Monday, May 16

We called two campgrounds in Freeport, and one of them (Blueberry Hill) made a disparaging remark about the other (Cedar Haven), "oh, that place is a sand pit." Blueberry Hill had a really cute ad, that mentioned "you can take walks on trails and pick blueberries and raspberries" so Mark leaned toward going to Blueberry Hill. Fine with me, so we started out there, and then the paved road ended. The gal didn't mention that on the phone or in the ad. The RV shook so badly on the dirt road that Mark's mirror turned out of whack. A mile later we get to Blueberry Hill, and Mark notices we have no cell coverage, so no Internet. "Well, maybe Maine will just be out of range for us" I say. Mark isn't thrilled, so we carefully turn around on Blueberry Hill's narrow road and head back to try Cedar Haven.

This "sand pit," Cedar Haven, turned out to be quite nice, with great cell and Internet coverage, a paved road right up to the campground, a closer location to town, a tiny playground and pond, and a really nice owner. So here we are:

After dinner we drove Freeport's Main Street; it is lined with pretty buildings housing outlet shops. I guess L.L. Bean has attracted this stuff, or else the rich summer folks have. I'll get pictures on Tuesday.

We stopped at L.L. Bean, which is open 24 hours a day, and couldn't believe how big it is. A block long and three stories high. And then there's a separate building for hunting and fishing stuff. We found Katie a bathing suit with fishies on it. A person could do some shopping in this place!

Tuesday, May 17

This morning Katie and I will head back to town to shop! I haven't wanted to shop since Santa Fe, but I'm in the mood today. I want to find some comfy shoes for summer and a bathing suit.

Here are pictures from town:

Here's the main L.L. Bean building. It's way too big to photograph close up, so I just got a picture of the boot.

Here is the strangest McDonalds I've ever seen. Like a New England house that needs some TLC. I didn't walk in, so I don't know for sure, but I assume the stuff in the windows is all fake.

It's hard to show the loads of shops on Main Street, everything from Nine West to Lenox to Ben & Jerry's to Yankee Candle Co. to Anne Klein. Am I in a small town in Maine or at the mall?

The saddest fate I've ever seen for a town library: to be turned into an Abercrombie & Fitch. I hate that store.

Okay, enough ranting. I found everything I was shopping for, and met a lady at a pricey children's store that travelled around like we're doing, years ago. She told me about a place up the coast where the tide changes are enormous and you can walk out into where the sea was, at low tide.

Back at the campground, Katie and I got in a few holes:

Wednesday, May 18

Katie is still sad about losing her snail. At the time, I had told Katie that snails only live a few days, so this was destined to end soon. But my girlfriend Emily emailed me that garden snails can live five years, so now I kinda wish I'd kept a better eye on the little guy. Oh well, last night Katie had some crying jags, after drawing the snail and chatting about it. And so far, despite keeping an eye out for one, I've seen none to replace it. I may start turning over rocks.

Katie and Mark are still sleeping, and I'm writing this and listening to Terry Gross on the radio. It's a nice easy morning so far. I don't think we have plans for today.