Kennebunkport, Maine October 11, 2001

There are actually two towns with similar names.  There is the town of Kennebunk, located a mile or so inland, and Kennebunkport, located on the ocean.  This practice holds true with several small towns along the Maine coast.

While primarily noted for the home of the senior President Bush, Kennebunkport can rightly claim to be a vacation destination for those looking for a quaint New England town.  It offers a delightful drive along the coast, many small hotels and Bed and Breakfast establishments, and a very quaint New England town center.
We had just returned from the Bush home, and as we were approaching the town center, the sun had nearly set.  The photo of the harbor at Kennebunkport, shows mostly pleasure craft, although other marinas served as home to commercial fishing vessels.

The photo to the right shows the Kennebunkport Inn, one of the many hotels and bed and breakfast establishments in Kennebunkport.

While we arrived late in the day on Thursday, there were still a few of the shops open for browsing, but of course, all of the restaurants were open.  The New England architecture dominates all the buildings in town, making it just a delightful place to be.

There was a fine choice of restaurants, and we were pleasantly surprised by the prices which were quite reasonable.  Day or night, high tide or low, the restaurant views are marvelous.  (This dual view is an addition from our June 2002 trip, as is the photo to the lower right - Kennebunkport Inlet at low tide.)

 

 

We decided on Alisson's Restaurant, shown to the left.  The tables had "Trivial Pursuit" cards in a small holder - a nice touch - so while we waited for our meal, Elaine and I tossed the trivia questions at each other.  I had a simple fish and chips dinner which was very good.

While eating, I noticed the couple at the next table had British accents.  I recalled the kind words for the United States from a young French woman when we visited Normandy.  September 11 was just a month in the past, and one day shortly thereafter, I was watching CNN and they were showing the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.  The ceremonies normally conclude with the playing of "God Save the Queen."  On this day however, they concluded with the playing of "The Star Spangled Banner."  It was very moving, especially for those present to observe the daily ceremony and even for those of us simply watching on television.  As the British couple left, I expressed to them my appreciation for the support expressed by Prime Minister Tony Blair and for the moving gesture during the changing of the guard.  In turn, the gentleman expressed his appreciation for the personal concern expressed by President Clinton for the British citizens killed at the World Trade Center.  He assured me that the British "were with us all the way!"

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