Well the temperature has certainly warmed up. When we left Hopewell Cape yesterday morning we were in long pants and light jackets to ward off the chill. Today, we are in short pants and T-shirts and it is once again very warm with a bit of humidity. Ever since that earlier bout of Bronchitis, any humidity causes some chest discomfort so am very aware of climate changes.
We had a reasonable night in the rest area south of Brewer; as much as can be expected with trucks coming in and out all night and many leaving their engines running!! However, the price was right so no complaints there. In the a.m., we left about 8:30 and headed south on I-95. Just before Portland, we pulled into a visitor's info and ran into our first toll highway this side of the border ($4.00); we were actually trying to find a diesel stop and after talking to a few people, will leave fueling up until we get into Massachusetts..supposed to be cheaper there.
Then, carrying on down I-95 South, we decided to pull into another visitor info center in Portland and find out if there were any RV parks in the area and/or where we could park overnight. Turns out there are NO RV parks in the immediate area and Portland does NOT allow any overnight parking of any kind anywhere in the city! The gentleman suggested we go back north about 4/5 miles to Falmouth and park at WalMart. So that is what we have done and will spend the night here.
When we pulled into the parking lot, part of it was partitioned off for a local Farmer's Market. Bonus! I had no fruits or veggies on the bus (cleaned out before we crossed the border), so was able to stock up on all the freshest of items. Probably paid a little more than we would in a store, but the quality is worth it.
Following that we headed into downtown Portland and did some exploring. We drove out to south Portland to Fort William Park to visit/ see Portland Head Lighthouse (commissioned by George Washington in 1790) and it is also where Henry Wadsworth Longfellow used to walk to (from Portland...a very long walk) and it is believed it is also the area that inspired his poem "The Lighthouse". Portland, ME is Wadsworth birth place.
Then onto "Bug Light" to view the harbour looking across to Portland. Along this drive were many very old estates with magnificent grand old mansions on the water. Obviously had been there for many years; quite impressive!
Back across the bridge to the harbour area of Portland. There must be a zillion restaurants in this area, literally! We thought there would be more shopping areas or areas of interest to explore, but it is mostly piers for fishermen, tour boats, customs, and cruise ships. However, we did walk a good part of the area and then went to Gilberts Chowder House (as recommended by the info centre gentleman). Following a cool beer (Dale) and iced tea (me), we split an order of Deept Fried Maine Shrimp (delicious) that was accompanied with a bowl of clam chowder and coleslaw. Very tasty and also got a take out of seafood chowder which will be our lunch tomorrow.
After dinner, we watched a cruise ship depart (Carnival Glory), which was quite interesting to see how they navigate in fairly tight quarters; didn't waste any time either. It took them only ten minutes to back up and turn and be on their way.
Then it was time to head back to Falmouth; visit WalMart and now back on the bus for the night.
So a fairly busy day all in all. Looking forward to moving further south tomorrow and exploring more new territory. Till next time.....
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