Once I got backed up with clients to blog I decided to shelve my vacation pictures until I was caught up!  Now that I am caught up I will be finally sharing some images from various trips I took this year!

In 2011 after a fun day spent visiting Vermont for the first time my friends and I all decided that the following year we would take a road trip up to see the world’s longest covered bridge located in Harland, New Brunswick.  We started planning the trip in earnest in February of 2012 since we had to plan around all our our busy schedules, including my friend Diana who was flying in from Australia.  Diana and I are big “Anne of Green Gables” fans and when Googling around we realized how close we would be to PEI so we begged Gianina to add it on and luckily she agreed and we had everything booked by that March.  We had a LONG time to wait until October though because that’s when our schedules all coincided when the leaves would hopefully be at their best.  It seemed like such a long wait until I hopped that plane on a late Sunday evening, but in the end it was worth it!   I flew into Boston and had dinner with a dear friend and headed off to Saco, Maine where I met up with Diana and Gianina and we headed off in the wee hours of the morning on Monday.

The first day was spent driving in a meandering path towards our final destination, the Kindred Spirits Inn & Cottages in Cavendish, PEI.  We stopped at a few bridges in Maine before making the final push to the big ones in New Brunswick and finally onto PEI.  It was a long day that was full of some crappy rain but it was still a neat drive however.  The leaves were not the greatest due to storms but they were still on the trees and for that I was thankful!  Of course depending on where you were the leaves could be amazing or not much left, such is the way when you are leaf peeping as they call it!  Luckily the first day would be the worst weather wise!

Our second day was spent entirely on Prince Edward Island (I finally got to go back!) touring everything from Green Gables to Lighthouses.  It was another long day but I was so ecstatic to be back on one of my favorite islands.  It was just as charming as it was before, even if the skies were a bit more moody than my last visit.  After my last visit, I read all of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s journals and it was fun to see the island through her eyes this time around and understand a bit more of why she wrote so poetically about Prince Edward Island.

Our third day was spent driving from PEI to Bar Harbor, Maine where we stayed at The Bayview and we took a path somewhat along the coast, going alongside the St. James River.  This day was the day where the weather gods smiled on us!  FINALLY!  Gorgeous blue skies that photographers dream about, abundant sunshine to warm your soul and not a drip of rain to be found, yay!  There’s something magical that happens to fall foliage when the skies are blue, everything just seems to pop from the green grass to the yellow fields to the orange leaves and it’s simply a beauty to behold.  I used to be a spring girl until I started visiting New England in the fall and now I get why so many love this time of year.  I already had one foot in the “autumn lovers” box due to my obsession with all things pumpkin but I’m definitely a lover now!

Our fourth day was spent driving from Bar Harbor back to Saco where we parted ways with Gianina and Diana and I headed onto York Beach where we stayed at the Anchorage Inn with a view of one of my favorite lighthouses, Cape Neddick Light.  We also returned to a couple lighthouses that we had visited last May since this go around the weather was still beautiful and a total 180 from our previous foggy visit.  The last time you could not even see the ocean around the lighthouses, only could hear the waves!  So it was a treat to return again.

On the fifth day Diana and I got up at the crack of dawn, literally, to catch the sunrise at Nubble and I am SO GLAD WE DID!  You’ll see it in the pictures but nature sure put on a show for us before returning back to her gloomy and rainy self.  That may have been one of the most glorious sunrises I’ve ever seen in my life.  It was magical, so much that when I woke up and we saw the show, I just threw pants on and ran out the door, still wearing my PJ top instead of changing into something I didn’t sleep in!  LOL!  We spent the rest of the day touring lazily around the area, hitting up my favorite restaurant in Kennebunkport, Hurricane’s, and shopping a bit in Kittery.  We ended the day and our trip with champagne and pizza, as any girls trip SHOULD end.

I’m glad that I finally have got around to sharing this beautiful trip with you!  I apologize in advance for the abundance of images but consider this your mini vacation from the dreary spring we’re having and think of the warm autumn air while browsing.

