On the Road: Newport to Portland
It was about 180 miles from Newport, Rhode Island to Portland, Maine, which seemed almost trivial compared to the 1,400 miles we had traveled for our last move. New England is very compact! As we drove through Massachusetts, we saw signs for towns and roads that we remembered from living in Boston in the 1980’s. We stopped in Salem to have lunch with our niece Zoë, whose wedding we had attended there last June. We walked through the picturesque town of Salem to Turner’s Seafood, where we feasted on fresh clams - in chowder and on pasta - while we caught up on honeymoon adventures and newlywed life.
From Salem, we drove through the top corner of Massachusetts, then the bottom corner of New Hampshire, and then finally arrived in Maine. We took a small detour to the beach town of Ogunquit so we could walk the famous Marginal Way. It was a pleasant, sunny afternoon, with cool breezes from the Atlantic Ocean. It was a great introduction to the beauty of Maine’s rugged coastline.
We arrived in Portland with plenty of time to unpack and get dinner. Our trip had involved about four hours of driving and about three hours of stretching our legs outdoors and visiting with family - a nice balance.
