Our Maine Adventure - Part 2

Note:   I began this update to my blog several weeks ago and never finished.    I'm sure no one is sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for Part 2, and probably Parts 3 and 4.  I've got so many photos that going thru them became so time hogging that I became overwhelmed and slacked off.  So I will go ahead and hit the publish button and try to get a few more on here at some point.  The mini version of chronicling our vacation is: We had a wonderful time, saw many parts of this beautiful country, took far too many photos, had wonderful food and made it home safe and sound.

Once we made it to Portland, the next morning we bypassed touring the city and headed up the coast on Hwy 1.  When we were in Maine a few years ago, we visited Booth Bay and really enjoyed the touristy town and also a stopped at Freeport to visit the L.L. Bean flagship store.  So again, we passed these towns up and opted for a side trip to Pemaquid Point Lighthouse.  One thing about riding the motorcycle, once we got off of the main highway we found the roads were pretty rough.  I'm sure that's from the freezing and thawing during the winters but we tried to ignore that and concentrate on the pretty views along the way. 

 The lighthouse was really interesting.  Only six visitors at a time were allowed at the top, but  I'm not sure how they could get that many!  The views were awesome and we spent some time photographing every angle. 

After a nice lunch at a little cafe nearby (the only cafe nearby :) ), we headed back up the rough  road and on toward Camden for a quick stop there.  I wanted to send a little present to cheer up our  littlest grandson who had come down with Chickenpox.  I felt so sorry for him and if we would've been home, this Grammy would've been his buddy and nurse.  Luckily, he now has Great Grandparents nearby to help.  His stuffed toy Puffin ended up being the only Puffin we saw the entire trip. Camden had some cute shops and a pretty harbor and I wish we could've spent a little more time exploring here, but we wanted to get on to Bar Harbor before dark.  

No frills, but very comfortable and friendly would describe the Bar Harbor Best Western.  The ladies at the front desk had good recommendations for dinner and found us a room where we could park the motorcycle by the front door.  The next morning we headed to Acadia National Park and Cadillac Mountain.  We weren't there early enough for the famous sunrises by any means (sunrise was around 4:30 am here!) but we took lots of photos and soaked in the beauty of the area.  

Our Maine Adventure- Part 1

Last year it was South Dakota, this year it was Maine as our destination for a MAJOR motorcycle trip. We had been to Maine a few years ago, but by plane where we picked up a new (to us) RV and drove it home. I blogged about that quick trip here but we've always said we would go back.  

So in the middle of a Thursday afternoon a couple of weeks ago, we loaded the little trailer we pull behind the Harley and started East.  D says pulling the trailer is not a big deal, so it's nice to pack for an extended MC trip and not have to worry about stopping to do laundry or buying some extra souvenirs.  We also carry our extra helmets (3/4 with shields) in case we encounter rain, various tools, coats and even his briefcase with our two computers.  I guess we probably over pack, but when we've got the space, we use it :)  

It took us two and a half days to get to Maine, with overnight stops in Barboursville, WV and Wilkes Barre, PA.  This trip we stayed exclusively at Best Western Motels/Hotels.  They have a special rate for Harley Davidson owners and since D is a member of the "Diamond" club, he often gets a free upgrade if available.  The quality of these motels varies but most always are clean and provide a free breakfast of some kind.  They advertise themselves as motorcycle friendly and often will let us park under the front awning.  

 This was at our stop after our first full day of riding at Wilkes Barre PA at the Best Western Plus East Mountain Inn and Suites. Here we scored a nice suite and enjoyed their on site restaurant.   They are in the process of remodeling but we were still pleased with our older room.  It rained over night, but our luck continued  and we had a dry start in the morning.  Our second full day seemed long.  I can't remember the exact number of miles we rode  but I'm sure it was over 350.  We passed through several states as we traveled the interstates.  

Meals are taken pretty seriously when we travel.  We are always on the watch for some local restaurant or at least a local chain that will provide an interesting break.  We kept spotting advertisements for "diners" in New York and Connecticut so when we saw that the Blue Colony Diner was at the next exit, we pulled in not realizing until we passed a sign that this was Newtown, CT.  We had an excellent lunch and enjoyed a local favorite.

The rest of our second full day was a little stressful as we had heavy traffic going around Boston, but we made it to Maine that evening.

Weary, but not too tired to take the required "selfie" to send back to family and post to Instagram (@ontheroadjanet).  Again we scored an upgrade at the Best Western in Portland.  This time, the "Lodge" room!!  Perfect after a long 2 1/2 days of travel to the "wilderness" of Maine. LOL.  

I'll post later about the next few days and our visit to Acadia National Park.  Please stay tuned!