I Ate My Weight in Lobster (Or, A Visit from Mimi)

I can check that one off of my bucket list!

Back in June, Scott’s mom, or Mimi as she’s now called, flew out to Newport for a 10-day visit.  We always love having her around, but having her here was the perfect excuse to eat lobster and clam chowdah nearly every day (no exaggeration).  

Mimi arrived just in time to celebrate Scott’s 30th (!!!) birthday and Father’s Day.  Being the BBQ enthusiasts that we are, we decided to have a small gathering.  And no small gathering is complete without burgers, Steve’s Magic Potatoes, Pimm’s Lemonade and homemade Hummingbird Bakery brownies.  So to the kitchen and grill we went...

Bringing a little bit of London to Newport.

Deadly.

Stuffed from all of the food, happy from the Pimm’s and Scott truly feeling the love on his very first Father’s Day and very first day of this 30s, we fancied our celebration a success.  

Later that week, Mimi, Eliza and I decided to take a day trip to Cape Cod.  We hit the road without a plan...

And arrived on the Cape.  

We stopped in Hyannisport for a fabulous lunch of Fish n’ Chips.

And then made our way back to Sandy Neck Beach for some time in the sun.

Eliza liked eating the sand rather than playing in it. 

While we didn’t get to explore too much, we had a great time driving around the little towns and soaking in the quaint New England charm.  

Later in the week, we made our way over the two big bridges to the mainland and found ourselves in the old-fashioned town of Wickford.  Filled with sweet little shops that make you say, ‘Awww!’, we lazily made our way through town.  Not before, however, stopping for a lunch of chowdah and lobster rolls and a double-scoop ice cream cone.

Adorable Wickford, RI.

The following weekend, we headed up to Kennebunkport, Maine.  Home of #41 and #43 (US Presidents, that is).  Staying in the adorable Green Heron Inn, all four of us immediately fell in love with the old-timey feel of the 50+-year-old B&B...and the absolutely divine breakfasts that the chef prepared each morning.  I’ll soon not forget those incredible pumpkin pancakes I had on my last morning...

Walker's Point, home of the Bush Family.

We spent the day walking and shopping around Kennebunkport, stopping for ice cream, coffee, muffins...whatever peaked our taste buds.  And all of this was before lunch.  But lunchtime quickly came, and finally, we had arrived.  

The legendary Clam Shack.

Famous for their lobster rolls, we all excitedly ordered and waited for our numbers to be called.  The anticipation of the pound of lobster meat, lightly tossed with butter and mayo and gently placed between two fluffy, yet crispy pieces of white bread was killing us.  It was truly like waiting at the top of the stairs on Christmas morning...

I tell you what, I thought I had died and gone to heaven (and there’s actually nothing to prove that I didn’t...).  Each bite was so bittersweet - heavenly because it was SO delicious and devastating because it was another bite gone.  

Bellies full and feet tired, we made our way back to the Inn for a blissful nap.  For we had dinner reservations only a few short hours later.  

My goodness, it's hard work being a world traveler!

Rested and ready for more lobster, we took the short walk next door to Mabel’s Lobster Claw for dinner. 

Oh.  My.  Gosh.  So good! 

I can take him anywhere but out.

Another amazing meal.  Another couple of pounds of lobster down...this was turning out to be one of our finest culinary trips yet.

The following day, we said goodbye to the Inn, took some pictures of Eliza rocking by the pond and headed down the coast of Maine.  

We stopped by a Fireman’s Bizarre in York, Maine and bought Alex a local t-shirt.

There was even a Dalmatian in the passenger's seat!

We stopped for a short while at the Nubble Lighthouse (Cape Neddick, York, Maine) to take in the stunningly beautiful scenery and take a look at the (most photographed) lighthouse.  

Love them.  So much. 

This is where Eliza had lunch...lucky girl!

Then, we crossed over the bridge into New Hampshire and made our way to Chauncey’s Creek for more lobster.  Although it’s nothing fancy, Chauncey’s is, indeed, something to write home about.  Everything from the service, to the view to the impeccably boiled lobster was phenomenal.  

I was an expert lobster picker by the end of this trip. 

We made one last stop by Annabelle’s Ice Cream for cones before hitting the road back to Newport.  

After ten days of lobster, chowdah, wine and ice cream, it was time for Mimi to head back to San Antonio.  And while we were sad to see her leave, our pants were not - needless to say, none of us stepped on the scale for weeks after her visit.