Robyville Covered Bridge in Maine.

We *had* to stop at this welcome sign to Florenceville Bristol, it amused us all.  Also?  The town totally smells like french fries.

Florenceville-Bristol Covered Bridge is like the big brother to Harpersfield Covered Bridge here in Ohio.

Dick Goddard Fans can’t pass this photo op up!

Finally the original reason for this trip, the Hartland Covered Bridge!  Isn’t it quite long?

It’s a one lane bridge that is still in use, there isn’t a light, people just tend to go at will when there is an opening.  It’s a neat process to watch.

We had to take a selfie by the bridge, well I guess it’s kind of in there… LOL!

This wasn’t on the original stop list but I loved the reflection in the water so I asked if we could stop so I could get this image and I’m so glad that I did!

 Dalvay-by-the-Sea or as many Anne/Road to Avonlea fans know it, White Sands Hotel.

 The red sand beach!

 Covehead Harbour Lighthouse, it’s not quite the same look as the last time but still a lovely lighthouse!

North Rustico is so darn charming, I love how the lighthouse here is just in the midst of the small fishing village.

Green Gables!  Yes, it’s not the movie version because that one is actually in Toronto.  This is the real inspiration behind the house from the novel.

 The path to the Haunted Wood was a muddy mess so we just observed it from afar.

 Lovers Lane was equally as muddy but I ran down it anyway.  What’s a little mud when it comes to life experiences right?

 The Lake of Shining Waters from both the book AND the movie!

 I was glad to finally see West Point Lighthouse!  On my last trip I wanted to but I simply ran out of time.  Such a cute lighthouse and a lovely inn!

 The foliage here was just as amazing as I remembered it

The light came out to play while we were at Seacow Head Lighthouse but the wind came along with it, holy cow was it windy!

 Our Inn for our short 2 night stay which is adjacent to Green Gables.

Our little cottage, it was adorable!

 On the way out of Prince Edward Island I saw this house and thought how charming of a spot it was located in.  I could totally live here.

 I love the lighthouse with the Confederation Bridge beyond.  The bridge is the longest bridge in the world that covers icy waters and opened in 1997.  Before that the only way to access PEI was via water ferries.

 While the wind was a bit brisk, the blue skies were a welcome sight after two days of rain.

 These birch trees made me smile along the highway.

I adored these cows along the St. James River.  They were so adorable I insisted on stopping for a photo of them.

While the lighthouse here was pretty, I much preferred the view of the tiny island on the St. James River here in Oak Point.

 Belyeas Point Lighthouse.

 East Quoddy Lighthouse is a cute lighthouse tucked on this itty bitty island off the coast of Campobello Island in New Brunswick.  You can only access the lighthouse when the tide is out, which it was but sadly we didn’t have enough time to make it over and back before we’d lose light.  NEXT TIME!

 West Quoddy Lighthouse in Lubec Maine is the sister to the light above and is the easternmost point of the USA.

The sunrise in Bar Harbor as viewed from our room at The Bayview, which I highly recommend.

 We took a quick spin around Bar Harbor to shop and take in the sights before setting off again.

 Penobscot Narrows Bridge, isn’t it gorgeous?  I found out this is where Patrick Dempsey is from and he was actually in town for a bike race.  I kept my eyes peeled but sadly there was no McDreamy sightings.

 Marshall Point Lighthouse, this time with sun!  Look at all the ocean that I couldn’t see the last time!

 You may recognize Pemaquid Point Lighthouse from the state quarter of Maine.  Such a great setting for a lovely lighthouse!  If you’re in the area make sure to hit up the restaurant/gift shop that is adjacent to this light, the Sea Gull.  SO GOOD!

 Now do you understand why I was super excited when I saw this view off of our balcony at The Anchorage?!?  AMAZING!

 It doesn’t get much better than this view of Cape Neddick Lighthouse does it?