Day 3: Meetings, LL Bean and a Lighthouse

All the sightseeing and driving through the Northeast slowed down a bit on Thursday as my conference meetings got underway.

I spent the day at the hotel while Suzanne drove around the area in the rental car. She drove around downtown Portland in the late morning and then had lunch at a quaint little local restaurant -- Ruby Tuesday. Ha ha! The place she wanted to go -- Duck Fat -- was too busy. We spoke to some people last night who had eaten at Duck Fat and raved about it. The french fries are actually fried in duck fat. Sounds gross but they said it was the best thing they'd ever eaten.

After lunch, Suzanne drove to Freeport to see the L.L. Bean headquarters and flagship store.

For dinner, the College Board arranged for our group to attend a AA baseball game between the Portland Sea Dogs and New Britain Rockcats. It was fun. We had hot dogs, baked beans and Shain's of Maine ice cream sandwiches in the outfield grandstands.

After three innings, we left and drove out to the Maine coast just in time for to see the Portland Head Light -- the most photographed lighthouse in the United States. It was one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen. This photo taken with my iPhone doesn't do it justice. We'll post better photos when we get back.

After a few more meetings on Friday morning, we'll pack up and head back to Boston for some downtown sightseeing on Friday afternoon and Saturday.

The weather here is perfect -- mid-60s and sunny. We both wore our fleece jackets late this afternoon. I can see why the Bush family leaves Houston for Kennebunkport, Maine, during the summer.