Saturday, July 2, 2016

Similar Differents - My 2016 Vacation Theme

June was a very busy month for me!  I took 2 lovely and long-awaited vacations with only about 10 days in between.  There were many similarities between the two trips, but there were also many differences.

Trip #1 involved Hubby and me driving to Vermilion, Ohio on the coast of Lake Erie where we rented a cabin with a private beach on the lake.  We were there for 4 nights and 5 days.  We stayed in this same house in 2011 and did many of the same things this time as last time.  The main idea of this vacation was to spend some time together doing something we enjoy - exploring Lake Erie - watching the lake and looking for treasures that wash up on the beach.


Our home-away-from-home in Vermilion

One reason we choose the house that we stay in is because it has a private beach and a gorgeous lake view from the back windows.  Many of the vacation rentals in Vermilion are in small neighborhoods where you have to share the beach with others and also walk a block or two or three to get to the beach from a cabin that may not even offer a lake view.


The view from the back deck


Our private beach


Vermilion is a lovely, quiet little town with quaint shops and restaurants and a slow-paced lifestyle.  It is a great place to relax and recharge.


A park in the center of Vermilion

A hallmark of this vacation is getting to watch the sunset over Lake Erie.  The lake is always changing and never fails to delight us!


Sunset over Lake Erie

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Trip #2 involved me flying to New Hampshire, where I met up with my cousin who then drove us to Ogunquit, Maine.  My cousin had taken a day trip to this town and recommended it for our get-away.  For 4 nights and 5 days, we stayed in a spa/resort hotel called Anchorage By the Sea with incredible views of the Atlantic Ocean.  We chose the hotel we stayed in because of its proximity to something called The Marginal Way (which I will talk more about later), and it's ocean views.


The central building of Anchorage By the Sea is this circular restaurant called Surf Point 360 
where we ate breakfast daily and enjoyed a couple of marvelous dinners as well.  


The rooms are in 2 buildings which stand perpendicular to the ocean.  This was our building.


We were able to get the room at the lower right with our own patio area which gave us a view of the ocean.  


Our Evening View.


Our Day View.


Ogunquit is a lovely little town with quaint shops and restaurants.  It embraces its traditional New England history and heritage and still caters to the many tourists who visit.  While I can't really say the pace of the lifestyle is slow, I can say it is different than my everyday life at home.  Ogunquit has a tourist season which typically starts about the last week of June and runs through Sept or October.  Many of the tourist-related businesses: shops, restaurants and hotels,  are closed in the winter because winter weather there can be brutal.  It was busy even though we were technically there before the official season began.  I can't even imagine how busy it is "in season"!


Harbour Candy Shop is a Must-See for visitors to Ogunquit!

The hallmark of this vacation was getting to watch the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean.  The ocean is always changing and never fails to delight!


Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean.


Sunrise vs. Sunset. 
A quaint town in Ohio vs. a quaint town in Maine.
4 nights and 5 days in a lovely and comfortable location.
A relaxing change of pace.
A Great Lake vs. A Great Ocean.
Great shopping and great restaurants.  
Bonding time with family. 
Fabulous memories and wonderful photos to treasure and share.

Similar Differents....

Stay tuned for more details of each great vacation in the days ahead!

:)Amy



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