Summer Touring in Maine - an Eclectic Review - Page 2 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
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There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
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So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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Oh, dear... the road that goes right along the rocks at the shore is paved now? I feel like such an old-timer! I'm sure it's still beautiful, though.
Maybe we just haven't found the secret path yet???
Quote:
Originally Posted by rlb38
Fantastic photos ! The boats in the harbour look so beautiful. Looking forward to more. Can you tell us a bit about what it's like to live on a boat ?
Thanks. As for what it's like to living on a boat, we're often asked that question ... So, at the risk of boring you to death, I'll try to answer that question.
Here's the boat:
It's a trawler style motor yacht, designed in England so it's pretty sturdy. It's 55ft long by about 14ft wide - not a mega yacht but very comfortable. We consider it our floating condo / summer home.
As an aside, we purchased it 10 years ago when exchange rates were very good, but then had very little time to use it. My job took us to Australia for 3 years, then to Arizona for another 3. Thus, the decision to take it to Maine and enjoy it for a few years. We were both very fortunate to have good careers where we could save and get settled before the economy tanked.
The boat "Promise Promise" (yes, there is a story behind that name), has a great outside deck area, a comfortable salon, 3 staterooms for sleeping, and 2 heads.
Some pics - first, the outside deck, which looks larger than it is:
The salon / main living area:
The galley - Lou does all the cooking. I can use the microwave and almost make coffee:
The Master Stateroom - that's a queen bed, even tho it looks 10 ft long in the pic
So ... We are not suffering much. There's room to have our own space. I like to read, go for walks, and practice taking photos. Lou likes to work on his model trains, and keep track of everything going on in the marina. It's a very relaxing lifestyle, even though there is a lot of maintenance to do to keep the boat in shape.
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Beautiful home! And you managed to snag a great mooring. We had a Friendship sloop-- not really fit for living on, but great for long weekends and an occasional week exploring the islands.
Oh wow, the boat looks wonderful and a great place to stay while you're up there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
Beautiful home! And you managed to snag a great mooring. We had a Friendship sloop-- not really fit for living on, but great for long weekends and an occasional week exploring the islands.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wendyismyname
Gorgeous! Simply Gorgeous!!
Thank you. It's a comfortable and convenient place to stay. We use the dinghy for short trips,around the harbor.
I'm just tuning in. I'm loving your pictures. My aunt lives not too far from Camden - she's in Belfast. A lot of what you're showing, we've driven by many, many times when we've gone to visit her. I'm looking forward to more of your pictures/report
Gorgeous photos-makes me remember why I live in Northern New England and even when under many feet of snow (we had between 12 and 13 in 2010-2011) I can't imagine living anyplace else. Some of the pictures are so beautiful they don't even look real.
I fantasize about living on the water, but not sure I ever really would. Glad you are enjoying your retirement. It's quite the adventure.
Day Trip - Rockport, Rockland, Owl's Head, and Waterman Beach
Near the end of July, MIL was visiting, and we took her on several drives around the area. The first place we stopped was Rockport - less than a 15 minute drive from Camden.
Rockport has a nice protected harbor that is used to launch a lot of kayaks and small boats. It is also home to some commercial fishermen and a Schooner for sightseeing cruises. There is also a boat building facility - we'll come back to Rockport later in the summer.
The park at the harbor also has an exhibit describing 19th Century Lime Manufacturing - including one of the old engines. Lou is a train geek, and we both worked in the Lime and Portland Cement Industry, so he loves Rockport. I believe these next few photos are ones he took:
I made fun of Lou when he bought this book, but it really is fascinating history. This area is now known for lobster, but in the mid 1800s, Lime (made by burning locally quarried limestone rock in the kilns) was the primary export for delivery down the Eastern Seaboard. (Hurry, I think Amazon only has two of these books left ).
We then headed to Rockland, which was about a 40 minute drive. We drove around the town, showing MIL some of the sights. We did stop to visit the Farnsworth Museum. If you are ever in this area, I would highly recommend a tour of this museum. There you can view works in The Wyeth Center, as well as other Maine Artists. When we visited, there was also a special photography exhibit which was amazing (so amazing the name escapes me - but it was beautiful).
Coming up in the next post - the rest of our day trip ...
I'm just tuning in. I'm loving your pictures. My aunt lives not too far from Camden - she's in Belfast. A lot of what you're showing, we've driven by many, many times when we've gone to visit her. I'm looking forward to more of your pictures/report
Thank you. I enjoyed reading your TR earlier this week. We should have some photos of Belfast as we get further along.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Huntermom
Gorgeous photos-makes me remember why I live in Northern New England and even when under many feet of snow (we had between 12 and 13 in 2010-2011) I can't imagine living anyplace else. Some of the pictures are so beautiful they don't even look real.
I fantasize about living on the water, but not sure I ever really would. Glad you are enjoying your retirement. It's quite the adventure.
Thanks, Huntermom. New England is truly beautiful - we would like to visit in the winter as well. Living on the boat for a few months is fun, but it may be a challenge this summer...
A quick Disney Update, since that's why most of us visit this forum. Woke up early this morning to do my ADRs for our mid-December trip. Snagged good times for California Grill and Artist Point. Also made a reservation at Kona to try that delicious looking Tonga Toast.
OK, time to finish up our Day of Touring with MIL.
After Rockland, we headed to Owl's Head. Our destination was the Lighthouse, which is located in a State Park. The drive into the park is scenic, and we saw quite a few lobster boats. As you get into the park, you also have some nice views of the rugged shoreline:
We plan to go back to Owl's Head this summer when the weather is better. We also want to tour the Transportation Museum, which is supposed to be outstanding.
From Owl's Head, we went to Waterman Beach for a late lunch. If you time it right, you can see them unload fresh lobster right at the dock. The specialty is lobster rolls. We had the lobster rolls with fresh corn on the Cobb. Very good! MIL had a hotdog
Next on the Agenda - Acadia National Park & The Bar Harbor Inn ...
great start!!! A friend of mine actually just asked me about visiting Maine (they are in NJ, we are in CT) - I might have to share your post with her!!
Your photos are BEAUTIFUL!!!!! What program are you using for editing??? I am a "amateur" photographer myself............or at least I like to think so...........and just find your work beautiful!!!!
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Lisa Co-Guide to Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports
Thanks for including the picture of Owl's Head. The last time we went to visit my aunt (before my uncle got sick and passed) we went to Owls Head and climbed up all the stairs to the lighthouse and have different pictures/different views. It was an enjoyable afternoon for us.
We also have a picture somewhere of Abby in front of that train. We also have a picture with her in front of the statue of Andre the seal. Thanks for all the memories today.
More beautiful photos of places I miss! The Owl's Head Transportation Museum was always a bit hit whenever I took visitors there-- lots of old cars and planes. Not my thing, but the Farnsworth Museum I loved, especially the Homers and Wyeths.
Just since Maine winters have been mentioned-- here's an old photo of my house in the snow-- you can just make out the house through the snow-covered lilacs. (Sorry-- as you can see, my photo skills and computer skills are lacking. I managed to scan the photo but have no idea how to crop it so just the photo shows!)
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