Having had a busy day yesterday, which I will leave to Exile #1 to cover, we decided to have a slightly less demanding day today. We headed a short way south to the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport.
The museum is the final resting place of trolleys and streetcars from many major cities in the U.S., as well as a selection from other countries, such as Australia, Italy and even Britain. We couldn't help but notice the uniquely British smell of the double-decker Glaswegian trolley (somewhat reminiscent of the inside of a red telephone box for those who have had the pleasure...).
We couldn't get close enough to smell the one from Blackpool as it was undergoing restoration but it was looking pretty good from where we stood. We enjoyed clambering on and off them all, reading the historical advertisements - apparently, 84 out of 100 women prefer a man with a hat - so, there's a top tip for you gents out there.
The museum, which is manned by volunteers, also has a mile and a half of active line and we took a ride in one of the open trolleys or "breezers" out into the surrounding woods.
At one point, there was an extensive network of trolleys running through Maine, getting people to work at the mills or to Old Orchard Beach for some bracing sea air. It's hard to imagine now but it was fun to try.
It was FUN both looking at and riding.
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