Maine Vacation 2008

We returned this summer to Midcoast Maine, to Bristol. It is about an hour's drive north of Portland, along Route 1, which goes right up the coast. We stayed with the same friends we stayed with last Christmas. They have an 1800s house with plenty of bedrooms and space for us to relax. They acquired a few animals this spring and my children had a few opportunities to help feed them. I don't think Samuel ever helped with the feeding, but my oldest son helped feed the geese and my youngest son enjoyed gathering eggs every day.

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera! I really wanted to take some photos and share some more of the sights up there. On this trip we took a drive north from where we stayed to Lincolnville. We crossed a narrow stretch of Penobscot Bay over to Isleboro, a small town on an island. We were there for a very quick visit with our friend's son, who is currently working there. The views on the ferry ride were just lovely. We could see some areas to the north where we have driven to and stayed in the past. Nowadays we don't go up that far because the kids don't have the patience to endure the long car ride.

We also visited Fort William Henry. This was an English settlement in the early 1600's, but did not remain inhabited for more than a few decades because the territory was in dispute between the English, French, and Indians. A stone fortification was reconstructed at the site in the early 1900s. It looks like a castle turret, so that makes it fun for the kids to look at. We were able to go to the top of it and from there you get a good view of Pemaquid Harbor. While we visited there we were able to see local author James Nelson's re-enactment presentation of Dixy Bull, a pirate who raided the area in the 1630's. We all enjoyed that.

It rained almost every day of our vacation but we still got few good beach days in. My favorite trip to the beach was our last evening there. We got there as the sun was setting and, in typical tourist fashion, combed the beach for pieces of drift wood and rocks. (I just cannot believe I forgot my camera!)

Now we are back in Virginia and I'm wondering where our vacation went, it passed so quickly!

We took a break from Samuel's visual schedule this trip. I didn't even bring it along, though I did bring a marker board, just in case there were any emergency situations that a schedule would have helped. We did bring along a portable DVD player and a select few videos and DVDs. We also had a DVD player and VCR available at the house we stayed at, so these were all helpful reinforcers to get Samuel through his day and some of the things he needed to do. He did get a bit homesick. Our second night away we stayed in Freeport. As we went into McDonalds to get sundaes (for those of our kids who didn't want a dish of Ben and Jerry's ice cream), he started bawling, "I want to go home! I miss Virginia!" I had to take him out of the restaurant and we took a little walk. We had a conversation about how he felt and that helped calm him down. As we did a bit of gift shopping in the various places we stayed, he was determined to find videos. He went up to several clerks and said, "Woman, do you have any videos?" Sometimes he would be a little more specific, "Woman, do you have any Columbia-TriStar videos?"

Lastly, our friends have decided to rent out their house for vacation rentals. I told them I would post information about it, so here it is! This would be a unique vacation opportunity for anyone who wants to experience a bit of life in coastal Maine that is off the typical tourist path. Kurt and Andrea Rauscher, the owners, also live on the property in an electricity-free home they built several years ago (the rental home DOES have electricity). We have become very good friends since we met them on a previous trip to Maine ten years ago. They are wonderful friends and I know will make terrific hosts to vacationers who stay with them!

Coastal Maine Farmhouse Vacation
Rental
call 207.563.2437
Rent a circa 1800, five bedroom,
1.5 bath house located on a very private 20 acres smack – dab in the middle of
the beautiful Pemaquid Peninsula. This house is located in rural Bristol
within 10 minutes drive of Round Pond harbor, New Harbor, Pemaquid point, South
Bristol, Damariscotta and a host of other Maine attractions. Just an hour
and 15 minutes drive north of Portland takes you to the heart of coastal
Maine. Rate $900.00 per week or longer terms available.
Also
available on this property are the following:
An introduction to living
without electricity (rental house has electricity)
Gardening and preserving
food for the family
Animal husbandry – goats, chickens, geese
Woodworking lessons
Boatbuilding lessons
Sailing lessons
Bronze
casting lessons (view our video on you tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFOo5EWNl8M
Learn how to
heat your house with firewood

The photo at the beginning of this post is of Muscongus Bay. I obtained it from FLICKR , where it was posted by CA. Thank you, CA, for allowing this photo to be shared! Most photographers on FLICKR have now copyrighted their photos (which I completely understand!), so it was much harder to find things I could legally share on my blog this year. That's okay, I just simply need to remember my camera in the future! Anyways, if you are interested in seeing more scenes of where my family vacationed, you can go to FLICKR, in the "Search" field enter "Pemaquid Harbor", "Pemaquid Point", "Round Pond," "Fort William Henry, Pemaquid, Maine" and you will see lots of terrific photos of the area we stayed at!

The photo of the house is where we stayed, and is the house available for vacation rental. The goats belong to the Rauscher family. They acquired them this past spring and have plans to increase the herd.