After a Saturday filled with a wedding and two graduation parties, we did not hurry overly to get going on our Maine vacation. We slept in the next day and packed, and finally got on the road about eleven. We drove for eight hours, stopping for lunch at a Subway just off the highway. Eight hours got us to far eastern New York. Since our travel plan for Monday was to take it easy and enjoy a scenic drive through Vermont and New Hampshire, we went a fair ways off of the New York Thruway; we stopped in the small town of Ballston Spa, where we would spend the night at the Lewis House Bed and Breakfast.

We got to the Lewis House around seven and checked into a huge multi-room suite. We then asked for recommendations for a restaurant, and the very kind owner directed us a short distance down the road to the Spa Brauhaus, a local German restaurant. We got to the the restaurant only about twenty minutes before they closed, and there was only one other party in the place, but we did not feel as if we intruded. The service was still excellent, and the waitress assured us she had plenty of closing tasks to keep her busy when she was not waiting on us. We had an excellent meal of Hungarian Goulash, and finished with decent desserts. When we went up to the bar to pay the bill, I saw a Team-in-Training jar on the counter. Team-in-Training is an organization that helps marathon runners raise money for leukemia research. I asked the barkeep about the jar, and we got to talking about his running. For the next hour. Well after the place closed. It was very friendly. He even offered to by us drinks, which we turned down, but it was very kind of him. We found out he started running small distances, and then found out about Team-in-Training and decided to try a full marathon. He had done two, and wanted to do another. He was a good conversationalist, and we left only because we had to get some sleep because we had a good-sized travel day on Monday.

We got back to the B and B a little after 10:00, and I drew Mer a bath because the bathroom had a large claw-footed bathtub. She relaxed, and I got ready for bed and read a little. It was a relaxing evening after a long day of driving, and a good start to our vacation.