September 2022 - Big Guy Tiny Trailer

Maine Camping Summer 2022

Maine Camping

Maine camping for us covered eight nights and four campgrounds. It was the apex of our trip because it was the farthest north we went and Acadia National Park was the highlight of our trip.

Bangor

Bangor was our first Maine stop. I have been aware of Bangor most of my life because of all the Stephen King books I have read. I so hoped we would run into him. Silly, huh? Despite not seeing King, Bangor was such a nice place. It has a huge Paul Bunyan that is recognized as the most handsome Bunyan for its finally detailed features. The fiberglass over steel Bunyan structure can also withstand hurricane winds.

Paul Bunyan Campground

The Bunyan theme extended to our campground and we had a pleasant stay there. There was a pool and laundry and our site was beside a large pond.

Steven King’ House

Stephen King’s house was a must see. It looks somewhat like you would expect a home of his to look. The gate and fence includes bats, spiders, and gargoyles. Sadly, no sign of the great man.

This is where the writing magic happened

Land Transportation Museum

The Cole Land Transportation Museum surprised and delighted us. It has all sorts of things used for transportation in Maine dating back to more than a hundred years. Old fire engines, wagons, cars, campers, motorcycles, wagons, and snowplows are there.

The bridge below was constructed to represent bridges of the past. Unlike Vermont, there only a few covered bridges in Maine today and we did not get to see any of them.

I was particularly interested in the museum’s snowplows because they are not a part of my world in the South. I think the machine in the photo below looks like something from a King novel.

Lobster!

We discovered a grocery store that we love, Hannaford. It was founded in Maine in 1883.

The Hannaford location near our campground was reputed to occasionally be frequented by Stephen King. I hoped we might see him, but instead found a store we loved. Fresh produce covered a huge portion of the store that comes from local farms and they will cook the live lobster of your choice for $8.99 a pound. Our lobster picnic by the pond was so delicious!

Maine camping at Paul Bunyan Campground — Lobster from Hannaford

Mount Desert Island

Mount Desert is an island of Maine that includes Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. The terrain is very hilly and rocky, but is quite beautiful. We spent two nights in Bar Harbor and two nights in Acadia National Park.

Bar Harbor

Our first two nights were at Hadley’s Point Campground. It was a full hookup campground on the northern part of the island and we were comfortable there.

We arrived on a Friday afternoon and headed to the town. It was very picturesque with gorgeous views of the coast and many boats and yachts. The streets are very narrow and lined with restaurants and shops that cater to tourists.

Amazingly, we snagged a parking spot right on Main Street. We had our pup with us and got some ice cream at Mount Desert Ice Cream and ate it on the Village Green. Our favorite was The Dude, which tastes like a White Russian.

We took a walk down Main Street to Agamont Park. There is a shore path that I wish I could say we hiked. Just didn’t get it in.

We returned to the town of Bar Harbor a couple of days later thinking crowds would be less on a weekday. However, it was worse and we couldn’t find any parking. There is a free bus shuttle, The Island Explorer, that transports people to Bar Harbor from local hotels, inns, and campgrounds. We didn’t try to use it because we thought dogs wouldn’t be allowed. However, we later learned that “well-behaved” dogs are allowed, but not on the seats. It would have made our last trip to Bar Harbor much more enjoyable if we had ridden the shuttle.

We just happened upon the lovely spot above and stopped for a photo. Everything was so lush and green!

Acadia National Park

I have heard many times how beautiful Acadia is and now know it is true. It is a relatively small National Park, but uniquely lovely. The big thing to do at Acadia is to go to the top of Cadillac Mountain. The park requires reservations to drive to the summit during peak season. We were lucky that the day and time we chose was clear and sunny.

The Porcupine Islands are several small islands are visible from the top. It was not too crowded on the summit because of the limited access and I do think it enhanced the experience.

Another popular spot is Otter Cliffs. There is a walkway and you can climb down to a stunning view of the rocky shore. You can’t see it in this photo, but there were tons of lobster traps in the water.

Jordon Pond is a centerpiece for the park and there is a restaurant there. They specialize in popovers and tea. We actually had a meal there, including popovers. Our meal was there because you can take dogs if you eat on the lawn.

Our pup hung out below the table while we had our meal. The atmosphere was very nice, but the meal was overpriced for what you get.

