Sorting through 840 photos from a 7-day family vacation for 11 people across 3 generations in 4 family units , plus 1 dog has resulted in a very, very long blog post. We had an amazing time and want to remember all of the highlights, so here it goes…………….
July, 2024 was time for another family vacation together and the planning began in September of 2023. We needed a house for 11 people (4 family “units” – Al and I; my sister Lisa and her wife Jeanne; Ryan and Kerri, Caleb and Ceci; Adam and Steph, Addie and Winston, their dog), not too far away, near a beach or waterfront, and with a pool. Not too hard, right? Haha. It might be easy until you toss in the dog and the pool.
Through VRBO, I chose Mill Dam Cottage in York, Maine. Axel, the owner, was wonderful to work with – good communication and very responsive to questions. You can read the reviews, look at all the posted photos over and over again, but in the end, you really just hope you made the right choice.
Mill Dam Cottage was originally built in 1900, with renovations over time. The “cottage” sits on the York River nestled among tall pines down a private gravel road that led to a wooded path. We decided it was a house with charm and character and a rustic elegance. We LOVED it!
Mill Dam Cottage from the York River
From any angle, York Dam Cottage is exquisite.
The barn and pool are surrounded by tall pines on two sides.
The natural setting among the pines trees on the river is enhanced by the flower beds that add color and texture to scene.
The pines provide a sense of seclusion and privacy.
The ever-changing views of the York River, the flow of the tides, the shifting light throughout the day.
It would not be Maine without lobster boats.
The interior of Mill Dam Cottage was as charming as the exterior.
The first step into the front hall feels special. The staircase is just lovely. And then there is our pile of shoes …….
We had no need for fires in July, but each room had its own fireplace adding to the charm.
There are gathering places all over the house, suiting any mood and any weather.
The kitchen is not overly large by some modern standards but we functioned pretty well, cooking meals for this diverse group of appetites.
Speaking of cooking meals, we all handled our own breakfasts and lunches, and took turns preparing the dinners.
Moms making breakfast for the hungry trio.
After the drive and unpacking, our first dinner was to find a pizza place – York 54.
Burgers and hot dogs – satisfies everyone!
Spaghetti and meatballs by Lisa and Jeanne – another crowd pleaser! With meatless “meat”balls for our vegetarian family members.
Taco Tuesday by Adam and Steph – options and ingredients to please everyone.
Ryan made grilled chicken and his “crack noodles” – different and unbelievably delicious.
Mill Dam Road is a gravel drive that leads to Steedman Woods and Wiggly Bridge. The cottage is second to the last house on the road so it was easy to take walks there.
The wood chip path through Steedman Woods, maintained by volunteers and owned by the Old York Historical Museum.
You never know what you may find in the woods.
Exiting the path from Steedman Woods leads to a mini-suspension bridge and man-made causeway. “Wiggly Bridge” was built in the 1930s. Legend has it that a group of girl scouts created the nickname in the 1940s because the bridge – well, it wiggles.
Looking back at Wiggly Bridge across the manmade causeway over the tidal flow from Barrel Mill Pond to the York River.
Adam, the dedicated biker in the family, led a group through Steedman Woods and over Wiggly Bridge.
Once across the causeway, it is easy to cross a road and then take Fisherman’s Walk, a walking path along the water donated by the generosity of “private landowners and the citizens of York for your enjoyment.” Al and I walked the path into York and ended at York Harbor Beach.
York Harbor
York Harbor Beach, in both directions.
Kerri and Steph took the girls to York Harbor Beach one day for a little fun in the sun. That may have been the only real beach time of the week. We had the pool and a beautiful view of the river to satisfy our water needs. Not to mention that the ocean temperature in Maine is very chilly!
The joy of swinging! This swing was an unexpected bonus.
And then came the twisting. With such a high swing, there are plenty of twists. Dizzying!!!!!
Sitting still, for the moment.
There are plenty of games at Mill Dam Cottage. Al, Kerri and the grandkids played ladderball on the lawn.
Aunt Jeanne gave juggling lessons.
We found this box of “mouth cards” on the bookshelves. Funny faces!!
The pool was the BIG attraction. A beautiful setting among the pines and a place that the kids spent 80% of their time. As did the adults.
Day or night, they were like fish drawn to the water.
Launched into the air by Uncle Adam/Daddy.
The porch on the side of the barn provided some shade and a relaxing place to sit and watch the children when we needed a rest. As did the lawn surrounding the pool.
Even Papa spent time in the pool. (He cranked the temperature up to the mid-80s. 😉)
Although there were plenty of adult-sized kayaks at Mill Dam Cottage, we brought our two kid-sized ones along. They never made it to the river. Papa decided they might be fun in the pool. They were!
Winston has his first ever swim and a kayak ride.
The Summer Olympics were about to begin. The girls had watched a video of a past “artistic swimming” (what we older folks know as “synchronized swimming”) event. They choreographed, practiced and performed their own version of artistic swimming. Soooooo cute! 🥰
Al and I took a 4-mile drive up to the Cape Neddick Light Station, sometimes referred to as “The Nubble” by locals. The original tower, a 40-foot-tall cast iron structure, was constructed in 1879. In 1928, a fourth-order Fresnel lens was installed. The lighthouse sits 600 feet off the coast of York on a tall rock outcrop that is linked to the mainland by a bar at extremely low tide. People are not permitted to visit the lighthouse but there is a lovely view from Sohier Park.
