Maine

 22 July      Plymouth, MA - Biddeford, ME      138 miles      4 hours 20 minutes

Grace Point Church in Biddeford, Maine is another Harvest Host location. We'll be boondocking in their parking lot for 3 nights. This is a convenient location for exploring the southern part of Maine. It's dry camping and a little noisy with the traffic but it quiets down at night. There's a sandwich shop right across the street. Jakeys Deli & Market has very, very good sandwiches. 

The Nubble is Maine's most photographed lighthouse. It sits on a small rocky island and is so pretty. Lots of benches all over to just sit and enjoy the view.

Nubble Lighthouse

  We went on a 2 mile hike along Ogunquit's Marginal Way. A breathtaking scenic walk along Maine's rocky shores. We had lunch at a restaurant in Perkins Cove and walked around the harbor and visited all the cute, small shops. The beach in this area is very, very crowded. 

One day we stopped at Congdons Doughnuts in Wells. When we passed by another morning, the line was out the door so we figured it had to be good. When we got there the line was out the door but it moved kind of fast and it was worth the wait. The doughnuts were so good!

  We took a drive to Kennebunkport. An old seaport town, very scenic. It was low tide and it's just amazing. Boats actually sitting on the ground. On one of the points here is President Bush's summer home. When the flag is flying it means they're in residence. Really something to see. 

25 July     Biddeford - Scarborough       18 miles     1 hour

We're staying at Wassamki Springs Campground in Scarborough, Maine. It's kind of expensive here, for full hook ups, 4 nights, $341. That's with a Good Sams discount. I really like this campground. Our site is very roomy and we're out in the open so our starlink works. 

  We biked the Eastern Trail starting in Scarborough. This is a very popular trail that's over 22 miles long. We biked about five miles then turned around. Ten miles for us is pretty good. Very nice ride through forest areas and some marshes. 

Next stop was Orchard Beach. We took a walk around the beach area and on to the pier. It was a hot day and there were a lot of people there. The pier was very old and kind of dingy. There was a lady at the bathroom collecting money to go in and use it. Imagine that!! People had to pay to use the bathroom!

The beach was not very nice but I guess this is the place to be when its hot. Very, very crowded.

Old Orchard Beach

We spent a day exploring Portland. We got on the mail boat ferry. This is the locals favorite way to experience Casco Bay. This true working boat carries passengers, mail, and freight to the different islands in Casco Bay.  It is the longest running mailboat service in the country, having been in existence since the 1870's. 

Loading Freight

Eagle's nest on post

Afterwards, we took a quick drive to Fort Williams Park and checked out Portland Head Lighthouse. The park has stunning ocean views, hiking, and walking paths, and other historic structures. We were pretty pooped out by the time we got to this park, so no hiking. We bought some gelato from a food truck and sat and just enjoyed the views. We really enjoyed our day. 

29 July     Scarborough - Somerville       80 miles     1 hour 30 minutes

We're staying at our friends home in Somerville, Maine for a few days. Clyde & Donna lives on Kaamooloa Road, just up the road from us. They spend about half the year in Hawaii and the other half at their home in Maine. The original home is almost 200 years old. Original beams are still in place, wooden planks on the floors, woodstoves....pretty cool. They have added on to the original house to make more room. 

Clyde has a beautiful garden that's just flourishing. We picked blueberries in a field near their house.  We got a lot of blueberries and Joe came home with a tick. Lucky he caught it.

Clyde had one of his friends pick up some lobster for us. We got about 10 lobsters for $40.00. We had a lobster feast! Even had leftovers for lobster rolls later. 

Lobster Feast

  Clyde harvested some garlic from his garden, so cool. I never knew garlic grew like this. Before we left, I  went to pick a lot of herbs and vegetables. So nice to have home grown, organic produce. 

Garlic has to dry out

We enjoyed our stay with Clyde & Donna. We're going to Canada and will stop by on our way back. 

We took a ride out to Rangeley Lakes on a rainy, overcast day. This is a very scenic highway with overlooks of very beautiful views. Because of the weather, we couldn't see a lot, was a nice drive anyway. 

03 August     Somerville - Rockport       24 miles     45 minutes

Short drive today to Sea Swell Camden Hills Campground in Rockport, Maine. We're here for a week and paid $417 for full hook ups.  Kind of expensive but I had a hard time finding a campground in this area. 

Its Lobsterfest this week and it's a big thing around this area. Our site is very shady so our Starlink is not working. The sites are very close so not much privacy between sites but it's a good location to explore the surrounding area. 

Rockport Harbor    

 Rockport Harbor is a cute little harbor, one of my favorites so far. There's a little park where families were picnicking. We walked around the area, really pretty.

Everybody told us, "you gotta go to Boothbay Harbor." So we went and walked around the area. There was a nice footbridge we walked across. 

