Part 1 - Maine

Lisa and Ken Peck's son Brendan married Greta Frost on June 29, 2024. Brendan and Greta also just graduated from BYU. Brendan has been hired by the company he interned with while he was doing his schooling. This means that Brendan's immigration status is in flux and he cannot leave the United States. This meant that Brendan and Greta couldn't have a reception in Canada, but they could have a reception in Greta's home town, Bangor Maine. 

When we received the wedding invitation, or perhaps before, but when we found out that they would have a reception in Maine, we thought, hey, let's go. And then we thought, let's make a trip out of it!

Friday

We left home on Friday morning and bid farewell to Milo. We dropped him off in Hampton, Ontario - just East of Oshawa. The people that run the kennel out of their home have a property adjacent to a farm, a big fenced yard, and a smaller fenced yard, and it just felt better than leaving him in the kennel in town for almost two weeks.

We left at 9:15 a.m. and arrived in Bangor at Greta's Grandma's house at 8:45 p.m. It was a long day but it was an absolutely beautiful drive. Driving through Maine on two lane highways, was so lovely. Driving through the hills of Quebec and then the continuing hills of Maine, it was such a cool drive.

Ken had to catch up to this truck to verify that it was indeed lots and lots of bags of onions. (401 Ontario)

Car pic of everyone, just after the onion truck pic.

This beautiful area in this little town in Quebec where we had a short bathroom break.

This one area that we drove through in Quebec - it was a dark sky area, and all of the signs had stars - etoiles on them. It was neat. It made me want to stay there and see the night sky.

We passed by a place with a football field or two (maybe three) of lumber.

This was the border crossing from Maine to Quebec. It was a tiny little house. There was one agent on duty. He was very friendly. When he asked where we were going and I told him a wedding, he asked the girls if they had their dancing shoes. They were all baffled by his question lol.

There was a lookout place not far over the border into Maine. I asked Ken to pull over and he did and it made my heart happy! I love our beautiful world!

Weird spray can cheese at a gas station store in Maine.

Our last stop before getting to Greta's Grandma's was a Chik-Fil-A - we'd eaten car food/meals/snacks all day and the girls really wanted a "real" meal. Lisa, Ken, Kristen and Rachael had been given permission to stay in Greta's Grandma's house and there was room for us too which was great because hotels in Bangor were really, really expensive. We brought air mattresses and Ken slept on a couch but there was room for everyone. There was just one little wrinkle - only one working toilet for nine people!

Saturday

We had a slow morning, but we eventually set out to explore Bangor. Rachael came with us and we had an outing! I think most of the things to do in Maine are outdoorsy things, so there wasn't really that much to do in Bangor.

We went to a gluten free bakery. We went to Hobby Lobby. We went to a Rock Shop downtown Bangor. We went to the giant statue of Paul Bunyan. We went to Stephen King's House. We went to get Shave Ice. And then we went home to get ready and then we went to Brendan and Greta's backyard reception at Greta's parents - Melanie and Gary's. After the reception Brendan and Greta came over and we played a huge game of Cards Against Humanity Family Edition. (Finding out that Ken Peck enjoys potty humour was amazing lol!)

Greta is so lovely. Right away it is very obvious to me that Brendan and Greta are a great team. I'm so glad that we were at the reception. I'm glad for the time that we got to spend with Lisa, Ken, Kristen and Rachael too. It was really really lovely.

And this was our Milo update (for Friday) - he got settled in and was very intrigued by the chickens.

Sunday

I really wanted to go to church to sacrament meeting, so we did. Lisa, Ken, Kristen and Rachael were driving back home. Lisa and Ken had to work Monday and Tuesday so they had to head home today. They did not come to church as it is a really long drive home! They left about a half an hour before we left. We closed up Paula's house, made sure everything was put away and off we went to church.

I just love going to church in other places. I love the sameness, but what I love the most is that the spirit and the teachings are the same. It was a beautiful sacrament meeting. After sacrament we changed and then hopped in the car and we were off to New Brunswick!

We pulled over to look at the view, thinking that it was water. Ken thought he saw a moose, but it wasn't.

Next we pulled over along the river just before going over the border. Alice and I are standing in Maine but we're across the river from New Brunswick.

The tide was out so the water level was low.

This was the bridge - the third bridge in this little town Calais that crossed over into St Stephen.

Bye bye Maine! It was nice to see more of you! (I went to Maine the first time years ago when Suzanne lived in New Hampshire. But I only went to the south-western corner of Maine.