Blackwoods Campground

Our two nights in the park were in Blackwoods Campground and we loved it. Most importantly, our spot was level and shady with a nearby bathroom that was immaculate. We were dry camping, so no electricity. However, the weather was mild and we didn’t really need the air conditioner. Our camper is equipped with a solar panel and it was enough to keep our battery going because we were frugal using electricity.

There are no showers in the campground, but there was a place just outside the park that is coin-operated.

Maine camping at Blackwoods Campground — Site A45

One thing we especially liked was a path to the ocean from the park. It was an easy downhill path that led to a bench and a ledge above the water.

It was a popular spot and we met other campers there. The view of the water and rocks below was gorgeous.

Kennebunkport

Sandy Pines in Kennebunkport was our last Maine camping stop. It was the nicest campground we visited on our trip.

This campground had a heated saltwater pool and an extremely nice laundry. So, I went for two birds one stone and did laundry while we hung out at the pool.

Kennebunkport’s big claim to fame is that it is where the summer home of George H. W. Bush family is located. It has been a Bush family retreat for more than a hundred years. We got close enough to get a shot of the compound. Check out the Texas flag under the U.S. flag.

Downtown Kennebunkport is so beautiful with the Kennebunk River flowing through the center of town and flowers everywhere. We only had one full day to explore, so we just drove around and took in the sights. Next, lunch was at Federal Jack’s—delicious fish and scallops. Maine seafood is the best!

One quirky attraction is The Wedding Cake House, built in 1825. It has been called the “most photographed house” in Maine. We checked it out, but couldn’t tour it because it was undergoing renovations. However, it looks pretty good for an almost 200 year-old house.

Maine Camping in Conclusion

We had high expectations for our Maine camping trip and it certainly did not disappoint. It is a beautiful part of our country and its people were friendly. It was also nice to be in an area with such a rich history. Oh, and the seafood was incredible!

Lastly, check out our visits to other states on our page, States Visited, a Campsite Resource.

Connecticut Camping Summer 2022

Connecticut Camping

Our four nights camping in Connecticut were very pleasant because the people were very friendly and there were fun things to do.

Cozy Hills Campground

Cozy Hills Campground is a fantastic family campground because it has lots of activities for children. There is so much going on that there is an itinerary with each day’s activities. It has a small restaurant on site and a large, but shallow swimming pool. However, it was a bit more expensive than many campgrounds on our trip at $85 a night. One thing we liked about it was its location—just outside of Litchfield and an easy drive from Hartford.

Connecticut Camping at Cozy Hills — Camping at Cozy Hills

The people who run the campground were so nice and it was very well-maintained. It is one of the cutest and friendliest campgrounds we have visited. We also enjoyed beautiful weather every day during our three-day stay.

Connecticut camping at Cozy Hills Campground — Lots of things to do at Cozy Hills

Our site was large and level and we were so comfortable while there. The only negative was the dog park. They had one, but it had artificial grass and our pup refused to go on it.

The other campers were also very friendly, particularly one family that gave us a package of Def for our truck. I costs almost $20 and they wouldn’t let us pay for it.

Litchfield

The nearby town of Litchfield was founded in 1719. It was very charming with historic buildings and lots of nice restaurants. We had a delicious outdoor lunch at Difranco’s with our pup and did a little walk around the town. One of the buildings I really liked was the Superior Court pictured below. It looks great for over a hundred and thirty years old.

Bellamy-Ferriday House

We did a tour of the nearby Bellamy-Ferriday house. It has an interesting history of two separate families. Reverend Joseph Bellamy built the main portion of the house in approximately 1754. The tour included artifacts from the time and information about the family and how they lived.

Many years later, the house was occupied by Carolyn Woolsey Ferriday. She was a philanthropist who provided support to women subject to experimentation by the Nazis in Ravensbrück concentration camp. She is one of the characters in Martha Hall Kelly’s book, Lilac Girls.

Hartford

Hartford was only fifty miles from us and we spent one of our days there and got a Rover sitter for our pup. It was a fun and relaxing day!

State Capital Building

Firstly, we headed to the Connecticut State Capital. We try to tour capital buildings on our travels because they are so grand and you can learn a lot about a state’s history. We were happy to be there on a weekday because there was a tour available. The building is a gorgeous Gothic Revival structure that opened in 1879.

