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The 1902 (and indeed, the entire Old Cataract Hotel & grounds) evokes images of old-time elegance. It was hard to escape the fact that Howard Carter himself enjoyed the luxuries of this facility.

This concept of Howard Carter-ness led to countless numbers of quips, similar to the following:

“To think that Howard Carter himself also once sat in this very chair!”

“To think that Howard Carter himself also once roamed these very hallways!”

“To think that Howard Carter himself also once used this very vending machine!”

Well, you get the idea.

And the food? Let’s just say we set the high bar for dining here, right at the beginning of the trip.

Four days on or near the water in Maine, seeing old friends was wonderful, although lacking cell phone coverage and internet for that period of time felt… unprecedented. It’s amazing how connected we’ve become in the last ten years that such a thing for so short a time can feel like complete alienation.

Weather was beautiful, and we enjoyed soft-shell lobster and haddock chowder and dodged lobster pot buoys and floated in the coves. Entertainment was decidedly lo-tech: board & card games and puzzles. I took about a gazillion photos, which I’m slowly fixing up for presentation.

In Dallas for a wedding, which marks my first visit to Texas, ever! I think that qualifies for at least a few points off on a purity test somwhere.

So far, I can’t tell if the scale of everything here (big, big, big — trust me, I’ve seen some enormous flags!) is inspiring or depressing. What’s certain, though, is something about this place is throwing off my (usually steady) sense of direction. So far, I’ve gotten lost at least five times, and that was just looking for the hotel & some place to eat! Not sure whose fault that is — me, these Dallas roads, or Microsoft Streets & Trips’ directions (I guess there’s an easy scapegoat there) — but something’s wonky for sure.