We’d been traveling so much throughout the fall, we almost didn’t make it happen.
But we managed to set aside one weekend.
The one place I was hoping to return to in October:
Maine.
I was born and raised in Maine and so, it’s true, I’m pretty biased.
But in my mind, I think Maine has some of the most beautiful fall foliage of anywhere.
And I love the weather in Maine in fall.
Sometimes in October the winds are so strong and chilling, you need a winter coat.
And sometimes the rain will pour down all day long.
But, most days, the skies are cloudless and clear and bright blue.
And, even though the days are chilly, the bright fall sun warms your skin and casts a deep golden glow over the foliage.
Here are some of our favorite sites from our fall weekend in Maine:
Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, Wells, Maine
Oh, Trevor loved the Rachel Carson Wildlife trail!
As soon as we got started, he took off on a mad dash down the path, laughing and just loving being totally free to roam outdoors.
We drove up to Maine after Chris got out of work on Friday and arrived in Wells just before sunset.
The trail was mostly deserted and so quiet and peaceful.
Although it was mid-October, the foliage was just beginning to show color.
Tru was in such a good mood, I even got some shots with him looking right at the camera!
And smiling!
This was a major victory. (I can’t believe how grown up he looks here – hardly any “baby” left in him!)
Colony Beach, Kennebunkport, Maine
We weren’t planning to stop at any beaches during our visit to Kennebunkport. Mostly, we thought we’d check out the downtown and the harbor.
But Tru had other plans!
As we were driving along Ocean Avenue, Tru started saying, “have to go to beach!”
So we stopped at Colony Beach, which is located on Ocean Drive.
Tru was completely right to want to stop! The sweeping views were beautiful from the shore, and we were some of the only people on the beach.
The winds were cold, but the sun was stronger. Sun rays shimmered on the water and kept our hands and faces warm.
One surprising thing we saw: beautiful monarch butterflies everywhere!
Trevor loved looking for them.
I wish I’d been quick enough to catch a shot of them with my camera.
My guess is that the gardens at the Colony Hotel across the street must attract them…
Wallingford’s Orchard, Auburn Maine
My family has a tradition of at least one yearly visit to Wallingford’s Orchard, located in Auburn, Maine.
We’ve been going every fall since I was a kid.
It was a lot of fun to watch Trevor explore the apple orchards this year.
Now that he’s so mobile and understands everything going on around him, he couldn’t wait to explore every single thing at the orchard.
So we did it all:
We checked out the last of the fading stalks of corn in the corn maze.
We went wandering through the apple orchards. Tru even took a bite of an apple (any time he even tastes any fruit or vegetable, it’s a big win for me!)
He loved picking the apples too.
Mostly, though, he loved running up and down the rows and rows of apple trees.
Inside the barn/farm stand/bakery, the smell of fresh, homemade apple cider donuts wafted through the air.
Wallingford’s makes their donuts on site, dipping them into the fryer and then coating them in cinnamon and sugar while they’re still hot.
Tru has a major sweet tooth, so he’s a big fan of the donuts. (I don’t blame him, they’re addictive: crispy on the outside and warm and cake-like on the inside…)
Tru found the toy section of the farm stand/bakery, and picked a red 60’s Volkswagen painted with flowers and peace signs. Then he drove it all across the fall flowers on display in the front of the store.
Wallingford’s has a huge outdoor play area for kids, so Tru spent time whooshing down slides and crawling through tunnels.
Next, he caught sight of a giant sandbox filled with oversized yellow toy trucks. Needless to say, he spent awhile in there.
In the farmyard area, the cutest goats poked their heads through the wooden fence as we walked by, hoping for a treat.
We purchased some food, and Trevor was excited to feed them.
But he squirmed and wrinkled his nose at the feel of their warm, damp tongues.
All the Ways Trevor Has Grown This Fall
Here are some of my sweetest memories and stories of Trevor from this fall:
- Sometimes Trevor will peer out the window and when he sees daylight, he’ll say “busy day.” I’m not sure what “busy” means to him, but I think it means “sunny.” The other day when we drove to the airport, it was still very early morning and dark. By the time we got onto the plane and settled in, the sun was shining. Trevor said, “sun woke up! sun awake!”
- Trevor was not cuddly as a baby, but he’s becoming more and more of a cuddle bug these days! He often nestles into my lap, and wraps his arms around me to give me a big hug. Sometimes he gives kisses. He’ll often say, “I miss you Mum” or “love you Mum.” I’m not sure if he knows the difference between the two words, I think they must both mean “love” to him. What a world of difference from when he was a newborn and didn’t even seem to see me for the first few weeks! Now, the best moments of my day are when I get sweet hugs from Tru and an “I love you.” Once in a while, before his nap, Tru will kiss me through each of the slats in the crib. One kiss through each slat, going down from one side of the crib to the other.
- He has one show he loves right now: Mickey and the Roadster Racers. It’s the one and only show he watches. In the show, Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck run a “Happy Helpers” business. And Trevor loves being a happy helper. At the airport, he insists on pushing the suitcase. The other day, he grabbed my diaper bag, put the straps over his shoulders, and tried to carry it. The bag was so big for him, it was dragging on the ground. Randomly, Trevor will go over to the tissue box, grab a tissue, then hold it up to my nose, and say, “blow.” He mimics what I’ve done for him a thousand times in the past when he’s had colds. Afterward, he’ll ask “Mama happy?” That makes me laugh every time: he thinks helping me blow my nose will make my day! One funny story: Not long ago, Tru was upset over something as we were stepping onto an elevator. As always, Tru insisted on pushing the elevator button. I thanked him for pushing the right button and called him a “happy helper.” Still upset, he responded, “no, I sad helper.”
- Trevor has two favorite spots, the first being the toy store. I dread the moment when he randomly has the thought, “need to go to toy store now.” Because there are major meltdowns when we say, “sorry, there aren’t any toy stores around.” When we walk into a toy store, there’s no browsing around for different toys. Tru zeroes in, always, on the cars. There isn’t ever anything he wants in any toy store, aside from some type of vehicle. It could be a plane, train, truck, car, or bus. One thing I never knew before Trevor but now am sure of: toy cars are big sellers. I know this for a fact because when we travel, all gift shops – even the littlest ones – always have mini vehicles for sale.
- His other favorite spot: the bakery. There’s a bakery that’s a five-minute walk from his school. So every day when I pick him up at school, the second phrase out of this mouth is, “go bakery now?” (Note to my future self, who might love remembering this when Tru is in high school: his first phrase is “Mama! Missed you!” with a big smile and hug!) Usually I say, ‘the bakery is closed today,” and he accepts that and is fine. But about once a week, we walk over to the bakery. Tru always picks a frosted sugar cookie. This fall, he’s chosen a pumpkin, an apple, a bat, and a ghost. Tru has a very major sweet tooth. Chris and I convinced him to eat apples this fall by serving them sliced alongside some cinnamon and sugar. Usually Trevor will eat some apple slices, then skip the apples and just dip his fingers into the sugar!
