Later in the night we made s'mores and toasted some bread and cheese over our campfire. The next day we took a long and winding route back to Vermont, stopping to walk in and around the Swift River (and half fall in- that was me) in New Hampshire and to stare at the fog-saturated forests. It was a cozy kind of day, meant for driving long distances, and staring out windows. Being an abbreviated trip, we ended up doing bits and pieces of the variety of activities available. It felt kind of like a Maine sampler. It was a great weekend overall and gave me motivation to come back and further explore this far-off state adorned with a landscape unknown to a midwesterner like me.
There are few states that can call Vermont west and during a recent trip I went through both of them: New Hampshire and Maine. Josh and I decided it was time for us to get some exploring in while we're way up here in this far off land. Naturally, this meant going even further east. Two Fridays ago we both jumped in my good old car (the one that has taken us to both coasts and up and down the midwest) with our bikes, a tent, sleeping bags, clothes (which meant one shirt for Josh), and other essentials. We made our way east with Maine as the destination. We drove through New Hampshire and its rugged White Mountains and finally to Maine all the way to Portland. We still had time to hang around town, ride our bikes along the waterfront, and eat a meal of a lobster roll, clam chowder, and calamari. In the goal of getting our share of seafood, I believe we were successful. Portland is a hip little town and I'm sure there is a lot going on underground there that was not visible to the day tourist's eye, as is the case with a lot of places. The most upfront attractions are rarely visited by the locals. The same was the case in Minneapolis where the Mall of America was something I only did out of sheer necessity (avoid). In Portland we did find ourselves in a quiet neighborhood that seemed to be where people actually lived. The apartments were squished together and the ocean was just a few blocks away. People were swimming at a small beach and folks were running up and down the ocean path. It was a nice place and may have been part of the Portland that would only be revealed over time. Unfortunately, we managed to come to Maine during peak season and could not find a hotel in Portland under $100. Instead we ended up driving north for an hour that same night and setting up our tent at the Chewonki Campground in the dark. We woke up not knowing much about where we were except that we were near water. Turns out we were sleeping just a stones throw from an Atlantic inlet that looked like a painted backdrop to a stage production. It was absolutely beautiful and peaceful and I wouldn't have minded just hanging around there for another day. But, under the time crunch of a weekend, we pressed on moving north toward Camden. The traffic was heavy yet but we found a shortcut that let us skirt around Rockland where Lobsterfest was underway. We've been sucked into a enticing sounding food-themed fest before and been sorely disappointed and somewhat disgusted by the results- Garlic Festival in Gilroy, CA. We gave Lobsterfest no more than a half-second's consideration. In Camden we went straight to the Camden Hills State Park and after a quick confusing transaction we had a campsite. It was considerably less charming than the last one but much cheaper, near town, and at the base of a mountain. We promptly made our way up Mount Megunticook for a fantastic overlook of the Atlantic and other nearby mountains. And as if the incredible view wasn't enough, the top of the mountain was covered in wild blueberry bushed with ripe sweet berries. We snatched up as many as we could and made our way back down. After the hike, we went back in town for lunch and walked along the waterfront to see about any boat rides. There were several tables set up with pretty much the same rides with different names. We were half-interested but also felt like a leisurely boat ride was just not something we should be doing at this point in our lives. Right on cue, a burly man standing on a dock struck up a conversation with us about kayaking. We took him up on the offer to go and paddled out past the harbor and around a few islands in the Camden bay. The tide was high and the waters were choppy so it was just us and the guide which we were all happy about. Our guide, Chris, was a talkative and enthusiastic man in his 30s who apparently doesn't have the human need to sleep. He told us that he and his friend will go out from 11pm-2am some nights and kayak-surf the waves for fun. He also said when he leads longer paddle trips that involve camping he brings ingredients for cooking elaborate meals, including chocolate covered strawberries and guacamole. This, I supposed, would involve thinking about one's meals long before they happen. What a concept. This man was quite unique. Near the end of our little foray in the sea, Chris held our boat as Josh and I sprang out of our seats and into the water. It was incredibly refreshing though fairly cold. After we got back in, Chris handed me his paddle and said, "It's way too tempting," and rolled his kayak over, soaking himself in the chilly seawater. We were all dripping and happy as we paddled back to the dock. Later in the night we made s'mores and toasted some bread and cheese over our campfire. The next day we took a long and winding route back to Vermont, stopping to walk in and around the Swift River (and half fall in- that was me) in New Hampshire and to stare at the fog-saturated forests. It was a cozy kind of day, meant for driving long distances, and staring out windows. Being an abbreviated trip, we ended up doing bits and pieces of the variety of activities available. It felt kind of like a Maine sampler. It was a great weekend overall and gave me motivation to come back and further explore this far-off state adorned with a landscape unknown to a midwesterner like me.
0 Comments
|
AuthorI spent a year in Vermont taking classes at Yestermorrow Design/Build School. This blog is about my experiences in the snowy north. Archives
October 2011
Categories
All
WebshotsCheck out more of my photos on webshots here. |