September 15, 2003 (Mon)
Hedges Lake to Freeport, ME (251/493 miles)
Gordy, Ruth, Leslie, and Elaine got home from NYC at about 9:00 last night. So we got to spend some time with them then and again this morning before we left. It was good to see Leslie again and to meet Elaine. And it's always great fun to be with Gordy and Ruth. Thanks again for the use of your driveway (and bathroom).
We got off at about 10:00 am and headed for Bennington, VT where we filled up our gas tank. Unfortunately we picked a station where we couldn't get our 5% discount. Stations need to be "pay-at-the-pump" types to get the discount. This one wasn't. Oh well!
Driving East out of Bennington on SR-9 took us over the Green Mountains into New Hampshire. Road construction slowed us down here and there and there was one 1/2 mile stretch of single lane but we made pretty good time for mountain driving. US-202 through NH and into Maine was a frustration though because we ended up following a slow moving truck carrying a carnival ride. We gave up the back roads when we hit I-95.
Driving East out of Bennington on SR-9 took us over the Green Mountains into New Hampshire. Road construction slowed us down here and there and there was one 1/2 mile stretch of single lane but we made pretty good time for mountain driving. US-202 through NH and into Maine was a frustration though because we ended up following a slow moving truck carrying a carnival ride. We gave up the back roads when we hit I-95.
If we'd known that the Blueberry Pond campground was so far out a washboard dirt road we would have picked a different one. We were quite rattled when we got here. Except for the cost and a slightly unkempt appearance, it's reminiscent of a state park camp ground - winding dirt roads and widely spaced sites. We'd have done better going to the near by State Park but it doesn't have a dump station which we really needed.
Isabel has weakened to a category 3 hurricane and looks to be coming ashore somewhat south of NJ. Tomorrow we need to decide whether to head North or South.
Some of you will recognize the name "Freeport" as being the home of L.L.Bean. We'll be stopping in there tomorrow regardless of which way we go.
Some of you will recognize the name "Freeport" as being the home of L.L.Bean. We'll be stopping in there tomorrow regardless of which way we go.
Q053597 Blueberry Pond campground #22 w/a $25.68 C+
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September 16, 2003 (Tue)
Freeport, ME to Bernard, ME (165/658 miles)
We both awoke this morning at about 5:00. There was no reason to get up so early so we lounged in bed and listened to the beginnings of rain on the roof. We finally got up at about 6:00, showered, ate breakfast, and were off for L.L.Bean by 8:00. By the time we were out of there and ready to travel again, it was raining hard.
Freeport, ME to Bernard, ME (165/658 miles)
We both awoke this morning at about 5:00. There was no reason to get up so early so we lounged in bed and listened to the beginnings of rain on the roof. We finally got up at about 6:00, showered, ate breakfast, and were off for L.L.Bean by 8:00. By the time we were out of there and ready to travel again, it was raining hard.
The weather forecast was "showers likely" throughout the day. If what we experienced over the next few hours was showers, we can't imagine what Maine considers heavy rain. It rained hard - interspersed with occasional downpours - all the way to Ellsworth. In Ellsworth there is another L.L.Bean. This one was a "factory store" with some items deeply discounted so, of course, we had to stop there also. Two L.L.Bean stores in one day!
We got to Dick and Ruth's at about 3:30. We'll be here for a couple of days.
Q053762 Dick and Ruth's driveway.
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September 17, 2003 (Wed) Bernard, ME (2) - It got chilly last night - 60 degrees by Q's inside/outside thermometer - but we were comfortable and slept well. We watched the Weather Channel before breakfast to get the latest on Hurricane Isabel. It is a category 2 hurricane now and seems to be following its predicted course toward Cape Hatteras, NC. We're not wishing ill on anyone else but we're glad it'll be coming ashore well south of New Jersey. They'll know at home that a hurricane is near by but damage should be minimal.
After lunch with Dick and Ruth at the West Side Grill - large sandwiches with chips and a pesto macaroni salad - we toured the Wendell Gilley Museum of Bird Carving. Wendell Gilley was a plumber in Southwest Harbor here on Mt Desert Island. He carved birds as a hobby and began to sell them to Abercrombie & Fitch in New York. When his orders became too much handle part time, he sold his plumbing business and carved birds full time. The museum displays many excellent examples of his work.
Jordan Pond House is an upscale restaurant within Acadia National Park that has become known for its popovers. We had a mid afternoon reservation there for tea and popovers. Wonderful eating in a beautiful setting!
Dinner tonight was very light. We didn't need much.
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September 18, 2003 (Thu) Bernard, ME (3) - We "shopped" in an interesting shop in Bass Harbor this morning. It started out years ago as a source for ship models and ship model kits and parts. Now it has a little bit of everything - I guess you'd call it a curiosity shop - with the ship model theme blended in. The proprietor, friendly and talkative, was busy working on a model of a two mast square rigger which Mark found interesting.
After lunch we headed to Bar Harbor with Dick and Ruth. The Abbe Museum, where Dick has volunteered as docent, had an excellent display of Native American made baskets that we all enjoyed seeing. After dinner - Cafe Delight (seafood morsels in white sauce over linguine) at the West Street Cafe, Dick took us on what he calls his nickel tour of Acadia National Park. The highlight of today's tour was Thunder Hole. The surf, enhanced by Hurricane Isabel hundreds of miles to the south, was pounding into the natural rock formation with explosive "thunder" and appropriate bursts of spray and foam. Wonderful!
After lunch we headed to Bar Harbor with Dick and Ruth. The Abbe Museum, where Dick has volunteered as docent, had an excellent display of Native American made baskets that we all enjoyed seeing. After dinner - Cafe Delight (seafood morsels in white sauce over linguine) at the West Street Cafe, Dick took us on what he calls his nickel tour of Acadia National Park. The highlight of today's tour was Thunder Hole. The surf, enhanced by Hurricane Isabel hundreds of miles to the south, was pounding into the natural rock formation with explosive "thunder" and appropriate bursts of spray and foam. Wonderful!
Back in Bernard we checked in on Isabel. She came ashore as a category 1 hurricane this afternoon just south of Cape Hatteras, NC and quickly lost enough power to be down graded to a tropical storm. Word from Jennifer, our daughter back home, was that they are having a lot of wind and rain but nothing to worry about. So we stopped worrying.
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