A Lady Escapes: Camden, Maine

Midcoast claims my childhood summers. It claims those of my mother as well. Though she now lives in the far reaches of Downeast Maine  (where few tourists explore) and I myself used to dwell on Mount Desert Island (where most tourists go), the seaside towns of Camden, Rockland and Lincolnville speak to our comfortable youth and cherished summers, filled with the sight of the still cold sea from atop Mt. Battie and ginger from Dorman's Dairy Dream. They were filled with the color of blue from the native berries and red like the cooked lobsters eaten in all the restaurants by mainly out of towners. Camden, in particular, is a romantic vision of coastal Maine, and it's easy to forget that any other kind exists. And yet I still love that vision after all these years, and it's why I recently drove four hours north from Boston to see it alive again. In late May it was still fairly quiet, but in the next few weeks, Camden and the other midcoast towns will be filled to the brim with vacationers eager to experience what I have known my entire life, and that is a calm only towns this far north offer, in the sweet, gentle villages along the rocky coast. It is a calm that inspires the phrase, "the way life should be," which greets visitors to the state of Maine after they cross the Piscataqua River. Visit the little shops and walk the main streets, but do find a bench that overlooks the harbors, and watch as the fishermen come and go, and watch the happy visitors enjoy their first schooner ride and breathe deeply. You're in Maine. 

A Lady Escapes: Atop Cadillac Mountain in September

In early September I visited my mother in downeast Maine and returned briefly to Mount Desert Island. Here are pictures from atop Cadillac Mountain, the highest peak on the island and a favorite spot in the hearts of many Mainers. On this day I could have touched the sky for the clouds felt so near. I've delayed in sharing these photographs, but better late than never. Hope you enjoy!

2012 in Photographs

On this last day of 2012, I'm reflecting on all the beauty I've seen across the lovely states of New England and most especially, on a little island in Maine. Beauty found in the trees and ocean, in the skies and meadows and in the hearts of the people I know. 

To all my readers, I wish you a very wonderful last day of 2012. 

An empty apartment, an empty island

Boston came and went. A perfect apartment was found and lost in only a few hours. It was very cold and even colder here in Maine, and I am in need of a good wool coat. Today is my last day on the island. In a few hours, I will leave with my remaining belongings and take up base at my mother's for a day or so, until I can venture down the coast once more and continue the apartment search. Here's hoping the first few days of December will prove more auspicious than the last hours of November. Still, there were a few tiny discoveries that I was happy to make:

-Mr. Crepe, a small restaurant/cafe right in Davis Square

-Whats-Nü, a boutique also in Davis Square

-Green T Coffee Shop, an adorable cafe in Mission Hill where I bought a butterfinger cocoa. That's right, butterfinger cocoa! Yes, it was good! 

Yesterday, as the sun began to set (about 3:45pm), I walked to the sand bar that leads to Bar Island, only accessible during low tide. This past spring and summer, Bar Island was a favorite destination of mine, though it was typically swamped by tourists and their cars. Last night it was only me wandering along the sand, shivering and snapping photos. Afterwards, I came home and continued to pack the little (and big!) things I love, such as the mementos in the third photograph. And now, my apartment is nearly empty and I will miss it sorely.

Adieu to Acadia

These days, I'm bidding my final adieu to Acadia and all the beauty it contains. For months I have been lucky enough to call Mt. Desert Island my home, and thus have been free to explore as much of Acadia National Park as I liked. These days, fewer tourists roam the carriage roads or drive the Park Loop Road now that all of the leaves have left the trees. Now, it is only the locals along with the animals who continue to absorb the splendor of Acadia. Soon enough, snow will cover the trails that have felt so many footsteps this year and in a sense, the land will take a break from its constant showcasing. 

I have been re-visiting all of my favorite spots including 

the Ocean Drive section of the Park Loop Road (first two photographs), Jesup Path and Sieur de Monts area 

(picture of moi), as well as the Witch Hole Pond area 

(final two shots). A visit to Bar Island is essential before I leave for good.

Tomorrow, I will be traveling down to Boston to apartment hunt. I've a few appointments set up and here's to hoping one of them works out. I'll only be there for a day or so-very quick-but it would be a wonderful thing to find a new home. Then I'll truly be able to call myself a lady in Boston. 

A Downeast Thanksgiving

Yesterday the Thanksgiving Holiday was spent in Downeast Maine, in a small town known as Harrington where my mother lives. From Mt. Desert Island, it takes nearly an hour and a half to drive east on route 1A, a road that travels through numerous seaside towns little known to most tourists. 

My mother lives on Narraguagus Bay, where on most days of the year, you can see clammers working on the mud flats during low tide. When the tide rolls in hours later, you can hardly imagine the workers had been there at all. Like much of Downeast Maine, Harrington is a very small town that possesses only a few buildings (a post office, a town hall) but boasts spectacular scenery. It was lovely to see it yesterday.

In attendance besides myself were: two dogs, my mother, and my boyfriend (Milo is the little rapscallion you see above). 

On the menu was the following:

-Turkey, stuffing, and gravy-of course!

-Eggplant Bruschetta to start, so delish (5th picture above)

-Orange Cranberry relish-a peronal favorite

-Asparagus with shaved almonds

-Sweet yams with pineapple

-Apple crisp and vanilla ice cream for dessert

-A sweet white called "Birds & bees" for our wine

All in all, a very lovely holiday indeed! Now it's back to packing and preparing for the move to Beantown.