Not for us....very, very busy with tourist, same old touristy shops. Nice harbor, I'm glad we went, but not our favorite. 

We took a nice drive out to Marshall Point Lighthouse & Museum. This lighthouse is so pretty. I could go inside this one, pretty cool. There's a scene from the movie Forrest Gump at this lighthouse. 

  Then we drove to Owls Head Lighthouse. There was a short walk along the rocky coast for this one. Another good one. 

  We went to the Lobster Festival in Rockland. This is an annual event that lasts for 5 days. It's a real big thing here, very crowded. It's a carnival atmosphere with games, food booths, exhibits, and of course, lobster. They have different events going on. On the day we went, there was the lobster crate race. Pretty fun to watch. 50 lobster crates are connected and the contestants have to run across the crates without falling in the water. The kids did pretty good, I think the most we saw was 450 crates. The adults didn't do too good. Some only went two crates.

Lobster Pots

One of the kids running across the lobster crates

 

 We visited Belfast and went to the United Farmers Market of Maine. Very good market. We bought some goodies and took a walk to the harbor to devour everything. There's a mile long paved walkway that follows the shoreline along the city's harbor starting at the boathouse at the south end and ending on the opposite side of the harbor, over the river on the Armistice Footbridge. Another favorite harbor. 

Rockland Breakwater

  We went to the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse. To get to the lighthouse you need to walk one mile on the breaker. It's pretty flat but you still need to pay attention. This was another good one.

  We visited Camden Harbor, a picturesque harbor village at the foot of Camden Hills on Penobscot Bay. It is a quaint town by the sea featuring a beautiful harbor that is always full and busy. 

Another amazing harbor with awesome views. We had breakfast overlooking the harbor. 

10 August     Rockport - Winter Harbor     87 miles     2 hours 30 minutes

Our Campsite

  We're at Schoodic Woods Campground for one week. This is part of Acadia National Park on the eastern side. So quiet, beautiful , peaceful, and uncrowded. Our campsite has water and electricity, $40 per night. This campground is very nice and spacious. I wish we could've booked more days here. 

On the first evening, we took a drive to Schoodic Point to watch the sunset. Such an amazing sight.

Schoodic Point Sunset

The Lower Harbor trail was a beautiful hike. We started from our campsite so the whole hike was about 3 miles. The hike was through a lot of trees so we had to constantly look where we were going because of all the exposed roots. Beautiful water views along the way. 

  We drove the Bold Coast National Scenic Byway and really enjoyed it. Started from our campground along the Maine coast to Lubec. Along the way we saw interesting fishing villages with lobster boats bobbing up and down and historic but weather beaten small towns. It was about 125 miles one way. We visited the Quoddy Head Light. The unique red and white stripes of the tower stand brightly against the sky as the easternmost US lighthouse. This is part of Quoddy State Park. There is a nice hiking trail along the cliff but we didn't have our hiking boots and it was pretty muddy so we couldn't do the hike.

  On the way back we stopped for lunch in Corea, another little fishing village. Lunch at the Wharf was the name of the restaurant and so fitting. It was on a small wharf overlooking a harbor with just fishing and lobster boats. I had a delicious crab roll. It was so good, we went back for another one a couple of days later. 

Low tide at the harbor. Lobster traps all lined up and ready to go.

Foggy Shoreline

  Another awesome day! We started with a bike ride around Schoodic Loop, about 9 1/2 miles. It's a double lane road that's very bicycle friendly, with slow speed limits and lots of room for cars to pass on the left side. Constant views of rugged cliffs, dramatic granite shorelines, and pristine forests. 

Once we got to the halfway point it was very foggy. Still very beautiful.

It's a good thing we have electric bikes. Part of the bike path was loose gravel and some incline. 

  Someone told us about the US Bell Store. This is a foundry located on the coast of Maine specializing in the production of cast bronze wind bells. We watched them do the casting, such a unique process. Of course, we had to buy something.

Bells out of cast

Pouring melted bronze into casts    

To end this day, after dinner, we took a drive to Schoodic Point to watch another spectacular sunset.

Our week at Schoodic just flew by. We really enjoyed this part of Acadia National Park. Very quiet, great camp sites, and less congested. 

17 August     Winter Harbor - Trenton        29 miles     1 hour

We're staying at Timberlake Acres RV Park for one week. They put us in a very, very tight site. We could barely fit. In fact, we couldn't put out our slides on one side. I went back to the office to ask for another site but they couldn't accommodate us. They sent someone to trim the trees so we could get our slides out. We had a fire pit at the back of our coach, one foot away and a picnic table that was at a 45 degree angle, so both unusable. On one side of the coach, there was a trench full of water and on the other side was a dry trench. What a joke! 

