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In case you weren’t stalking me on Instagram (you should be), I’ve been traveling since June 6th! I spent about 6 days in NYC and now, I’m spending the next 8 weeks in Fryeburg, ME! Yes, I’m up in the remote mountains of Maine. I’ve never been out this far east, but it was definitely an adventure.
Let’s do a little recap. Definitely read part one and part two as well!
Home, and Out Again
If you’ve made it this far, you’ve made it to the leg of my summer travels that finally brought me to Maine! I arrived home early in the evening on June 12th and prepared for a nighttime departure on June 13th. I came home for a little over 24 hours and washed and repacked everything to prep for being gone for 8 weeks. I had done a lot of prep work before I went to NYC, so the turnaround really wasn’t too crazy.
I drove overnight and through the next day – straight through – to Fryeburg, ME. I went through Ohio, Pennsylvania (where there was an ABUNDANCE of roadkill), New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and then just over the border into Maine.
I made a couple of extended pit stops on the way through to see some fun things here and there.
Like Niagara Falls…
About 12 hours into my drive from Indiana, I was only 20 minutes away from Niagara Falls State Park. Considering I was SO CLOSE to Niagara Falls, I knew I had to deviate from my route just to see the falls. I hear the views on the Canada side are much better, but I knew I wasn’t going to cross over the border that day. Access to the falls is FREE! However, there are toll roads that will cost you some moola. I arrived at the park about 7am and had no issues finding a spot to park on the street. It was very peaceful and there were only like 6 other people that I could see while I was there. I would definitely recommend visiting early in the morning. You don’t get wet on the New York side unless you go on one of the boats, but that wasn’t an option so early in the morning.
After Niagara Falls, I ended up on the longest, most boring, most terrible, and most blah stretch of road called the New York Thruway. It is essentially the LONGEST toll road that I’ve ever had the experience of driving on. Apparently, it is one of the longest ones in the nation as well. I was on it for over 400 miles, easy. I like driving, but I do not enjoy driving on the New York Thruway. SO BORING. SO FLAT. I did enjoy the “Text Area” options that were available every so often. People literally pulled off into these little lanes off the side of the interstate for texting and such. It made for some nice moments of rest along the way. There are even gas stations and restaurants in between these stops. I think it’s the weirdest system. I must add that I easily paid $18-20 in tolls for the privilege of driving on this road. I’m still salty about it. Take cash if you ever have to take the New York Thruway, you have to pay an extra $2 to use your card…after the fact. I’ve already decided to redirect my route elsewhere when I head back.
After New York State…
Once I was out of the state of New York (I was glad to be out after that highway), I got to drive through some beautiful mountains and greenery in Vermont. I was no longer on interstates, but more on county and state roads that took me through some great tiny towns. I saw signs for maple syrup every couple of miles and lots of tiny school houses which I really enjoyed.
New Hampshire was much of the same when it came to scenic routes and tiny towns. I also managed to pass by a professional theatre on my way through and it was basically tucked into a little mountain town which I found charming – The Barnstormers Theatre in Tamworth, NH. Since I’m so close to this place, I’m planning to swing over on one of my night’s off to catch a performance!
After a hilly and curvy New Hampshire journey, I made it to Fryeburg, ME – about 5ish hours from the Easternmost point of the USA. GPS stated it was about a 16 1/2 hour drive, but after stops and taking an excursion to Niagara Falls, it took me closer to 20 hours to make the complete trip.
And now, I’m here at Forest Acres for the summer! Directing three kids shows – two complete, one more that’s more Fringe style. I’m also in charge of 44 of our tiniest campers and we’re having a great time. On my junior counselor staff, I’ve got people from Wales, Scotland, Ireland, England, Holland, and a mixture of the United States. My camper base is just as varied and it’s exciting to hear about their lives away from camp. We’ve gone on some great trips so far which I plan to write more about soon. The days are long and my schedule is FULL (to the literal brim), so I have to spend all of my off time off camp writing content for clients. It’s been an adventure and an amazing change of pace since this adventure began. I’m a firm believer that paths diverge and cross when they are supposed to and I think that everything I’ve been doing this summer continues to confirm that belief.
On my off time this summer or on my way back, I’m planning a few things that I really want to do since I’m ALLLL the way out East. Some of those adventures include:
- Traveling to Lubec, ME which is the Easternmost point of the contiguous United States.
- Going to the Mount Washington Observatory at the summit of Mt. Washington.
- Traveling through Salem & Concord, Massachusetts on my way back home. I’ve got to visit the Salem Witch Trial sites and Orchard House from Little Women. My little historical heart would just be crushed if I didn’t attempt to get out there now that I’m super close.
