Summary of time:
· Lots of driving.
· Lighthouses.
· Beaches.
· Mixed weather
Handy hints –
§ Visit Information places – localised maps, hints of things to go and do or see.
§ Be prepared if wandering off interstates and main roads for narrow windy roads, and not always good condition roads
I had booked the car from midday, but there was no point in hanging around, so off to the Prudential Tower Centre, and find the car hire place (downstairs, and not easy to find without directions). It was surprising quick to be out (20 mins MAX), and i was off. They never give you much of a map, but there was some printed sheets with basic maps, and instructions on how to get back. To go north i was told, go up Mass Ave, and get onto No 2.
Heading up Mass Ave, i got into Cambridge and passed Harvard...i soon realised that i had missed the turning for No 2, it was just after i had crossed the river by MIT! So using the basic maps, i navigated myself north and east, finding myself going through the outer towns of Boston (inc Lexington) until i get onto Interstate 95 around Boston and then heading North. As soon as i can i get onto Highway 1, it makes for a more scenic route, going through towns and villages.
I pass on into New Hampshire, seeing the signposts for the famous Hamptons, but carry on. The sun is shining, and there seems to be a lot of people around. I find a Walmart and do some shopping....lunch, drinks, fruit....but get back onto Highway 1, through Portsmouth (has its roots in shipbuilding and maritime) and through Kittery – it has a huge outlet shopping area, but just the other side is the Tourist Info Centre for the state of Maine.
The lady who helped me was from Bradford, and i felt she went the extra mile in giving me information on places to go and maps. So armed with a Maine State Map, and several small localised maps (not done to scale) with places to stay, eat, shop and to do; off i went again back on Highway 1, but soon turning off onto Highway 103, which was the coastal road past Kittery Point, before turning back onto Route 1 briefly, and then onto Route 1A and into York Village.
It was a weekend, the sun was shining, and it was the holiday season, so the roads were busy, as well as the beaches. I followed the suggested routes, and although mid afternoon, wandering where i may end up for the evening, but carried on. I missed the turning for the first lighthouse in Maine, the “Nubble” Lighthouse, and carried on up Route 1A, a very scenic, windy route, on past Perkins Cove, through Ogunquit, and back onto Route 1. There were several Motels along here, which i thought might be good, but it felt too early to stop, so i headed onto Kennebunkport (with many mansions and ocean views).
The localised maps are not to scale and some bits which look long distances are short, and vice versa, so it was better to find landmarks on the map to navigate you. So through Wells and onto Kennebunkport. Once in Kennebunkport, it was right onto Ocean Ave....there were several very nice big mansions, overlooking the river and then the sea. Following the road, there was a little peninsular and several people were taking pictures or watching the home on it from some laybys. A former president, Mr G Bush, lived there.
Following the map, or so i thought, i carried on coming to a junction and turned left as i didn’t want to take the little loop in Cape Porpoise. Soon i was coming to road names not on the map (some of the smaller roads weren’t on it anyway), and eventually realised, i hadn’t even reached Cape Porpoise when i had turned left, and had actually bought myself almost back on myself into Kennebunkport, and Arundel. As time was slowly getting on, and i got back to Highway 1, i decided to head back to Ogunquit, and the many motels....i had also seen a Church of the Nazarene, and tomorrow being Sunday, i had somewhere to go. I was soon settled into a motel, and sorted for the night.
Sunday, was church, although small i was made to feel very welcome, and it was a nice familiar type service and worship. Then off for lunch by Nubble Lighthouse, it wasn’t actually too far to drive to, and enjoy an afternoon of sunshine after a Lobster sandwich and fries.
Monday was time to move on, and due to lots of tourists on Saturday, and my mis-navigation, i decided to head back to Kennebunkport, and Ocean Ave ( i stopped and saw Mr Bush go off in his boat with some friends), and through Goose Point, back onto Highway 1 inland. I turned off onto Highway 9, and through Scarborough, heading back towards the coast, then Route 207, and Route 77, aiming for Fort Williams and Portland Head Lighthouse, the most photographed of Maine’s Lighthouses, and the oldest 1791.
Maine has more than 60 Lighthouses, varying in size, style, etc. I’ve discovered that i like to visit them, learning some of the history, and see the different type of them. Fort William had been a great army base, and self contained community, and a couple of large gunning points, now dismantled. It is set as a 90 acre Park.
After lunch it was back on the road, and off through Portland (it is the largest city in Maine, originally a boat building and shipping port, including produce from Canada which had come on the Canada Trunk Line for shipping to Europe), and heading up the coastal route on Highway 1. Passing recognisable names of Falmouth, Yarmouth and Cumberland before reaching Freeport.
