The Trips Continue

My First Maine Experience

Back in 2005 my family and I set out on an excursion to Maine as well as the other New England states. This was my very first experience in this region of the U.S. My parents had honeymooned here so they knew what to see while we were there. I remember this trip fondly as one of my very favorites since we got to camp as well as see the ocean which never really happened on the same trip. The nature in that Northern region of the country is some of the most beautiful I have ever seen and believe I will ever see again.

Ben and Jerry's Factory

Our first major stop was in Waterbury, Vermont at the wonderful Ben and Jerry’s factory for a delicious tour. I am a huge aficionado of everything ice cream so this tour was heaven for me, especially since at the end of the tour we were able to taste new flavors that had just come into production. We were also able to visit the Shelbourne Museum, which was fantastic for a family of history enthusiasts. They had every kind of history imaginable, even a home, made from freight shipping containers. Into Maine we drove and finally to my absolute favorite place in the world; Acadia National Park. We stayed in the Seawall Campground which was a five to ten minute walk to the ocean front. It is the type of place a person should go to when they need to escape the chaos and stressfulness of everyday life. It is heaven on earth in the form of a National Park.

Bass Harbor Light

In Acadia we took the Park Loop Road around the entire park sight-seeing as we went along. We went to see the Bass Harbor Lighthouse and for dinner that same evening I had my very first lobster dinner at a lobster pound. The best seafood in the world was eaten on this vacation. The lobster, potatoes, and corn on the cob was to die for, along with heaping bowls of clam chowder. Another wonderful adventure in Acadia is waking up to see the sunrise atop Cadillac Mountain. We woke up at 3:30 AM! We packed hot chocolate, blankets, and sweatshirts all so we could say we were some of the first people in the U.S. to see the sunrise that morning. It was absolutely breathtaking to watch the vibrant shades of oranges and reds rise above Bar Harbor below us. We also were able to go on a ranger led trip to tide pools getting the chance to handle seaweed, starfish, and sea urchins. Amazing is all that can describe that experience.

Cape Cod Beach

We took a day trip into Canada before a passport was required and saw a lighthouse only accessible during low tide. Franklin Roosevelt’s summer cottage was nearby as well so we took a tour of Campobello Island, a home I could definitely summer in. We were away for my eleventh birthday and my parents surprised me with a birthday cake snuck into the camper’s oven. We sadly left paradise to head down east to Cape Cod. We stopped at the Portland Light where the Perfect Storm was filmed. It was a fancier region and a lot less camping went on. The best thing about this leg of our journey was getting a fire permit to have a bonfire on the beach. We got to take a whale watching tour out of Provincetown and actually spotted some whales. It was a magically experience in New England and I loved every minute of my time there. My biggest hope is to someday have a house on a lake in Maine where I can enjoy the natural beauty around me every day. Maine is perfection and by far my favorite state.

"Not all who wander are lost." -J.R.R. Tolkien