Lobster Shack

Wow...reliving through this blog even a recent vacation (and attempting to keep the dates accurate) makes it seem so long ago. After walking through the Longfellow House and diving into a piece of written history, we hopped back in the car and took a short drive south to Cape Elizabeth. All I can say is WOW!
I think this was one of the best parts of our trip up until that point - the views from outside the restaurant were FAB! And, the weather was absolutely beautiful - it was just a perfect day.

Featured on the Food Network, the Lobster Shack jets out into the water to mark Casco Bay's entrance. Nestled in between two historic lighthouses, this popular hotspot's line was spilling out of the door when we arrived. And known best for their lobster roll although they offer a variety of food options, the signature Maine food was definitely something we had to try.

When ordering, I forgot to say "hold the dollop of mayo" or simply "hold the mayo," so we scooped the white stuff off shortly after snapping this picture. Below is a close up of the mat, which I of course kept. It describes in detail lobsters, how to catch a lobster (if I ever wanted to try) and how to eat a lobster (information I could have used earlier in the week). Joe and I split the crabmeat sandwich and lobster roll and out of the two, the lobster roll was the better choice. This place holds a spot on my list as a place I would go to again and recommend to anyone - if not for the food, then the view...check it out below.   

Sitting at a picnic table and sharing our choices, we had the chance to enjoy the beautiful view the Lobster Shack's location offered on a gorgeous day! It really is a "place like no other!"

 

 The seating area...as you can tell from the picture below, I was a little nervous to stand on the rocks!

After snapping some great shots of the water, I was super excited to head over to the Portland Headlight Lighthouse. That's next...you can see a glimpse of it in the shot below.



Longfellow House

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow originally hailed from Portland, which grew to become Maine's largest city. As his hometown, the poet often wrote about his city and the water surrounding it. The Lighthouse poem about Portland Head Lighthouse, slightly south in Cape Elizabeth, rose out of this innate love of his hometown.


The Longfellow House, 489 Congress Street, was where the poet spent his youth in the first brick-only house built in this city, with brick shipped from Philadelphia (a little piece of home!). On Saturday, September 11th, we strolled over to the house to learn a little more about history. Henry's sister Anne took care of the house, which was still affixed with original furniture, style and decor. When Anne, who lived there the longest, died in 1901, she left the house to the Maine Historical Society. We took a guided tour of the house with a handful of other visitors - one man who thought he knew more than our tour guide, which made the trip much more interesting. Although we couldn't take pictures inside the house, the old-school wallpaper, painted portraits, knick knacks, bedding and authentic maps were neat and many are kept in the Maine Historical Society Library during the off season. And, yes, I love trips fused with a little bit of history!

Next stop, the Lobster Shack in Cape Elizabeth!