Magical, Mystical, Spectacular Maine

Before I give you our thoughts on Maine, I want to provide a little context for this trip;

• Of all 50 states, this is the one state Dave and I have both wanted to experience the most.
• We have waited two years for this experience and have built it up in our minds to be spectacular.
• We are here to experience Maine and not Canada, even though we can see it from Homer.
• We are not in a touristy area of Maine, even kind of! Eastport is the most northeastern city in Maine.
• My creative juices went into overdrive the first morning I walked the shore outside Homer. Nature is very bountiful with driftwood, shells and beach glass in this area.
• Dave finally got a new phone with a better camera and we have now both gone a little nuts, snapping pictures of all the beauty that surrounds us – literally out all of our windows!
• We have taken A LOT of photos!

A typical day

Yep, this is the sunrise right outside of Homer! It might rise earlier here than anywhere else in the US, but it’s worth seeing.

I can’t speak for the whole coastal region of this state, but everything here in Eastport is driven by the tides. As the moon gets fuller each month, the tides raise and lower by multiple feet each day. We have learned to plan all our day trips in the area based on the tides.

One of our very favorite things to do each day, is find a cove, or bay, or just a rocky piece of shoreline and spend a couple hours just beach combing for treasures. Dave is now addicted to looking for sea glass and by the way, we thought we had found sea glass in other states, and it is nothing compared to the sea glass here. We often find ourselves walking the beach looking for treasures and then stopping to look up and notice how much beauty surrounds us from all sides. It is truly stunning!

Other than the sea glass, we discovered what wish rocks and heart rocks are and the meanings behind them. We are now constantly on the lookout for both and yes, my kids can just guess what they are getting for Christmas. LOL! To learn more about them and possibly start your own collection, see the links below;

Maine’s bold coastal beauty

I don’t even have the words to describe all that we have seen, so I will just leave these pictures here and hopefully you will get a feel for the ever-changing scenery we experience every day we are here.

We did a touristy thing!

Dave and I usually just explore the areas we visit and have fun finding little hidden gems that few people experience. We are not big on the whole tourist thing. However, we decided to go on a whale watching tour while here so we could see some of the sea life around us. We also really wanted to get on the water and see this area from a different perspective. We were not disappointed!

Real wildflowers everywhere

One item we found very surprising in this area, are all the wildflowers we see along the roads, on all the small islands, along the bays. These aren’t planted by the people here; they actually just grow here, naturally. Along with the wildflowers, we also find all the little birds and bees that survive because of them.

So, Maine is not perfect, no matter how much I go on about its beauty. There are two not so great parts I have found. Fire ants is the worst one. They are here and they bite just like in the south. Once I figured it out, I learned to stay away from the top of the shoreline that doesn’t get wet and since then, I haven’t gotten any new bites. (My feet are full of them and an absolute mess. Learned if I soak them in vinegar and put some aloe on the bites, they will stop itching and start healing!)

The second one is the smell. Today we have a breeze and the smell of the ocean and the slightly salty, fresh air is just like every candle I have ever purchased. Absolutely heavenly. On a hot day, if the air shifts in a different direction, the smell of the seaweed at low tide, can knock you over. Can’t even tell you how many times I have asked Dave if we have a black tank leak! Close the windows, turn on the A/C and find a beach to walk where the wind is coming from the right direction and problem solved. (I can tell you though, I am not the only person in this campground that when first experiencing it, asked if it always smells like that here. Thank goodness it doesn’t, but if you have a strong sense of smell like I do, it’s an unhappy surprise at first whiff!)

We’ve been here a little over 2 weeks and don’t leave until mid-August when we head to the more touristy Booth Bay, Maine and have some quality family time. I’m on the lookout for a Wicked Good Maine sweatshirt and have high hopes I’ll find one there.

All we can say at this point, is if you EVER thought about coming to Maine, just do it. It is truly an experience to be in this magical, mystical and spectacular place. I still pinch myself every morning we wake up here and if ever this lifestyle was in question for us, any lingering doubts are gone with the tide.

See ya on the road,

Dave and Theresa