New England

We crossed the New Hampshire state line and met first real New England accent almost immediately.  This 80 something man was chatting us up at a gas station asking where "you two young women" were heading?  When we said the east coast, this gentleman who'd informed us he'd never been to the mountains told us how to drive to Florida from Maine without paying a toll.  "Yuh go sowt on I 81 to I 84 with highway 71 in dare somewhere."  

I wish I could write it the way I heard it.  We had arrived someplace new.  

With limited cell service, we fell back to maps and ended up driving in circles.  I was glad we had followed this lovely road that crossed a river back and forth as we saw four covered bridges.  One bridge caused us to change our route as 12'6" clearance would not accommodate us.  

We finally decided to camp at Umbagogo Lake State Park.  In one day, we had meandered through most of northern New Hampshire and landed almost in Maine.  After setting up camp, we drove across the state line to see if we had phone service in Maine.  Still no luck.  No Verizon service at all.  This is not common for us as we selected Verizon for its extensive network.  

The next morning it was raining, how Maine like.  On the way, out we decide to hook up Jeep in boat parking area.  Kathy admitted road weariness after discovering she'd driven from our site to this area with the parking brake on.  We smelled hot brakes, checked out our rig, sure enough they were hot after just two blocks of driving.  Back on the road with an agreement for real camping soon.   Not tonight though as we headed to Bangor to do laundry and check out town if possible.  We needed LP gas too.

In Bangor, we landed as "intentional tourists" check the reference if you dare about "the accidental tourist" for an amusing tail of hospitality.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erwin_Kreuz


We set up camp in the park and ride lot adjacent to Walmart.  Kathy said she found it on ALLSTAYS but later conceded that parking overnight in a park and ride lot is only allowed in New Hampshire.  Anyway no one chased us away and by morning we had one class B, one trailer, one car, two vans, one pickup and one VW Camper bus joining us.   The lot is designed for rain runoff and we put leveling blocks under our front end for the frig sake and sleeping sake.  His is something we would never do in a parking lot overnight situation usually.  We disconnected jeep and parked it in front of us so we wouldn't get blocked in by morning commuters too.  It had a nice grassy area to walk the puppy and although it was full a trash can be available too.  

Bangor didn't have a good feel.  I thought "too city" but even after driving around it just felt unkempt.  We left the dog behind and drove to see Stephen King’s house.  It's easy to find and we believe he may have been home, the gate was open and two nice cars were parked near the garages.  We didn't want to disturb anyone but sat in the Jeep a little longer than we might have, thinking someone might come out of the house.  No luck though.  Driving back to the RV included a stop at L.L. Bean, no luck, there either.  We did however, see Paul Bunyan and Babe at the art institute.  

It was a very quiet night, except for the rain.  We worried about the bulge in our ceiling near the AC unit, we have a leak, I'll need to get to the next dry day.  On drove north to camp for four days with electricity, water, laundry, and free Wi-Fi for $30.  We looked intently for moose as we were told they were quite common.  We had no luck.  Narrow bumpy roads and the last five miles barely a road into Danforth.  

The Greenland Cove Park is nice, tough to get into dump station while coming in as it is designed to use while exiting.  Our site was not level, although we had asked for one.  But laundry room was cheap.  The Swimming pool closed for the season already so kids swam in the lake.  We took the Jeep for a Drive through the neighborhood looking for flyers about lake houses for sale.  We parked near the boat ramp took off our shoes and waded in the warm water. Frances is so cute but she didn't want to get wet and wouldn't go into the water.

The next day the campground got busier. More weekend neighbors filled in sites while we finished our projects on RV.  The roof leak was a simple removal of the AC cover and caulking. It was warm so I swam in the lake with the kids while Kathy and Frances watched.  After our stay, we drove south to Calais.  

Is was too warm for dry camping at Walmart so we stayed at the motor inn.  Drove to Moosehorn refuge, they did not have a stamp.  We saw no moose but watched mom and two fledgling bald eagles.  We shopped at Walmart then ate pizza at Joe's.  We Could see Canada from the dinner table.  After dinner we found the world's best beer store.  It was connected to a recycling facility, how apropros.  

