Donna's 50th Birthday Trip

I happened to be talking to one of my best friends tonight and teasing her to get up at 7:07 to see the sunrise... she is not a morning person. Judy said it would be cloudy and rain, so why bother? I then remembered Donna's 50th birthday request and told Judy about it. She thought I should put on the blog for the grandkids...so, here it is.

Who's ever birthday it was, usually got to pick where to vacation. Now, Mexico was our vacation of choice for many of unbroken years, warm water, snorkeling, Mexican food...what's not to like?

Well, it was Donna's 50th and she had read about a mountain (if you can call it that) on the Maine coast that caught the first light of the day in the United States.

Cadillac Mountain, at just over 1500 feet high, is the tallest peak on the Northeastern Seaboard and catches the first sunlight from October to March in the United States...to Donna, that was close enough to her birthday to warrant a trip to Maine. Maine? Really...ok, it's your birthday babe. You have to realize that up to this point we had never been past Colorado, let alone the east coast.

The two nights before we stayed on Bailey Island, ME at a wonderful B&B called the Log Cabin.

If you are Donna...the night before your birthday you order the largest lobster available. 

Donna is one happy camper...until I became aware of our mistake.

Not being from the east coast, I didn't realize that from our B&B to Cadillac Mountain, to see the sunrise, was 171 miles away. Donna, being the stubborn girl she is, says, "Well, we will get up at 2 am to make sunrise"! Ok by me, I'm not the morning person.

Cadillac Peak...not exactly what we are used to on the west coast.

Being the trooper that she was, by that I mean she slept the whole way while I drove, Donna was a bundle of joy this morning.

Donna was so jazzed about being the first person in the United States to see the sunlight of September 26th, 2003 that it did not matter one bit, that it was overcast and cloudy. My point exactly to Judy earlier tonight...sometimes it's what you perceive, not what is actually there!

It's hard to see (yes, I'm cheap) but I had bought her a sapphire necklace and earrings and gave it to her on the peak.

As much as I like Mexico, I would not of traded this trip for the world. Donna was so ecstatic to be here, on Cadillac Mountain, with me, on her 50th birthday...even I was excited.

Sometimes the memories are so vivid, you are able to relive them.