Acadia (1/3)
9 PM, 10/10/2016
Dear Mom and Dad,
Guess what? I have decided to travel the United States in a camper van. Yes, I will be (probably temporarily) living in a van soon. I know this doesn’t surprise you. My wanderlust has always been plain. I want you to be the first to know that I am finally, finally doing it and am excited about it. I rented a van next week to test drive this lifestyle.
We are heading north to Maine and Canada. It is safe. No worrying needed. There are no (high) cliffs, no scaling (as high) mountains, and (mostly) non-carnivorous animals.
I will keep you posted.
Love you!
Maria
11 PM, 10/21/2016
Dear Mom and Dad,
Hey!! We are leaving after work tomorrow! So excited!
The gas tank is full. The blow-up mattress is set up in the back. The makeshift Rubbermaid container kitchen is in place. Food is in the cooler. I packed warm clothes, base layers, hats, and gloves. All the above is bungeed to the sides of the van to prevent shifting in transit. It was organized by meticulous planning. I bought an indoor-safe propane heater and an all-important carbon monoxide detector. We will be warm, nourished, and safe.
And I will send postcards!
XOXOXOXO!
Maria
8 AM, 10/23/2016
Dear Mom and Dad,
We are here!
James and I traveled through the night. We alternated between sleeping and driving, coffee and food, talking and quiet. I drove from 8 pm-2 am and James took the graveyard shift from 2 am-8 am. It was like one of those speeded up travel films where you see the state names float by in a dream sequence. Maryland. Delaware. Pennsylvania. New Jersey. New York (city and state). Connecticut. Rhode Island. Massachusetts. New Hampshire. Maine!
We arrived at Acadia National Park around dawn, energized and ready to explore! I am sitting in the passenger seat in the van, in a parking lot in Bar Harbor (pronounced Ba Ha Ba by the locals), writing on the dashboard. I am gazing at the aqua-colored ocean and watching lobster boats and floating buoys as far as the horizon. Researching our next move now.
Gotta go! Write more soon!
Maria
9 PM, 10/23/2016
Dear Mom and Dad,
Ba Ha Ba was an adorable old town with the bookstore being the most notable feature. We bought souvenirs (French for ‘memory’) for those at home. Then, my main (pun intended) goal became finding some delicious local lobster.
Following a local travel guide, we drove to the other end of the island in search of Thurston’s Lobster Pound. (In Maine, restaurants build ‘pounds’ which are tanks under the restaurants. Fresh seawater keeps the lobsters fresh and thriving.) When we arrived, I saw hundreds of multi-colored empty lobster cages stacked in the parking lot. The meaning of this registered once I read the sign on the pedestrian bridge to the front door that read, “Closed until May”. All fifteen of the other lobster restaurants I called were also shut down for the season.
The next activity on the list was acquiring firewood. The residents of Mount Desert Island embrace the slogan “Buy it where you burn it”. They sell firewood on the roadside with honesty boxes nearby for payment. Some of the more savvy sellers make a fire of their own, attracting potential buyers with scent and smoke. We bought a few bundles and headed to our campsite at Blackwoods Campground.
The campsite was standard but lovely. One small section of only one Acadia campground was open now and diehards surrounded us. The van with the Enterprise logo emblazoned on the side was quite embarrassing. It was like arriving at the beginning of the Appalachian Trail with a clean backpack. I buried my shame. James impressed our crunchy neighbors with his superb fire-making skills.
As close to the fire as possible, I am peaceful, toasty, tired and I smell blissfully like campfire smoke. Turning in soon.
Love you!
Maria
