Our trip to Maine begins

I wasn’t really sure whether or not I could go for an entire week without the internet during our recent vacation to a little island off the coast of Maine. But I did it, surprising myself (and my husband).

At the rental cottage, I didn’t have phone service either, but I really didn’t mind. It was a truly relaxing vacation. And one that we both badly needed.

It began a day early due to the fact that my husband desperately wanted to escape the heat that was forecast for our area last Saturday. It bothers him so much more than it ever has in the past. We left in the early morning hours, driving as far as Freeport, Maine where we got a hotel room for the night.

I love this welcome sign along the Maine Turnpike.

This is the first time I was able to get a photo of this sign. Rushing by in a car driving 75 mph, it’s difficult to hit it exactly and the past few times I’ve been to the state, I’ve made a concerted effort to be waiting with my camera for the sign to come in view, to no avail.

This time, I sort of forgot about all about it, then was surprised when I saw it coming into view, so quickly picked up the camera and was able to get one single shot.

Victory is mine.

We’re very early risers, so we were up and out of the hotel room by 6 am to begin our plan of driving slowly north up the Coastal Highway (Route 1). And when I say that we are early risers, I really mean that my husband is the early riser. I would have been more than happy to sleep in until a more civilized hour. Like 8 am, for heaven’s sake. But he promised me coffee and a donut and I am a sucker.

Unfortunately, he lied about the donut.

We drove through some rain and all the wonderful little, and some not-so-little, towns like this one along the coast. This is Camden above.

So many of the towns were so quaint and beautiful but it was a bit difficult to get pictures with the rainy weather. Crossing over the Sheepscot River, I looked to the right and saw the beautiful colors of the houses and boats at the edge of the town of Wiscasset. I quickly put the window down for the shot.

I made my husband pull over so I could take a picture of these brightly painted boats in Lincolnville. The rain had slowed to a soft mist at this point.

We made our way further north, arriving in Ellsworth (George’s home town), where we bought sandwiches for a picnic brunch and continued north from there. We stopped to eat at Schoodic Point on the Schoodic Peninsula, part of the Acadia National Park system, where I shot the photos below.

The sun had come out and the weather was miraculous. I say that because it felt so completely perfect. The scent of the ocean, the cries of the sea birds and the coolness of the air combined with the beautiful soft warmth of the sun soon had smiles on everyone’s face – even the dog.

I know that I sound like a complete romantic, but I yam what I yam.

George looks a little more relaxed while sitting by the point this time. The tide was lower than when we’d been there last and the surf was much more gentle. I know it’s difficult to tell, but we were all quite high up here.

We spent some time at the park here, then climbed back into the car to see if we could find the rental house which was another half hour or so north. Check-in wasn’t until 4 pm, but we figured we would at least try to find the place. And if it was clean and ready, then we’d go in.

And it was.

And we did.

And it wasn’t nearly as rustic as I thought it would be.

Well, mostly.

To be continued tomorrow, my friends . . .