Category: Road Trips

Our Scottish Adventure in 5 Parts

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I love airports. When I posted this sentiment recently on Facebook, a friend commented, “You’re being sarcastic, right?” I was not.

The energy and endless possibilities have always excited me. I typically arrive extremely early well before the suggested arrival time. I’d rather sit in an airport relaxing and enjoying a drink, or meal, depending on the time, while people watching than rush through security and get to the gate as my flight is boarding.

Our most recent adventure brought my excitement to new levels. Three years of planning our Scottish Adventure and constantly tweaking and updating our plans as pandemic shutdowns delayed us not once but twice had not dampened my anticipation but rather heightened it. When we finally arrived to gate E12 at Logan International Airport after a leisurely in-airport meal at Legal Seafoods, I was giddy and ready for our red-eye.

Maine and Scotland share a similar vibe: the mountains and the sea coming together. I felt very much at home in Scotland. But sadly, at least for my husband, the whisky is uniquely theirs.

I’ll be departing from my usual Maine centered posts for a bit as I document our recent travels around Scotland. The trip was worth the wait!

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Finding Memories in the Night Sky

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When I was younger, well before the teenage years pulled me in other more social directions, I remember going out in the evenings onto our large front lawn and lying down near our lonely, dying apple tree to stare up at the night sky. While light pollution from our close to the city location did not make for perfect viewing, it allowed enough of a glimpse into the star dotted darkness for me to feel the vastness of our universe and start that human journey of contemplating my place in it.

I eventually outgrew these solitary moments but they still hold a special place in my heart. They were moments of peace and reflection that sadly were so easily lost once my time was filled with the busyness of adulthood. But, even now, I still remember the softness of the grass cushioning my still body, the endless darkness of the sky above and the feeling of wonder as I stared into the vastness and dreamed of the stars. There is something comforting in staring up at the night sky.

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Three Days Exploring the Moosehead Lake Region of Maine

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While we were supposed to be in Scotland in September, COVID had other ideas and instead we planned a last minute staycation. It does help to live in Vacationland during a pandemic.

For this trip we decided to head to central Maine and spend a few days near Moosehead Lake before heading towards Mt. Katahdin and Baxter State Park. It’s an area we don’t explore as often as the coast since it’s further away for us but our revamped vacation plans meant it was the perfect time to explore the North Woods of Maine.

Day 1

We arrived in Greenville Maine on an atypically cool August day with strong winds dropping the temps even lower. We had taken our time driving up and stopped often along the way including a visit to Turning Page Farm Brewery in Monson . My husband and I enjoyed a summer session and brown ale respectively while relaxing at one of the picnic tables in their beer garden. We  enjoyed watching their playful herd of goats while eating a couple of bratwursts along with our craft beers. Continue reading →

#AtoZChallenge | V is for Views of the Artist’s Bridge in Newry Maine

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Covered bridges bring up feelings of nostalgia as your mind wanders back to an earlier time. They are the poster child for idyllic countryside drives and simpler times. Maine has nine covered bridges remaining according to the Maine Department of Transportation site on historic covered bridges.

Covered bridges at the center of a snow-covered scene are a quintessential New England image. While covered bridges are not specifically a winter thing, they do look even more lovely painted in white.

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Four hikes during our weekend at Northern Outdoors in The Forks, Maine

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Moxie Falls was on my bucket list this year. We had visited some waterfalls throughout western Maine last summer, which I blogged about in my post Hiking Maine | Following in the path of the Ultimate Maine Waterfalls Road Trip. There’s something extra fun about hiking when there’s a waterfall at the end of your efforts.

Moxie Falls is one of the highest falls in Maine. It’s located in West Forks which was an area that I wanted to explore.  Since it’s a fair distance from our home, we made a weekend of it and headed to Northern Outdoors, a wonderful, knotty pine covered, rustic camp in The Forks. While they run adventure tours for white water rafting and other excursions, we were focused on hiking for this trip as well as checking another box off our Maine Beer Trail. Kennebec Brewing is located at Northern Outdoors.

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