Freeport is one long outlet shopping mall, and as i was driving through, i was tempted to go shopping, but what was the point as no space in the suitcase.....several places had sales.
Carrying on Route 1 you arrive into the Mid-Coast, starting at the quiet college town of Brunswick, where there is old brick and clapboard homes and buildings, and leading on to the ‘fingers’ of land that are known as Harpswells. These are narrow forested peninsulas, and certainly made a change from the main roads. I went down Highway 24 which took me on through small areas of houses and across (the original Cribstone Bridge was under repair) over the tidal waterway onto Orr’s Island and then onto Bailey’s Island. There were a couple of lovely beach places to stop, and i was contemplating stopping for a couple of nights, but i carried onto Land’s End, a small beach. Seeing 3 generations of a family paddling and looking at the rock pools made me think of my family back home and staring out to sea was a heart warming & wrenching moment.
After a while of sitting on sharp-ish rocks, it was back in the car, back the way i had come and onto Highway 1, carrying on East through Bath, and down another peninsular to the seaside town of Boothbay Harbour. It is supposedly a crowded resort, a beautiful harbour, shops and restaurants. This popularity means that the prices of places to stay are higher, but due to the economic situation, it is easier to find places to stay without having to book way in advance, and occasionally you also get a discount. By the time i arrived here, i was getting tired from a long day of driving, and just wanted to find a nice place, and having a pool and hot tub helped. I got to enjoy these facilities and also the company of a couple who were fascinated that i had given up my job and was travelling. We chatted about places visited, and future plans. Definitely a pleasant way to while away the hours in the hot tub.
The next morning, time to hit the road again, but not before driving around and seeing some more of the town and down to the end of the peninsula, where i took a short walk along the coast, enjoying the natural beauty of rocks, and waves. The rocks were of two different colours which was interesting to see the seams of the dark amongst the white/pink.
Heading back up the peninsula, and route 1 heading east through Newcastle, before heading down the Pemaquid (“long finger” in Native language) Peninsula, and the Lighthouse at the end, which sits on a granite and pegmatite outcrop. I wandered around the site, and even ventured up the tower, which has a steep circular staircase up to the light. This lighthouse is one of 57 still operational in Maine, but has been fully automated since 1934 (it was the first one in Maine). My fascination with types of lighthouse grew.
Travelling up and down the peninsula’s meant that some of the roads were narrower, but also the condition of them varied.
· Lots of driving.
· Lighthouses.
· Beaches.
· Mixed weather
Handy hints –
§ Visit Information places – localised maps, hints of things to go and do or see.
§ Be prepared if wandering off interstates and main roads for narrow windy roads, and not always good condition roads
I had booked the car from midday, but there was no point in hanging around, so off to the Prudential Tower Centre, and find the car hire place (downstairs, and not easy to find without directions). It was surprising quick to be out (20 mins MAX), and i was off. They never give you much of a map, but there was some printed sheets with basic maps, and instructions on how to get back. To go north i was told, go up Mass Ave, and get onto No 2.
Heading up Mass Ave, i got into Cambridge and passed Harvard...i soon realised that i had missed the turning for No 2, it was just after i had crossed the river by MIT! So using the basic maps, i navigated myself north and east, finding myself going through the outer towns of Boston (inc Lexington) until i get onto Interstate 95 around Boston and then heading North. As soon as i can i get onto Highway 1, it makes for a more scenic route, going through towns and villages.
I pass on into New Hampshire, seeing the signposts for the famous Hamptons, but carry on. The sun is shining, and there seems to be a lot of people around. I find a Walmart and do some shopping....lunch, drinks, fruit....but get back onto Highway 1, through Portsmouth (has its roots in shipbuilding and maritime) and through Kittery – it has a huge outlet shopping area, but just the other side is the Tourist Info Centre for the state of Maine.
The lady who helped me was from Bradford, and i felt she went the extra mile in giving me information on places to go and maps. So armed with a Maine State Map, and several small localised maps (not done to scale) with places to stay, eat, shop and to do; off i went again back on Highway 1, but soon turning off onto Highway 103, which was the coastal road past Kittery Point, before turning back onto Route 1 briefly, and then onto Route 1A and into York Village.
It was a weekend, the sun was shining, and it was the holiday season, so the roads were busy, as well as the beaches. I followed the suggested routes, and although mid afternoon, wandering where i may end up for the evening, but carried on. I missed the turning for the first lighthouse in Maine, the “Nubble” Lighthouse, and carried on up Route 1A, a very scenic, windy route, on past Perkins Cove, through Ogunquit, and back onto Route 1. There were several Motels along here, which i thought might be good, but it felt too early to stop, so i headed onto Kennebunkport (with many mansions and ocean views).
