All's Well in Wells...Mainely
Our first stop was a two-week stay in Wells, Maine. I was told by someone from Massachusetts that Wells "isn't really Maine," but that when people from New England say they are going to Maine, this is what they mean.
This part of Maine's coastline bobs in and out of gorgeous little coves. Each cove is its own town and has its own amenities. That is nice because you don't have to go far to enjoy anything a coastal town has to offer. This was our first morning in Wells, when we drove into the Ogunquit area to see the Atlantic Ocean for the first time.
Jackson and I were the only ones who wanted to go down to the beach.
Early in the morning and already getting busy. That should have been my first clue about what Wells was going to be like!
Beautiful beaches that are so different from Oregon but still have a similar quality that is cozy and familiar.
Wonderful accents and diversity of cultures that make for fantastic people watching and meeting! I am enjoying visiting with people from all over America and Canada, as well as Europe, Asia, and Australia. So cool!
Amazing food! We didn't have any lobster while we were here, but it's on the docket at our current location.
The weather! It rained in spots a few times while we were at this first stop, but not much. The temps were a comfortable 75-85, with humidity only creeping up with the rain. It was perfect!
Lighthouses, old buildings, landmarks, and history. My favorite! More on those later.
The New England charm that I am so fond of. I love the style and colors of the buildings. The gold lettering, the coastal feel that is completely different from the PNW. Buildings painted pale colors with thick, dark window frames and high roof peaks. So beautiful! 💜 Jeff likes it a lot, too. I could drive the various coves all day just looking at the buildings if it weren't for...
The bad about Wells:
The traffic. Oh wow. This is what I expected to find in New York City or Boston. I was beside myself the first time I tried to go to the grocery store. It was 4 miles down the road and took the better part of an hour to get there! Bumper to bumper for miles on the main road. Pedestrians walking in a steady stream in the coves. Bicyclists and runners bobbing all around the traffic. The traffic was so bad that it made us not want to leave the park. It meant that getting places took longer than was reasonable, which in turn meant we did less while we were there. So it definitely compromised our time in Wells.
Kind of in the same vein, but a different aspect: The crowds. I don't know, though. The people made it fun and interesting. There are just so many people crammed into such a small area. I am told this is how the Northeastern states are, so get used to it. And the people I have talked to about this act like I'm describing a magical fairyland when I tell them about how wide open the western states are. But people here get to enjoy the perks of large-population living: amenities, ridiculously good food, and easily accessible services. Plus there are interesting/amazing/thrilling things around every corner. It's just that you have to navigate around a thousand people to see those things. I spoke with a self-proclaimed "Maine-boy" one day, who was telling me that it hasn't always been this way in Maine. He said that now it's more "over-run" with people from big cities like Boston and NYC, who want to escape the stresses of city life.
The mosquitoes! These mosquitoes were Mosquitoes with a capital M! My girls are allergic to whatever kind of mosquito is over here and had the biggest swelling reactions! They both got bit on their ankles and couldn't wear shoes for a few days after. At first I thought that Jordan had been bit by some kind of spider, so I dosed her with Benadryl and marked the edges of the swelling. It kept getting bigger until it covered the entire top of her foot. I was going to take her to urgent care if it started to go up the ankle, but it had improved by the second morning. Then Megan's foot swelled up exactly the same way except that it was in a place that she knew she had just been bit by a mosquito. They both got attacked several more times during those two weeks, so we were passing around Campho-Phenique and bug spray constantly. The back of Jordan's leg was a big swollen hive after she was bit in three different spots on the same day. It hurt me to look at it. She kept saying, "Just don't look--I'm okay, Mom." I was like, "No it's not okay! Do not go outside without covering yourself in bug spray!" Definitely the worst part of our stop in Wells, but at least they were only at our campground. Everywhere else was bug-free.
We spent one of our mornings at Nubble Lighthouse in York. It was overcast and wonderful! We got to visit with one of the lighthouse volunteers, who not only told us the history of the lighthouse, but also gave us great tips about the area.
This girl and her curls at Nubble Lighthouse.
See what I mean? The Atlantic is so different from the Pacific, yet still similar.
This lighthouse was in operation until the early 1980's. Until then families lived here full-time! At one point there was a tram on a wire system that got the children onto the main land for school each day. I thought that was so cool! Can you imagine being a kid, living on that little island? It's SO Sarah, Plain and Tall!
