Day 13: Solon, ME to New Castle, New Hampshire

From sea to shining sea!

189 Miles
14th state: New Hampshire

Every book is a quotation; and every house is a quotation out of all forests, and mines, and stone quarries; and every person is a quotation from all his ancestors.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

We packed up our campsite, and dried up and cleaned up as much as possible before loading everything into the car (and said, yet again, "Thank God we didn't drive the Fit!").  Today was a roots-searching day.  We went to 2 Solon cemeteries and found the gravesites of several ancestors (while fighting the biggest swarms of mosquitoes I've ever seen).  Then we traveled up the road to Bingham, and found Manu's parents' graves (a big find -- many gravesites are identified on Ancestry.com, but these were not).  I know it sounds morbid to many, but I feel such a great sense of discovery when we find what we're looking for.
Mom's biggest advice when we left was, "Take pictures.  And not just of headstones!"  Sorry Mom.  I couldn't help it today!

Michael Padham - My great-great grandfather

David & Lillie Roach- my great-grandparents

Jane Padham - My great-great grandmother

David Roach Sr. - My great-great grandfather.  A Civil War Veteran.

After cemetery searching, we got on the road to the final destination.  We were so happy and relieved to arrive in Portsmouth.  We checked into the Wentworth (or, to Sherry, the Merriweather!).  Beautiful day.  Perfect place.   For some reason (I think a welcome back from the catering manager who helped us last summer), we ended up with a suite with a fireplace, hers and hers bathrooms (yes, girls, with heated floor tiles), and another beautiful view.  Feeling so fortunate.
Stopped by to see Aunt Betty -- still going strong at 91!  (For those who don't know Aunt Betty, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTeabL-4Xzw).  After setting up a lunch date for later this week, we went to the River House for dinner.  First lobster roll, and (according to Mimi and many reviewers) the best seafood chowder in the world!!  The trip has been as much about the journey as the destination, but you can't beat the destination!