The next morning I went back to the office to let them know how unhappy we were about the site. They finally found us something better. For seven nights we paid $382.00. This campground is about 20 minutes away from Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island. 

We did a 3 1/2 mile hike around Jordan Pond. This is a very busy area. We got there kind of early so it was a nice hike but by the time we were finished, the trail got very, very busy. 

The first mile was on planks through some wet areas, then on to some rock scrambling, and a pretty level, nice trail the rest of the way. Another great hike with spectacular scenery. 

Forty-five miles of rustic carriage roads weave around the mountains and valleys of Acadia National Park. A gift from John D Rockefeller Jr., he wanted to travel on motor-free byways via horse and carriage into the heart of Mount Desert Island. Construction efforts from 1913 to 1940 resulted in a state of the art system with sweeping vistas and close up views of the landscape. More than 80 years later, it is regarded as the best and most extensive network of broken stone carriage roads in the United States. 

 

For 1.5 hours before and after low tide, a gravel bar is exposed connecting the town of Bar Harbor and Bar Island. The bar provide opportunities for investigating small tide pools. Once on the island, the Bar Island Trail gradually ascends through the forest on an old road to various open sections with views of Bar Harbor and Frenchman Bay. 

We made sure to check the tide charts and made our way to Bar Island. 

These low tides are just amazing, hard to imagine we're walking on the ocean floor. 

Ocean Path is a 2.2 mile long out and back trail that follows a dramatic stretch of coastline between Sand Beach and Otter Point. We went as far as Otter Cliff, an area where the granite formations rise much more dramatically above the water. 

Thunder Hole was a stop along the way. At high tide, waves create a thunderous sound as it comes in.  We weren't there at the right time so not as dramatic but still pretty awesome. 

Sand Beach is a beautiful beach surrounded by rocky cliffs. Lots of people hanging out but not too many in the water. The water was a little chilly but if I had my swimsuit, I would've jumped in. 

Thunder Hole

Sand Beach

Sitting at 1530 feet, Cadillac Mountain is the highest point on the east coast of the United States. Most people drive up to Cadillac Mountain for sunrise or sunset.  We went mid day and it was absolutely stunning. The views were spectacular and there were trails around the summit. Reservations to drive up are required, the cost is $6. 

We managed to fit in another bike ride. On our visit we travelled on over 20 miles of the carriage roads, very enjoyable. 

With its coastal views, hiking trails, carriage roads, and scenic drives, we enjoyed our 2 week visit to Acadia National Park. Such an amazing place to explore and enjoy nature at its best. This has been on our bucket list for a long time and we're so fortunate that we were finally able to do it. 

Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts

 8 July     Grantville, PA - Watertown, CT      277 miles     7 hours

We finally made it to the start of the New England states and we're excited to explore. 

We're staying at Black Rock State Park for 3 nights. It's dry camping and cost $30 per night.

We took a drive to Falls Village and wanted to check out a dam and waterfall. As we approached this little town, the roads were blocked. Turns out there was a huge car show that day. So we parked and walked to town. We had a lot of fun looking at all the cars. There were a lot....classics, hot rods, trucks, motorcycles, all kinds. Was good until it started raining. In a couple of minutes it just started dumping! When we finally made it back to the truck we were drenched.

Then we went to look for a covered bridge in the rain. It was pouring and could hardly see the road but we managed to find West Cornwell Covered Bridge, pretty cool. Was raining so much, I couldn't get a decent picture. There were more bridges I wanted to see but the weather was not cooperating. 

The next day we went for an awesome bike ride on The Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. We went about 5 1/2 miles then turned around. Such a beautiful scenic ride, we really enjoyed it. 

Then off to Arethusa Dairy for some ice cream. The tip came from a friend that used to live in this area. So glad we listened to her. Very good ice cream....so good we bought ice cream to take home along with some chocolate milk and cheese. 

11 July     Watertown, CT - Hope Valley, RI      110 miles     2 hours 10 min

Whispering Pines Campground is located in Hope Valley, Rhode Island. We'll be staying here 4 nights to explore this area. Pretty expensive, $76 per night for full hookups. I don't like this park. A lot of full timers, camp sites just squeezed in between trees at all kinds of angles. We are in the meadow area which I think is the nicest area but still a lot of trees and pretty ghetto looking. We couldn't get our starlink to work, so no internet for a few days. They have a swimming pool but its constantly filled with families with a lot of kids and most of the adults are smoking in the area. It's amazing that it's so expensive to stay here. 

But the location was pretty good. We went to Mystic, Connecticut a couple of days. We're in Rhode Island but Mystic is just over the state line, about 20 miles away. 

