When the surroundings are all natural, less of what man makes gets in the way. You can think clearly, see the pathway that is best for your greatest happiness, your contribution to give back.
And it does not take a pocket full of plastic, a handful of dollars to spend time here in the blue, green, other colors of Maine.
Camping, your number one way to experience Maine without costing a duplicate organ to sample her. Grilling on a fire, sleeping under the stars, hiking for the fun of it to limber up and crank your inner awareness.
Drift, Glide, Pop Up And Down Fishing. Maine Loons Dressed In A Black And White Tuexdo.
Joy is built from the inside out and contentment starts with space. Maine has lots of space.
The better places are the further up the pike in all direction you push forward into Maine.
Maine is down home simple, home grown real and tasty.
And talk about waterfront options.
Lakes, ocean front, ponds, streams, brooks, rivers in Maine.
Who left the water running? Hello.
Maine has so much of it and no one around to sample the sight and sound of the rushing, gurgling, bubbling clean water to combine with the fresh air. And just you often to experience it all by your lonesome.
Maine, Get High. Lots Of Chances To Rise Above The Static.
Well, you do feel sets of black eyes peering out from behind the mixed woods, down low in the lush vegetation.
You always have wildlife close by because you are lucky enough to be in their home sweet home tramping circles.
Is it like that where you live now and do time chasing the dollar?
Have you been dreaming about waking up in Maine for too long now?
Maine Is Rich Colors, Simple Pleasures, Natural Beauty.
Make up the words along the way.
It’s okay to be a little off key in Maine.
Not know the words by heart. Few people if any within earshot to critique.
She let’s you be yourself, to find yourself if someone has been lost.
Or just too busy to work on you.
We all need self improvement, to add to what we collect along the way right? Had anything rip you open and help with the self discovery lately?
Touch Down On A Maine Lake.
We don’t take ourselves so serious in Maine. No one out to impress, make anyone envious.
No script, no following the herd, just doing what comes naturally to you.
Like dancing, kissing, eating Maine lobster, riding a bike. There is no one way to do it best and you never forget how once you give it a whirl.
White Capped, Snowy Much Of The Year, Mt Katahdin At Baxter Park
So don’t let low funds for the travel fun deter you from heading North to Maine.
And don’t just circle long weekends, vacation stretches that only fall in the summer part of the calendar either.
Open up the door, step outside in Maine. We spend all the seasons outside four walls, a roof, floor. You can take a lifetime getting to know her.
Start the journey, share what you have learned and thank you for following our Maine simple living blog posts.
The place in Maine on the water, whether it is a river camp, a woods cabin on a stream or a lake vacation home.
Opening it up is a tradition. Sometimes a production. One that reminds the owner of the others in the family before them that did the same routine. Or that this is too much work for one person to shoulder the burden. That sometimes seems to be like batting clean up long after the game ended.
What Happens Under The Sun Another Day In Maine. It Depends On You. Being Here In Vacationland.
To pick up after other far traveling family members who are not so tidy. And steal the joy of using the place that has a job jar before that can be accomplished in the too little time, so much to do.
The opening up of a Maine vacation retreat. Sometimes in the spring or often times in the fall for hunting, leaf peeking. Maybe for winter ice fishing, snow sledding only. But no matter what the season, places on the water in Maine are a sacred investment. Sometimes on leased land in the middle of no where in places “T” this, “R” that.
Some folks collect second, third and more homes that they don’t get to enjoy but hope to someday. Paying the property tax bills but not darkening their doorways. With no dock out, no boat parked on either side of it.
Time carved out of a busy schedule to make sure the place on the water is enjoyed is a healthy habit. As life ticks by whether you do or don’t.
Big meals, cribbage games, outdoor horseshoe competitions, time napping on a porch swing or dooryard hammock. Family discussions, talking about the fish that got away. The wildlife that sauntered by while enjoying hot coffee or a cold adult beverage.
Wave, Be Friendly, Everyone Is In Maine.
Take your pick, select your poison for fire water. While cooking your food outdoors with a sizzle happens. As kayaks ply the like a bottle smooth, polished lake surfaces.
Or as rain peppers the metal roof that may leak or not depending this opening day season. On what that blow down tree did that let loose over, struck the structure sometime over the winter months.
At least it produces some firewood in the clean up. When processed and cut up in bite size pieces for the parlor stove or end heater.
