Come Home With Me

My family and I have lived in Hartsville, SC since December 1994, and we are happy and proud to call your fair city our "other home".

Come visit my other home, my beloved home town of Bath, Maine.



Bath is known for it's shipbuilding heritage, and Bath Iron Works is the major employer in town.



The downtown area is lively, and you see flowers everywhere in the summer- even the lampposts.



Nostalgia abounds, from the many antique stores to the original clock from Hallet's Drug Store.



My late father's family made their living on the sea, fishing for these guys even in the cold winter months.



The temperatures are cooler up here, and that is one of the reasons why we choose summer to visit rather than January!



But of course, the best reason to go home is family... how many 72 year old mothers do you know that have a summer job landscaping? (During the school year, she works at the Moulton Union at Bowdoin College.)




Yes, my Mom is "wicked cute". She is so healthy, doesn't take any medicine and is so healthy that her doctor just shakes his head when she comes in for a check up. She even has a good sense of humor, and didn't get too mad when the grandkids stuck a live lobster on her shoulder:



More stuff from vacation, originally posted on HartsvilleToday:

This is the Alliquippa Harbor in Phippsburg, Maine. There used to be a summer camp here that ended in 1982. It's a secret little hideaway that we love to visit each summer, and my Dad's favorite place in the world.



Where else but Maine can you find old wooden lobster traps and buoy bird houses for sale on the side of Route 1? These were spotted in Wiscasset.



We've all been to the infamous "South of the Border", here is the Northern Version...looks a wee bit different, don't you think?




Buoys are just for lobster traps anymore, these are a decoration on a restaurant in Boothbay Harbor- I saw a professional photographer take photo from this angle, thought I'd try my hand at some "fancy photos":



My mother's favorite pasttime, shopping...it's awesome here in Boothbay Harbor.



I immediately thought of "The Kayaking Latham Family of Hartsville" when I saw this young lady preparing the kayak rentals:




It's good luck to kiss this fish in Boothbay, you may find the man of your dreams... here's my Mom giving it a try:





It worked for me, here's me with my new Maine boyfriend!



On our drive home from Maine to Hartsville, this was by far the most interesting site we saw on the highway... this was the topic of much conversation at a rest area in Virginia:




Nothing woke this guy up, even the crazy folks like me that whipped out cameras and cell phones to capture his unusual snooze!

We drove to the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina to see the eldest Longfellow boy, taking summer classes and working an internship at ropes course. The mountains are just gorgeous! We took a bunch of photos at the Smoky Mountain Parkway, then at the Dry Falls on the way to Highland NC.





To describe how it felt to have your kid drive STRAIGHT UP A MOUNTAIN to feed his friend's two dogs (a Great Dane and 1/2 Wolf, 1/2 Alaskan Malamute) could be summed up as "terrified". He told us, "Buckle up, I have to gun it to keep traction when headed up."

When I looked out the passenger window, all I saw was how far down I'd be falling, and ahead, nothing but a trail almost 90 degrees pointing up, gravel flying, a few little ledges to the right and left.dotted with a few cabins here and there.



Here is my proof that I actually made it to "Lauren's Cabin" in my kid's car and back in one piece.



Differences between Bath Maine and Hartsville SC:

Sunrise:

Bath
Twi: 4:34am Yes, indeed, the sky got light and birds were chirping that early!!
Sunrise: 5:09am
Sunset: 8:20pm

Hartsville:
Twi: 5:45am
Sunrise: 6:14am
Sunset: 8:36pm

Temperatures:

Bath:
morning 61 degrees, high today of 74 degrees, tonight's temperature 57 degrees; tomorrow, 77 degrees. humidity: 90%

Hartsville:
morning 73 degrees, high today of 92 degrees, tonight's temperature 72 degrees; tomorrow, 90 degrees. humidity: 98%

Most popular summer meal:

Bath: steamed clams, lobster, corn on the cob

Hartsville: barbeque, corn on the cob

Distance to the Beach:

Bath: 10-20 miles
Hartsville: 90 miles

Windows?

Bath: Wide open, to let the cool breezes blow in at night, and to help the ever present fans do their summer magic.

Hartsville: Closed at the first sign of pollen, and the AC on full blast!