SACO/OLD ORCHARD BEACH, MAINE

evenin'.

well, after all of the "excitement" we experienced on our journey northbound to the wooly wilds of maine, we were more than ready for a little R&R. okay, maybe some blueberry pie, too. and a lobster roll. we're so cliche. (but seriously, isn't that why you come to maine? it sure ain't for the mosquitos.)

that thar water is cold.

we pulled into the saco/old orchard beach KOA just before dusk and were pleasantly surprised at the grounds. KOAs can really be hit and miss, but it seems that they've been putting some effort into cleaning up a bit and beefing up some amenities. that doesn't mean we'll always stay at them – after all, we're really not interested in the "choo-choo" that makes its way around the campground (seriously?) or the bouncy moon jump. but what KOAs do offer is some degree of knowing what you'll get, and that can be comforting when you've been driving a long time and are ready to just get there.

with that being said, our site was, well, not great. there were a number of narrow trees, making it impossible to pull out the awning, which is always a bummer. there were also a number of rocks and roots and the site was far from level. i'm not sure it was really suitable for anything larger than a pop-up trailer, but it was doable for just a few nights.

see those roots? they're even more fun at night.

the best treat we encountered was a short drive over to cape elizabeth where we discovered the lobster shack on two lights road. nothin' fancy, and that's how we like it. you order your seafood, wait to be called and dine al fresco at picnic tables next to rocky cliffs overlooking the sea (our choice, even though the seagulls are very well fed and very persistent) or inside. we got fancy and ordered a whoopie pie...and OH MY. those things are crazy. crazy decadent and crazy delicious!

the lobster shack at two lights road

yes, please.

order up. nom nom nom nom.

scoping us out.

magoo hated every bite.

we also took a drive into old orchard beach just a few miles away and that place is like a throwback to old school 1960s beach towns, complete with a ferris wheel, old-timey amusements, lots of neon, funnel cakes and the usual tacky tourist traps. not sure i'd want to stay directly in the old orchard beach main district, but it was fun to cruise through the main drag. we spotted lots of frankie valli's gone bad.

we made the three hour drive into bar harbor on tuesday morning and are now at the bar harbor KOA. (we're quite possibly getting a little KOAed out, but more on this later.) we'll be here until sunday, so stay tuned for an update on our time here. more seafood eats, acadia national park and a few unexpected curveballs. always an adventure!

happy trails,
jen