Fall in Maine and the Surrounding Northeast Area (9/15 – 10/20)

We finally got back on track after the big Texas detour and landed in Maine on September 15th. Our plan all along has been to spend fall in New England for the changing of the leaves. It had been unseasonably warm in the 70s and 80s, but it was still quite a relief from the hot and sticky temps and humidity of the Midwest. When we arrived, the foliage had barely changed, as lower temps tend to speed up that process. Whatever the case, we were happy to be back in the cooler coastal region and to breathe ocean air again. By the time we left the northeast, the foliage had changed and was peaking in many areas.

Wells, ME

• 9/15 – 9/20
• 138 miles from Springfield, VT to Wells, ME
• Moody Beach RV Campground
• Highlights:
  • It was 16 years since our last visit to Maine and it was great to be back!
  • Jon lived in Maine in the late 80s and early 90s’, so we visited his old stomping grounds including Harpswell, Dingley Island and the only known cribstone bridge in the world which connects Bailey Island to Orr Island.
  • Our niece Ali from Wyoming just started her freshman year at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, so we met up with her for lunch and sightseeing.
  • We loved driving up and down the coast and stopping at various lighthouses and beaches along the way.

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Trenton/Bar Harbor, ME

• 9/20 – 10/4
• 197 miles from Wells, ME to Trenton, ME
• Narrows Too Camping Resort
• Highlights:
  • We were excited to be parked in one place for a longer period of time.
  • We were parked just a short drive away from Acadia National Park, so we took advantage with several trips into the park.
  • Our friends Shannon and Talula of Sweet T Travels were staying at an RV Park near Acadia, so we met up with them for a picnic lunch in a great mossy forest area of Acadia. It was so nice to catch up with them again.
  • Our friend from Arizona, Pat, just moved up to Maine recently so we were able to meet up with him for lunch and sightseeing in nearby Bar Harbor. Great catching up!
  • We continued our tour of various lighthouses and beaches nearby, hitting up some of the most beautiful and most photographed in the world!
  • We did a little DIY project in the RV to address the issue we were having with draining batteries. We replaced the two engine batteries and also installed an echo charger which will recharge the batteries when we are plugged into a power source at camp. We drilled into the metal between compartments, spliced wires, and were happy when neither of us electrocuted ourselves and it actually worked!
  • Cathy has been increasingly tired and gaining weight, both classic signs of decreased thyroid function, or for those without a thyroid, inadequate thyroid hormone replacement. A quick trip to a nearby lab for a blood test confirmed that her thyroid replacement was indeed inadequate, so her endocrinologist in Arizona called in a new prescription to a nearby pharmacy. Cathy started on the increased dose and will continue to monitor her symptoms closely, as well as have her labs rechecked mid-December to determine how the adjusted dose is performing.
  • During our last week at this camp, we saw our first real hint of the leaves changing color. Beautiful!

Hanover, ME

• 10/4 – 10/9
• 164 miles from Trenton, ME to Hanover, ME
• Stony Brook Recreation and Camping
• Highlights:
  • The drive to Hanover was absolutely gorgeous! As we headed inland, the leaves popped with incredible color!
  • The great thing about the New England area is that the states are small and you can see many different areas without lengthy travel. We drove between Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont to join the other leaf peepers and covered bridge chasers. The scenery was unbelievable! Everywhere we turned, we were presented with a scene from a magazine.
  • We spent an afternoon in Augusta, Maine and took a tour of the state capitol.

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    Contoocook, NH

• 10/9 – 10/11
• 155 miles from Hanover, ME to Contoocook, NH
• Sandy Beach RV Resort
• Highlights:
  • We enjoyed more leaf peeping and covered bridges. Every day the leaves get more colorful and there is something magical about discovering a covered bridge framed by the vivid colors.

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

     

    

    

Rochester, MA

• 10/11 – 10/14
• 137 miles from Contoocook, NH to Rochester, MA
• Gateway to Cape Cod RV Campground
• Highlights:
  • We spent a full day in downtown Boston. We enjoyed the JFK Presidential Library and Museum, toured the state capitol, and enjoyed the many historic buildings and cemeteries around town.
  • We drove into nearby Rhode Island to visit the state capitol in Providence, drove along the oceanfront to enjoy the beaches and famous mansions, and ended with a lighthouse and sunset on Goat Island.

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

Wurtsboro, NY

• 10/14 – 10/18
• 266 miles from Rochester, MA to Wurtsboro, NY
• Catskill Adventure Resort
• Highlights:
  • The leaf peeping continued in New York. The northern states had a lot of reds and yellows, whereas the trees here were mostly shades of orange and rust. They were different, yet beautiful all the same.
  • We drove to Hyde Park to visit the FDR Presidential Library and Museum, which was the first of its kind. FDR was the first president to build a presidential library, as a place to hold records and as a gift to the people.
  • Woodstock actually took place in Bethel Woods, New York. We walked the big grassy hill where over 400,000 people gathered for the festival. The site is so quiet and peaceful now.
  • The New York State House in Albany was incredible. It looked more like a European castle than a state capitol.

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    Bear, DE

• 10/18 – 10/20
• 216 miles from Wurtsboro, NY to Bear, DE
• Lums Pond State Park
• Highlights:
  • The State House in Dover was a neat historic building from the outside, but didn’t have a lot going on inside. It did, however, have a nice display about nurses during World War II.
  • Our camp was a short drive across the Delaware River to New Jersey. We visited a Civil War cemetery, a cool lighthouse, and drove along the shores of the Delaware.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  We loved welcoming fall from Maine and the surrounding Northeast area. We didn’t want to be in the Northeast when the weather got too cold, so it was time to make our way further south in search of warmer temps.