Mystic, Connecticut is an old seaport town.  We visited Mystic Seaport Museum, a seafaring village. Admission was $29 per person. They have historic ships that we could walk on. We could walk through town and see what life was like for people in the 19th century. We learned about historic crafts and trades such as carving, printing, and blacksmithing. They also have a preservation shipyard. This is where traditional techniques are passed on to the next generation. We spent a few hours here, we enjoyed ourselves but it was pretty hot.

We went to Mystic another day just to watch the draw bridge in Historic Mystic. The Mystic River Bascule Bridge spans the Mystic River. It carries vehicles and foot traffic directly into the tourist district of town. The bridge is raised every hour to allow boats to pass. Pretty cool to watch. 

Mystic Bridge

 I had my first lobster roll at Abotts in Noank. It was a hot lobster roll with butter on a hamburger bun for $23. Not as good as I thought it would be. Joe had a tuna sandwich which was only $5. 

We drove into Newport, Rhode Island and walked the Cliff Walk. Newports Cliff Walk is a 3 1/2 mile scenic path along the coast with beautiful views of ocean, beaches, rocky shores, and century old Rhode Island mansions. Pretty hot and some rocky spots on the trail but we enjoyed it. Afterwards we did the Ocean Drive. Ten miles of coastline with heart stopping views, very beautiful. 

15 July     Hope Valley, RI - Plymouth, MA     75 miles      2 hours

We're at Pinewood Lodge Campground in Plymouth for one week. Water and electric site, weekly rate $350. The site is okay but its surrounded by trees so our starlink doesn't work...again. That's okay because there's a lot of exploring in this area. 

Plymouth Rock is located right on the waterfront and protected under a large enclosure. It's not as big as you would think. The rock was moved several times and cracked before returning to its original location. It may only be a rock but it represents so much more. 

Mayflower II

 

Mayflower II is a reproduction of the 17th century ship Mayflower, celebrated for transporting the Pilgrims to the New World in 1620. 

Brewster Gardens was a beautiful area to walk through. There's a brook that flows through, the water induced the Pilgrims to settle here, and powered Plymouth industries in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Burial Hill was the site of the Pilgrims first fort and meetinghouse, with gravestones from the 17th -19th centuries. Magnificent views of Plymouth harbor, beaches, and surrounding countryside. 

Town Square is the heart of the old town of Plymouth. Located at the head of Leyden Street, Plymouth's first street, it was the focal point for the community's civic, religious, and commercial affairs from 1620 until after World War II.

Site of the original settlement is on Leyden Street. The first houses erected by the Pilgrims stood on this Street. 

We had a great meal at Woods Seafood. Located right on the water with awesome views. We had the fish and chips and lobster bisque. Excellent meal. Best fish and chips I've had so far. 

We walked all over Plymouth. So impressed on how the city maintains the area. 

We spent a couple of days exploring Cape Cod. We drove all the way to Provincetown at the tip of Cape Cod but it was so congested we weren't able to stop. We drove and explored the area and found that all the beaches cost money. We're from Hawaii, we don't pay to go to the beach! 

We had fun checking out Highland Lighthouse. In 1798, Highland was the first Cape Cod lighthouse. The current tower was built in 1857.  

The charming New England village of Woods Hole lies at the far southwestern tip of Cape Cod. It's a port town with a broad deep water harbor that holds the ferry terminal to Martha's Vineyard and many docks for research vessels for the science community clustered here. 

We parked in Falmouth and rode our bikes on the Shining Sea bikeway to Woods Hole. Such a beautiful ride along the coast. We parked the bikes and walked around town and had lunch. 

On the way back we went off the trail and went to Nobska Lighthouse. The lighthouse is beautiful, set up on a hill surrounded by a white picket fence. Across the street is a small viewing area. On a clear day you can see all the way to Martha's Vineyard. It was very hazy on the day we went but we could see the outline. 

Martha's Vineyard on the horizon

After our bike ride we drove to Trunk River Beach. We passed this beach on our bike ride and saw that it was free to park and swim here. So that's where we got our first dip in the Atlantic ocean. The water was kind of green but temperature was cool. Very rocky to walk on, very little sand. This was a perfect way to cool off after our bike ride. 

We decided to take a drive out to Salem. Not a good decision, supposed to be a 1 1/2 hour drive but ended up 2 1/2 hours to get there. Traffic around Boston was crazy! I wanted to go on the Hop On Hop Off bus tour but a nice old lady at the visitors center talked us out of it. She suggested a couple of sights to see that was better. On her advise, we went to the Salem Witch Museum. Total flop, we paid $16 each and it was just not what we were looking for. What a waste of money and 2 hours of our time. 

We had a very nice lunch and walked around the area. We actually enjoyed the rest of our visit. We followed the Salem Heritage Trail and found the sculpture of Sam of Bewitched, walked through an old graveyard, and visited America's oldest candy store.

 

It took us 3 hours to get home. Boston traffic sucks!