Maine
In the summer of 2007, we took a trip to Maine that was different from our previous state visits. A colleague of mine, Alice Jackson, owned Moosehead Lodge which her architect son Patrick had designed and helped to construct. It was right on the Moosehead Lake with spectacular views, especially at sunset. We included our daughter, Marnie, son-in-law Terry and all four grandchildren to join us there for a week. Oldest grandson, Kieran, brought his friend Charlie with him. There was a boathouse which held a canoe and two kayaks. All the boys (Owen and Quinn in addition to Kieran and Charlie) were able to climb to the top of the boathouse and jump into the lake. (Mackenzie was only three years old, so she was not allowed to go up there!) This became one of the favorite activities of the week.
We had excellent weather and the water was surprisingly warm. We learned that the lake froze during the winter, but somehow it warmed to perfect swimming temperature during the summer months. Moosehead Lake is huge: 118 square miles and the second-largest lake in New England. It is situated in the mostly undeveloped Longfellow Mountains, surrounded by unspoiled wilderness of pristine beauty. The lodge itself is large and provided us all with an experience of rustic luxury. Marnie and I like to cook together, so we ate most of our meals at home. Alice’s spacious and well-stocked kitchen made that a pleasure.
When we first arrived, after a long day of driving, the kids were eager to jump out of the car and explore the lodge. Quinn, who was six years old at the time and always exuberant, ran into the house, looked around, and proclaimed, “This is the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen!” That started off the week on a very positive note.
Later that afternoon, 3-year-old Mackenzie asked Grandpa to play tea party with her. Mackenzie always likes to be in charge, so they sat on the floor, and she was trying to run the show. At one point, Andy was chatting about something, and Mackenzie looked at him and said firmly, “Grandpa! Stop talking!” He tried, unsuccessfully, not to laugh.
We spent lots of time in and on the water and I discovered how much I love lake kayaking, especially in the early morning when the water was like glass. There are little islands in the lake and one day, a few of us swam out to one of them. Charlie asked me how old I was and said that his grandma would never swim out to a lake like that. I told him that his grandma was probably a little older than I was (at that time).
One day we took a cruise aboard the steamboat Katahdin. It was built in 1914 and beautifully restored in the 1990’s. It is one of the very few surviving boats built in this era in Maine and is registered on the National Register of Historic Places. Our cruise began where the Katahdin is docked in Greenville, the main city on this part of Moosehead Lake. The three-hour cruise enabled us to see parts of the lake and the lakeshore we could not have seen otherwise. The narrator informed us about the lake’s history and sites; even the kids enjoyed it.
Another day we drove over to Little Moose, a short distance on the other side of Greenville from our lodge. Little Moose covers more than 13,550 acres. We went on a hike that took us from one scenic overlook to the next, then down into a remote forested area called Moose Ponds where the kids were able to take a swim in one of the ponds. Terry carried Mackenzie in a baby carrier backpack, and I have a cute photo of her fast asleep as he trekked along.
Andy and I wanted to see Acadia National Park while we were in Maine. After talking it over, we all decided that the two and one-half hour drive each way would be too much for the kids, so they stayed at the lodge for the day, and we took off early in the morning. It happened to be very foggy that day, which we learned is not uncommon. We enjoyed what we were able to see, but some of the vista points…well, we couldn’t see any vistas. We had a pleasant and delicious lunch at the Bar Harbor Inn before we headed back. It was at Acadia National Park that Andy and I bought a National Park Lifetime Senior Pass for $20. I think the cost has gone up to $80 now, but that is still a bargain. We have used it many, many times on these state trips.
Having family with us on this Maine trip was so special, we determined that we would do it many times again. And we have!
