Falling In Love Again: ah, the glories of Maine

[NightOwl]

some of you already know this, but for the rest of you:  Maine is  an incredibly beautiul (and greatly under-rated) place.  If you ever have the chance to go there, do NOT pass it up.  It  is spectacular in every way!!!!!!!

I'd been there briefly 4 times before, but this summer, I spent over two weeks there and fell under its spell.  It has everything a nature-lover could want:water everywhere--either along the coast or in countless lakes--mountains, wide open spaces, charming villages,lighthouses,  inspiring history,and wonderfully friendly people.  All that and  deeeelicious seafood!

I flew into Bangor (great little airport) and picked up a rental car, then drove down to a beautiful place not far from Augusta called Belgrade Lakes (think "On Golden Pond") for 4 days with relatives.  There were loons (I participated in the statewide loon count) and morning mists, wonderful sunsets, and quiet canoe trips.  Gorgeous scenery everywhere.

Then I drove back up I-95 to Bangor and got off on Rt 9 for a leisurely drive through pine forests and small towns up to the northern town of Calais before I turned onto Rt 1 and really "went DownEast" to the village of Eastport where I spent almost 2 weeks with more kinfolk.

.I-95 made me so ashamed of my homestate Georgia--many of our roads are nothing but trash heaps here.  I-75 is littered with cans, bottles, paper trash, dead chickens, etc etc.  Totally disgusting and totally preventable.  It was nice to get to a place where the citizens and passers-by respect the local natural beauty enough  NOT to litter.  Try as I might, I saw no litter along i-95.  (Having a bottle return law no doubt helps greatly.)

My time in Eastport was  magic..  It's right on the water (Passamaquoddy Bay)  and I was there long enough to become acquainted with  a bunch of wonderful "locals"  Surprisingly, Maine is one of our poorest states economically--most fishing and manufacturing industries have been lost,  there is much unemployment and many are on welfare.  But it doesnt have  the feel of a place where people are poor.   there is much pride and people do the best they can to lead decent, honest lives.

I wont even get into the parks; There are hundreds of thousands of acres of  forests, lakes, and rivers, as well as rugged coastal areas.  IT IS NOT A CROWDED STATE  except in Bar Harbor which has turned from a charming little village into block after block of tchotcke shops.  Unfortunately, BH is the entrance to gorgeous Acadia National Park--(well worth the trouble to see or stay in once you get beyond the traffic.)


If you love to camp and you love the outdoors, GO TO MAINE!!!!

 
(No, I didnt camp, but  if I am still alive,  I am going back next summer for several weeks  with a popup and I WILL camp!)

[tlhdoc]

some of you already know this, but for the rest of you:  Maine is  an incredibly beautiul (and greatly under-rated) place.  

Unfortunately, BH is the entrance to gorgeous Acadia National Park--(well worth the trouble to see or stay in once you get beyond the traffic.)

If you love to camp and you love the outdoors, GO TO MAINE!!!!

NightOwl I have to agree.  We go to Maine every other year and never get tired of it.  We skip Bar Harbor when we come and go from Blackwoods CG, one of two campgrounds in Acadia NP.  We head toward South West Harbor and then cut over to Seal Harbor.  I don't like to tow through Bar Harbor, but we do take the free shuttle busses to go to town.

[chasd60]

some of you already know this, but for the rest of you: Maine is an incredibly beautiul (and greatly under-rated) place. If you ever have the chance to go there, do NOT pass it up. It is spectacular in every way!!!!!!!
 
 I'd been there briefly 4 times before, but this summer, I spent over two weeks there and fell under its spell. It has everything a nature-lover could want:water everywhere--either along the coast or in countless lakes--mountains, wide open spaces, charming villages,lighthouses, inspiring history,and wonderfully friendly people. All that and deeeelicious seafood!
 
 I flew into Bangor (great little airport) and picked up a rental car, then drove down to a beautiful place not far from Augusta called Belgrade Lakes (think "On Golden Pond") for 4 days with relatives. There were loons (I participated in the statewide loon count) and morning mists, wonderful sunsets, and quiet canoe trips. Gorgeous scenery everywhere.
 
 Then I drove back up I-95 to Bangor and got off on Rt 9 for a leisurely drive through pine forests and small towns up to the northern town of Calais before I turned onto Rt 1 and really "went DownEast" to the village of Eastport where I spent almost 2 weeks with more kinfolk.
 
 .I-95 made me so ashamed of my homestate Georgia--many of our roads are nothing but trash heaps here. I-75 is littered with cans, bottles, paper trash, dead chickens, etc etc. Totally disgusting and totally preventable. It was nice to get to a place where the citizens and passers-by respect the local natural beauty enough NOT to litter. Try as I might, I saw no litter along i-95. (Having a bottle return law no doubt helps greatly.)
 
