New England Cruise Part 5: Back to the US in Maine and Boston

12:17 AM


Hey everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and happy holidays!! I went to Canada as usual, and spent Christmas with my family. Prior to the actual day, I celebrated with my friends on a couple different occasions already. Having several Christmas celebrations is really fun because spreading out the whole gift giving and receiving makes Christmas feel like it’s lasting longer. How was your Christmas?

If you follow me on Instagram (haha shameless plug yet again!), you will know I baked a ton of goodies for the holidays! Specifically gluten free goodies. Because gluten-free is the best way to go. I literally stayed up several nights in a row to finish baking, and making food. I made white chocolate fudge bites, snickerdoodle cookie pops, chocolate dipped sugar cookies with crushed peppermint, peanut butter cookie truffles, and flourless chewy chocolate cookies. That last gluten free dessert I’ve posted before on my blog! Check out that recipe if you haven’t yet! It’s super easy to make, and definitely a huge hit for all chocolate and sweets lovers!

I also made an apple crumble, which I made for Thanksgiving as well. And a huge quantity of macaroni and cheese. Doesn’t really sound like your typical Christmas feast, but hey it tasted damn good and that’s what counts! It was a huge hit as well. Most people I know associate mac and cheese with the artificially cheesy boxed Kraft mac and cheese, and generally don’t like it. But once they’ve tasted real authentic from-scratch mac and cheese, everything changes. What did you eat for Christmas, or for your holiday feast?

Anyways, as I have mentioned a billion of times before, I am finally finishing up the travel posts I’ve been doing since September. Literally a trip I took back in September I am still talking about now. Am I the champion of prolonging or what? In my defense, there was so much we did, and many places we went to it couldn’t have fit all in one post. If you haven’t read the previous posts yet, check them out here!





Our last couple stops for this cruise was to Bar Harbor in Maine, and then Boston. Boston really wasn’t much because it was our departure day. We only had a brief couple hours there so I mostly have only pictures to show of it. Maine, on the other hand, was really nice!





After days of dreary grey skies, our previous stop in Saint John was a nice change of pace. Maine also satisfied our desire for sunny days too. We stopped at Bar Harbor, a small town by the shore known for their abundance of recreational activities perfect for nature lovers. As someone who prefers admiring Mother Nature from afar, I chose to peruse the many shops and stroll the streets instead of joining in on the hikes or boating activities.




I’ve never been to Maine, but I’ve always heard rumors that Maine has amazing lobster. I had to give that a try for myself to see if it was true. After days of fancy-ish and complicated cruise food, good ol' buttery lobster sounded even more enticing. That lobster lunch I had there was so delicious! Rumors are definitely true. There were so many restaurants that offered lobster rolls and other lobster dishes, it was difficult to choose which to try out. We settled on one that was a farther walk from the port that wasn’t as crowded as the others. This allowed us to walk around and see a bit of the town before eating.




Because literally every restaurant advertised lobster rolls, we had to order one to try out. We also ordered a full lobster to share amongst the four of us, and another order of fish and chips. All three orders came with a side of fries. As a gluten-free eater, I luckily could eat the lobster and fries.




The lobster was SO GOOD! It was perfectly juicy and tender, and the buttery goodness was just so divine. Though it was unsettling to see the lobster being torn apart and dismantled. I have this thing where I get really nauseous when I see meat on a bone, or in a shell. I can’t look at meat or seafood intact and whole like that. Seriously sometimes I consider being vegetarian because of that uneasiness.

We also ordered blueberry soda, which apparently is a thing. I normally don’t go for drinks when I eat out and just keep with my ice water, but the blueberry soda on the menu really sounded interesting. I’m so glad I went with that because it tasted really good.






After lunch, we walked the streets some more. I passed by this one boutique called Birch Moon with unique handmade jewelry. One silver ring with a simple design really caught my eye. I considered it for a while, went to other stores, returned to admire the ring again, walked around other stores, and doubled back and finally bought it. I literally went back a couple times before deciding that I just had to buy the ring. It fit me perfectly, and just looked so nice.





