Eartha

I had read about the world's largest rotating globe at the DeLorme map store near Yarmouth. Completed in 1998, it is based on satellite imagery. The store was closed when we arrived in early evening but it was still an impressive sight.

Portland Head Light, Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Officially the Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse, it is the oldest of Maine's 52 functioning lighthouses. It was commissioned by George Washington in 1791.

It is made of stone and brick and was automated in 1989.

A rock memorializes the wreck of the Annie C. Maguire, a British three masted barque that struck the ledge at the Portland Head Light Christmas Eve, 1886. All aboard were rescued by the lighthouse keeper. Visibility was good and the cause of the wreck is unexplained.

Cape Elizabeth Light, Cape Elizabeth, Maine

This cast iron lighthouse at the southern edge of Casco Bay was built in 1874. The keeper's house is privately owned and the grounds are not open to the public.

Nubble Lighthouse, York, Maine

Nubble Lighthouse (Cape Neddick Light) near York was our first lighthouse stop as we made our way up the Maine coast.

Congress appropriated money to build the lighthouse on the "Nubble" in 1874 and construction began in 1879. It is still in use today.

Hampton Beach State Park, New Hampshire

We stopped for a sack lunch at a state park in New Hampshire. We'd had breakfast in Massachusetts and would have dinner in Maine.

A native of and still living on an island in the greater Puget Sound, my sister contemplates the Atlantic Ocean.

Boston: Freedom Trail

My sister and I took the foot ferry from our hotel to historic Boston, seeing old ships along the way.

We followed the red bricks to our first historic building, the Old State House.

We toured burial grounds, such as the Granary Burying Ground, finding the burial places of Samual Adams and Paul Revere.

This tour guide at the Boston Common was gracious to allow a photo with my sister, Sally Christensen.

We next visited Faneuil Hall.

We passed by America's oldest restaurant

and took the tour through the Paul Revere House.

We passed by the Old North Church.

We crossed the Charlestown Bridge, finding the Bunker Hill Monument.

We made it to the top, all 294 steps.

Our last stop of the day was the USS Constitution, in dry dock.

We listened to an animated portrayal of the history of the ship, presented by a sailor in period costume.

I was surprised to find out, upon an inquiry by another tourist, that only 10-11% of the wood in the ship is original, the rest having been replaced over the years.

Boston Skyline

My sister, niece, and I flew into Boston in early October. It was our first stop on a trip that would take us to Maine to see the fall foliage.

Our hotel was near the airport, across the water from downtown Boston.