Bah Hahbah, Lobstah and L.L. Bean
We made our way across the US border after an uncomfortable stop with the U.S. border patrol agent. Both Erica and I felt intimidated by this officer that came across as arrogant and power hungry. He did his normal questioning, which I get is part of his goal to catch us in a lie but you don't have to be so condescending and arrogant. I could only imagine the ridicule that a foreign person might experience from this officer. We have dealt with border patrol agents quite a few times in our lives and have never been treated with such disrespect. It was one of those moments where you feel vulnerable and somewhat violated so much so that I sat for the first hour's drive after, in my head and very angry. I couldn't believe that someone treated me and my family that way. My thoughts turned to how I wished I would have told the man he was not being kind but that might cause you to risk further ridicule and scrutiny should he decide to use his power in some way to delay our crossing. I decided to stay upbeat and kind, even giving him our business card for this blog. Hopefully he reads it. My hope is that he recognizes the position that he is in has great power and that he has a choice how he treats people regardless of his power.
Glad to get that out!
We headed down the coast of Maine to Bar Harbor, a place that Erica has dreamed of going for as long as I have known her. It is an Island sanctuary full of wooded acres, coastline and a beautiful boulder mountain called Cadillac. The mountain is the pinnacle of Acadia National Park where you get a 360 degree view of the island. We camped using our thousand trails pass at Desert Mountain Narrows RV park on the island.
We packed a day full with hiking the North trail all the way to the summit of Cadillac Mt. The kids had it tough at the end but stuck it out. Erica and Boyd took the hour and a half trek back down to get the car while Blythe and I relaxed at the top. Blythe's hiking boots were a bit small and wore blisters on her heals.
Mid-afternoon we headed off the island to volunteer at the SPCA of Hancock County for a few hours. We have wanted to begin volunteering more with the kids so this was a great opportunity to start. We folded bedding linens snd put them away but the best part was the important task of socially with the dogs and cats. The kids were taught the inhumane things that happen to animals as many of them were too aggressive to be let out to play. They did get to play with a pug puppy without a name and a mutt retriever looking dog named Andy who was very sweet. Only Erica and the kids could socialize with Andy since he feared adult men. It was sad but rewarding to get this opportunity for all of us. The kids continue to learn and ask hard questions that Erica and I try to explain with honesty despite how hard it might be.
We headed to eat quick before meeting a national park ranger for a guided two mile night hike through the park. The focus was on being as quiet as possible while letting our eyes adjust to the darkness. No one had any headlamps or any lights for that matter, so we walked solely by the light of the crescent moon. It was astonishing to have your hearing and sight senses hightened when light and sound are eliminated. We were still able to see our shadows in the darkness. The kids liked watching the beaver swim in the dark peaceful lake as he slapped his tail to warn us he was there.
We spent a morning on the harbor in a lobster boat learning about the traditional methods of lobstering in Maine. We enjoyed interacting with the lobster and crabs thay were trapped while taking in thw scenery from the water. We spent another morning combing the namesake sand bar that connects to an island twice a day at low tide. We made sure to leave plenty of time to get back to the mainland before the tide trapped us.
Erica got to eat lobster multiple times and unfortunately her dreams and reality left a bit to be desired. Lobster is chewy relative to the crab legs that Erica prefers. She hoped that maybe the freshness of Maine lobster would be different. We still enjoyed out lunch lobster rolls and she made the most of her lobster at dinner.
After reluctantly leaving Bar Harbor we headed south down the coast and boondocked in L.L. Bean's parking lot in Freeport, ME where the company was founded. The town is picturesque and caters to outdoor enthusiasts. I have begun reading "L.L. Bean: The Man and His Company" by James L. Witherell so this was a neat stop for me. The flagship store has everything you could need for the outdoors and reminds me of Bass Pro's first store in Springfield, MO.
The kids seem to be acclimating more to life on the road. Despite our RV troubles, Erica and I are feeling more comfortable every day. We really feel grateful for the opportunity to do this with our lives and know we will never have regrets for doing it. The hard part of this trip continues to be managing expectations with the kids. We need them to feel that we have a routine despite our lack of one. We have helped solve for this by planning our destinations at least a few days to a week in advance. We have also planned boondocking to let them know when and where we will be every night. This lowers everyone's anxiety but the kids, especially Blythe, doesn't feel as nervous when we make these extra efforts. Being in the moment is so hard with the exception being when we are exploring. All other remaining time is filled with chores, school and planning. We keep stressing about our next stop or when the rv will screw up again or where we will squeeze out a moment alone.
Peace and Love.