Connecticut camping near Hartford — Connecticut State Capital Building

It was very grand on the inside as well. One of our tour guides demonstrated the unique echo acoustics on the spot pictured below. The man on the right in the photo is U. S. Senator Richard Blumenthal doing an interview. However, we did not get an opportunity to speak with him.

There were many beautiful and interesting things in the Capital Building, but I thought Lafayette’s Bed was a most unusual artifact, dating back to battles with George Washington. This type of bed led to the phrase, “Sleep Tight.”

Frank Pepe Pizzeria

Friends who formerly lived in Connecticut told us about Pepe’s pizza. We visited the West Hartford location and it was in a modern building with phenomenal food and extraordinary service.

We ordered a medium pizza and it was enormous. There were leftovers so we had a snack later at the campground. My husband’s half was Amanti Della Carne (meatball, pepperoni, sausage, and bacon) and mine was Fresh Tomato Pie. So delicious!

Mark Twain House

After that, we managed to squeeze in a visit to the Mark Twain House where he lived with his family from 1874 to 1891. Twain’s biographer described the house as “part steamboat, part medieval fortress, and part cuckoo clock.” I can see it.

The tour provided lots of information I didn’t know about Twain in his later years. He was quite a character.

The Visitors Center is very modern and has several cute Twain images. I loved the Lego Mark Twain.

There is also a bench where you can sit beside a bronze Mark Twain.

Clinton

Clinton is on the eastern side of the state and we were there for one night as we made our way home. Riverdale Farms Campground was a nice campground near New Haven with full hookups at a reasonable price.

Connecticut camping at Riverdale Farms campground — Riverdale Farms Site # 61

New Haven

Frank Pepe’s pizza was our main draw to New Haven, which is the original location, established in 1925. Operations are in a building beside this original building. The pizza was very good, but I preferred the Hartford location. Surprisingly, the pizza and service was better there.

We also wanted to check out Yale University as some university campuses are quite beautiful. It turns Yale is a urban campus and parking was very challenging. We didn’t get a photo of any of the buildings because of traffic and limited time.

Connecticut Camping In Conclusion

Beautiful weather, great campgrounds, friendly people, and phenomenal pizza made our Connecticut camping a wonderful experience. Therefore, Connecticut is a place that we would like to visit again. Check out our page, States Visited, a Campsite Resource to read about other places we have been.

Rhode Island Camping Summer 2022

Rhode Island Camping

Rhode Island, the smallest state in the Union, was another new camping destination for our summer trip. Interestingly, Rhode Island is not a true island, but it does have islands as part of its boundary as do many states. Our campground was on its biggest island, Aquidneck.

Aquidneck Island

Aquidneck Island contains the cities of Newport, Portsmouth, and Middletown. We planned to spend one day in Newport and one day taking the ferry to Providence. However, there was a high probability of heavy rain for both of our full days there. Also, we saw that Providence had some flooding. So, we decided to just stay on the island.

We were camping in Portsmouth at Newport RV Park. It was the most expensive campground on our trip at $122 a night, but it did not have the most amenities. So, we definitely were paying for location.

Rhode Island camping at Newport RV Park — Site # 122

We had a nice, level site on gravel, but it was nothing special. Our site was at a low point on the campground, so we were concerned about flooding. However, the girl in the campground office assured us that the island doesn’t flood. She was right; even though weather radar showed a large mass of bad weather, we had no flooding and less rain than one would expect.

The Newport Mansions

The Newport mansions are a popular tourist destination. American industrialists built the lavish mansions from 1870 to approximately 1910. The owners referred to the mansions as summer “cottages”. It was called the Gilded Age. Mark Twain coined the phrase to draw attention to the excesses of the era. Personal income tax began in 1913 and , consequently, the mansions became white elephants. Many were torn down, a few were donated to The Sisters of Mercy for Salve Regina University, eleven are currently managed by Newport County’s Historical Society, and a few are still privately owned.

A tobacco heiress built Vinland Estate, pictured above, in 1882. A family member donated it to Salve Regina University in 1955. Today, it is classrooms and office space.

Ochre Court is the second largest Newport mansion. It was built in 1892 at a cost of 4.5 million. The owners donated it to the Sisters of Mercy in 1947 for the university. I liked that the mansion appeared in the movie, True Lies.