Speaking of Sarah, Plain and Tall, I need to say that this time in Maine is pretty much a lifelong dream come true. When I was in 3rd grade, I think, our class read Sarah, Plain and Tall. I fell absolutely in love with the story. I wanted to be Sarah, living on Maine's gray coast with the boats and the big winds. (This was when I lived in California and before I had lived on the coast, so it was especially exotic to me.)
I told my family how much I loved the story and that I couldn't believe I was actually going to live in Maine for a month! Jeff said, "I don't think you can be Sarah, Plain and Tall, but you can be Sarah, Short and Sassy!" Ha! So here I am, folks, living it! It's nothing like I imagined as a child (reasonable when you consider how much has changed since the 1800's), but every so often I get glimpses of the most wonderful things that are uniquely Maine.
During our first weekend there, we drove up to Portland Head Lighthouse. Never mind my son's facial expression--he is super sensitive to light being in his eyes and couldn't muster a smile. The girls were able to power through, though.
Gave him my glasses. All better.
How cool is this?!? Commissioned by GEORGE WASHINGTON and manned in 1791! Lewis & Clark hadn't even made it out west yet. I'm totally geeking out about the history in the places we are visiting.
I learned that the big bushes that are growing all over (like the one next to the girls in this photo) are wild roses! They are really different. They have big bulbs on them, like they are a fruit.
This was our first Thousand Trails. Great pool, great location. Spot was good but a little close to neighbors. Neighbors were awesome, so didn't mind so much. Wifi and Verizon were horrible unless you were sitting right next to the booster. So guess where everyone congregated during our stay? Right next to the booster! I joked that we were like freezing people huddled around the only source of heat.
Jordan and Jackson like to go for walks and take photos. This is the walk that caused Jordan so much grief with the mosquitoes, but she got a cool shot of her brother!
We took the shuttle to the beach after we finished up school and chores one morning. We intended this to be a scoping-out trip, to see what it was like. Because of the traffic and crowds of people, I wasn't sure the beach was going to be something Jeff would enjoy. So we were just getting the lay of the land. The kids and I really loved it here, despite this:
We came up over that hill and saw this! People as far as the eye could see in both directions!
Once we found a spot and sat down, though, it felt surprisingly private. For whatever reason, people mostly stayed up on the dry sand, so we trekked down closer to the water.
As an aside, people on the East Coast seem to spend all day at the beach, and they come prepared with a lot of gear. I learned that the beaches here charge upwards of $25-$35 for parking (sometimes more), which not only can I not believe, but it makes me understand why everyone sets up shop like they're camping! We are used to popping down to the beach often for a walk or lunch, so it's a completely different way of thinking about "beach days."
Anyway, as we made our way through the sand, Jordan said, "This feels like when C. C. was walking to see her mom in 'Beaches'." Then we sat down and a toddler walked toward us. I said hello and her mom said, "This is Cecelia." I asked her if she ever called her C. C. and she said, "All the time!" The kids and I had a chuckle about that timely coincidence.
As an aside, people on the East Coast seem to spend all day at the beach, and they come prepared with a lot of gear. I learned that the beaches here charge upwards of $25-$35 for parking (sometimes more), which not only can I not believe, but it makes me understand why everyone sets up shop like they're camping! We are used to popping down to the beach often for a walk or lunch, so it's a completely different way of thinking about "beach days."
Anyway, as we made our way through the sand, Jordan said, "This feels like when C. C. was walking to see her mom in 'Beaches'." Then we sat down and a toddler walked toward us. I said hello and her mom said, "This is Cecelia." I asked her if she ever called her C. C. and she said, "All the time!" The kids and I had a chuckle about that timely coincidence.
Like I said, we were doing recon on this trip, hoping to come back as a family another morning. But when you see THIS, it's pretty impossible to not jump in. He wasn't wearing swim trunks and his shorts stretched out so much that I had to use a hair band to cinch them up so they didn't fall down!
Check out the guy in the background who caught a fish! I didn't even see that until I was getting the photo up on this post! Crazy.
He had so much fun.
The girls kept busy with reading, Sudoku, and art!
I can't believe how big he is getting.
Another morning visit. This time we checked out the world's largest globe, Eartha! It rotates and moves to match the Earth's current position. Pretty cool!
They were calling the globe "Bertha" instead of "Eartha"
Ms. Personality 2017
Because smiling for a photo is boring, they like to do stuff like this. You should see my outtake folder.
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