NEA18: Cape Elizabeth to Salem

I KNOW THIS PLACE!

Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Day 3 brought us in Cape Elizabeth, heading towards Casco Bay and the Portland Headlight. We were on the road too early to pull into the park so we detoured for a new Virtual. We passed Two Lights State Park (not open either) and continued down this almost-familiar road to... hey, I know this place!

Tidal Pool Virtual GC7B65N

It's a little park at the end of an anonymous dirt road that leads to a lovely inlet, coastal park and Lobster shack! I remember exploring this place two decades ago, and the only thing that was new was the Virtual! 

Portland Headlight, Maine

It was very slow going to the Fort Williams Park as they were preparing for the Beach to Beacon 10K, but it was worth the trip. Inside this former US Army base is one of the most picturesque lighthouses, the decommissioned Fort Williams, Goddard Mansion, and the Fort William Cache -- the oldest cache in Maine, hidden in January 2001.

I have no good photos of the auspicious cache because I was fleeing the skeeters of Hell, but we have several... er... hundred lovely photos of the lighthouse. 

The Fort Williams Cache GC128

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

We pulled ourselves away and headed south. Last year, ShelleyJean and I explored this really neat state park south of Portsmouth. Every turn is another lovely view, and we pulled into the lot, racing dark clouds rolling in.

Peaceful. We sat on the bench for a good long while, watching the birds snatching fish out of the water and the sea weed rolling in on the waves. This is everything we could hope for on this trip - a little geocaching and a lot of peaceful moments.

Seaview GCAC8A

Clouds are rolling in so we headed out. Luckily there was only a smattering of drops between here and Salem.  Unfortunately, not enough rain there to scare the tourists away. So much for peach and quiet!

Salem, Massachusetts

I think we predominantly visited Salem to torment TaGeez's daughter, B-Rat. It's on this 23 YO's bucket list, so we tormented her by sending picture after picture of this historic, coastal city. Witch's museums, wax museums, psychic shops - perfect!

We took in many of the historic sites, but we had to stop for pictures at the newest tourist attraction - the Bewitched statue. It seems a little tenuous as an appropriate stop on the witch's tour -- a TV witch, but it's a good selfie site.

TaGeez and I walked along the the cobbled stones, where I pointed out all the historic sites I know. I love how they decorated their lampposts with ornate figureheads, again no real relation to the witchcraft scare.

We passed through to the witchcraft memorial - a small park lined with one bench per victim. 

It's located next to the Burying Point, the oldest cemetery in Salem and final resting of many notables... 

...including Judge John Hathorne, grandfather of Nathaniel Hawthorne, known as the "hanging judge" during the witchcraft trials.

Salem Witch Trial Memorial GC58VMD

The heat of the day became overwhelming so we packed it in for the relief of the car AC.  Two more stops before moving onto our hotel in Waltham - two stops that were a world apart.

Was there a Doctor Who episode set in Olde Salem? I guess I should look it up. This site was a two-fer: a traditional and a Virtual.

Time Traveler GC53BYE
Who? GC7B65J

And then the new Virtual off Pope Street. In 2016, Salem State researchers discovered the site where the 19 innocent people were executed. In memory, a small park was created in July of 2017. Tightly surrounded by residential homes, it's hard to believe this little plot of land laid forgotten for 325 years while locals walked passed and lived their lives unknowingly.

19 Hanged for Witchcraft on This Site GC7B744

Extreme beauty and jarring reality all in one day - very emotional. Feeling the urge for loud music and good food, we detoured to the Border Cafe in Burlington for Louisiana/Texas food before turning into Waltham for the night.

Up to now, we've evaded the real rain, but that was coming in the morning.

NEA18: Acadia to South Portland

The road the next morning was right outside the Stephen King novella, The Fog. Riding along the crowned highway, heading to Acadia, the fog rolled in tight to the pavement edge. Such a surreal feeling, but we were hopeful the fog would lift in time for the wonders of the National Park.

