Great North Woods

We are staying at a state park, in the north country of New Hampshire called Umbagog Lake State Park. The park is only 16 miles from Dixville Notch, NH. The village of Dixville is known for being the first in the nation to declare its results during presidential elections and the New Hampshire primaries. Dixville has been the first community in the state and country to cast its handful of votes, in national elections, since 1960. On election eve, 100 % of eligible voters (around 12) gather in the ballot room at the Balsams Resort. At midnight polls open and a few minutes later promptly close. The results are broadcast around the world and have been a historically accurate predictor of  the future president. 

Some might think there isn’t much else of interest in Dixville, but we discovered a beautiful hiking trail, to a granite overlook, called Tablerock, a wayside waterfall and a little further down the road, in Stewartstown, a sign for the 45th Parallel; the spot in America where you are halfway between the Equator and the North Pole!

 

Mount Desert Island

 

Mount Desert Island is the largest island off the coast of Maine and most of Acadia National Park is located there along with Bar Harbor and other charming seaside New England towns. Mountains rise up from a jagged coastline and wildlife abounds in this beautiful place. We have loved our week here and are thankful to have hiked and biked in places with names like Beehive Mountain, Thunder Hole and Rockefeller’s carriage roads. This is a place you don’t want to just visit once and check off a list. It’s a place to return to as often as you can!

Road Most Traveled

 

Over twenty years ago, my parents, along with nine of their closest friends, traveled to Maine to visit Bar Harbor and Acadia. I was busy with a family of my own then, and didn’t really pay much attention to my parents retirement vacations. Only recently, after Mark and I ended up in this area, my mom told me Maine  was the “main” place my Dad wanted to visit when he retired and that the area made such an impression on her, that if asked today, “where is one place you’d like to revisit from the past?” her answer would be Bar Harbor. 

Of the eleven people who made that trip, only five are still alive. I’m not sure how much the area has changed since then, but I’ve loved seeing and doing things I know my parents saw and did when they visited here. Up until now, I would have always said, the road less traveled is the superior one. But knowing, after twenty years, I’m on the same road my parents were on, when they were my age, gives me a sense of connection and continuity I wasn’t expecting. 

Can You Bare It?

The summer solstice is here! June 21st is the first day of summer and the longest day of the year. It also happens to be Naked Hiking Day. I first heard about this “unofficial” holiday, in 2012, on the Appalachian Trail. I know many people might not be comfortable with clothes optional events but if you are interested in this summer solstice tradition, it’s best to make sure you are on US Forest Service or National Park lands when participating. There are no federal laws against nudity but there can be local/state ones that consider it a criminal offense.

After much research, and word of mouth, Mark discovered that Acadia National Park is home to an obscure lake where naked hiking and skinny dipping are allowed if done discreetly. I won’t disclose the name of the lake, or its location, but today I got to check off an item that has been on my bucket list for nine years.

Calm Before the Storm

 

“New England Today” travel magazine recently published, “10 Prettiest Coastal Towns” in ME. Camden was in their top ten and was referred to as “the jewel of the coast.” We’ve loved our 10 days here; celebrating our anniversary, hiking along the coast and to the summits of Mt. Battie and Mt Megunticook and enjoying fresh seafood.

We’ve been blown away by how few people are camping in this beautiful place. When I mentioned this to a park volunteer, she commented that it was still the off season. Kids don’t get out of school here until mid June and summer doesn’t officially start (get this) until the first day of summer. Growing up in the south, we thought of summer beginning after Memorial Day weekend. We are doing our best to enjoy these three extra weeks of spring and soak up the solitude. However, our next stop is a popular park that borders Acadia National Park and is completely booked. Ready or not, summer, here we come!

Vacationland

 

When we begin a trip, at first, it feels like we are on vacation. After a few weeks, it doesn’t feel like vacation anymore, but kind of like we are on a grand adventure. After adventuring for a few months, we end up in areas where we settle into a routine and it almost feels like we live there. Even though the state slogan for Maine is Vacationland, once Mark and I got things set up at Camden Hills State Park, we were thankful we’d made reservations to stay for a while!

We have a huge shady campsite about 500 yards from the ocean. Nearby Camden has a YMCA that honors our membership at home, so I have free access to a lap pool, yoga and spin classes almost every day. There is a multi-use trail system, at the park, so we can do morning dog walks from our campsite. Even doing chores like restocking our cooler or getting laundry done are easily scheduled on days we’d normally do laundry and grocery shopping at home. 

Traveling for long stretches of time and staying for a while in one place, allows you to get, at least a glimpse, of what it might be like to actually live in “vacationland.”

New Hampshire Friends

 

New Hampshire is known as the Granite State and their motto is “Live free or Die.” When I hiked the Appalachian Trail, almost ten years ago, the beauty of the New Hampshire White Mountains made a lasting impression on me.

Early in his career, Mark met Greg Wannenwetsch, who became a mentor and friend. After retiring, Greg and his wife, Beth, moved to the Lakes Region, of NH, just south of the White Mountains. The movie, On Golden Pond, was filmed on Squam Lake, very close to their beautiful home.

When I was growing up in the south, after visitors dropped by, it was customary for the host to say, at the end of the visit, “I hate you all have to leave; why don’t you just spend the night?” This wasn’t really an invitation, but sent the message that the visit had been a pleasure. The appropriate response was always, “ We’d love to stay, but we’ve got to get back home.”

Hopefully, when Greg told Mark a few years ago, “If you’re ever in the area, come see us,” he meant it because we loved the two nights we spent there. It’s hard to describe the unbelievable hospitality of Beth, Greg and their new pup Piper.

We were two weary travelers when we arrived but are now rested and rejuvenated for the next stage of our adventure.

Lower 48

 

Yesterday was a noteworthy day for me and Mark. We made it to Rhode Island. Rhode Island was the last state (of the continuous 48) we had never visited. Of course that still leaves Alaska and Hawaii, but it feels pretty good to have accomplished this travel goal.

Before the trip to Rhode Island, we spent the weekend at a private park called Solair Recreation League. This park takes recreation seriously and has more amenities than we’ve ever had at a park. We learned how to play pickle ball and tried stand up paddle boards for the first time. We even got to play bumper pool; an odd billiards game Mark remembered playing with his brother as a teen.

Today, we head to New Hampshire. We have a friend there who has invited us to park the trailer for a few days and sleep in a real bed, in a real house. So thankful for the Covid vaccine that has made this trip and these visits possible.

The Catskills

 

We’ve spent the week at Gilbert Lake State Park in the foothills of the Catskills Mountains. The Catskills were valued, in the late 1800’s, for their lakes and rivers and are known as the birthplace of American fly fishing. In the 50’s, the area became a place where families, from NYC, vacationed to avoid the summer heat. That era has been depicted in movies like Dirty Dancing and television shows like The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. In the late 60’s, thousands of young people, from all over the country, discovered the Catskills when the Woodstock Music Festival took place near here, on a farm, in Bethel, NY. We haven’t had the best weather for our stay but that hasn’t detracted from the beauty of this place. 

We’ve made some new friends on our visit; Wendy, Charles and their dog Gus who goes  along with Wendy on her daily 20 mile road rides. We also took advantage of one of our rainiest days and traveled to neighboring Cooperstown to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame.