Day 5

June 8, 2009

Well, after a full day of rest at the Blue Moose, I force myself to get back on the trail.
This time, I decide to follow in the tracks of some ATV trails.
ATV clubs are a REALLY big deal around here and I'm getting REALLY tired of walking on the highway, so the trail is a welcome change.
By the time I start to get in the vicinity of Houlton, I spot a sign that points to the Stardust Motel.
It advertises that you can ride your snowmobile right up to your front door.
I don't quite have one of these, but I figure if it's good enough for them, then I'll give it a shot.
So, with the idea that the road must not be far off, I follow the sign's suggestion in search of Houlton and the Stardust Motel.
After 5 to 10 minutes, I began to think, "I should've bought a squirrel!"
(If this reference troubles you, go rent 'Rat Race'.)
But, thankfully, the trail finally comes out on Highway 1 just at the edge of town and right next to the border patrol.
I've been told that they're pretty strict and I'll probably get harassed quite a few times as I'm so close to Canada. But, so far, they don't seem to care one way or the other.
Which is interesting, considering the time the Canadian Border Patrol accosted me in Detroit and made me delete some of the pictures from my camera. But, that's a different story for a different time.
So, I follow the road south until I come to a Subway right across the street from the Visitor Center and my first Walmart of the trip.
The Subway is in conjunction with a gas station that carries an interesting window washing policy (see photo). Things are a BIT different up in these parts.
I pop into the Walmart to pick up a lighter and some safety pins and I finally get the opportunity to head west.
After only a mile or two, I ditch and pitch to the right of the road, just on the edge of the tree line.
Hopefully, nobody will wake me up in the middle of the night with a shotgun telling me to get off their land.

Day 4

June 7, 2009

It felt SO GOOD to sleep in!
Combining the pain in my heel with the free campsite in back and the free wireless connection, I decide that this is a good time to take a day off.
I'm hoping that by tomorrow, my heel will be more or less 'healed' and I can use all of the remaining day to rest up and work on some more video uploads.
Plus, the food at The Blue Moose ain't half bad, either.
A little pricey, perhaps, but not bad.

Day 3

June 6, 2009

So, while everyone back in Texas is enjoying the 'official' grand opening of the new Dallas Cowboy Stadium with a George Strait concert, I get to hike south on Highway 1 all of the way into Monticello, Maine.
Now, normally, this sounds like an easy thing to do, but just as I get midway into town, something starts to go seriously wrong with my left heel.
It's not a 'hot spot' or a blister, it's something on the inside.
I think it's the result of carrying entirely too much weight in my pack and my foot is literally caving under the pressure.
So, I manage to hobble the rest of the way to the end of town where I joyously find The Blue Moose.
This is the first place on my trip where I'm able to access a wireless internet connection.
So, I use the opportunity to eat some lunch and loiter for a few hours, catching up on youtube, facebook, etc... and finally getting the chance to upload a few videos on-line.
The owner of the restaurant was gracious enough to offer me the back yard of the property to use as a campground and I quickly obliged.
The great thing about that is that I'm also able to pick up the wireless connection all of the way from my tent.
Good deal!

Day 2

June 5, 2009

What a glorious morning to wake up in a lean-to shelter on top of a hill at the foot of a giant windmill.
To start things off, the mosquitoes were so bad I couldn't resist using the firepit to 'smoke em out'.
But, once I got that taken care of, I broke camp and headed down the hill.
I followed the ski lift all of the way down to the resort and continued right through the parking lot all of the way into town.
Believe it or not, I'm actually following the International Appalachian Trail, which leads me straight to the front door of Al's Diner.
I didn't see Richie, Potsy or Chachi, but I did meet a beautiful waitress, named Melissa, whose mom worked right along beside her.
Together, they twisted my arm until I tried my first ever 'Whoopie Pie'. (which, apparently, is all the rage in New England) You'll have to google it.
It was pretty good. Obnoxiously big, but pretty good.
From here, I picked up and hiked south on Highway 1 until I came to the Whited Bible Camp.
The place looked quite accommodating and extremely empty, so I was tempted to duck into the Aroostook Pentecostal Tabernacle and call it a night.
Somehow, it just didn't seem like the thing to do, though, so I kept heading south until I reached Bridgewater, Maine.
Now, from Presque Isle, stretching all of the way south to Houlton, they've built a scale model of our solar system. The sun is located at the University of Maine, while Pluto (though no longer a 'real' planet) is located at the visitor center in Houlton.
So, lo and behold, while in Bridgewater, I was fortunate enough to have my picture taken sitting next to Uranus.
How many of you can say that?
Whoopie pies and Uranus.
That's more than enough excitement in one day!
So, putting that behind me, I was finally able to settle down and turn off to the right of the highway, on a little jeep trail, to 'ditch and pitch'. (ditch the road and pitch a tent)