Lobster Roll Summer!

May - November 2024 

In May 2024 we loaded up the Subaru once more and began our route from Indianapolis to Maine. While making the journey, we made a quick stop at Lake Erie to stretch our legs. Feeling energized and excited about starting a new chapter, we walked the pebbly shoreline and spontaneously decided to jump in… now we can cross ‘skinny dipping in the great lakes’ off the bucket list! 

We made one other memorable pit-stop along the journey… a city whose spooky history has always intrigued us… Salem, Massachusetts! We spent three days wandering the streets in the rain while listening to witch lore. A highlight for Tatum was grabbing a glass of wine at The Hawthorne Hotel, an old hotel with a unique history including an attempted (but failed) seance of Houdini. Thankfully, there were no ghost sightings during happy hour. After a successful road trip… we made it to our final destination… Portland, Maine. We called Portland home for the next five months. 

Our first impression of Portland did not disappoint. Portland is in southern Maine and sits on the banks of Casco Bay… an area where the Atlantic water is peppered with islands and bordered by rocky shorelines. Downtown meets the harbor… where restaurants/bars sit atop rickety wooden docks that extend over the water. We pinched ourselves as we tried our first lobster roll while watching fishing boats come and go from the harbor.  

We quickly fell into a nice routine. Before work we would run in the park that looks out at the water and watch sailboats and massive cruise ships navigate the bay. Tatum worked the night shift (ugh) at the local hospital while Corbin ran his business and slung beers at Orange Bike Brewery. We really connected with Corbin’s co-workers at the brewery and cherished spending quality time with good people… it made our time in Maine even more special. 

Running Loop

Blogging & Coffee in the Park

When we were not working… we played! We spent the summer months visiting lighthouses, eating at lobster shacks, exploring local beaches, strolling through fish markets, and listening to live music downtown. One of our favorite activities was taking the public ferry on the ‘mailboat run’... a route that loops around the bay while stopping at multiple islands to deliver mail to islanders. We loved sipping on a drink during happy hour and watching the islands pass by as we tooted around the bay. 

We love when we are traveling somewhere cool and are able to celebrate holidays/events on the road. Honestly, it just gives us a great excuse to book a fun activity. For Corbin’s 30th we took a live music cruise around the bay. We listened to bluegrass, watched the sunset, and spotted seals. To celebrate our third anniversary, Tatum booked an oyster shucking class at a local oyster bar... we had a blast but won’t be winning any oyster shucking competitions any time soon.

During our time in Maine we were lucky enough to host a few visitors from back home. The highlight with Kent and Kari (Corbin’s parents) included biking around Peaks Island and slurping countless oysters. Amy (Tatum’s mom) arrived and we road-tripped north to visit Acadia National Park... we enjoyed some great (and thrilling) hiking and ocean views. And lastly, the Shassetz family made the trip and we explored locally and soaked in the start of the stunning fall colors. Seeing “our people” filled us up! 

As summer came to an end, the famous New England fall colors started to show themselves. Summer and fall… we couldn’t have picked a better time of year for our ‘Maine Rotation’! 

What’s in store for our next adventure?? Home ownership… that’s right, we are officially homeowners and are traveling back across the country to settle into our new place in Hamilton, MT. 

With Love,

   Boots Abroad

Corbin’s

   Highs: Music Boat, Working at the Brewery, Mailboat run, OYSTERS, fall colors

   Lows: Tatum on Night Shift, Price of Beers, Entrepreneur Struggles. 

Tatum’s

   Highs: Running loop with ocean views, live music boat trip to celebrate Corbin’s 30th, lobster shacks, being on the Ocean all summer

   Lows: Working the night shift, price of rent (yikes!)

Bloopers…

Ocean Kayaking…is it fun? We aren’t sure yet. Between the wind, the waves, and all the rules from the rental agency… we had a pretty okay time haha.