 My time in Eastport was magic.. It's right on the water (Passamaquoddy Bay) and I was there long enough to become acquainted with a bunch of wonderful "locals" Surprisingly, Maine is one of our poorest states economically--most fishing and manufacturing industries have been lost, there is much unemployment and many are on welfare. But it doesnt have the feel of a place where people are poor. there is much pride and people do the best they can to lead decent, honest lives.
 
 I wont even get into the parks; There are hundreds of thousands of acres of forests, lakes, and rivers, as well as rugged coastal areas. IT IS NOT A CROWDED STATE except in Bar Harbor which has turned from a charming little village into block after block of tchotcke shops. Unfortunately, BH is the entrance to gorgeous Acadia National Park--(well worth the trouble to see or stay in once you get beyond the traffic.)
 
 
 If you love to camp and you love the outdoors, GO TO MAINE!!!!
 
 
 (No, I didnt camp, but if I am still alive, I am going back next summer for several weeks with a popup and I WILL camp!)

I like it too:). I live about 20 miles south of Augusta and am very familiar with Belgrade Lakes Region and I was just camping a few weeks ago at Blackwoods CG in Acadia with Tracy and Genef. Was great with the free buses to take you everywhere in and out of the park.
 
 Gotta love the sound of the loons, we do have plenty of them on the ponds and lakes. I can step outside and look down the street and the the Kennebec River which is fed by Moosehead Lake.
 
 I work 50 miles south of here, in South Portland which is doing very well for jobs and the unemployment level is real low. I think overall the statewide unemployment level is no worse than other states. I work in the hi-tech industry for Fairchild Semiconductor and we employ 1000+ at our plant in Maine and over 10,000 globally.
 
 I plan on going to Camden State Park before the season is over and definately plan some winter camping in Acadia, solar panels will be in next week. Should be able to get some real nice foliage pictures then.
 
 Camden ME right after the snow melted
 http://userpages.prexar.com/chasd/camden.html

[Camperroo]

Wish I'd known you were in Maine, would have invited you over to our campsite!!  So close but yet so far!!!!!!!!!  Belgrade Lakes is gorgeous!! My husband's brother use to own a cottage on one of the little islands.  Went up there all the time till he moved out West...traitor!!

[Gone-Camping]

I grew up in Mass, and Maine was our get-a-way place (well, so wasn't NH and Vt also)... But at least back then, even the Maine license plates stated "Vactionland" on them!! My brother lives up there in Biddeford, and have had cousins up there all my life. Parents had a cottage in the Poland Springs area the last few years of their life, it was a nice little cottage on Lower Rang Pond... (Yes, very much like the On Golden Pond movie)...

I strive to return every 4-5 years. I've had re-occuring visions of Greenville and Moosehead Lake over the last couple of months, so perhaps I'll wind up doing some dry camping at Lilly Bay State Park next year!!! I GOT THE ITCH... :-():-():-():-():-()

[NightOwl]

Oooops, sorry Charles.  YIKES!   I did indeed goof in the Maine economics remark--it was the COUNTY where I stayed (Washington County) that is in such bad share economically, NOT the state which  IIRC is somewhere in the lowest  approximatley dozen staes in terms of unemployment ratings.  Alas, "our" Washington County has an unemployment rate of over 15%.  It has two tiny factories each  employing only a handful of people, plus some salmon farming in the bay.  It's lost most of its  fishing and last year lost its use as a docking site for large ships.  What's left is mostly seasonal stuff like tourists.

Still,  Eastport is a wonderful place--sort of like the rest of the country was  in the fifties, and it has a great sense of "community."

And I am SO envious of all of you who have actually CAMPED in Maine.  I am hoping to remedy that next summer.  I'm hoping  to get a small popup and tow it up there and leave it at my relatives' place..

Oh, Rose, I am so sorry I missed you!  Maybe  next summer we can cross paths.  What fun!

[SheBantam]

We were going to go to Maine this summer, but with all the problems with Jeffrey (I cannot wait until he is 18), meetings with school officials, in and out of court and counselors, we lost sight of most camping this year. My mother was right, they do not get better, they just get bigger...

So a trip that far was out of the question. There is always next year.  We never made it out west last summer or this year, so I do not know.

[campingboaters]

We vacationed on Sebago Lake in Maine this year.  The only other times I had been to Maine was a quick drive in from NH for some skiing at Sunday River and then back to NH.  Everything was covered feet deep in snow, so it was hard to tell how much more beautiful it would be once the snow melted than how beautiful it was in the winter time.  Maine IS a BEAUTIFUL state and WELL worth a visit at least once in your lifetime.   I know we'll be back in the coming years.

[tlhdoc]

So do we plan the 2006 Rally in Maine? :yikes:

[NightOwl]

So do we plan the 2006 Rally in Maine? :yikes:

OHHHHH, YEAHHHHH, LET'S!  (After Blackfly season is over, of course.) :-()  :#