Because of the sunny warm weather, we decided to get some ice cream after lunch. An ice cream shop down the street had a huge variety of flavors to boast. I kept letting people order ahead of me because I took so long deciding. I am very indecisive when there are a ton of choices. Give me more options and I just get overwhelmed. I finally decided to try out this ice cream with chocolate, Kahlua, Grand Marnier, and Bailey’s. I don’t actually know if there was any alcohol in it though...




The last day on a trip always ends up being quite sad. Vacation draws to an end and reality looms imminently ahead. On our last night, we didn’t watch any shows but retired to our rooms earlier to pack and get ready for an early start the following day.

Whenever I leave a place, whether it be a hotel or a stateroom on a cruise, I like to take all the complementary goodies like the shampoos, lotions, soaps and notepad. I have a whole collection of complementary loot I’ve gotten over the years. It’s a fun way to remember the places I’ve been to because of the variety in my collection.





Our ship traveled from Maine to Boston on that last day. It was a 7 day cruise one way, and 14 days total to return to Quebec. We had an early afternoon flight home so we got a short tour of the city before heading to the airport. I’ve never been to Boston, so it was nice to see a bit of the city. Though we didn’t have a ton of time to walk around and sightsee.




I managed to get some photos of the crowded narrow streets, and the beautiful architecture. Literally every tall building I saw I would say “Look it’s the Tipton Hotel!”, in reference to the hotel from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, a TV show my friends and I watched when we were young. Do you remember that show?

I definitely plan on returning to the East Coast soon to see more and do more. Cruises are so much fun. I wish I had more time for vacations and traveling. School breaks are much too short.




The end of the year is fast approaching. 2016 has been one heck of a ride. So much has happened, and it’s definitely been a memorable (in both positive and negative manners) year. I honestly don’t know what to expect for the upcoming year. Have you made a New Years Resolutions list yet?

Comment down below what you did for the holidays this year! Where do you plan on traveling to, or hope to travel to this upcoming year? Where have you traveled to that has been your favorite yet? Lemme know in the comments!

Also don’t forget to comment down below what kinds of foods you’ve eaten/made this year for the holidays!

I hope you are all having a wonderful holidays with friends and family! Thanks for stopping by! I know I’ve prolonged this travel series for an incredibly long time. So thank you for sticking with me. And even if you’re silently judging me, I still hope you enjoyed the post and the pictures.

I wish you all a wonderful day!


Til next time,
~A

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66 comments

  1. Wow! That looks like such a fun trip! I hope your holidays were (or are) amazing :) I went on a few parties :D And ate a LOT! I am not gluten free, so I can eat everything, and so I did hahah :D Have an amazing 2017! x

    BeautyPepTalk

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    1. Thank you Kelly! Haha holidays are the perfect excuse to just indulge and eat a ton! Though I do regret it a bit afterwards, but it's all in the fun of celebrating. I hope you are having a wonderful 2017 so far!!

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  2. The food and cakes you have made all sound so delicious! I don't know how you managed to make everything but it all sounds lovely. It looks like you have had a fabulous trip and I'm not surprised you were sad when it came to an end. If you haven't already, you will have to book another holiday so that you have something to look forward to :) I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year x

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    1. I definitely would like to book another trip very soon! I really love going away to different places and experiencing the culture, and of course trying out the foods!! Thank you! It did take a long time to finish making all the food, but everyone enjoyed it in the end which made it worth it. I hope your 2017 is amazing :)

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  3. Great place and cute outfit!
    www.recklessdiary.ru

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  4. Wow! All the photos are really beautiful, especially the last one! The sunset is incredible! What a lovely place. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas too !! xx

    _Aishettina_

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    1. Thank you! The day ended beautifully with the sunset, and I just had to take a ton of photos to capture the moment. Glad you like it :)

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  5. That lobster dinner looks so good. Great photos, it sounds like such a fun trip and you look so happy in those photos. Thanks for sharing xxx

    ALittleKiran | Bloglovin

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    1. Thank you! I had a wonderful trip and I am so glad it went well. Hopefully I will be traveling somewhere else again soon!

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  6. Omg all the food is making me hungry right now. Yummmmy.....!! You also look wonderful in that outfit. Love the skirt. Nice one! Lovely shots overall.
    I had a good Christmas and yeah hope to go on holidays in the new year.

    http://missymayification.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Hahah I'm so glad I got the lobster because Maine's lobster does live up to its hype! Thank you! I hope you are having a fantastic 2017 so far :))

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  7. Lovely photos!
    Happy Holidays!
    Gil Zetbase
    http://gilzetbase.com/

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    1. Thanks Gil! I hope you are having a wonderful 2017 so far!

