Week 3 - Maine
Our week finished up at Promised Land State Park and then it was time to head to our last major destination on this phase of our full timer life. This would include some challenges, like finding places to park for the night for free and the dreaded COVID test that is required for outsiders to enter the great state of Maine.
Daily Logs
Day 15 9/28 Mon- Promised Land State Park
Up 0520. Temp 64. Wx: calm, light rain
Batt: 100% shore power
Tanks: F-3/3, B- 6 days, G 1-1/3, G2-E
Today's plan was resupply and refuel. After breakfast, we headed down to East Stroudsburg to shop at the Walmart. The gas there is very cheap too, so, while LoGear was shopping, I fueled up then took Ginger for a walk along the edge of the busy parking lot. Afterwards, we headed back to camp to spend the rest of the day, just hanging out and doing a few things to get ready to go.
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| Morning deer |
This stage of our new life is a bit stressful, but also exciting. I'm looking forward to getting to Maine and seeing what it is like up there by the shore. Packing up and driving into the unknow makes me a little uneasy, but I relentlessly research the plan when I have the means to. We have our plan A, with refuel stops planned and a night in a parking lot most likely, but we can alter that plan as the day goes on if we need to.
We burned all of our wood and cooked some fish for dinner. Our black tank is showing full, so we have pretty much confirmed that one week is the limit of that tank. Eventually, I want to be able to stay out somewhere for two weeks, so a solution to that issue will be a project down the road.
The campground has cleared out once again and quiet has returned to the loops. Tomorrow should be an easy hook up. We will dump our tanks and have enough water to get us to Maine. There we will get a COVID test after crossing the border and hopefully will be good to go for our stay in the Acadia area.
Day 16 9/29 Tue- Travel Day - Cracker Barrel
Up 0345. Temp 65. Wx: light breeze, humid, foggy
Batt: 100% shore power
Tanks: F-1/3, B- 7 days F, G 1-2/3, G2-E
Depart Promised Land SP 1108
Arrive Cracker Barrel 1600
208.5 miles
4 hr 9 min drive time
I was up and ready to get going early, but got yelled at by LoGear for banging around in the coach. Eventually we were ready to go and we headed to the dump station to empty the tanks.
The day's travel was pleasant and we stopped at a rest stop to take a break and stretch our legs. We arrived at the planned stop at the Cracker Barrel in MA and found our spot in the RV area. We chocked the tires, lowered the stabilizers and opened the slide.
We went over to the restaurant and ordered dinner, eating in the trailer. We watched some TV on our phones and went to bed. It started to rain during the night and was quite heavy at times. No one else stayed in the RV area, but there were a few other overnighters in the lot.
Day 17 9/30 Wed- Travel Day - Service Plaza
Up 0525. Temp 71. Wx: heavy rain
Batt: 79% @0530
Tanks: F-E, B-1 day, G 1-E, G2-E
Depart 0815
Kittery 1009
106.2 so far
1hr 53 min
Need to wait for COVID test
Depart York 1320
Arrive Service plaza 1604
202.5 miles
4 hr 33 min drive time
Today's travel would also be pretty pleasant, but it would be a little more challenging to find a free place to spend the night.
We had a 1300 appointment in York, ME to get a COVID test so we could enter and stay in this beautiful state. We made good time in the morning and arrived in the area around 1000.
We stopped at Kittery Trading Post, which is a huge outdoor store, like Cabela's. We found an RV spot in the back of the busy lot and I went inside to find a new chair, my birthday present. I found two that I liked. One $36 and the other $109. I bought the cheaper one. Everything seemed to be on sale in the store. Maybe that was why the parking lot was so full. The store was so huge, that it didn't seem crowded inside.
Next we headed to the Walk-in Clinic to get our tests. We parked in the corner of the large lot and I went to talk to the military guys about our rig. They said it would be no problem to accommodate us and we wouldn't have to unhitch. We had about two hours to wait, so we ate lunch and then relaxed until it was time to take our test. We got in line and they moved us to the proper spot, swabbed our noses. This test doesn't have to dig into your brain, so it wasn't bad at all. Ten minutes or so later, we had our results. Negative. We were free to stay in the state and head to our destination. I don't know how reliable these tests are, but they were what we needed to meet the requirement to stay in Maine.
Our plan was to stay at the nearby Cabela's and we found some really nice spaces, but there was a new sign saying No Overnight Parking. I called the store to make sure. It is a city ordinance. They do that so people like us have to stay in a campground and spend money, but we weren't going to give up that easy.
We headed north and checked out and rejected a Walmart and another Cracker Barrel. Next LoGear found a Turnpike Service Plaza that might work and we headed that way. With 1/4 tank of gas left, we found a spot in the huge back lot and set up. The trucks started pulling in as dusk approached, so we weren't alone in the lot for the night.
I added the water jug to the tank. We should have enough to get to camp.