Fun fact – A cable pulley system was deployed for many years to deliver supplies from the mainland to Cape Neddick Light. In the 1960s, keeper David Winchester began using the bucket to take his child to school on the mainland! 😳
Dunne’s Ice Cream was nearby so we felt compelled to make a stop. (We did not have much ice cream this week!)
I planned a couple of family activities for us all, young and old. The first was tie-dying t-shirts. Truth be told, this was my first tie-dying experience. Better late than never!
Getting ready to dye – rubber gloves and lots of colors to choose!
The lawn by the pool was a perfect spot.
The adults were just as involved in tie-dying their shirts as the kids were.
Not bad, not bad at all!
The York River was a nice place to kayak as long as you check the tides and currents. Lisa and Jeanne took one out, as did Al and I.
Kerri, Addie, and Ceci out on the water.
We had pretty good weather for most of our week, especially for this summer which has been less than ideal. On a slightly overcast day we all took a road trip to Ogunquit.
We walked the Marginal Way, a 1.25 mile cliffside footpath that edges the Atlantic Ocean from Shore Road to Perkins Cove. The name “Marginal Way”, refers to the “margin” between land and sea. The winding path edges the Atlantic ocean with views of the Atlantic Ocean, waves smashing against rocks, and tide pools.
After our walk on Marginal Way, we hopped aboard a lobster boat in Perkins Cove.
Perkins Cove, a historic working fishing cove in Ogunquit filled with lobster boats and dinghies to get out to the boats.
Lisa and Jeanne decided to explore Perkins Cove while we took the 50 minute lobster tour. Jeanne took the photos before the boat departed.
Not crowded at all and we had great seats in the front.
The Captain is picking up the lobster trap, measuring the lobster to be sure it is of proper size and not a breeding female, and resetting the trap with fish bait.
Old fish bait gets thrown overboard. Yes, our Caleb volunteered to throw the old bait back into the ocean. Check the girls’ faces. 🤢
Then, “who wants to hold a lobster?” First in line – Caleb, again! Ceci joined in on this, while Addie agreed to touch it while Kerri held a lobster. I think Kerri had the most fun!
The only way to end our lobstering day was to have lobster for dinner.
“Off the Boat” Lobsters was just a short way up the river, or short drive on the road. Off the Boat is an open-air storefront that operates from a family-owned fishing pier, the Sewall’s Bridge dock.
The adults all enjoyed the lobsters. 😋 The grandchildren ate their usual fare of grilled chicken. 🙄 Winston enjoyed his new lobster stuffy toy. 🐾
We had plenty of time to just chill and relax, too. And a variety of places throughout the house. The favorite spot in the house – that front porch facing the river!!
Weaving, reading, chatting, napping.
Can’t get enough of those three kids! There wasn’t squabble or argument the entire week.
It was especially nice to have one-year old Winston along with us and worth the effort to find a rental that would allow a dog.
Winston got plenty of attention. Adam got plenty of napping. 😉
Besides the tie-dying activity, I also planned for rock painting (Thank you, Susie Marshall! Ours are not as artistic as yours, but we sure had a lot of fun.) The barn was a perfect location to set this up. We dragged tables from the garage to the barn and spread protective cloths over and under. Everyone enjoyed it so much that we left it set up for a couple of days.
A display of our finished rocks.
I had one more family activity for the last night of the week. For years I have had a portable campfire hoping to use it on a beach for s’mores at sunset. It didn’t happen for boat camp because Watch Hill doesn’t allow fires on the beach, even ones in a tin can. I brought the two “Radiate” portable campfires along in case there was a safe place to use them at the cottage.
The Radiate is very easy to use, very contained, and easy to put out when finished.
It was a really nice way to end our week.
Who doesn’t enjoy a s’more??? Very yummy!
Every morning the three children were up bright and early, really early, just like during boat camp week, until the last morning. Not a peep was heard until 7:45 am!
Naturally, there had to be family portraits wearing our tie-dyed shirts.
The Milford part of the family – Ryan, Kerri, Caleb and Ceci.
The Canton part of the family – Adam, Steph, Addie, and Winston.
The “senior” generation of the family. Lisa and Jeanne drove the farthest, from Pennsylvania, to be with us. Sooooo happy they did!
Papa and Nana with these three cuties.
Making memories, the best gift of all, with the ones you love.
Looks like an amazing family vacation. I love that house…what a perfect spot. Rock painting is always fun and y’all’s rocks are great. It’s hard to believe summer is over. Enjoy your fall.
omg michelle…never have i been so jealous of any summer time/family vacation…i want to do it. not sure who i could convince to do this with me but i really want to do it! will you plan the activities for my kids? looks like the best vacation for all (even ice cream for captain al)…i love ogunquit – spent one of my honeymoons there…nothing like a walk on the marginal way and steamers and lobsters at barnacle billy’s!
thanks so much for sharing…so glad you all loved it! xo
Susie Marshall
Looks like an amazing family vacation. I love that house…what a perfect spot. Rock painting is always fun and y’all’s rocks are great. It’s hard to believe summer is over. Enjoy your fall.
MaryMarie
You have that magic touch for making things fun and magical!! What a special, special time for all. Miss you both.
Ellen Seltzer
omg michelle…never have i been so jealous of any summer time/family vacation…i want to do it. not sure who i could convince to do this with me but i really want to do it! will you plan the activities for my kids? looks like the best vacation for all (even ice cream for captain al)…i love ogunquit – spent one of my honeymoons there…nothing like a walk on the marginal way and steamers and lobsters at barnacle billy’s!
thanks so much for sharing…so glad you all loved it! xo