhode island..............Better Luck next time or time to travel