Day 3

I awoke at 4:19. The sky is just now lightening and the forest is SO quiet. I'll eat, read, and wait for the sun to com up a bit more. I opened the ricotta and, man, is it dense and creamy and smooth! It's SO good! In the dim and pale light of the early morning, Thoreau is growing on me.
On the road about 5:45. The Kancamagus is BEAUTIFUL. This highway runs through the White Mountain National Park. And I have it ALL to myself this morning! WOW! The trees are making it completely bearable, even pleasant, to be driving into the sun. This is all mountains and valleys and rivers with mist rising from every crevice.
Just need to see a moose!
Fryeburg, ME: "Sieg Heil, Frank!" (A local has his name quite large on the back of his truck, and when his friend waved to him, it looked suspicious.)
I am only at Bridgton and Maine has already captured my heart! The roads are a little less well-maintained, but somehow that seems to increase Maine's authenticity. Maine, thus far, seems less New England picturesque and more lumberjack rugged. I keep waiting to see Brawny, or rather his disheveled twin, come strolling out of the woods with a moose on his shoulder (Yes, I know they weigh too much for that, but c'mon, he's BRAWNY). Plus, I've seen a lot less wealthy douchebag yuppie tourists on bikes buying wine, cheese & ice cream.
I am slowly sloughing off the layer of Los Angles on me. At some point, I got a lot more comfortable with rainy dark roads and now, from my rented Chevy cobalt, I'm criticizing the way people in jeeps & trucks are navigating the gravel roads.
Dude, in one day I have been through Norway AND Mexico! Could've turned left at one point and hit Moscow, too.
Stopped to picnic alongside the Androscoggin. I'm all sexied up with mosquito bites now. Which is odd; mosquitoes usually don't care for me and I usually don't welt. Except in MN. I guess states that begin with the letter "m" make the mosquitoes more powerful…. Now I'm taking a break in Farmington. It's sunny and warm, so I'm getting sleepy driving. The sky is pale blue with lots of fluffy clouds. The weather is essentially perfect. I'm now listening to cicadas in the trees.
Made an unintentional turn which brought to a great lake or river that is just not on my Rand McNally. I ate some chips, threw on my suit and went for a swim. Oh man, the water was PERFECT! I'd been so hot driving this afternoon, on top of no shower since Friday morning! I air-dried and read some more Thoreau.
Dude, Maine has a lot of rest stops, in just the right places.
I'm thinking I need to either do my graduate out this way, or get a job out here after school. I want to spend an entire summer exploring, especially Maine. Missed a few scenic byways I might've been ale to do, but what the hey. Now I'm on my way to Millinocket; I'll be car-camping again near there tonight. Then heading through Lincoln to the coast and on to Paula's place for a night or two (oh, a bed and a shower!). I didn't hit Augusta on my way up as I had planned, but I'll hit it up when I head back to Portland to return the car.
I'd forgotten how nice it can be to travel alone. There are no wrong turns or inappropriate stops. I don't have to be anywhere. This has been AWESOME thus far.
I think there has been an ongoing battle between adventurous me and my aging, battered body. Thus far, the body has won. HA! But I will win the war!
Took a detour at Millinocket and headed north to drive through Baxter State Park. Stopped at Togue Pond to eat a sandwich. While standing in the pond, sandwich in hand, a bee landed on my hand, I freaked and the pbj went into the pond. Oops. I fished most of it out except for some jelly that I squished up with my toes. Then I figured since my sandwich went swimming, I should, too. So I did.
The 10mph drive through the park was less grueling and more beautiful. As a matter of fact, in honor of our recent karaoke evening, I have written my review of Baxter to the chorus of Master of Puppets:
Baxter State Park is full of neat things,
Twisting tree lines and meand'ring streams.
Blinding beauty is in everything.
Just go to Maine 'cause it's like a dream!
Baxter! Baxter!
The sun was setting as I drove out of the park and on my way to find my rest area for the night.
I saw the most beautiful blue sky I have EVER seen; all cobalt and lapis. I tried to take a picture, but the car was moving and I hit a bump, etc…. At least the color came out!
Made it to the rest area just before the rain.



Perfect.