Cabin in the City

Books, cats and midwestern charm.

New England

by 1 Comment

Quippiquisset // Ogunquit + York

Filed Under: Adventure Tagged With: ,

This is the last stop on the New England trolley.

On the way from Kennebunkport to Portsmouth, we stumbled across Ogunquit, Maine (which I keep wanting to call Quippiquisset from Bob’s Burgers). It was the perfect little town in which to spend an afternoon.

My mom and I started out in an antique store—exactly what we wanted from New England—and spent a good amount of time checking out all the other little shops. I don’t think we bought a single thing, but it was nice to be out in the sun and see something new.

Honestly, the highlight of visiting Ogunquit was a leisurely lunch at Cornerstone. My mom and I shared a great pizza and we each had a glass of Prosecco on the patio. I really was feeling like my best self.

Ogunquit was pretty small, though, so we decided to hit the road for New Hampshire after a few hours. And here’s how I know my mom really loves me: On our way to Portsmouth, we saw a sign for a lighthouse. No distance was given, just an arrow.

Well, this ended up being about a 20-mile round trip detour and my mom did it without complaining for a second. But let me tell you, the detour was worth every mile.

We ended up at Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine, which was gorgeous (clearly).

I was very excited.

And the cherry on top of this whole detour? Well, that’d be the ice cream. We stopped at Dunne’s Ice Cream and I got some chocolate-Oreo concoction. Obscenely rich but exactly what I’d been craving since the night before (when no ice cream places were open in Kennebunkport).

So here’s to you, Maine. I had an amazing time visiting. And here’s to you, Mom, for being a great travel companion, patient detour-taker and amazing mom!

by Leave a Comment

Kennebunkport // The Perfect Fancy Lady Destination

Filed Under: Adventure Tagged With: ,

You’ve already heard about Salem and Portland, but I haven’t touched on another great stop on this New England trip: Kennebunkport.

My mom and I had such a wonderful and relaxing time here. It’s exactly the sort of ladies trip/weekend getaway-type town I was hoping for on this trip.

In a lot of ways, Kennebunkport reminded me of Door County with its cute shopping areas and views of the water. Our first day we did a lot of poking around in the downtown. We found a few small trinkets to bring home. Daytrip Society was my favorite stop.

The next day we decided to take a tour of Kennebunkport with Intown Trolley. We felt like we saw all we could walk to, but knew there had to be more to this cute destination. The tour was worth every penny.

The trolley took us to parts of the town we had no idea existed and we got some great views of the Atlantic. It was really breathtaking.

This leg of our road trip was also so relaxing because we stayed in the cutest resort: The Lodge on the Cove. It was a really beautiful little place to unwind at the end of the day since a lot of this trip was go-go-go. My mom and I also had fun riding the lodge bikes around the parking lot.

Overall, Kennebunkport felt really comfortable but still fancy. It’s the sort of place I could see myself visiting every year if I lived on the East Coast. Looking at these Lodge photos, I’m already wishing I was back there kicking up my feet with a glass of rose and a good book!

Kennebunkport isn’t the last of this trip! I’ve still got one more (quick) stop to share!

by Leave a Comment

Portlandia (the Other One)

Filed Under: Adventure Tagged With: , ,

You already heard about Salem, but that wasn’t the only leg of my great New England adventure. My mom and I also visited Portland, Maine.

I loved every second of it.

I loved Portland because it was a blend of all of my favorite things: water, lighthouses, forest, amazing food and beautiful, walkable streets. It was, quite simply, a dream destination.

The Food

The East Coast, particularly Maine, is all about the lobster. I am not. But the food was exceptional nonetheless.

Our first evening we went to Luke’s Lobster on the Portland Pier. It totally delivered. My mom and I both wanted something casual after traveling all day, and this place was absolutely perfect.

My mom opted for a lobster roll which was on her to-do list for this trip. I was a simpleton and got a burger, but it was darn good (and honestly the lobster roll was pretty good too in my seafood-averse opinion).

I also tried this beer from Allagash Brewing Co. and it was honestly so nice. Sipping a beer, looking over the water and shooting the breeze with my mom was precisely what I was in the mood for.

As fantastic as my burger was (it really was so good), the highlight of the meal was this mixed berry pie from Two Fat Cats. It’s the best fruit pie I’ve ever had. I’m currently debating having one shipped to Wisconsin just to relive this moment.

Truly, though, the food highlight of this entire trip was HiFi Donuts in downtown Portland.

I am a sucker for a really good donut (and I will not accept any lackluster donuts!). HiFi had some truly spectacular donuts. They had some really excellent flavors on offer like blueberry, pumpkin and hibiscus, but I went with a classic chocolate glazed. The simple things are often the hardest to get right, so I feel like a basic option was the best way to judge these donuts.

I don’t say this lightly: It was the best donut I’ve ever had (and I’ve had plenty). My mom went for a shredded coconut donut and it looked spectacular.

We also split a breakfast sandwich and it was way better than it had any right to be thanks to some really top-notch bacon.

If I could transplant one thing from Portland home to Milwaukee, this would be it.

The Sights

We, of course, did much more than eat in Portland. After snagging those dream donuts, my mom and I hopped on a boat tour with Portland Discovery Land & Sea Tours.

I have to say that while wandering downtown Portland and the wharves was fun, going out on the water really made me appreciate the area more.

Our tour took us around Casco Bay, the Calendar Islands and past three different lighthouses (big win for me). It reminded me a bit of Bayfield and the Apostle Islands so I obviously loved it.