Bass Harbor Light, Mount Desert Island

TaGeez and I arrived early because all the websites warned us it's prime tourist season. With time to spare before the Hulls Cove Visitor Center opens, we headed to Bass Harbor Light on the southwest corner of Mount Desert Island.

Little two-lane roads passing cottages with quaint sea-related names, it felt just like upper lower Michigan.

Not much of a view yet, but...

... the lighthouse was beautiful and peaceful. All you could hear is the clang of the two small bells plus the bell on the buoy. 

Bass Harbor Light GC7869C

Yes, I climbed both down and up these rustic steps. We were startled by the minks bursting from the underbrush.

Lovely but foggy view heading to one of the park's southern gates. This is not just low tide - you could see water levels down throughout the whole trip.

Caching in on Birds GCK87A

Acadia National Park

We finally made it, and, for the moment, we beat the tourists. 

Welcome to Acadia National Park GC787CT

Lovely. Foggy. Every turn on the Loop Road showed another stunning view.

The mile drive up the road to the top of Cadillac Mountain was one of the scariest and most thrilling experiences of my life. No guard rails, and you could only see to the (almost) end of your hood. Twisting and turning up, no gaps in the giant cloud we ascended into. On the drive down later, I couldn't believe I actually drove this road blind!

What a difference an hour makes.

Cadillac Mountain Cache GC85F4

We spent a little time searching for a nearby benchmark, and when we emerged from the woods we saw blue sky peaking out. Large, fast-moving clouds engulfing the mountaintop, and, just like every other tourist, we madly snapped photos as we could.

We made several other stops after descending the Cadillac Mountain, but, eventually, the tourists took over. We circled parking lots trying to find a place to pull over, but, after several failed attempts, we took it as a sign to head out.

First stop... Bar Harbor and a quilt shop off the town square.

Yarmouth - L.L. Bean

When I was a young military wife stationed in Portland, money was very tight. But when my husband was deployed, I treat myself to a trip up US 1 to Yarmouth. The shops were pricey, but people watching was free. I would wander the shops (the Mangy Moose is still the best!) and explore L.L.Bean any time day or night. I'm so geeked someone placed a virtual here!

The Iconic Boot Virtual Reward GC7B63K

And as I did 20 years before, you always wrap your visit with some yumminess from Ben  & Jerry's!

South Portland

Final stop for the night is South Portland, my home for 3 years. Now known for it's foodie culture, some equate South Portland as the "San Francisco of the East". And, like SF, there was no parking, outrageous valets, and way too many pedestrians flooding the intersections.  

So we turned to the other side of the river while picking up some Virtuals including this one.

Maine Railroad Cache GC7B8TX

One more spot to take TaGeez. I knew he would love the uniqueness of this memorial. As we pulled into the lot, we were stopped at the entrance by two sunshiny volunteers. This little park right on South Portland's harbor was hosting an outdoor movie night. Giving them our biggest, tourist eyes, they let us slip in for one last geocache and many, many, many photos. 

Liberty Ships GC1Q6DZ

It turned into a beautifully, blue day in Maine.

NEA18: Bennington to Bangor

This is a story about a couple and their frog. A special frog.  A geocaching frog, who spent a glorious week exploring New England with its many historical, geological, geocachical wonders!!

Michigan to Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and back home again! 

First stop....

Bennington, Vermont

In the great cemetery tour last year, ShelleyJean and I had the good fortune to stop in Bennington on our way home. Picturesque. Cobblestone, tree-lined main residential road bordered by big houses with big histories. This main thoroughfare spanning from the big white church and graveyard up to the Bennington Tower on the hill.

This year, TaGeez, Signal the Frog, and I pulled into town after dark to see the Old First Church lit up atop the hill. This was a precursor for a lovely, magical 7 days ahead of us. 

Old First Church

After checking into the Paradise Inn (which, sadly, was a very er... rustic, very no-frills establishment), we grabbed our cameras and headed back out to both the Church and the Battle Monument a quarter mile away. 

