Headed off to Maine to camp with our friends Karen & Steve at one of their favourite campgrounds. Winslow Memorial Park is right on Casco Bay, and if you are lucky to grab a site right on the water, you will enjoy everything an ocean view has to offer.
We took a couple of days to get there, stopping half way in Vermont at Ricker Pond SP. Definitely an older park, it was like stepping back in time. They had many rustic cabins to rent, complete with massive stone fireplaces, even the fire pits outside were built with stones and mortar, adding to the rustic feel. The weather was hot, and the pond looked very inviting for a refreshing swim, fabulous after a long drive. The water was warm and very soft. It felt luxurious.
We love meandering through the countryside on the secondary highways, a great way to really see the towns and sights along the way. The drive through the White Mountain National Forest is a treat, great elevations with wonderful views.
Our site at Winslow was fabulous, and being beside our friends was a real treat. Great to be able to hang out together and get all caught up again. The weather cooperated for the most part, and the bits of rain we did get were easily handled by moving inside where it was warm and comfortable.
We explored Freeport, including a must do wandering of the massive LL Bean flagship store. LL Bean is a big part of the Freeport landscape, with several themed retail buildings and manufacturing capacity on the outside of town. An iconic Maine company.
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| found in a cool store called Toad & Co. last saw one of these chests in Amarillo Texas |
Steve and I did a little work on their Alto, replacing one of the stop lights, as well as sorting out an issue with the Victron SmartShunt. After fixing the monitor, I took the opportunity to rewire the panels into a series circuit, which is the best configuration for an MPPT controller. Along the way, an interesting little discovery was made, quickly fixed, and soon the panels and controller were supplying the lithium battery with lots of solar goodness. Always fun working on an Alto with a buddy, it makes for a most productive day.
Friday evening we were warned by the Rangers that a storm was rolling in, and to batten down the hatches.
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| storms a brewin' |
Everyone was scrambling to get gear put away while the huge black clouds got ever closer and the winds picked up. Although our location was luckily in a gap between the big cloud covers, we did get a bunch of rain and some howling winds. It soon passed though, and a bit of sun even peaked out.
We had lots of great laughs, tasty meals together, and our last evening, a fish sandwich dinner at a local brewery.
Too soon came the time for us to head home, but we will certainly make this trip again, it was so much fun!
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