I’ve never had the opportunity to visit Maine, but it has been and will continue to be on my bucket list until I have achieved it.
As a child, I spent a massive amount of time reading. I had a particular weakness for vintage women’s fiction - specifically the New England Authors. With literature such as Little Women, The Blue Castle and The Girl in the Blue Pinafore shaping my impressions the Atlantic Northeast, I was bound to fall in love with the idea of Maine before I ever saw it. The more distant the location, the more romantic it felt to me. As Maine is the farthest in that direction my country had to offer, it was the epitome of adventure in my mind.
My ultimate trip to Maine would start with several days spent hiking the Appalachian Trail. This can only be done with a permit, and is reputed to contain quite a bit of rough terrain.
After some time in nature, I’d spend some time touring the coastline. I had the good fortune to visit the Point Pinos Lighthouse in fall of 2018 during the pre-Connect Live trip with @SoniaK , Ruben, @AnuradhaP and @XanderO . The history of the location was fascinating and I would like to hear the stories of Maine’s lighthouses along its expansive coastline. As for lighthouses - Maine has 65 of them - I’m sure I’ll be able to find one.
Finally, no trip to Maine would be complete without a pile of lobster and the chance to visit a brewery. @JordanSB covered the lobster with stunning detail, so it looks like I’m left to carry the drinks. With 145 active breweries (pre-COVID counts as of spring of 2020), I am certain I’ll be able to find one that suits my fancy. Check out my list of Maine Breweries here. (43 locations and growing. I will find them all.)
This is awesome and would definitely going to be a lifetime experience. Please endeavour to share your hiking experiences in Maine, especially the stories behind those 65 lighthouses in Maine. Why did they have to build 65 of those houses?
The Pre-Connect Live Road Trip was an amazing experience all together and in particular, the rich history behind those places we visited in Monterey including the Point Pinos Lighthouse.
PS. Don’t take too much beer in Maine with those 145 breweries over there
Thank you for writing this post and I hope that you will get the chance to visit Maine real soon! I can feel your excitement through reading your post and the plans that you have made.
By the way, did you watch the new "Little Women" (2019) movie? I enjoyed it a lot and kind of understood more about the story than when I read the book.
@MoniDi I haven’t seen the new Little Women yet. It completely slipped my mind! I’ll have to take some time and watch it this weekend. Thank you for reminding me it was out there, waiting to be seen!
@XanderO - when I get the chance to visit Maine for real, you KNOW I’ll have my camera out every moment I possibly can! Our trip was such a blast… I can’t wait to get back out on the road. Hopefully that will be an option for me soon.
As for the lighthouses - Maine (and really the whole NE coast) has so much shoreline, with islands and unique underwater topography, that lighthouses were an absolutely necessity. That part of the country was settled long before radio, and a lighthouse was really the only way to communicate with ships that far offshore. I’m surprised Maine only has 65, really. Remember how limited the light-travel was for the lighthouse at Pinos? (and it was supposed to be a really advanced setup!)
I’m sure things will ease up a lot faster during this summer while hoping that we don’t experience any other wave of this virus.
A priori assumptions would dictate that Maine would have had more of those lighthouses based on the characteristics you mentioned, especially being an advanced setup i.e. more superior to Pinos. @Kwiksatik
That is so great @Kwiksatik . You almost made me want to go to Maine right now. I remember our trip so very well. I was planning to go to Colorado this fall as well. When I told my friend that I have never seen it snowing, they said they would do a roadtrip from Texas to Colorado. But those are just dreams now. I hope one day I will be able to see the rocky mountains and the snowy peaks as well as I hope you to explore Maine. Please do let me know if you plan to go to explore a less cold state after the pandemic, I might join you too.
I will absolutely be exploring after the pandemic. (whenever that is…) You would love the Rocky Mountains. They are not so cold as you would think, especially in summer. I’ll keep you on my list of road trip buddies forever!
Thank you so much @Kwiksatik . I am planning to go to New Orleans next month, ONLY if they allow us to travel. I have never been to Louisiana before, I have only heard about the jazz culture. Last week I went to [this amazing Cajun](http://Razzoo’s%20Cajun Cafe 13949 N Central Expy, Dallas, TX 75243 (972) 235-3700 https://maps.app.goo.gl/dciFVTVNTB4WfFSq6) restaurant and left my heart there. In fact after eating there I started feeling like going to Louisiana more than ever. Thank you once again for starting this wonderful series of exploring states. Will check out the rest of the stories soon.