The localised maps are not to scale and some bits which look long distances are short, and vice versa, so it was better to find landmarks on the map to navigate you. So through Wells and onto Kennebunkport. Once in Kennebunkport, it was right onto Ocean Ave....there were several very nice big mansions, overlooking the river and then the sea. Following the road, there was a little peninsular and several people were taking pictures or watching the home on it from some laybys. A former president, Mr G Bush, lived there.
Following the map, or so i thought, i carried on coming to a junction and turned left as i didn’t want to take the little loop in Cape Porpoise. Soon i was coming to road names not on the map (some of the smaller roads weren’t on it anyway), and eventually realised, i hadn’t even reached Cape Porpoise when i had turned left, and had actually bought myself almost back on myself into Kennebunkport, and Arundel. As time was slowly getting on, and i got back to Highway 1, i decided to head back to Ogunquit, and the many motels....i had also seen a Church of the Nazarene, and tomorrow being Sunday, i had somewhere to go. I was soon settled into a motel, and sorted for the night.
Sunday, was church, although small i was made to feel very welcome, and it was a nice familiar type service and worship. Then off for lunch by Nubble Lighthouse, it wasn’t actually too far to drive to, and enjoy an afternoon of sunshine after a Lobster sandwich and fries.
Monday was time to move on, and due to lots of tourists on Saturday, and my mis-navigation, i decided to head back to Kennebunkport, and Ocean Ave ( i stopped and saw Mr Bush go off in his boat with some friends), and through Goose Point, back onto Highway 1 inland. I turned off onto Highway 9, and through Scarborough, heading back towards the coast, then Route 207, and Route 77, aiming for Fort Williams and Portland Head Lighthouse, the most photographed of Maine’s Lighthouses, and the oldest 1791.
Maine has more than 60 Lighthouses, varying in size, style, etc. I’ve discovered that i like to visit them, learning some of the history, and see the different type of them. Fort William had been a great army base, and self contained community, and a couple of large gunning points, now dismantled. It is set as a 90 acre Park.
After lunch it was back on the road, and off through Portland (it is the largest city in Maine, originally a boat building and shipping port, including produce from Canada which had come on the Canada Trunk Line for shipping to Europe), and heading up the coastal route on Highway 1. Passing recognisable names of Falmouth, Yarmouth and Cumberland before reaching Freeport.
Freeport is one long outlet shopping mall, and as i was driving through, i was tempted to go shopping, but what was the point as no space in the suitcase.....several places had sales.
Carrying on Route 1 you arrive into the Mid-Coast, starting at the quiet college town of Brunswick, where there is old brick and clapboard homes and buildings, and leading on to the ‘fingers’ of land that are known as Harpswells. These are narrow forested peninsulas, and certainly made a change from the main roads. I went down Highway 24 which took me on through small areas of houses and across (the original Cribstone Bridge was under repair) over the tidal waterway onto Orr’s Island and then onto Bailey’s Island. There were a couple of lovely beach places to stop, and i was contemplating stopping for a couple of nights, but i carried onto Land’s End, a small beach. Seeing 3 generations of a family paddling and looking at the rock pools made me think of my family back home and staring out to sea was a heart warming & wrenching moment.
After a while of sitting on sharp-ish rocks, it was back in the car, back the way i had come and onto Highway 1, carrying on East through Bath, and down another peninsular to the seaside town of Boothbay Harbour. It is supposedly a crowded resort, a beautiful harbour, shops and restaurants. This popularity means that the prices of places to stay are higher, but due to the economic situation, it is easier to find places to stay without having to book way in advance, and occasionally you also get a discount. By the time i arrived here, i was getting tired from a long day of driving, and just wanted to find a nice place, and having a pool and hot tub helped. I got to enjoy these facilities and also the company of a couple who were fascinated that i had given up my job and was travelling. We chatted about places visited, and future plans. Definitely a pleasant way to while away the hours in the hot tub.
The next morning, time to hit the road again, but not before driving around and seeing some more of the town and down to the end of the peninsula, where i took a short walk along the coast, enjoying the natural beauty of rocks, and waves. The rocks were of two different colours which was interesting to see the seams of the dark amongst the white/pink.
Heading back up the peninsula, and route 1 heading east through Newcastle, before heading down the Pemaquid (“long finger” in Native language) Peninsula, and the Lighthouse at the end, which sits on a granite and pegmatite outcrop. I wandered around the site, and even ventured up the tower, which has a steep circular staircase up to the light. This lighthouse is one of 57 still operational in Maine, but has been fully automated since 1934 (it was the first one in Maine). My fascination with types of lighthouse grew.
Travelling up and down the peninsula’s meant that some of the roads were narrower, but also the condition of them varied.
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