The End Of Maine

It's hard to believe we have been a week without an internet connection.  Or, is it just that the week has been so eventful and interesting that we haven't even had the energy to talk about it.  Actually, it's both, but whatever, it is time to catch up.

We ended up spending two more days in Portland.  The place is so lovely, and we were not ready to leave its sites, smells and tastes behind just yet.  OK, we wanted more lobster and we wanted to eat breakfast at Becky's.  (BTW, our friend Julie was right, Becky's French Toast is amazing and should be on everyone's bucket list).  And then there were mundane tasks to be done:  the laundry hamper was overflowing and Linda needed a "fill" on her nails.

 

Plus, Don and Nancy had invited us back the next night for a hamburger cookout and evening of card playing (3/13 was the game).  We will see Don and Nancy in January when they come back to Lincolnshire for the winter season.

All in all, the time in Maine was well spent.  We had no idea our visit there would be so memorable.  We promised ourselves we will come back some day.

We really needed a couple of days to recuperate from all the festivities in the Pine Tree State.  But we also were anxious to get on with the next part of the trip ... a visit to Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard.  So we said goodbye to Maine and headed down I-95.

A Perfectly Lovely Day in Maine

We are in love with Maine.  And what is not to love?  Lobster, blueberries, beautiful scenery, wonderful friends.  If it wasn't for that darn snow ... 

Our friends Don and Nancy have shown us the best time in Portland. There is just nothing like touring with the locals.   On Friday, we saw the famous and infamous places, the backroads and byways, and heard the stories of who, what, where, when and how, for so many fascinating places.

Don and Nancy

   
    Portland Headlight
    Bug Light Park
    Higgins Beach
    Scarborough Beach
    Prouts Neck
    Eastern Promenade
    Back Cove
    Cape Elizabeth




Lunch was fresh haddock and cole slaw at the counter of the iconic Becky's Diner on the wharf.  Don and Nancy are regulars there and know the servers and their life stories, but more impressively, the servers know Don and Nancy.  It was old home week when we walked into the place.

We had supper at Don and Nancy's house ... fresh, whole lobsters that we picked up from a local diner and brought back to the house.  (Talk about being local, when we stopped to pick up the lobsters, Nancy walked into the back door of the kitchen, where the staff greeted her warmly and were just pulling the lobsters out of the pot as we walked in.)

Before

After

Salad, fresh biscuits, blueberry pie and cake, and Shock Top beer completed the perfect Maine supper.  It was a perfectly lovely day in Maine.

On To Portland

Our last night in Bethel was cold (45 degrees) and rainy.  We were so ready for some better weather.   We didn't bring any arctic gear, and we were shivering last night.

But, the 2-hour drive to Portland today was just beautiful, and we pulled into our campground at noon under sunny skies.  After hooking up the utilities, we headed for downtown Portland and a trip on the daily "mail boat" around Casco Bay.  What a beautiful trip ... 3 hours on a "working" boat that delivers passengers and freight to several of the many islands in the bay.  Here was the view on the way back to shore:

Upon returning to the dock, we were pretty hungry and in search of lobster.   What else do you eat in Maine?  We have vowed to eat lobster each day we are here on the Maine coast.  We headed to the Lobster Shack in Cape Elizabeth.  Very touristy and overpriced, but the atmosphere and view are worth something!

Tomorrow we feast with the locals.  Another couple we know from Florida lives in South Portland, and they will be our hosts for sightseeing and a home cooked dinner of lobster, biscuits and blueberry cake.   Life is pretty good in Maine.

This and That

It continues to rain in Maine (thanks, Tropical Storm Lee), and we can't get out and about, so it seems like a perfect time to share things that didn't fit in on previous posts.

1) It is not good to cross the Ohio River in a motorhome at Maysville, KY, as there is approximately 1" clearance between the motorhome and any oncoming 18-wheeler.

2) The Garmin makes mistakes.

3) It's interesting to be in a place where the foreign language TV stations are in French, not Spanish. 

4) Fried dough is a legitimate menu item.

5) Linda and the woman who runs the Ross County (OH) Archives must have a common ancestor.

6) The leaves changing color in the fall are a beautiful part of God's creation.

7) Frank still doesn't like to golf in the rain.

8) The Rays are done for 2011, although they did well considering all the players they lost from last year.

44.404232

We are here.  In Maine.  Finally. 
44 deg, 29 min north latitude ... the most northerly place of
The Chambliss 2011 Summer Tour.

We are now 3,150 miles from Vista, California.
     We are now 1,600 miles from Largo, Florida.
          We are way up north!  And it is beautiful here.

After a shopping spree for Linda at the holy grail of all yarn stores (WEBS), an overnight campsite in Massachusetts, and a gorgeous drive through picture-postcard-perfect Vermont and New Hampshire, we arrived in Bethel, Maine, on Sunday afternoon.

Why Bethel, Maine?  Well, our neighbors at the mobile home park in Florida are Bethel natives, that's why.  They spend 2 months up here every summer, and our original plan for this trip was to make it to Bethel and spend time with them before they headed back to Florida in August.  But, our timing turned out to be off, and we had those pesky delays, to boot. 

Nevertheless, we visited their summer camp today, and spent some time just sitting and enjoying the natural beauty of their place.  What a gorgeous place they have to spend their summers.

Downtown Bethel is downright quaint and beautiful . . . so many lovely buildings and interesting shops.  There is a lot to see, and the community is bustling.  We contributed heavily to the local economy when we discovered a "Made in Maine" store and purchased lots of souvenirs and gifts.  We intend to take in the Bethel historical museum tomorrow and have dinner at the highly- rated local diner.

We are so glad we made it to Bethel.  We intend to come back.

Restless

We have been at Ilion long enough to know the TV stations, and some of the Walmart cashiers know our name.  It may be time to go.  The Erie Canal is now flowing in the opposite direction from what it was doing pre-Irene:  west-to-east before Irene, at a dead stop for 2 days post-Irene, and now east-to-west.  Canal management.  Why do we think tax dollars are involved?

So, what's next?  We will be leaving here on Saturday headed for Maine.  It is simply coincidental that one of country's largest yarn stores is on the way.   How could we possibly drive by the WEBS Yarn store (yarn.com) and not stop?  Don't answer that.  The store is almost exactly half way to our Maine destination so Linda will check out the store, we will stay the night at a nearby camp, and then (finally) arrive in Maine on Sunday.

We looked through our original, pre-trip itinerary to see exactly how delayed we have been with our mechanical troubles and hurricane interference.  Surprisingly, we are only 6 days behind schedule at this point.  Not bad, considering.  It's just that some activities have been truncated and some rearranged.

But as we have noted before, it has all been a wonderful experience.  We have met interesting people during our delays here and there.  And we have seen local culture that we would not have seen otherwise.  Google 'chicken riggies' if you have any questions.  It is out-of-this-world delicious, btw.