The highlight of this cruise was seeing the Portland Head Light. This is the most photographed lighthouse in the world, and for good reason. Seriously, look how gorgeous it is.

The lighthouse looks out over the bay and another lighthouse (Ram’s Head Light). Talk about a dream lightkeeper assignment. Portland, if you’re hiring, hit me up!

This two-hour tour was worth every single penny. Our guide had plenty of interesting stories to tell, but my mom and I really just enjoyed being on the water and taking in the sights. It was so refreshing to be out somewhere new soaking it all in.

The Atmosphere

I cannot tell you how much I loved my short time in Portland. This city was like everything I love about my home condensed into a town of 60,000 and with ten times more maritime charm.

I mean, if I had to live here and live that lighthouse keeper casual life, I’d do it in a heartbeat. Am I in temporary vacation destination love? Maybe. But it also could be the real deal.

Here’s to you, Portland! And I’ll be back with even more about Maine soon!

by Leave a Comment

The Season of the Witch // My Visit to Salem

Filed Under: Adventure Tagged With: , ,

At long last, I’ve visited one of my must-see spooky destinations: Salem, Massachusets. It was absolutely bewitching (and I had a lot of fun).

This jaunt to Salem was part of a bigger trip my mom and I took to New England (more on that later), but I figured I’d share all about this stop while the mood is right.

What to Do

My primary goal for visiting Salem was to learn more about its history (you know, beyond Hocus Pocus). So before we even made it to Massachusetts, I booked my mom and myself a tour.

I chose Witch City Walking Tours (though there are lots of tour companies). I was really impressed by how thorough the tour guide was and how she was able to blend history with ghost stories and pretty astute commentary (shoutout to Paige!). What I appreciated most was how Page dispelled a lot of common misconceptions. I felt like I got the real history.

I’d definitely recommend a tour like this. It helped me appreciate the sights more and learn all about what spurred the witch trials.

What to See

Outside of our tour, we spent most of our time just wandering the streets of Salem. Fortunately, a lot of the historical sights are right downtown, so we found many of them just by making our rounds. This was pretty nice since I like a good walkable destination.

The Witch House

I was really excited to bump into the witch house as we were walking. It’s really haunting to look at all dressed in black. It’s a real mood and I love it.

This is the only edifice still standing that was actually used during the trials. It was home to Jonathan Corwin, a judge in the trials. Perhaps it doesn’t deserve the term Witch House as Judge House, but that’s alright.

Inside is a museum, which wasn’t really much to see if you ask me, but I’m glad we did it anyway.

Hocus Pocus Haunts

Now, there are Hocus Pocus-focused tours in Salem if you’re serious about the movie, but we didn’t opt for one of those. But we still got to see a few locations where the movie was filmed.

Above is the Town Hall where the big party is held (you know, the one where Winifred sings “I Put a Spell on You”) and below is Allison’s House (it’s actually a museum).

Salem Witch Trials Memorial

Our tour ended at the Salem Witch Trials Memorial and it was honestly really moving. The tour guide did a great job conveying the meaning of the place and how the trials still weigh heavily on Salem and how a lot of people feel conflicted over its fame, which is very fair.

Where to Shop

Part of what was so fun about Salem was walking into little shops that were full of all the strange, creepy and metaphysical-style things I love. We went into a lot of stores but these four were my favorites.

HausWitch

Visiting HausWitch was a big deal to me—so much so that I listed it on my monthly goals.

I’ll admit that my expectations were just too damn high for this shop. I was fully expecting it to be a treasure trove overflowing with wonderfully modern witchy home essentials. The store in actuality was not jam-packed full of must-haves. Instead, it was light and airy (if a bit sparse). I snagged a pretty moon necklace and a mug. They had lots of other great resources for modern witches, too.

So while I was a bit let down by the experience (thanks to my own unrealistic expectations), I would still recommend stopping here. It was a pretty shop that didn’t feel hokey or touristy.

Emporium 32

I’ll admit it: I visited this store based on a recommendation from a BuzzFeed article. It didn’t disappoint.

Emporium 32 was equal parts witchy and Victorian. It was full of wonderful hats, Stevie Nicks-style capes, art, stationary and jewelry. I snagged an Edwardian-esque necklace and grabbed a wax seal for Michael.

Die with Your Boots On

Die with Your Boots On was such a fun surprise. My mom and I wandered in here on a whim since it was close to our hotel and we had some time to kill. It was so much fun.

This is the place to go for wonderfully kitschy, witchy clothing. I’m talking jack o’ lantern flats, Ouija board jackets and crushed velvet everything. I’m having serious regrets about not buying a goth Dolly Parton tee I saw there.

Circle of Stitches

Perhaps my favorite shop in Salem was Circle of Stitches. This was right by our hotel and I walked in thinking it was just a nice yarn shop. It was so much more!

Yes, of course, there was a lot of beautiful yarn (shame I don’t knit or crochet), but Circle of Stitches was also full of other crafty items like embroidery kits as well as tarot decks, books and some other local goods. I only snagged an enamel pin here, but it was really fun looking around.

• • •

Overall, Salem was a really fun part of this trip. It was fun to embrace the silly, touristy side of the town and the serious, historical side as well. I feel like we got a good balance. And in the end, it also helped me reconnect a bit with all the scary, strange things I love.

Anyways, I’ll be back with more about Maine soon!