Snapping pics from the other side of the fence

So peaceful as we parked our rental and strolled around the grounds.

Bennington Battle Monument

Next morning we gratefully hopped out of bed and checked out as soon as possible. Excited to explore or just wanted to shake the hotel dust off our shoes? You decide. Back to the graveyard we headed. With dew dampening our shoes, we walked the rows of headstones.

Formally known as the First Congregational Church, the adjacent church building was completed in 1805. The Old Bennington Cemetery, also known as Old First Church Cemetery or Old First Congregational Church Cemetery, was designated by the Vermont legislature as "Vermont's Sacred Acre." [Library of Congress website]

Fascinating face, eh? These stones are quite different from their predecessors, the Puritanical stones. They are not meant to resemble the deceased but to capture their essence. So, it makes you wonder what this guy's essence was, doesn't it?

As for the rest of the cemetery.... "At one time on the land was Ethan Allen's home and also the first courthouse, which burned down. There now is a mausoleum were Ethan's home was." And, of course, Robert Frost and family's graves.

Of course, we missed our good friend, ShelleyJean, so we had to send her a virtual postcard. She is one of the few that would truly appreciate this type of greeting :) 

Next stop is the Bennington Battle Memorial.

No glorious view for TaGeez to see as the elevator had been down since Saturday. They did say we could come back another day at a discount, but I think the distance may be prohibitive.

No elevator for us

Time to head out to go East. We had a nice surprise at the head of the Molly Stark Trail - what a view! I can't believe ShelleyJean and I passed this by last year in the dark!

New Hampshire

Webcam time! Since we just happened to be passing we, of course, had to stop for TaGeez along the way. 

Maine - Kittery to Bangor

Ok, we admit it. We're playing the tourist, and you can't go to Maine without stopping for lobster. TaGeez had the Lobster Mac 'n Cheese and I had the Lobster casserole at Warner's. Then we proceeded to loop around the same traffic circle several times until TaGeez could finally get his Welcome to Maine sign!

Turning North, we headed to one of my favorite geocaching spots in the U.S. - Yarmouth, Maine. Former home of DeLorme, Garmin has not purchased the office building but kept three of the most popular caches in Maine active.

First off - The Team Garmin Coin Vault! Signal looks like he's having a blast sitting amongst these bright and shiny treasures! Do you see the five interlocking coins to the left of him? I fell in love with the Maine beauties on my last visit and tracked the owner down for my own set. Gorgeous souvenirs to the "pine tree state".

Team Garmin Coin Vault GC2G1J9

The coin vault is housed in a table built from Herbie, the oldest American Elm tree in New England. Herbie was 217 YO when it succumbed to Dutch Elm disease in 2010. The vault sets in the DeLorme/Garmin lobby in the shadow one of one very giant object [Virtual]. 

What in the World? GC6D43

528 feet away is a certain bear in the woods, the keeper of a certain ammo can that now houses at least one of our Ducktales trackables.

Bears in the Bushes GC17MZ7

Before leaving, I turned one more time towards the building for a quick picture with Signal. Admittedly, I was a little emotional from the changes since my last visit. DeLorme, a Maine mainstay, has been integrated with Garmin. The DeLorme store (that fabulous store with the trackable clings on the window and Eartha geocoins) has been closed. And the field outside the building only had one wooden bear left. Feeling a little dejected, I finished snapping my Signal pictures when someone in a passing pickup shouted, "That's my frog!" and all was well again.

Although warm, the weather was pretty overcast as we headed to our final destination for the night, Bangor. After the obligatory photos outside Stephen King's house, we stopped for a couple of Italians  (subs) at Amatos and retired to our hotel...

... which happened to be guarded by Paul Bunyon. Bangor claims to be the birthplace of Paul Bunyon. Any good Michigander knows this to be false - he was born in St. Ignace, but we'll let them have their statue.

So ends our second night in New England. Early to bed for an early start to Acadia National Park tomorrow.