Everything reduced down to turning up the volume on the greater awareness of what is truly important in life.
You can hear yourself think in Maine. So much of the layers of living in a city are reduced one by one the more reflectorized mile markers that click off on the way up the I-95 pike. When you point whatever you drive north.
And often what is found is missing where the property owner spends most of their time chasing the dollar the bulk of the year. It all shows up right on time. Traveling the many miles that separate the two of you. Many moons distant, down the road from the state of Maine where the property owner chases the dollar where all the people collect.
Come Up For Air To Spy On Lake Campers With Bread Morsels.
The smell of the familiar place on the Maine waterfront is the most powerful.
The sense of smell the oldest of the senses a person uses to navigate in life. Follow your nose like Toucan Sam.
A mixture of damp, moist wood, earth underneath the settling camp structure. Lack of heat and a proper foundation makes a place shift, settle.
The dust, collection of house flies and any other rodent who used the place as the winter home all add to the what you find, what you notice in the beak. Moth balls to protect clothes, wool blankets might be noticed too as you unlock and enter the place in Maine on the waterfront.
The quick throw everything mad dash. From lawn chairs to lawn mowers inside on the screened or glass porch if lucky enough to have one. Underneath a camp if elevated enough or equipped with a hatch door. Maybe into a storage shed for the outdoor toys, cooking and sporting gear.
Or all escorted in to the living area in one big last call type hurry as the bright house lights come on, the music stops. Is what greets you after a long drive north to open up for another six month’s later or more season. Who did this… you did this. Oh yeah.
There is a lot of work involved with a second home in Maine.
Storm damage, regular maintenance, or renter fatigue. Waiting on professionals that don’t want to really fiddle with the little pain in the neck jobs that are piddly. Don’t pay a lot.
Maine. We Stick Together, Like Momma Duck, The Kids In Tow.
Not so much on the to do list, the depth and width of the job jar with a simple woods or Maine lake place that has just bare bone comforts though. When it is not a two or more star lodging.
Maybe that still uses an outhouse and the bath on Saturday night is a ritual out front carrying a bar of Ivory soap, with a towel on shore to dry off after the dip that refreshes. Helps you sleep on a hot summer night at a Maine lake, waterfront place.
Where crickets, loons, honking Canadian geese provide the back ground music that Maine is famous for if you are lucky enough to be parked next to the waterfront.
Maine is a four season state and most of us spend as much time as possible outdoors but not as nudists.
Fresh air, clean water, all this Maine four season scenery is not to be wasted stuck inside four walls, under a steep pitched roof to shed the snow and rain. Losing clothing as the temperature rises. Adding garment articles when it goes the other way.
The Winter Run Off Of Snow Makes The Faster Paced Spring Canoe & Kayak Races
And not a lot of people in your face or all this space in Maine makes life less crowded or so hurry scurry for those thinking clothing is optional.
But nudists in Maine.
When one thinks about nippy Maine weather and the mercury sitting a little lower in the glass tube, the lone Pine Tree State does not strike you as the best place to practice that lifestyle.
Where you take it off, take it all off.
To be naked and exposed. Not worrying about if colors match or patterns clash.
Walking around the inside of your private home sans clothing is one thing. But letting it all hang out outside in even the pucker brush of Maine may seem unlikely or not very common place. Because like most hobbies, you want to enjoy them year round. Wind chill and body part exposure cause frost bite and loss of limbs and the extremities.
Oh sure we have your lake skinny dippers that go well up into their 80’s swimming like otters and fish, Maine loons. Not just teenagers feeling frisky under the moonlight out at Lover’s Look Out.
The older seasoned practicing but specialized limited nudists. With their daily practice of swim strokes but their body without the skin tight Speedo applied under water for most of the daily work out. No drag from bulky swim gear to slow down or affect the work out.
Know of a wood lot in Ludlow I was selling and hearing from neighbors about an off grid homesteader who daily would jog just wearing her sneakers. Only the piggies covered up and protected.
When It Is Less People, More Peace And Quiet Happens in Maine.
Moving faster perhaps, having a better, harder work out because of Maine black flies pushing her along, helping her set the pace.
Winter purifies and makes it simpler living too. Old Man Winter and his helpful Jack Frost take care of Maine having poison this or harmful that spiders, insects, snakes.
