Ah, Maine!!

Thursday, October 8, 2016

As we left the hotel, we had a plan—to take the coastal route as we moved north in Maine.  Before we were five minutes from the hotel, I discovered a yarn shop—a quaint, cedar-shake cottage housing a wonderful array of yarns and needles, a sweet pooch, and a welcoming proprietor.  We were delayed about 30 minutes while I had a good chat with the owner and found some yarn and needles that I had to have.  Keep in mind—I had my knitting bag in the car with two projects already started and two new balls of yarn!

The Yarn Sellar - York ME

The coastal road (Rt. 103) along York Harbor was such a wonderful find!  What a happy place to spend several hours enjoying the exquisite views.  This town is so generous with public access to the sea.  A low rocky wall lines the edge of the beach, separating it from the sidewalk and roadway.  Tide was in and the surf slapped up against those rocks. 


 








This went on for at least a mile and ended in a small commercial area that included public parking and clean, well-maintained public restrooms, right along the beach.  We spotted the Goldenrod Kisses restaurant and headed in that direction for a late lunch, curious about its name.  Turns out, it was started in 1896 as a place that sold homemade pulled taffy kisses, thus its name.  Candy cases full of many different flavors of taffy and other sweet delicacies, met us as we walked in and worked our way to the rustic dining area.

Our next stop took us through a neighborhood with beautiful homes overlooking the ocean that led us to the Nubble Lighthouse, which seemed to be saying, “take my picture.”  We sat in awe on a rocky cliff in the sunshine and soft breeze, listening to the waves crashing and watching the ocean spray bounce off the rocks, and the lighthouse standing guard over it all.  What a day!

As we left this charming place and continued our journey north along the coast, we encountered trendier towns, more pristine places.  We tried to get glimpses of the water but discovered barriers—closely planted trees or hedges or walls or fences.  We happened upon what looked like the possibility for another adventure along the water, only to discover that the fee to park was $12!  We kept going and found a parking area with a beautiful view—“Permit Parking Only.”  At that point, we decided to move away from the seaside and head toward the Maine woods, saddened with the thought that some people could own and monopolize the coast, but, also keeping in mind we might feel differently if it was our seaside.


On our way north, L.L. Bean beckoned.  We were there 29 years ago in the middle of the night after we arrived by ferry in Bar Harbor from Nova Scotia and had no reservations--couldn't find a campsite or hotel room, so we drove until we found L.L. Bean, a haven in the night.  People were shopping; sales people were helping.  Things have changed here over the years.  It now looks like a college campus with a courtyard between its stores.  The first store we entered contained furniture, décor, kitchen items, etc.  We walked across "campus" to the fishing, outdoor, and clothing store.  A beautiful, welcome setting; however, even the items on sale were very pricey.  I looked at a $64.95 shirt on the sale rack, and it was marked down to $59.95.

We are spending the night in Augusta, Maine’s capital, and will have a two-hour drive to our destination in the woods tomorrow.