Gone Walkabout: Good to the Last Drop

In the final weeks of my New England life, I have been enjoying Maine more than ever. Free concerts, friend visits, Appalachian Trail hiking, festivals... I am happily along for the ride as I try to enjoy every single moment of every single day. This means much spontaneous application of carpe diemic principals.

The Head And The Heart

L.L. Bean graciously hosts a free outdoor summer concert series on their lawn in Freeport. My friends and I went to see The Head And The Heart who were magnificent. They make pretty, folky music and apparently attract some super dancey hipsters. There were people with helium balloons tied to themselves and also blowing balloons. And the dancing- oh, golly. It was like a mountain tent revival, people jumping around and reaching their arms way to the sky.

Staked out our spot in the parking lot

The band

Adele was an older lady who did NOT like people standing up to dance around.

Dancing, but not like some of the others

Second-Chance Visitor

My college friend, Calvin, recently began a City Year term of service in Boston, so he came up for a visit since Lewiston is just about 2.5 hours away. This was accomplished in two attempts, the first being thwarted by a complex bus system. During the visit, we went to Popham Beach, which remains one of my favorite places in Maine, then had dinner in and wandered around the bars of Portland. We went to my church on Sunday, had a lovely lunch on Lisbon Street (the gentrified part of Lewiston), and said good-bye after a jam-packed, wonderfully rich 24 hour visit. It's been about a year since I last saw most of my college friends, so it was both strange and delightful to reconnect with that part of my life. I feel so far removed from that time and place.

View from Fox Island, accessible only when the tide is out, to the main beach

And on to Portland

Ogunquit on the Fly

I had the opportunity to make a day trip after a half day at work. Spontaneously, my friend Laura and I decided to go down to Ogunquit. I'd heard great things about this place and wanted to see it, so we made the trip, laid in the sun for a few hours, headed back home through South Portland where we stopped for succulent, juicy cheeseburgers at Elevation Burger, and totally carpe'd the diem.

PACKED! Those crazy French-speaking Canadians got in that 56 degree water.

I think Maine has some of the prettiest water I've ever seen.

We drove through the town of Ogunquit after we left the beach and it was quite charming, but also so full of people in cars and on foot that the stress of seeing so many humans at one time in Maine, which isn't supposed to have so many people in one area at a time, compelled us to promptly make our way home.

Clay Aiken

Grafton Notch State Park

On a lazy afternoon, I made the last minute decision to go to Grafton Notch State Park, just about 1.5 hours away from Lewiston. I was hiking toward the duskier side of day, which is such a beautiful time of day to hike. The particular reason I wanted to visit this park is because some of its trails are part of the Appalachian Trail, and when I've previously hiked on the AT in Maine, I experienced a remarkable sense of kinship with the wilds of the East Coast because the AT is a great vein running through it all the way to my home state and beyond. I brought my camera, but forgot to replace my memory card after last taking it out, so I only have LG Octane photos to show for it.

The AT Sign! So cool!

I hiked the AT to a side trail leading to Table Rock. The hike is well wooded until you come to the exposed Table Rock. As you are rising to go to it, the trees start to clear to a large slate expanse behind them. When you come out of the trees, you see that expanse is a glorious mountain staring right back at you. After marveling a while, and feeling afraid that some wind would come blow me right off, I headed back to the parking area on the Table Rock trail, which is in large part a boulder scramble after you creep through this sort-of cave. I wished I'd gone up Table Rock and down the AT because boulder scrambles are a lot of fun to climb.

Great spontaneous decision

Great Falls Balloon Festival

Lewiston is famous for its annual Great Falls Balloon Festival. I went to the Friday evening festivities as well as the early morning Saturday festivities, which include performances, a carnival, local vendors, and of course, hot air balloons. I was so taken by the hot air balloons that I've now got a great desire to ride in one.

Local non-profits use the festival as a major fundraiser by selling delicious fair food

So in the mood for the North Carolina State Fair!

There is a concert stage at the festival; here, some old guys performing "Living on a Prayer" with some mom-aged belly dancers.

I woke up verrry early (for this girl, anyway) at 5:30am to go see the morning balloon launches and partake in a pancake breakfast. I love being in the world early when I can make myself do it.

Old Mill in the A.M. sunshine

What a view!

Sneaky penguin....

Wild Maine Blueberry Pancakes. What else?

After watching the balloons take off and a delicious breakfast under an event tent, my friend Laura and I walked to the railroad bridge to tailgate in our folding chairs, bask in the sun, and think of what we ought to do next: be sleepy or press on. Sleepy won.