‘Teddy’s Travels’: An intern’s information to exploring Maine via his lens

I’m this summer time’s breaking information intern for the Portland Press Herald, and having by no means been to Maine earlier than, I wished to discover as a lot as I may earlier than the summer time was over.

As an avid photographer and somebody who likes to discover the outside, I wished to ensure I made essentially the most of my time and really bought the New England expertise.

Here’s what I found — and photographed — all through my journeys round Maine and New England.

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

My first cease in Maine was Acadia. In my head, I imagined the postcard-rocky seashores and towering bushes that make the nationwide park a vacation spot for tens of millions of individuals annually — and the panorama actually delivered.

One factor I’m at all times searching for is a problem, and after trying on-line on the many mountain climbing trails on the park, I made a decision that the Beehive Trail was the very best alternative.

While the web site mentioned it was a tough hike, trying up the facet of the mountain I used to be about to climb and seeing individuals rigorously hugging the rock face made me notice this may be a bit greater than “difficult.”

As I ascended, I bear in mind telling myself to recollect one factor: “Don’t look down.”

Getting to the highest meant spending about half an hour winding round boulders and scaling rock by climbing a rudimentary metallic rebar ladder that was bolted into the rock face.

Once I summited the almost 500 ft of elevation, I seemed out and noticed essentially the most breathtaking views.

Seeing the ocean and rocky seashores this shut from atop a mountain was in contrast to anything I’d skilled.

Coming from New Jersey, the closest factor we’ve got to this is able to be the Palisades — however as a substitute of pristine seashores, you’re trying on the New York cityscape.

After getting down from the mountain, I made positive to proceed to drive the loop across the park and cease by any fairly seashores I discovered.

One tip for anybody desirous to summit the Beehive can be to be sure you climb up the rocky facet first — you don’t need to climb down the rocky facet, which seemed much more harmful and tougher.

PEAKS ISLAND

The small, particularly residential island proper exterior Portland harbor is just accessible by ferry and was a vacation spot I had examine in numerous journey blogs previous to visiting Maine.

As a ship aficionado, I used to be keen on the thought of a ship experience throughout the harbor and, on condition that Friday afternoon’s good climate, determined to make the journey.

Opting to stroll as a substitute of drive — you possibly can deliver your automotive on the ferry for a payment — I arrived on the terminal and was informed by the ticket vendor that upon arriving at Peaks, I’d have the ability to go to one of many island’s “many restaurants.”

While I’d think about “many” a stretch, there have been three seafood joints alongside the island’s foremost highway, the place a lot of the city’s motion appeared to happen.

Without a automotive, it’s fairly onerous to discover the entire island. There are golf carts and bikes obtainable, the previous of which is just obtainable in the event you’re prepared to shell out $100 for 2 hours of motorized enjoyable.

I personally discovered the island to be slightly underwhelming, with essentially the most satisfying half most likely the boat experience that supplied beautiful views of the numerous islands scattered round Casco Bay.

KAYAKING

When I drive round Maine, I see extra of one thing than I’ve seen wherever else: the sheer variety of vehicles with kayaks on their roof.

With quite a lot of Maine life being outside oriented, I wished to attempt my hand at exploring the state by paddle — albeit one part of a river at a time.

Some of the locations within the Portland space appeared form of costly for leases, however with a Sunday afternoon to kill, I used to be decided to search out away to hit the water.

I ended up taking place to the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center, which is located on the Dunstan River, just a bit south of Portland.

For $35, I bought 1.5 hours on the water and was in a position to make my method up the flexible river. It was scorching that day, and I’d undoubtedly advise these going to deliver additional sunscreen.

FLYING & BOSTON

While it’s not Maine, I did need to get a broader New England expertise and determined to take a fast journey right down to Boston.

I made a decision to satisfy up with some mates from school and in addition spend the day with my boyfriend, Sam, who’s a pilot.

I’ve been desirous to fly someplace in slightly airplane for some time now, and he lastly agreed to take me on a flight one Friday afternoon. We left from proper exterior Boston and went on a fast hour hop to Martha’s Vineyard, stopped on the bottom, taxied and took proper again off once more.

