New England Adventures: Biddeford, ME

We decided to make a mini-trip out of our run up to UMaine.  We spent the night in Biddeford. On Friday, we hit the Banded Brewing Company. They had some great vegetarian options and a wide variety of interesting beers (maibock, English style stock ale, IPA with turpenes). The flight option allowed us to sample a few. The next morning we discovered Maine's oldest diner was in Biddeford!  We headed over to the Palace Diner which opened on 1927! It is one of the only two remaining Pollard Company cars (built in Lowell, MA). It has 15 seats--counter only. The breakfast was a definite step up from regular diner fare, especially the potatoes.  Having never stopped off at Biddeford in past years, we were amazed to learn of its mill history!  The Industrial Revolution's influence was apparent by the astounding number of mill buildings! We rambled along the Riverwalk taking in all the sights. Clearly, Biddeford is going through a lot of revitalization. Our final stop was to see the One Blue Sky mural featuring a boy talking on the phone. There is a partner mural in Iraq which has a girl on the other end of the call. (https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/one-blue-sky-mural) We popped down to Biddeford Pool and traveled along the coast to Portland. The southern Maine coast is pretty, but I still prefer the mid-coast and regions east for the stunning beauty.

This is the second week in a row we have been adventuring. Last week we had a staycation in Boston where we always find new and interesting things to do.  We had many outings to great hangouts and restaurants (Bartaco, Trillium, The Bell in Hand, Spin, Trade). These two weeks have been a great way to welcome spring and get out exploring!

 Northern Presidential Hike, NH

Sept16 -18, 2021.  

JN:  This was my opportunity to visit some peaks that I'd never got to before.   I drove up Thursday after work, stopping by "Horse Feathers" for dinner and spending the night at Pinkham's Joe Dodge lodge.  Both great iconic destinations that I'd not done before.  Friday morning I trudged up the trail enjoying the morning clouds breaking up as I ascended up the Osgood trail towards Mt. Madison (the shortest of presidents).  I took a long sit at the summit of Madison before I headed down to my evening accommodations at the Madison Spring Hut - again another first for me.  The huts are always a great merry experience, and I met connected with several other hikers of all ages, while we all enjoyed the atmosphere and the good foods.  On Saturday morning I headed out right after breakfast, beating the crowd up Mt. Adams, then Mt. Jefferson.  I bypassed Mt. Washington and waved to the engineer of the cog railway as I continued to to Lake of the Clouds hut. I scoured the log books for old entries of mine, but nothing was found.  This was the croo's last night of the year so they really put on some good entertainment, and an abundance of food.  Sunday morning I dashed out to the summit of Munro to see the sun rise before breakfast.  I packed out of the hut, and made my way back to Pinkham - being fully refreshed and satisfied with my hike.  Thanks Michele for giving me this chance! 

 Adventures at Home
Gloucester Schooner Festival, September 5, 2021
For the first year in many, we kept our feet on the ground instead of  kayaking during the Annual Gloucester Schooner Festival's Parade of Sails.  We even set up camp at a new location on the Boulevard and were rewarded by a stunning display of schooners.  Strong coffee and delicious bagels from Jim's only added to the event.  Carol joined us this year and I think we have a a new devotee!

 New England Adventures Atlas Obscura Style
August 27-29 Bangor, Maine
This giant statue of Paul Bunyan was next to our hotel. It is supposed that it is the largest Paul Bunyan statue in the world. (How many can there be?!)  Bangor has a long logging history and Bangor just may have been Paul's birthplace.  Maybe...

 New England Adventures: UMaine and Beyond

August 27-29, 2021

We dropped Isaac off at UMaine this weekend.  On Saturday, the bridge from Orono to campus was filled with enthusiastic students holding signs and yelling greetings.  The drop-off was impressive--very systematic and streamlined.  We chuckled to see how much some students were bringing with them.  (Granny would say, "Everything but the kitchen sink!")  After Isaac settled into his room, we did the usual college arrival tasks: books, Target, Walmart, lunch.  We bid Isaac goodbye in the late afternoon.  On a previous visit, Isaac and I had eaten a brewpub called Mason's which is situated right next to the Penobscot River in Brewer.  It was a fun place next to a beautiful view and I wanted John to see it.  Of course, every other parent dropping off had the same idea.  While we waited, we strolled along the river walk and found a table with a built-in chessboard and a box with all the pieces!  I was just about to win when we were texted.  Rats!  We sat outside and enjoyed the view while learning the history of the place, menu, and why a Stephen King likeness was on one of their beer cans!

Since Isaac seemed settled in, on Sunday we drove to Schoodic Peninsula. In Winter Harbor, we walked around some high altitude land for sale.  The views were stunning and we dreamed a little Maine house dream.  It seems we do that whenever we find ourselves in Maine!  From there we went over to Acadia National Park.  No, not Bar Harbor--the less visited side on Schoodic.  We could see right over to Bar Harbor and the mountains we have hiked in the past, but this area felt much more relaxed.  We toured the campground there for a possible future visit and then drove along the coast.  We tried to find a coastal walking path at the Institute there, but no matter where we looked, we never found it.  After a late lunch at the Wharf fish shack in picturesque Corea, it was time to head south towards home.  It was a great one-day vacation on the Schoodic Peninsula!

A Short Trip to Washington...August 9-13

We were able to see Nicholas out in Walla Walla! It was a fun combination of seeing him and sightseeing in the area.  Our highlight was on the morning after we arrived.  We were slated to see Nicholas after he was done at work.  We were sitting outside having a hearty breakfast at one of the several great breakfast place when guess who walked by on his way to work?!  We were all amazed and it was a fun meeting!  It's a good example of how small Walla Walla really is.  

Our second highlight was that the hotel we stayed at, the Finch, had free bikes we could borrow!  How fun is that!  We biked around campus one day and made our way further out to the surrounding neighborhoods and to Pioneer Park (very old, very tall trees here) on another day.   Walla Walla is well-known for their wineries. We did a tasting a L' Ecole but we both agreed the complexities were mostly lost on us.  Our drive out to the countryside outside Walla Walla was eye-opening.  It was very arid and sparsely populated with farms miles from one another.  It was also very hot while we were there (105) and we were surprised to learn the peak of the heat was around 5pm.  Nicholas brought us to many different restaurants in the evenings. We also were introduced to Andy's Market. It was great to spend time with him!

New England Adventures...July 25-29

Camping at Lake Pawtuckaway in NH!  We tried a new campground this year.  We stayed on Horse Island at Pawtuckaway State Park.  The days were marked with the number of mosquito bites one could rack up!  Unfortunately, that seemed a direct result of the rainy days from earlier in the month.  Two different groups tried two different hikes and came back with their own bug stories (and bites/welts).  A trip to the grocery store was even needed to purchase calamine lotion!

That being said, this was an interesting campground.  It was a long drive in from the entrance through conserved land.  Our area was in the middle of the island, but the campsites were large and water views were a stroll away.  Lake Pawtuckaway was actually two smaller ponds that were merged for mill purposes.  It is unusual in that it has small islands and plenty of submerged rocks.  A first for us was seeing cairns on a lake to denote rocky spots!

In the end, the reviews for this campground were mixed.  There is definitely some nostalgia and a desire to return to White Lake, but on the other hand, this lake had plenty of interesting spots to kayak.