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  8. Maine looked and sounded like my kind of place. One of dreams is to travel to every state in the US! Someday....

    Those lobster dishes looked so divine! And that ice cream shop sounds like it was made for me (or ice cream fanatics like me. haha!).

    Jenn
    The Pink Lemonade Girl
    YouTube
    Bloglovin

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    1. That sounds like a great goal! Visiting each of the states would be a really fun thing to do, I bet it would be cool to do some as a road trip as well. Ice cream is the best! We all need some of that cold creamy goodness in our lives :) Thanks Jenn!

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  9. I can imagine why celebrating multiple Christmases would be a lot of fun! I'm glad to hear you had a lovely festive season, I've certainly enjoyed the mass of food haha ;) This is a great travel diary by the way and I'm looking forward to reading more of your blog posts in 2017!!

    aglassofice.com
    x

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    1. It's nice to have several different celebrations! That way, I get to enjoy the time with my friends without feeling like I'm not giving them my undivided attention. The food I eat during the holidays is certainly the best part for me as well! Thank you Gabrielle!

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  10. Looks like a fun time!! The food looks amazing!
    Adi xx
    fancycorrectitude.com
    instagram.com/fancycorrectitude

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  11. Beautiful photos, I can almost imagine exploring the place myself!

    www.jeannieinabottleblog.com

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    1. It was very scenic and gorgeous there. I wish to return soon! Thank you Jeanne! I'm glad you like it :)

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  12. Ugh, I miss Boston so much, my home for five years! The Fairmont Hotel in Copley Square in Boston is actually the Tipton Hotel haha. My friends and I would say something every time we walked by it for all five years. One of the Sprouse twins stayed across from the hotel too and tweeted about it!

    Via Sora || Having a Very Merry Missguided Christmas
    instagram · twitter · pinterest · bloglovin

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    1. OMG no way!! That is crazy because I actually stopped by there when I was in Boston!! That's so crazy that I went there and didn't even realize it was actually the place I was looking for. I can tell why you miss Boston! It is so beautiful, and I wish I had more time there to take it all in. Thanks Sora!

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  13. Girl! I spent almost an entire year documenting a two week journey to the states back in Jan! Bahahahaha! September? Not that prolonged in my eyes, but I can honestly see why it may take some time because you put so much effort and thought to each post, it's only natural it occurs so. I know it did for me too. I miss the East Coast like crazy. We just had some cousins come down after Christmas and they made me miss CT and MA even more. I really hope I can return sometime in 2017. I miss Boston like crazy (but not their lobster rolls - yuk!)

    Sxx
    www.daringcoco.com

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    1. Hahahahaah oh good!! I'm not the only one!! I really felt like I was dragging it out, but like you said I really made each post separate which is why it took so long. I agree, I wish to return to the East Coast again! I was only there for a short while, but I really want to go back there. Why must vacations be so short? Also, you don't like lobster rolls??
      Thank you sonia!

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  14. Oh thanks for share your amazing pics about your trip!
    xx

    www.sakuranko.com

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  15. It definitely looks like you had a brilliant trip! We went back to Malaysia early last year but no plans for vacation yet for 2017 but we are also in the midst of building our own home so maybe we'll only have a holiday within Canada.

    Shireen | Reflection of Sanity

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    1. I've never been to Malaysia! It sounds so lovely there when I read and see photos of it. I wish to go on vacation again soon, but gotta save up again! Building your own home sounds really nice, definitely a great way to ensure it's all to your liking! A dream into a reality :) Thank you Shireen!

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  16. Beautiful photos babe....xx, Neha

    http://www.theinstylejournal.com/

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  17. Ok so this post TOTALLY resonated with me, loved it! I'm from SF but have been living in Boston for the past 3 years, so I'm glad you got to see Bean Town if only for a short time! Maine is the perfect place to get a lobster too. It sounds like you had such a fab time on your New England cruise! So excited to hear you have gluten free recipes since I'm gluten free too!