We drove up to see the most northern lighthouse on the Maine coast.  Privately owned and on the St. Croix River.  Then down to national historic site of the St. Croix Island.  Back out to a different part of the refuge for stamp.  Success!  Sadly, they had a large display of confiscated objects made from endangered animals to visitors how wildlife trafficking threatens the sustainability and survival of hundreds of species worldwide. 

We packed up and drove south to Cobscook State Park.  It was nice and quiet.  We had our choice of pull thru sites.  The campground had no amenities including flush toilets but the ranger was kind and friendly.  We drove two miles to the boat launch and watched the tide come in.  This is one place you can see levels change quick rapidly as every six hours the tide raises or lowers twenty-four feet.  

At dusk, we went into the town of Lubec.  We were preparing for trip our next trip Canada to see Campobello, the Roosevelt vacation home.  

Heavy morning fog, offered muted views of coastlines and lighthouses.  We toured the Roosevelt "cottage", a house with 34 rooms.  Even today not a cottage by any definition.  We tried to join the Eleanor Tea, but it was full.  I would recommend this as part of the tour if you can attend.  Instead we drove the carriage roads in the natural areas for the island and viewed Murdoch light house before coming back into the U.S. Maria's Chocolates was an excellent side trip and yes, they ship.  I know where I'm shopping for Christmas, yes, they have sugar free confections as well.  

Back home for a relaxing afternoon of reading, napping and bbqing chicken.  The next day 11 am check out seemed early after blueberry pancakes for breakfast.  Another short drive brought us to McClenan City Park.  

Our reserved site was well marked and included our name, thanks Dennis.  Luckily it was as if we would have driven down toward the other campsites we would have been stuck with no room to turn around.  The park is clean with small tent sites and one large pull through.  As we parked Joy took a spin I the jeep to find a self-pay station or Dennis.  She found neither.  She did find a locked woodshed and office area behind which are flush toilets, a nice surprise.  She also found a picnic area with a young Canadian couple trying to figure out if they were camping or not.  They left a few minutes later.  No tap water, no dump, really roughing it.  A quick trip to town for phone service, computer access at the library, and groceries. Then home to Mrs. Dennis and paying the bill.  

Laundry with free Wi-Fi and lunch at Veldez Mexican takeout.  Yes, we crave real Mexican food and settle for store bought tortillas and Pace picante.  We shared a picnic table with two men from Texas and a local.  The man from Maine gave us advice for our Acadia trip. After finishing the laundry, we purchased crab and clam cakes from a local fishing company.  Back at camp we took a walk to the rocky edge of Atlantic Ocean sat and listened while the sun lowered behind us.  

The next morning Mr. Dennis stopped by with a large bag of green beans fresh from his garden. He wished us well as he checked garbage cans as we broken camp heading for Acadia.  

Tamarrac National Wildlife Refuge

  We arrived during a rain storm. Seems like arrival days and departure days often have inconvenient weather.   Of the two level gravel spots, we set up in the larger as we were the first volunteers to arrive for the season.  We had laundry, of course, so we checked out the bunkhouse and where the interns live met two females.  One worked with the fire crew and Emily who we would working with and for in visitor services.  

Eventually we met their male housemates as well.  This was a fun group with which to enjoy evenings.  The bunkhouse was small compared to Bosque Del Apache NWR but we could use the laundry and kitchen facilities when we wanted. Most importantly it has a crawl space for tornadoes just in case the spring or early summer sprung one.   

The refuge, 43,000 acres of diverse habitat in the midst of  three geologic zones that meet here. The rivers flow into the Red River basin or north and east toward the headwaters of Mississippi River basin.  The refuge hosts over twenty named lakes and Eastern deciduous hardwoods, Northern coniferous forests and Western tall grass prairies. Wildlife and plant life are abundant:  birds galore, deer, bear, wolves, beaver, groundhogs, skunk, mink, muskrat, wild rice, iris, berries, lilies, cattail,and of course it's name sake.

