Monday 7th September, 2009.

Another day, another covered bridge. This one is one of two near our hotel. Today, we're heading down the Route 153 in search of some breakfast. As usual the road is slow, busy and winding. Not to mention bumpy and surrounded by forest. So, why are bridges covered? To keep the timbers dry, of course! They didn't have that stuff that says it does what it says on the tin back then, obviously.

The Church at Eaton on the shores of The Crystal Lake. The most photographed church in New England, evidently. It'll look even nicer in a couple of weeks time when 'the autumnals' (as we call them) turn russet.

Having had breakfast in Eaton we head further south and stop when we see these proper autumnals on the banks of Purity Lake.

Next, we turn around and head back to North Conway before heading east along Route 302. Pretty soon we have crossed the New Hampshire state border into Maine. We visit the Maine Tourist Centre by the side of the road and are advised that a drive to Portland would be nice. We can't help but agree but, unfortunately, we are still tired from yesterday's four hours behind the wheel. So, thanking the nice lady for her advice, we decide to do a shorter version and head for the town of Bridgton instead. We park up there and stumble into a Lobster Cafe (as you do). David only had his breakfast a couple of hours or so ago but deems it churlish not to have a lobster roll with fries washed down with a coke. Vicky looks on aghast and makes do with just a glass of coke. Thus refreshed we head down the main street into town. It's a lovely little place. Definitely got a different feel to the place. Laid back but not overly quaint.

We walk the length of the main street and back. It's nice to take the time to simply walk rather than drive. We look in various shop windows and visit the nearby Highland Lake.

Here, David is posing for the political record and, furthermore, he would like to state that he has never watched Fox News - not even in the name of research. Republicans? They're nutters, you know.

Howard makes his aquaintance with another furry friend. He's drawn to them. This one's a moose. They live around here. We hope to see one before we leave this part of New England. Apart from the whales we haven't seen a lot of wildlife on this trip. Chipmunks and squirrels, mainly. Oh, and a skunk. And a fox. All in the grounds of the hotel, ironically. Moose only come out after dusk and we hope to go on an organised trip in the next day or so to see some. Oh yes, and little tree frogs hopping along the trails within the forests. Vicky usually spots them first. Which is lucky, 'cos Dave in his cloddhoppers, and with his appalling eyesight, would probably crush 'em. And then the guilt - the terrible guilt.