Part III: Back to Maine, and the tranquility of Southport

After all of the stimulation and energy of the cities, I was ready to get back to my home state...what's not to like about Southport?  Southport is a town in Lincoln Country, right around the corner from Boothbay.  The town constitutes the whole of Southport Island.  This was the view from my room at the Ship Ahoy Motel.  I can't say enough about the Ship Ahoy!  It's one of Maine's best kept secret....for $79 a night (that's summer time rate!) you can get a room (yes, it's somewhat dated, but whatever, it's clean, safe and quiet), with a balcony that looks out on the water.   It's on (what I think) one of the most beautiful parcels of property in Southport, seriously, get your arse up there! asap.  fyi, it's closed from mid-October through April, I believe, as there's no water that can be piped in from Boothbay..people who live in Southport have wells.

From your deck, you'll see sailboats, kayaks, fishing boats, ferry boats, lobster boats, as well as seals & great blue herrings.  Just go to the hotel and sit on the deck, you will not regret.

this is not the dock at the Ship Ahoy, but they have one similar to it and you can fish (saltwater) right off the dock for free; my brother caught several Mackerel during his stay

My sister, Kathy, rode our bikes around Southport on our first day (a pleasant 16 mile loop on the perimeter of the peninsula), and on the following day we headed out of Southport and went over to East Boothbay, which was about a 20 mile ride.  Both excursions were well worth it as the pictures below will make evident.

I would not recommend the ride for children as the roads are narrow with lots of blind curves.  Fortunately, Rte. 96 which lead into East Boothbay's Ocean Point had wide shoulders, but there was way to much fast traffic.

Watching the sun set from our room.

Back to Ocean Point in Boothbay.  I'd never been there but will make sure to return some day!

There's a draw bridge which you have to pass over to get in and out of Southport.

Sunrise from the Motel.

Make sure to try out Oliver's in Southport, again, you will not regret!  Good food and drinks, perfect for lunch!  

Part II: My day in the Big Apple, the High Line Walk

On Tuesday, I'd reserved a seat on Megabus.com to take me from South Station in Boston to New York City.  The bus left at 7 a.m. and arrived in the city at about 11:30 a.m.; there were no stops along the way, and we arrived w/n 5 minutes of our scheduled time which is amazing considering the traffic in the city.

My destination in the Big Apple was the High Line which is a 1-mile New York City linear park built on a 1.45-mile section of the elevated former New York Central Railroad spur called the West Side Line.  It runs along the lower west side of Manhattan, and has been redesigned and planted as an aerial greenway.  From my understanding, it was modeled after a similar project in Paris, the 3-mile Promenade Plantee, completed in 1993.  The High Line currently runs from Gansevoort Street three blocks below West 14th Street, in the Meatpacking District, to 30th Street, through the neighborhood of chelsea to the West Side Yard, near the Javits Convention center.  Repurposing of the railway into an urban park began construction in 2006 and the first phase opened in 2009 and the second in 2013.  The third and final phase will open in the fall of 2014, and I've heard that a Low Line is also under consideration!

When you go to New York City on Megabus, it will drop you off at 7th Avenue and 28th, but make note that when you leave the city on Megabus, you leave from 34th Street b/t 11th  & 12th Street. I discovered that this was just a few blocks from where the High Line ended, how lucky was I!  And that I'd have plenty of time to not only do the High Line but also walk over to Time Square a must-see for any tourist?!  (or not....it's a jungle!)...Here are my pictures from the afternoon...the bus was scheduled to leave the city at 6:15 p.m..

There are several places to eat on the High Line, I chose a yummy Taco Place!  Of course, I had to have a nice cold beer with it...

After lunch, I was ready to tackle the city....

This is a oasis in this jungle, the New York Public Library.

And so, there you have it, my day in the city!  Back on the Megabus,

A friend, a former student from UNE's MSW program, Sophia, came down to 34th Street to see me off.  Sophia has been living in NYC since she graduated 4 years ago, and she's come to love it.  It was very nice seeing her, and I appreciated that she took the time to see me.

See how all the buses are lined up along 34th Street?  There are signs making it pretty clear which one to return on...just be there in time as they depart promptly.