The Breakers

The Breakers is the largest Newport mansion and we toured it on one of our rainy days. Cornelius Vanderbilt II built the mansion in 1895 as a summer home for his family. The 70-room, Italian-Renaissance Villa utilized forty servants for its upkeep. It was built with all the latest conveniences of the day, including plumbing, central heat, and electricity.

The tour provided an app with information on the house and how it’s residents lived. Photographs were for personal use only.

I loved the tour because it was like a time capsule of the era. While we don’t have royalty in this country, these folks sure lived like they were. The house appealed to me because of same reasons that I like Downton Abbey. They are a reflection of the times and mores of the privileged.

We saw all of three of these mansions from Cliff Walk, my favorite thing in Newport.

Cliff Walk

I absolutely loved Cliff Walk! It is a 3.5 mile National Recreation Trail in a National Historic District. It was designated in 1975 and about two-thirds of it is very easy walking. Cliff Walk is wonderful because the trail winds around the eastern shore of the island with spectacular views of the shoreline and several of the mansions.

We took our pup with us and she loved seeing the people and all the sights and smells.

Rhode Island camping near Cliff Walj — Our pup loved Cliff Walk

The shoreline was very rugged in places and quite beautiful. It was very overcast that day and we were glad to see it before the rain began.

It was so exhilarating to walk along the easy pathway with the sea air blowing from below. We did not get to do the entire walk, but I was grateful we got to see some of the best parts, including the mansions referenced above.

Redwood Library

Libraries have been a passion of my my entire life, so, I was happy to get to visit the nation’s longest continuously operating library that is in its original structure. Redwood Library was founded in 1747 and has been continuously operating ever since.

An annex is across the street that dates to 1863. It was so cool to see these old buildings that were in operation so many years ago and are still used today.

Clams

On a lighter note, I was in search of New England clams. We had fresh lobster a couple of times, but we had missed eating fresh New England clams. Apparently, Flo’s Clam Shack is an iconic place for clams in Newport. We had our pup and couldn’t go inside, but Flo’s has an outdoor area that allows pets.

Rhode Island camping near Flo’s crab Shack — Outdoor Dining at Flo’s

I learned that New England’s most popular clams are belly clams. Instead of just the strips, you also get the bellies. They taste a bit like fried oysters and I understand they are an acquired taste. I liked them right away, but my husband was not a great fan.

Dealing with a Dirty Dog

We had been traveling for almost four weeks and our pup was in great need of a bath. I met a couple at a State Park earlier and they told me about Rumford Pet Express. We went to the Middletown store on Labor Day and they offer all you need to give your pup a bath for only $12. Additionally, the staff was fantastic. It was a wonderful experience and so nice to have a clean pup again.

Rhode Island Camping in Conclusion

Our Rhode Island camping didn’t go as planned because of excessive rain, but we still had a good time. It would have been nice to take the ferry to Providence, but it just wasn’t in the cards. However, I am grateful we got to visit lovely Newport. Check out our page, States Visited, a Campsite Resource to read about our adventures in other states.

Massachusetts Camping Summer 2022

Massachusetts Camping

We have never done any Massachusetts camping before, but we have been to Boston. This visit began in the Berkshires on the western side of the state and ended on the eastern coast. Camping in the Berkshires was easy, but there is a story to tell about our coastal camping.

Bonnie Brae in Pittsfield

It was smooth sailing at Bonnie Brae because we had a nice, shaded, level site and the campground had a pool and laundry. We used the laundry, but did not have time for the pool.

Massachusetts camping at Bonnie Brae — Bonnie Brae is a cute little campground

The campground is on a steep hill. Consequently, it gave Sophie and me a workout coming back up on our walk. It was a friendly area and we interacted with several neighborhood residents below and they gave us tips on restaurants in the area.

Hancock Shaker Village

We had one full day to explore the area and we spent most of our time at the Shaker Village. Shakers inhabited the village from 1783 to 1836. Today there are twenty historic buildings. The countryside was so beautiful and the village was quite interesting.

The Shakers believed in communal living, equality, obedience, humility, simplicity, and perfection. Their work was of the highest quality. All those traits led to a harmonious and simple life. However, they also believed in celibacy. I think that was an unsustainable aspect of their survival as a congregation.