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| Crowded Travel Plaza |
Day 18 10/01 Thur- Travel Day - Bar Harbor, ME
Up 0425. Temp 55. Wx: calm, cool, clear
Batt: 78% @0430
Tanks: F-1/3, B-2 days, G 1-E, G2-E
Depart 0836
Arrive Hadley Point 1145
121 miles
2 hr 52 min drive time
Today would be an easy travel day. Only around 2 or 3 hours to get to camp and we were ready to go just after 0830. We filled up at the Service Plaza and headed onto I95.
The ride was pleasant, with good weather and a few nice views. We arrived at the Walmart just before the island and LoGear went in to get some needed supplies and gear. We got a new bed for Ginger. Her old one was smelly and the zipper had broke so it was time for a new one.
Ginger's new bed
We headed onto the island and arrived at the at the campground about an hour and 15 minutes early. It was no problem to check in and Larry brought us back to the site. He helped me back in and we were all set up in about a half hour or so.
Hadley's Point Campground site
We took a walk down to the beach and on the way back picked up a few sticks. The woods are thick here, but we are surrounded by private land. I may be breaking down and buying some wood this week.
Checking out the beach
We have wifi here, so I fired up the firestick and we watched some Maryland local tv. I haven't switched our location on the firestick to the local area, because we may be able to watch more Steelers games with it located there and we are allowed to keep it that way for three months. We watched a little of the football game then it was off to bed.
This is a nice campground. The spaces are a little close together, but your coach sort of acts as a wall to one side and our neighbors just close their blinds on our side and hang out on the other side. The weekend will probably be busy, but hopefully it will calm down after that. The trees have some color, but I just like the crispness of a fall day. Colorful trees are just a bonus, but not necessary for me.
Day 19 10/02 Friday- Hadley's Point Campground - Bar Harbor, ME
Up 0520. Temp 61. Wx: calm, foggy
Batt: 100% shore power
Tanks: F-1/3 (city water), B-3 days, G 1-1/3, G2-E
Today's plan was to go into the park and hike to a lake up the ridge called Bowl Lake. We headed out into the foggy morning and drove into the area that you needed a reservation to drive into.
We found parking in the lot at Sand Bay and found the trail head. The trail started out not too steep, but was quite rocky. We started passing people coming down right from the start. It was kind of crowded, but not too bad. We made our way up and continued on Bowl Trail where Beehive Trail broke off. That trail goes up a very steep climb with rebar ladders and such. Our trail wasn't too bad, there was some stone steps and rocky trail but the grade wasn't too bad.
We got up to the lake and the foggy morning prevented us from seeing anything past about 50 feet from the shore. We continued to make a loop on a part of the Beehive trail and it was a little challenging for us and Ginger, but we made it to the top and took another break. The trail started down and we made our way back to where the trail comes back to the Bowl Trail. I had to let Ginger off the leash for a bit so we wouldn't pull each other off our footing.
Social distancing is challenging on a crowded trail 
Foggy lake view
We got back to the parking lot, then walked down to the beach for a bit. It was still pretty foggy, but we had a good time hiking. The view doesn't always have to be a far one. We continued down the road and stopped at Thunder Hole, which is supposed to rumble like thunder when the waves come in, but conditions weren't right for that today.
Quiet Thunder Hole
We drove through Bar Harbor on our way back to camp and then relaxed for a while. I made a small fire, while LoGear took a nap. It started raining a little and we all retired inside. We watched some TV and the rain continued outside. Soon it was bed time.
Day 20 10/03 Saturday- Hadley's Point Campground - Bar Harbor, ME
Up 0415. Temp 48. Wx: calm, damp, clear
Batt: 100% shore power
Tanks: F-1/3 (city water), B-4 days, G 1-1/3, G2-E
Today's hike was another less than 2 mile, moderate hike. This trail was supposed to be less traveled and it was. We saw way less people on the trail today. Starting at a popular spring, the trail started up the ridge. There were hundreds of granite steps, but we moved along and each time we came to a clearing, the view got better. It is quite a difference that a day makes. We could see for miles, with interesting clouds on the horizon in an otherwise blue sky. We got to the top of the ridge and followed it for a while before coming back down again.
Porcupine islands
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| View |
Spring
I ordered some lobster meals from a shack that is right down the road and went to pick it up. We got a lobster roll, a lobster melt and a piece of blueberry pie to top it off. All was very good.
Lobster melt and blueberry pie 
Blueberry beer
Back inside we watched TV as the night came and the air cooled down. Soon it was time for sleep.
Day 21 10/04 Sunday - Hadley's Point Campground - Bar Harbor, ME
Up 0440. Temp 47. Wx: calm, cool, clear
Batt: 100% shore power
Tanks: F-1/3 (city water), B-5 days, G 1-1/3, G2-E
We wanted to give Ginger a little break from the hiking. Her legs were appearing a bit sore. The weather cooperated by being a dreary, rainy day.
We mostly sat inside and watched other teams' football games and not much else. I don't think Ginger left her bed for most of the day. She was happy to nap the day away except for her two walks of course.
Dinner was porkchops, sweet potato and the last zucchini.
We are planning on a sunrise hike up the Bubbles, but the weather may not cooperate for that.
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