Augusta, ME

First, I heart Maine. Could it be more quaint with hardy folks? Augusta and its neighboring towns that I got lost in are super cute. Every toll booth worker (in Maine only) asked me how my day was and wished me a safe trip. Thanks, Maine, my heart pitter patters for you.

And then, there was the state house... According to the state website, Maine's capitol deteriorated with age and has been rehabbed over the years.












It's looks great. They must have done a ton of work. Although it is an old building modeled after Boston's capital, it seems pretty modern with the changes.












There is a capitol park across the street. To my surprise, I arrived on day when they were hosting a dog show in the park. Many, many dogs with lots of accessories and attentive owners were about. Oh my. I would have snapped some pictures, but I thought it best to keep my distance from these Mainers. I spook easily.

After hanging around Augusta for a bit, I drove an hour south to hike in Bradbury Mountain State Park. I had a lot of fun exploring Augusta and the park. If you haven't been to Maine yet, GO. It is a beautiful state.

Baton Rouge, LA

Woohoo, what an amazing capitol!

It is huge - 34 stories. It was built during the Depression (a big thanks to super corrupt, politically rich, and assassinated, Gov. Huey Long). When I saw this, it reminded me how fun it is to see what each state does to show its governing dominance. Way to go, Louisiana!





Also, a big thanks to my traveling companions - Lisa, Beth, and Chris - for humoring me as I took a gazillions pictures. I don't usually drag a crowd with me. I'm sure they feel like the lucky ones; right, y'all?


For reference, this is the old capitol. It is a little shorter, but still distinctive. You can't see it in the picture, but the old lady that stopped me on the street really thought the best feature was the rod iron fencing that was being replaced. I could give you the history... yawn.. that she gave me... but... zzz... snore... zzz