Greetings from Wells, ME!

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
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What a wonderful day! Got laundry done early so we could head out. Went for an ass-buster of a bike ride down to the beach and back, then iced coffee at the campground deli before a swim in the pool. Found a terrific grocery store and had an early dinner of grilled corn on the cob, burgers, and 3 different kinds of hotdogs.

So far we're liking the Wells/Ogunquit/Kennebunkport area. It's low key touristy and casual. In Newport a swimsuit isn't considered proper attire; here it is. Kbunk is more upscale, but even there it's a casual vibe. Ogunquit and Wells, if you're wearing more than a tanktop and shorts, you're overdressed.

I'm pretty much over lobster but can't get enough of the clam chowder.

We're staying in a cottage at a campground, which is an enormous leap from the Homewood Suites we lived in in Boston. I think we like the campgrounds better - more casual, family atmosphere, friendly people who are here by choice and looking for fun. Our cottage is a studio with a kitchenette and a king bed, plus a nice little front porch with chairs and table. Part of the fun of living on the road is seeing our new home for the first time. I run them down on the internet pretty well, but you still just never know until you get there. Most of them are what we expect, several of them were way better than we expected, and I think I only have three mistakes under my belt so far: The Extended Stay in Nashville last year, the campground in Nashville last month, and the Motel 6 in Biloxi. The ES was doable, and we were able to run away from the others and find much better digs.

Campgrounds make us feel like we're on vacation, whereas staying in a hotel doesn't. At a campground you're surrounded by people who are doing what you're doing - enjoying their life in some form. Hotels are typically full of workers on travel, and they are not a joy to be around because it's usually sucking to be them.
 

Bann

Doris Day meets Lady Gaga
PREMO Member
Sounds really nice! Is the weather nice up there this time of year?
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
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Sounds really nice! Is the weather nice up there this time of year?

It's bipolar and unpredictable. Forecasts are merely vague suggestions. Smaht Mainers always carry a jacket just in case because the temp can drop 15-20 degrees without warning. When the sun goes down, it will either get cooler or it won't.
 

MJ

Material Girl
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How long will you be up that way? My in-laws are dragging me up to Vermont at the end of the month. :bawl:
 

MJ

Material Girl
PREMO Member
Where in VT? We'll be in Burlington the whole month of August.

From memory, I think it's Heartland, VT. Family reunion on my husband's side. So far the plan is to ride up 7/28 and back on the 31st. A month in Vermont? :jameo:
 

Bann

Doris Day meets Lady Gaga
PREMO Member
It's bipolar and unpredictable. Forecasts are merely vague suggestions. Smaht Mainers always carry a jacket just in case because the temp can drop 15-20 degrees without warning. When the sun goes down, it will either get cooler or it won't.

:jet:

Hopefully, July will be a little warmer. :yay:
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
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:jet:

Hopefully, July will be a little warmer. :yay:

Don't get me wrong - we've had plenty of hot sunny days and my tan is coming along nicely. But it's prone to changing abruptly.

I thought it would be buggier here. You always hear about mosquitoes that could carry off a small child, but so far we haven't seen that.

Yesterday we walked the Marginal Way, which starts in Perkins Cove and goes about a mile along the beach - it's not quite a cliff walk, but kind of. It's paved and they have memorial benches set up along the way so you can cop a squat and take in some nature. It's a rocky beach, not a sandy one, so you can climb around if you want. Lots of people bring low beach chairs and set them up on the rocks or up higher in the shade and read or nap. We had chowder and blueberry beer at a restaurant called Oarweed and sat outside by the ocean.

We're about 4 miles from Ogunquit one way and Kennebunkport the other, and it's not terribly hilly along Rt 1 so it appears to be an easy bike ride. We'll probably test that theory today if we go into Ogunquit because driving it is insane with all the tourists. Their beaches here aren't set up for throngs of humanity. In FL they have parking set up, expecting that loads of people will want to enjoy the beach, but they don't have that here. There are small parking areas that - I'm not making this up - people wait in line to get into, and it's paid parking. Around here, if you can bike you should. When we biked to Drake's Island, there was only one small spot that was steep enough that we had to walk our bikes - other than that it was great.

They also have a trolley that will cart you around for $2 and goes to all three of the towns. It's more transportation than sightseer like we had in Boston. But if you do drive, people are pretty good about letting you in and being courteous. We found that to be the case in Boston as well, but there you have to bust a move because they will give you a second to make up your mind and if you snooze, you lose.

Today I'm trying to figure out how we will watch fireworks without it being a Charlie-Foxtrot. I'm thinking that we should be able to see the Ogunquit Beach display from Drake's Island, which is about a mile walk from our campground (we can't bike it because it will be dark and we don't have lights).
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
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Rocky beaches
DSCN4112.JPG

Our happy hour view
DSCN4136.JPG

The footbridge at Perkins Cove, opened to let a sailboat go through
DSCN4139.JPG
 

Bann

Doris Day meets Lady Gaga
PREMO Member
Pretty views!! So different. It's awesome how our country is so vastly different from one state to another.
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
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Pretty views!! So different. It's awesome how our country is so vastly different from one state to another.

It's so different just along the same coast. Florida beaches are nothing like South Carolina beaches, which are nothing like Maine beaches. It's amazing.
 

HeavyChevy75

Podunk FL
It's so different just along the same coast. Florida beaches are nothing like South Carolina beaches, which are nothing like Maine beaches. It's amazing.

Just beaches in the same state are different. Like Edisto beach in SC is more limestone compared to Kiawah. Folly Beach has a lot of limestone in the water and the sand no powdery sand there - beach shoes are needed. I have only been to one beach on the Atlantic side in FL so far. I know slacking but spend way to much time working also middle of the summer at FL beaches :barf:
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
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That is it. As soon as I find someone trustworthy enough to farm-sit and watch the dog I am taking a road trip back up to New England. I can work remotely so I can still get stuff done and not have to take vacation. I have a new truck might as well drive.

If you can drive it, do. The little coastal towns are adorable and the scenic drive up 1A was incredible.
 

Monello

Smarter than the average bear
PREMO Member
What a wonderful day! Got laundry done early so we could head out. Went for an ass-buster of a bike ride down to the beach and back, then iced coffee at the campground deli before a swim in the pool. Found a terrific grocery store and had an early dinner of grilled corn on the cob, burgers, and 3 different kinds of hotdogs.

Uhmmm.
 
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