Make Time: Maine and New Hampshire Wilderness

After my night back at my cousins place near Burlington, I got up early and headed east to Maine. I was initially going to go to Portland, ME, but a lot of people said it's really not worth it compared to the wilderness I should be seeing, so I headed out to an AirBnB which I rented in the woods in Waterford, ME. Here's the listing. Such a beautiful place to relax and hang out. I went and got some groceries to cook for the next few days, and then came back and cooked a nice pasta dinner before passing out relatively early (after some singing and writing). I get up early the next day (Tues) and decide to find a place to swim and hang for the day. The closest and biggest lake was called Long Lake, but I drove around and asked some people and it seemed like this wasn't the best place for random swimming. Most of the people who swim in this lake own a house on it, so it's not really the type of place you just go and swim. I saw a huge state park not far away, and figured they might have a beach. I asked another local on my way and he said yes, Sebago Lake State Park would be the best spot for a nice afternoon. So I drive about 30-40 minutes away and end up in this amazing spot. What a beautiful lake. I asked the guy checking me into the park for the best spot for more quiet, and he pointed me towards the end of the beach in a very wooded area. Nice. I brought my cooler out and just chilled in the sunshine and in the lake for the afternoon. Such peace. I wrote a poem, which I posted on here a few days ago. I felt great. I watched families playing games in the water. Ducks swimming bye. Boaters enjoying the waves and the sunshine. I just felt at ease around such loving people in such a beautiful environment. A very special day for me. After the lake I headed back to the house for some more pasta, reading, singing, and just enjoying the peace of being in the woods.

Wednesday I got up and made my way to White Mountain National Forest, but as I was driving out of Waterford, Maine (where the cabin was located), I noticed a very cool orchard/farm on the top of a hill alongside the road. I decided to check it out, so I circled back and parked and started talking to one of the laborers. He was an older guy but very nice and friendly. He told me that this farm was owned by the King family…as in Stephen King. Random!!! Apparently Stephen's wife, Tabitha, was up visiting the area and saw the property and fell in love with it, so they bought it and have revitalized it for the last 8-10 years. It's AMAZING. It's called Pie Tree Orchard, and you'll see the pics below (but they will never do it true justice). The farm produces a huge amount of apples, peaches, plums, flowers, and so much more. Dan Cousins, who is Stephen King's nephew, took me around and not only showed me the land, but taught me a lot about farming and the land. What an amazing experience!! This showed me again that the best thing I can do on this road trip is to stop at places that look inviting, interesting, and fun. My instincts have always been very good and this definitely fit in line. After about an hour of checking out the farm I got some goodies at the gift shop and then drove onward to the forest. The car started feeling weird, as if I were going over a constant amount of bumps, so I took it to a quick Midas shop and they told me I blew out the back left tire. Ugh. Seriously? I haven't even gone over anything major!! Oh well. $150 later and I'm on the road with a new tire. Could have been worse I guess, right? Gotta stay positive :)

I roll into the Lafayette Place Campground, and as I go to see if they have any spots available, the guy at the front counter says they only have one left. SOLD!! He tells me they operate on a first-come-first-serve basis, so I run outside and move my car to the campsite, then come back and register. $25 later I'm checked in and have a bundle of wood for a fire later. Setup my tent in the spot, which isn't ideal because it's very open, but I find a good spot under some trees and am happy to be all setup well before dark. I do a two hour hike to a place called The Basin within the park. Unreal. So many beautiful waterfalls and woods to see. Such a special place. I kept thinking how lucky I am to enjoy this nature, which has been preserved for so long now. I think about the Native Americans who must have enjoyed these waterfalls. I feel sadness for their loss of lifestyle. The sadness doesn't last long though, because around every turn in the hiking path is a new and more beautiful setting. The sun is starting to come down so I make my way back to camp. Lay down in the tent for a bit and relax, then get up and make a fire. I'm not the best at making fires, but I did a good job this time. I sit and relax and enjoy the fire, along with a grilled cheese which I made over top of it. Old school snacks. I sit outside and enjoy the stars after the fire dies out, and its just as you'd imagine: stars everywhere!! Such beauty. I pass out content and happy to be outside in such a beautiful (and new for me) part of the country.

Thursday morning I get up and pack the tent up and then make my way out of camp as it starts drizzling rain. Luckily nothing hit me as I slept the night before! As I'm making my way out I see a sign for the Flume Gorge, so I figure I'll check it out. An hour and a half hike through some of the most beautiful waterfall and rock combinations I have ever seen, and I am again filled with awe. New Hampshire!!!! What a fantastic place. I will definitely be back, and quite possibly sooner than later. I head out from there and drive directly to my friend Marisa's apartment in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston. Marisa and I met because she is best friend's with on of my best friend's wives. She's an incredibly kind and sweet person, and also brilliant. She's studying neuroscience at Harvard University, focusing on children with autism, and will soon be getting her PHD in this field. We have a great relationship, and we can joke and talk about anything. I love her perspective on things, and she definitely understands me better than most. I'm guessing this is because she is also completely crazy too (in the best of ways). We cook a great dinner of pork chops (yes, I'm honing my skills), summer squash, salad, and top it off with some vanilla ice cream and apple cider syrup which I got from Pie Tree Orchard. Fabulous!!! Marisa's cat Toshi is constantly hanging around for scraps, which she always hands out. Cute. We speak about my family, jobs, love, living in the country, farming, painting, and Boston. It's so nice to have a deep conversation with someone who truly understands me. More importantly - someone who cares about my well being and happiness.

Marisa is heading out to Cape Cod today with some friends for the weekend, so I'm hanging around her apartment waiting for a new refrigerator to be delivered. Huh? Yeah - randomly her fridge busted out on her so she ordered a new one and luckily I'm here to let the guys in. All worked out well. I'm glad I got this time to update the blog, and I'm also going to do a little painting here for Marisa as well. The next few days I'm going to be bouncing between Boston, New Hampshire, Philly, and Annapolis. VERY excited for this part of my trip, because it means I get more time with people I really love. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing new places and new things, but spending time with people I love is the most important thing in my world.

I hope everyone had a great week and is off to a fantastic weekend!!!