August 22, 2023
(click photos to start slideshow)
It was SUNNY and 71 degrees when we pulled away from Timberland Acres RV Park. This was the 4th sunny day in a row!
We arrived at the KOA in Durham, ME in the early afternoon. The campground seems like it is situated in the country and we had to drive 1/2 mile on a gravel road to reach the office. Our site was a long, level, end space with a large grassy area on the patio side. Nice!
Durham is very close to the Maine towns of Freeport and Portland. We were very anxious to explore this area since some fellow travelers said it was a favorite.
Apparently, it is impossible to spend 24 hours in Freeport, Maine, and not go shopping. In fact, the L.L. Bean flagship store, is a popular tourist destination and is open 24 hours a day. The “campus” has a cafe, coffee shop, ice cream shop, parks, and several L.L. Bean stores. I wanted to visit the L.L. Bean store to see the 16-foot version of the famous signature rubber-bottom boot displayed in front of the store. One more roadside americana photo to add to my collection!
LL Bean is the only store in Freeport that interested us, since, we have all the other stores in AZ. No shopping for us!
Tomorrow…Portland, ME
August 23, 2023
As we set out to explore Portland, we stopped at the visitors center to pick up a map. The attendant was extremely helpful and provided us with maps, ideas, and directions for the most popular things to see. I wish all visitors/welcome centers had employees with as much enthusiasm.
With our map in hand, the first thing on our must-see list was Bug Light Park. The park was the site of major ship building activity during WWII, but, today we found it to be a popular place for picniciking, biking, walking, and some kite flying. There was also a pretty good view of the Portland Waterfront.
We walked the pathway along the shore leading us to the Bug Light Lighthouse. The lighhouse was built in 1871 and is one of Maine’s most elegant lighthouses. It is called Bug Light due to it’s squatty, small size.
From Bug Light we could see another lighthouse not too far away. It was located on a point adjacent to the campus of Southern Maine Community College. Parking was limited, but, Ken decided to park in one of the nearby lots…maybe student or faculty parking? We walked to the edge of water for a closer look at the Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse. The lighthouse, resembling a spark plug, marks a dangerous obstruction in the shipping channel of the Portland Harbor.
Cape Elizabeth was next on our to-do list. We drove to Fort Williams Park which was once an Army Installation and home to The Portland Head Light Lighthouse. The lighhouse sits at the entrance of the primary shipping channel into Portland Harbor in Casco Bay. The tower was first lit onJanuary 10, 1791 and is the oldest lighthouse in Maine.
Of all the lighhouses we have seen on our trip, I like the setting of The Portland Head LIght best of all.
Portland, Maine, is on the southern coast of Maine. It’s the largest city in Maine. It’s a city with an old town character and charm mixed with a modern flair. Cobblestone streets, great dining, 19th-century architecture, and a scenic rocky coast… all things that make up my image of the Northeast Coast.
Commerical Street in old town Portland was our next stop. We parked and walked both sides of the street. We check ed out a couple of the wharfs and admired the fancy boats. On one of the wharfs, we saw a piece of the Berlin Wall!
We stopped at the Holy Donut, a must-visit destination. Donuts for an afternoon snack? Why not?Ken chose the maple bacon and I picked the salted chocolate. The unique ingredient…Maine fresh potatoes,,, is what makes them moist, tender, and flavorful. We though the donuts were good, but, not something we would want regularly. The cost…$8.64 for 2 donuts!
Another place with good reviews was the Standard Baking company. Since we were parked close by, we stopped in to see if they any brownies and chocolate chip cookies. There was a sign letting at the door informing us that masks were optional…Really? It didn’t take long for us to figure out they didn’t have anything we wanted…I didn’t see any brownies or cookies. We didn’t need any more sweets, anyway.
Even though we had time left on our meter, we decided to move on. We drove through some other sections of Portland looking at the old houses…some refurbished and nice and others not so nice.
Driving through Freeport, on our way back towards the campground, we saw a large Indian Statue. Another roadside americana photo…2 in the same day! The Indian has had a presence in Freeport for many years. It was originally created for a store that sold mocassins. The store has been sold and several other owners and businesses have resided with the Indian. Apparently, the Indian is referred to as the Big F Indian (BFI)…Big Freeport or Friendly Indian. There has been some controversy over whether it should be removed, but, for now, it is still standing!
In Freeport, we passed the only McDonalds in town. I only recognized the small sign in the front yard…this McDonald’s was in a Colonial Mansion. To maintain the areas aesthic, McDonalds remodeld an existing structure. It opened in 1984. I even read that Lobster Rolls are on the menu!
What will we do on last day in Maine?
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