After our hijinks in wascassett yesterday, Seth and I weren't quite ready to go out on another bizaare exploration. Our next one of those is when we visit a 19th century mansion who's only current occupant is a Buddha stolen from a temple in China during the 19th century. But more on that on friday.
The name Kennebunkport may sound rather familiar to you. That would be because Kennebunkport is the summer home of George Bush Sr. Kennebunkport had some of the most beautiful houses I have ever seen. Seth and I looked at literally block after block of sprawling New England colonials. It was amazing. And then there was Dock Square
I think the platonic form of tackiness will be dock square. I wonder how people who have the means to live in houses worth 10s of millions of dollars can abide a cultural black hole like Dock Square. This place disgusted me. There was an alternating pattern of well decorated t-shirt shops and "seaside home-decor" for two whole blocks. The crown by far was the licensed Thomas Kinkade dealer we saw. As Seth and I entered his shop the man demonstrated "Thomas Kinkade: illuminator" for us. He took us to one of his prints and turned the lights on it down, showing us how Kinkade "masterfully" used glazes to preserve the "light" even in dim light. That just great, a sappy, tacky, Christian Contemporary painting that can double as a nightlight for your small children. How about that Thomas Kinkade painter of light!
I kind of left Kennebunkport in a melancholy. I had much higher expectations of Kennebunkport. On the way out we spent a couple hours in the worlds oldest largest trolley museum, the Seashore Trolley Museum. The museum has dozens of complete trolley cars that they are in the process of restoring. Apparently trolley systems were the dominant for of inter-urban transportation in New England for the first 20 years of the 20th century. Seeing the importance of trolley cars to New England turned my mind away from the utter crapiness that was Kinkadebunkpoop and towards history, something much dearer to my heart.
Did you see the Bushies at their house? When we were there two years ago, we drove by and happened upon it at just the time Barbara Bush, with her unmistakable top of white hair, was coming out. It was a long way off, but it was clearly her.
Dad
Hey Guys,
I don't really have a comment about this. But I wanted to say Hi and tell you how much I love reading your stuff. It is good to know that somewhere in the world there is Matt and Seth, uncovering the cooky-ness of Maine.
I didn't even go by the Bush house Dad. I'm sorry, I've failed you as a son.
Posted by: matt at June 13, 2003 12:17 AM