    Chelsea
    Chow Down USA
    Instagram

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    1. Wait you live in Boston!? I totally did not remember that! Too bad I was only there for a short time. Next time I go though we should meet up! The lobster in Maine is incredible, and I wish I was able to buy more to eat later but we couldn't bring food like that back on the ship. I had a wonderful time on the trip! And I definitely will be posting the recipes very soon :)) Thank you Chelsea!

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  18. Oh my your pictures are beautiful, it looks amazing over there x

    Jessica — NinetyCo 

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    1. Thank you Jessica! I had a ton of fun taking pictures because everything was so photograph worthy!

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  19. Lovely photos of your trip and I'm exactly the same, I could still talk for hours about my Australia trip I did 2 (!!!) years ago. And I'm happy to hear you enjoyed christmas :)
    I actually just stumbled across your blog and am looking forward to further posts. Keep up the great work you're doing :)

    Nina,
    http://ganzbesonders.blogspot.de

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    1. I wish to go to Australia! I'm saving up to travel to Europe, primarily Italy and France, in the next couple years. And Australia will be my next goal! I don't want to go just for a brief time, but actually be able to stay for longer to really explore the place! I definitely understand why you can talk for hours bout it, I can imagine that it was so lovely and beautiful!
      Thanks Nina! I'm glad you like it and I will check out your blog too! I hope you are having a wonderful 2017 so far!

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  20. Seems you really enjoied this trip, hun!
    Such beautiful and ineresting places you've seen and so tasty food!
    Hope you had wonderful Christmas holidays, sweetie!
    xxx
    S
    http://s-fashion-avenue.blogspot.it/

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    1. I had a fantastic time going to all the different places, seeing and experiencing everything. It was a really memorable trip! And the food was definitely incredible :) Thank you! I hope you had a fantastic holidays too and that your 2017 is going well so far!

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  21. Happy New Year, girl! I'm glad you were able to spend the holidays with your family in Canada, I'm sure it was such a fun and memorable time! All your baked goodies sound absolutely amazing, you're welcome to send any left overs my way ;) haha! My mom's been to Maine and has boasted about the amazing Lobster there as well, I have to got if not just to have some Lobster rolls, haha; yours looks so delish! Thanks so much for sharing, girlie, and I hope you're enjoying the first week of the new year so far!

    XO,

    Jalisa
    www.thestylecontour.com

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    1. It was a really wonderful time! I hate having to prep to go to Canada. But once I am there I always have a ton of fun with my family, especially getting to spend time with my gramma. Definitely go to Maine for the lobster rolls! They were mouthwateringly delicious! I cannot believe I never tried it before! I hope your 2017 is wonderful so far as well :) Thank you for your lovely comment Jalisa!

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  22. Love your photo selection.
    xx
    https://theonethattravels.wordpress.com/
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_zn7IqrAY1I44bRuN6dH-Q

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  23. Looks like such fun trip! I'm loving the photos!

    http://roadesque.com
    http://ourruins.com

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    1. Thank you Valerie! I'm glad you like them! I took so many photos to document the trip, I didn't know which ones to choose to feature on the blog haha

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  24. Amazing trip babe! Loved reading this blogpost.

    X Merel
    www.andathousandwords.com

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    1. Thank you Merel! I'm glad to hear you like it!

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  25. Oh that lovely sunny day seemed like such a nice way to end the trip, I'm glad you enjoyed it and it's great you got to see and share so much with us.

    Hope you are having a wonderful start to the year and the first week of 2017 is going well!

    Away From The Blue Blog | 5 Year Blogaversary Giveaway

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    1. Thank you Mica! It was the most picturesque and perfect way to end the day and trip. I am so glad the weather worked in our favor. I'm happy you enjoyed reading this travel series! Thank you :) I hope your 2017 is wonderful so far as well!

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  26. Happy New Year! It looks like you had a wonderful time and the food looks delicious!

    xo
    www.carinavardie.com

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    1. Thanks Carina! I really did have a terrific time :) It was incredible. I hope you are having a wonderful 2017 so far!

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  27. Great foto https://bysinkj.blogspot.com

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  28. It looks like a magical place!!!!

    Gaby (Gato) Martínez
    thecatflower.com

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  29. Thanks Hadasah! I'm glad you like it :))

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