Massachusetts camping ear the Shaker Village — Shaker Village

This round barn was built in 1826 and was an engineering marvel for its day and stabled 52 milk cows. We attended an interpretive talk and were amazed at how innovative they were and how they lived. People traveled from all over when this barn was being used to see it.

Walking around enjoying the beauty of the Berkshires was another thing we loved about being at the Shaker Village.

Hilltop Orchards

Our rainy afternoon was spent at Hilltop Orchards Home of Furnace Brook Winery. We did a wine tasting and purchased a bottle of ice wine, which is unique and something we have never tried. They also had the best cider doughnuts we had on our trip. It was a good way to spend an afternoon.

Gloucester

It was a couple of weeks later when we reached the coastal side of the state. Our first impressions were not the best. The roads in the Gloucester area were very narrow and curvy. The speed limits were low, however, which helped. Unfortunately, my husband had a bit of a bad attitude about the area before we even turned into the campground.

Cape Ann Camp Site

The campground was all uphill and again with the narrow roads. The staff checking us in were very friendly though. The road up to most of the campsites is in the picture below. It is steep with a pronounced curve. When my husband saw it, he said, “Oh, hell no!” He turned down an alternative road to the left, but you couldn’t get up it. A camper who was there said a woman tore up her camper trying to go up that way. So, we turned around and braved the big hill. I got out and watched from all sides as my husband drove up. We made it!

Massachusetts camping at Cape Ann — The road up to the camp site

An added risk was the huge rocks and protruding trees all along the road. The rocks were everywhere, but there was a path for a careful driver. We saw campers that were our size, but none any larger in that top area. Finally, we made it to our site and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Ironically, this was one of our favorite stops on our trip. The area was beautiful and there was a lot to do. Also, the other campers were very friendly. This part of our Massachusetts camping turned out to be extraordinary.

Massachusetts camping at Cape Ann Camp Sites — Site 196E

The Overlook

An added bonus of the campground was a trail that led to an overlook. We walked up the trail several times and enjoyed the view and the discussions with the other campers. Cars and boats get trapped by the tides in the water below because the level varies by as much as six feet daily.

Massachusetts Camping at Cape Ann Camp Site — View from The Overlook

My husband and dog really liked going to the overlook in the early morning. Unfortunately, they never quite made it for the beginning of sunrise.

The Harbor and City

We were in Gloucester over Labor Day weekend and there was a lot going on. Everything big was happening the Saturday before Labor Day. There were schooners racing in the harbor and that evening a large live band would be playing. A parade of boats with lights would be on the harbor at dusk and later there would be a big display of fireworks. I say “would be” because we only spent the afternoon there. We were worried about the loud noises having a negative impact on our pup. In fact, the fireworks were quite loud in our camper, which was miles away.

We did see the boats going through the drawbridge. I think they were practicing in the daylight. It looked like it would be grand evening.

However, we got to enjoy the beautiful harbor with its monuments, flags, and flowers.

Stage Fort Beach

Stage Fort Beach is near the harbor and it enabled us to get close to the shoreline to see how different it is from the southeast. Half Moon Beach had just a small area of beach and many rocky cliffs.

There was more beach at Cressy’s Beach but what I found most interesting was the big rocks and the house on the cliff. I tried to find out information about the house, but was unsuccessful.

We were impressed with how long Gloucester has been around. Tablet Rock below has a commemorative plaque dedicated to the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony by the Dorchester Company in 1623. It also states that Tablet Rock was used by native Americans as an alter to invoke the Great Spirit.

Salem

We took a short drive to Salem for our other free day in Gloucester. It is a cute town that embraces its dark history. We learned the specifics of what happened at the Witch History Museum and had Thai food in the Witch City Mall.

Salem is also the birthplace of Nathaniel Hawthorne, who wrote The Scarlet Letter. The House of the Seven Gables, which was inspirational to him, is available for tours, but we didn’t have the time to see it. However, I plan to check out the book from the library when we return home.

Massachusetts Camping Conclusion

After settling in, both of our Massachusetts camping stops were wonderful. I am so glad we were able to camp in this beautiful state with such a rich history. Check out our visits to other states on our page, States Visited, a Campsite Resource.