Due to flight restrictions from the then-ongoing World Cup, we had been supplied astonishing views of town we might not have usually seen, as a result of airspace round Logan Airport is often extra restricted for smaller plane.

I used to be not accustomed to flying in a tiny airplane, and any turbulence within the air can most actually be felt within the tiny cabin. After one notably rocky episode, I felt slightly ailing and was glad to quickly be on the bottom.

Later on the journey, I met up with some mates from school, and we went to go to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum — the location of the famous art heist in 1990.

The museum, which has a group that spans a number of continents, is a must-visit for these within the Boston space.

While moderately area of interest, one in all my favourite components (except for the art work) was truly the lovable pastel-green elevator. While not for the claustrophobic, it does have a picket bench if for some purpose you had been to get drained ready the 30 seconds of journey time to the following flooring.

With the period-set rooms simply steps away from the medieval tapestries, you actually really feel just like the museum is transporting you thru time.

AVOIDING THE HEAT

Fourth of July weekend in Maine was a scorching one. I initially thought I had a novel thought of going to Old Orchard Beach that Friday to beat the warmth, however once I bought there, I noticed that each different particular person in Maine additionally shared the identical thought.

With the Palace Playland theme park seemingly closed, I made my method right down to the seashore. I trudged via the painfully scorching sand, looking for a spot to set down my towel on the completely packed seashore. After establishing store and basking within the solar for about an hour, I noticed the noisy and busy atmosphere to be removed from stress-free.

I made a decision to go over to someplace I knew would have fewer individuals: Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park.

The park encompasses a lengthy stretch of rocky seashore nestled alongside the coast of Casco Bay, a couple of 45-minute drive from Portland.

I walked alongside the trail till I discovered a abandoned a part of the seashore, the place I put my towel down and laid on an enormous boulder.

This was much more stress-free — not an individual in sight. When it bought too scorching, I made a decision to take a dip within the water, and I used to be shocked.

Instead of the icy chilly I’d grown accustomed to in Maine, it was heat, even nice. My watch had a thermometer and clocked the water temperature at 80 levels Fahrenheit. My concept is that the shallow water mixed with the rising facet submerging the new rocks that had been basking within the solar all day made the water really feel extra like a shower.

MOUNT WASHINGTON

The greater elevation actually supplied cool aid from the Fourth of July’s sweltering warmth wave. Some would possibly say I cheated by driving up the mountain on its famed auto highway moderately than mountain climbing it, however I discovered that given my restricted time, I used to be in a position to maximize what I wished to see.

My almost decade-old Honda was not thrilled with the steep 30-minute climb, however she nonetheless persevered. The odor of recent air and burning breaks from vehicles passing by on their method down the mountain stuffed the air.

As we transcended via the “alpine zone,” the purpose at which we handed the tree line, the car parking zone on the base of the mountain bought smaller and smaller and the clouds that had been above us shortly changed into fog.

My mild sweater and shorts didn’t put together me for the 50-degree temperatures and what felt like gale drive winds on the summit.

EIGHT WEEKS DONE

I’m very glad I bought to spend the previous two months right here in Maine, which has a number of the most beautiful geography of any state I’ve been to. I do have a number of honorable mentions of locations I visited throughout my weekends.

• Mackworth Island: A fantastic place to go on walks or runs, only a 10-minute drive from Portland. They don’t permit bikes on the paths although, one thing I solely realized after biking there from downtown.
• Bradbury Mountain State Park, Pownal: Amazing mountain biking and working trails that had pretty few individuals the 2 instances I went. Just you should definitely deliver bug spray, as a result of a number of the trails go close to puddles of standing water.
• Giant’s Stairs Trail, Harpswell: It was an extremely scenic drive getting there. You may additionally discover/climb the rocks and get epic views proper subsequent to the ocean. Just watch out as a result of a number of the rocks are slippery.
• Mile Beach, Georgetown: Located in Reid State Park, Mile Beach — very like its title suggests — supplies a protracted strip of sand excellent for seashore working and kite-flying. It additionally has a rocky facet with loads of picnic benches to get pleasure from any meals you may need introduced.

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