We were heading to Maine for a week’s vacation with friends and wanted to take advantage of driving through a region we don’t often visit by making some stops. We always seem to think there will be more time and more chances to meander through small towns than usually work out on our road trips, and this one was no exception. But we did make a few interesting, fun and some quite random stops in our rental car (affiliate).

Massachusetts Vietnam Veterans Memorial - Worcester, Massachusetts

A sad, but powerful stop. This war memorial is unique in that it focuses on the stories of soldiers, from the letters they sent back. The setting is beautiful and peaceful and we spent time reading each of the letters, all sadly written by those who didn't make it home.

Portsmouth, NH, was a perfect spot to stop for lunch heading north. We nabbed a table on the water at the Oar House and enjoyed pizzas. After lunch, we took a few minutes to walk around to check out some of the shops and other cute restaurants.

The Seashore Trolley Museum was a perfect stop we just happened upon on our way to Kennebunkport. It was a quick decision, whether to turn in or drive past, but we decided to stop. After paying admission ($10 each), we took a ride on the streetcar. It was fun, but definitely something some of our nieces and nephews would have enjoyed more. The little kid I did have with me (Evelyn) loved the NYC Subway cars they had, a Subway Series car (when the Yankees play the Mets) and had fun posing with the 6 train, though it was a bit out of place in Maine.

Kennebunkport – For me (and many others I think), Kennebunkport was made famous by the Bush family. It is where their vacation ‘compound’ is located, on Walker’s Point. We joined many other people in stalking the Bush family, pulling over to the side of the road and taking pictures of the houses on the peninsula. Of course we really couldn't see anything but the houses, but I sure wouldn't mind spending my vacations there.

Apart from stalking the Bushes, Kennebunkport is a cute town and well worth a visit. It was a bit of a shock for us coming from Peak’s Island, where things were quieter and not too many people, to Kennebunkport, which definitely has a touristy feel and was packed with people on the gorgeous, sunny Saturday afternoon when we visited. We found parking easily, and were amused by the honor system used to collect payment. We put in our few dollars and went to find the restaurant I had chosen on Yelp while Evelyn was driving.

Lunch at Arundel Wharf Restaurant was good. It wasn’t the small, local type of restaurant I had hoped for. Instead it was a big restaurant, with a huge deck on the waterfront, with a wait for a table for lunch. The lobster roll was great and I always love being near the water. After lunch, we wandered through some of the shops, enjoying the politically themed knickknacks and took some photos on the bridge.

Another random, yet fun stop was the Pez Factory in Orange, Connecticut. You can’t actually tour the factory, but the museum/gift shop has windows onto the factory floor. They don’t work on the weekends, so we didn’t see any Pez making in action, but we did see tons of different types of dispensers and learned about the history of the candy (who knew it was initially marketed to help people quit smoking!?) Of course we also bought a few as gifts and one as a treat for the rest of the ride home.

Kittery Outlets - we kept our visit short, though it was tempting to keep shopping. With over 120 stores, it would be easy to spend all day investing in new clothes and shoes. We resisted, made a few key stops, good purchases and headed on our way.

Flip Flops & Passports