Tamarack

Oh tree that's deceives

Your branches like family seem alive and complete

Come fall you wither and from gold you rain, reign, rein down

So that in winter you look gone while all the other pines live on

Evergreen you are not 

your needles are leaves soft and tender

Clusters that bend and stand up in the winds of spring
your paired cones dipped in honey glisten in the sun

Our duties at this refuge seemed easy and sometimes we tried to make them more challenging by volunteering for extra things.  Kathy and I worked I the visitor center together. We set up the bird feeders, cleaned the museum, checked the restrooms, operated the video and manned the gift store. We loved watching the birds and other wildlife that came to the feeders or we watched while helping maintain the refuge.  Joy also gave refuge tours.  Here's a group near an Indian battle site.  The visitors often we either locals who stopped in once or twice a season or had never been.  Both types we're excited to see how much the refuge had to offer and how, in collaboration with the Friends Group were building an educational annex.  We would be lucky enough to see it open after its completion. 

On other days, Kathy mowed and I clean outhouses and stocked brochures around the refuge.  We enjoyed keeping the refuge tidy as people would toss trash from their cars on the roads.  Once we found a truck full of household trash laying beside the road.  The law enforcement officer went through it and found a bill with an address and the trash hound was prosecuted for dumping on federal land.  Mostly though just thoughtless people dropping things out car windows.  I hate litter bugs.  

Tamarac is a beautiful place! Great hiking trails with windflowers and wetland creatures galore.  They allow berry picking, mushroom foraging, fishing and some hunting.  Kathy and I especially enjoyed the annual loon counts.  We reported on two lakes.  We got buzzed by and eagle as we floated in a canoe around one lake. It was an awesome day.  Kathy even got to see the northern lights.  I had pointed out faint ones while in Alaska but these were glorious.  Dancing green and pink fire in the sky was worth the fight with the mosquitoes.  Oh yes, northern MN has lot of them in the summer with all those lakes around us.

Tamarac

Green mornings of dew dressed dandelions 

Blue skies warm the day

Fiery fox passes in her same old curious way

Woodchuck pups digging painted turtle nests

thirteen striped ground squirrels giving chase

Friends sharing tales and tators at a picnic table

Watching Netflix and Northern Lights just for fun

Thunder rolled and the AC went out

But we felt family warm and friendly

Familiar like the Tamarac brass

Oh, did I forget, the Tamarac brass was the most glorious sound of the trumpeter swans. We first met these beautiful graceful creatures in Alaska but here we truly learned to love their beauty and their brass.  We took a bicycle ride one afternoon to the lake behind our RV site.  We came upon fifty or so swans sunning themselves on the shore and singing happily away somewhat like geese with more bass.  Their rich sounds rang through the breeze blown grasses into our happy song of the Tamarac brass.  

Besides all the wonderful animals it is still about the people.  Janice, the volunteer coordinator is soft spoken and well prepared for anything.  When the bear broke into the bird food shed it was just another day.  She helped organize large groups of elementary school child in sunshine and rain and they all left having a great time and evidence of learning not only to Janice and the other volunteers but our friend Pat who we volunteered in Alaska had written curriculum for them to use.  It was fun helping guide students through activities another volunteer had created. The couple here were our counterparts Ken and his wife stayed through until the fall.  

Along with the local volunteers, Emily the intern played a large part in the success of the educational programs.  She became our friend not only because of our working relationship but she lived in the bunkhouse previously mentioned.  Another friend we found at Tamarac is Will.  He interned with the fire crew and we keep up with him on Facebook after all the time we spent together evenings at the bunkhouse watching groundhogs and thunderstorms.

This beautiful refuge allowed Joy to be back in Minnesota.  We visited Joy's college and high school friends Rita, Barb, Sheila, Erna, and Monty as well as her family. It gave us time to introduce Minnesota's real beauty to Kathy.   We would definitely volunteer here again.