Helluva Honeymoon

Since we arrived in Maine, we have been traveling up the coast via Highway 1.  Instead of hitching up every night, we decided to choose a campsite to serve as home base while we explore the rest of the coast.  We chose a lovely place called Branch Lake Campground in Ellsworth, Maine (near Bar Harbor). This morning (I am speaking in present tense because I am up-to-date and this occurred today) we drove up Highway 1 to the Canadian border.  We stopped along the way to enjoy the view from Winter Harbor.  This was the first harbor town we visited that wasn't bustling with tourists.  We stopped at a hot dog stand and were the only customers. It was a nice treat considering we have been forced to walk in single file at our other stops (Lambeau, then me, then Kristopher). We continued all the way east to Lubec, Maine where we saw our first lighthouse.  Obviously, we haven't been looking too hard since they're everywhere in Maine.  When we turn...

We departed Boothbay around lunchtime and headed to Savage Oakes Winery, another Harvest Host gem. When we arrived, we were greeted by the owner, Holly who pointed us to the field that we would be staying in. Of all the Host sites, this was the easiest to get into as it was a giant but level hay field. We did not enjoy a wine tasting; however, they did have beef and pork available for purchase. After a nap, we drove to Rockland for Lobsterfest.  Since it was opening day, admission was only $1.  As you'll see in the photos I had the lobster dinner, and Kristopher had clam chowder and calamari. We walked around downtown Rockland and found an ice cream stand.  Lambeau has done so well with all of our adventures, so we give him an occasional treat.  Usually it's hard boiled eggs or a spoon of peanut butter, but that night he sampled strawberry and pistachio ice cream.    In the photo above, Lambeau sampled pistachio gel...

Our next jump was another Harvest Host called Boothbay Craft Brewery . The bar was closed the day we arrived, so we went into town to have a drink, and we chose a Maine stable called Sea Dog Blueberry Ale.  Apparently we had too many because neither one of us took photos of that cute little harbor town.  The next day, our host was open and we had a flight before we left for Rockland, Maine.  Their nitro stout was one of my favorites to date, but unfortunately, it was not available in a can or bottle.  We would have loved to have stayed and enjoyed a pint (or pitcher), but driving the beast takes both of our full attention. Maine does not have a lot of interstates or major highways, so both of us are on our toes to ensure we keep it between the lines!

After a weekend of rest and errands, we departed on Sunday for Portland, Maine.  Sunday evening, we headed to Old Port for dinner at Sebago Brewing Company.  The next day, we walked along Eastern Promenade Trail. While we were in town, we went to a local seafood shop to pick up that evening's dinner.  I had my heart set on lobster, but unfortunately, the only way they'll sell them to you is alive.  I don't think Lambeau would share the backseat very well, plus we did not have a big enough pot to steam them in.  We settled on crab cakes and scallops which were both delicious (and dead before I cooked them). Monday night, we let Lambeau stay home while we went to Freeport to check out the L.L. Bean store.

With the weekend coming up, we scrambled to find a place to stay near Portland Friday and Saturday. It was important for us to be in Portland on Monday to pick up a package at Fed Ex. Despite our usual luck, there was nothing available that weekend. We combed forums for dry camping spots in the Portland area, and we came across Boondockers Welcome .  To our luck, we found a spot in Auburn, ME with a family who just returned from a year long trip via RV.  We had our first seafood meal at The Lost Gull and ran errands all weekend.

After the weather got too warm in Seneca Valley, we headed east toward Maine.  We stopped at the wastewater treatment plant in Geneva, NY to empty our tank.  The gentlemen there were nice enough to let us fill our water tank there too.  We drove a quick three hours and boondocked at Bowman Orchard in Rexford, NY.    The next day, we left at 9am.  That gave us enough time to check out the store where we bought blackberries, peaches and apples. We drove through Vermont, but did not stop for any photos.  Our second stop en route to Maine was at Gould Hill Farm in Contoocook, NH.  The property was situated in a quiet town; you can see how beautiful it is in the pictures below. The next morning we got a tour of the cider making area, and we got to sample three of them.  I am usually not a hard cider fan because of the overly sugary taste; however, these were not overwhemingly sweet. My personal favorite was brewed with c...

Our original plan was to head toward Maine from Groton, NY; however, we were so enchanted by Seneca Valley (where the vineyard was located), we decided to stay another night.  What was supposed to be an overnight stay to visit Ithaca, NY turned into a four night adventure. Seneca Valley is a hidden gem that I highly recommend visiting. If I brought my wedding dress, I would have happily had the ceremony there! After two nights of dry camping, we needed to dump our wastewater and fill on fresh water.  Generally, RV parks will let you do this for $5-$25 even if you're not staying there.  We have so many apps and forums for resources, and one of them showed a free dump station at a wastewater treatment plant near Seneca Valley.  We asked a gas station if we could fill up our fresh water tank, and they gladly obliged.  These are huge cost saving tricks that we have used multiple times. Since we had empty wastewater tanks, a full fresh water tank and plenty of ...