Many things need heat, temperatures to soar to grow and survive. The colder temperature nip that in the bud and cure many ills we don’t need but that tropical climates have to contend with because of being a ripe culture to foster it. To watch it mushroom like it or not.
We bundle up and dress appropriately in Maine.
Nudists in Maine. We kinda modest and private. And the cold limits the outdoor nudist time outside to flaunt in their jaunts exposed in just their birthday suits. Naked as a jay bird.
But nudists in Maine do pop up and happen occasionally. Not like Orient Beach or this list of top ten nudist favorite beaches for that over all tan and no lines where clothing starts or leaves off. Where less to mess with for laundry because if you are not wearing your skivvies they don’t get dirty right?
Drift, Glide, Pop Up And Down Fishing. Maine Loons Dressed In A Black And White Tuxedo.
Had a listing on a camp in Orient Maine on East Grand Lake that was very attractive and made the phone ring, the email server to heat up red hot.
But once the buyer’s doubled back and learned from asking around the local grapevine about how are the neighbors, they turned white and ran. Everything went dead and the hot to trot turned very ice cold. The property got the cold shoulder so to speak from real estate waterfront property buyers.
The nudist next door was a turn off for someone with small children. Or that could tolerate the lifestyle but just not sharing property lines doing it up close and personal. Never saw a performance but the legend preceded and out lived my waterfront property listingagreement.
Another Maine lake camper who had a neighbor to share the water frontage recreational with who was a nudist. Who had a problem just like the lady with the tequila consumption.
And the same there go the clothes that happened to her threads but as she chug-a- lugged. Wearing nothing but a smile. There was a unique remedy for this practicing nudist neighbor. That did not need the sauce to loosen up and to cause clothing to melt, fall away either. It was an attention getting sport.
Every time that neighbor’s lawnmower fired up and roared into life and bare butt grass cutting started, the neighbor went under cover. Camo and John Rambo cat like instincts took over. He had some training courtesy of Uncle Sam and more than a four year hitch in the service. Because of being an expert sniper in the middle east, he became adept at going below radar. Hunting for nudists in Maine? He really did not relish the idea but it was more taking control of matters not in his hands. But protecting the neighborhood. He went dark and invisible with the war paint, the crouching low to sneak up on his targets in the protective cover of boundary line bushes. Laying in a prone position to acquire the target. To paint the objective with the red dot.
What’s Brown And White And Surrounded By Green? You See Lots Of These Among Maine Farmscapes.
With his professional grade pellet gun and scope acquiring a naked moving target of body parts.
To ping ping ping in sensitive areas of the naked lawnmower parading, marching back and forth. No one visible looking around but causing the neighbor cutting grass in the nude to stop and put on shorts. To continue mowing the lawn without the copper pellet sting welts on his middle part of his body from bee bees that hailed his way.
Another woman who like to make sure every inch of her bronze body stayed tanned to the hilt had a neighbor with a game camera. That was hooked up to his big screen flat surface television. And when the sun was high over head and she came out on the open deck next door to his lake shore paradise, he went inside with his buddies to admire a different view than the one down on shore. Not to give her personal space but to pull up a chair and study the landscape.
Freedom of expression living in Maine when a nudist or sun worshiper is tackling an all over even tan.
Sample ME. Pick A Place Breathe Deep The Salty Air. Drink In The Sounds Of The Maine Sea. Get Ready To Plant Your Beach Chair Along The Miles Of Maine Coastline.
It was a mutual arrangement and the woman caught some rays, the boys inside a few thrills with the adult entertainment.
In freedom of dress practiced in Maine. There are warmer places to be one, a nudist but if you are hearty, come ski, snow sled, play pond hockey unprotected and in the buff. We dare you. Take your clothes off and feel a tingle… until all sensation stops when frost on body parts makes you high tail it indoors looking for warm clothes, a hot shower. Maine is comfortable temperatures but wearing summer clothing to keep it G rated and not exposed like nudists seek for no constraints, no restrictions. With the only wrinkles showing all natural and not in un-ironed messed up body covering threads.
The spring/ late winter skiing at the local hills and mountains do spy with the little eye the bikini top swish swisher on occasion but most of us find being warm trumps being exposed or even stylish.
Although have to admit sliding into a hot top wearing trunks in an outdoor deck inset at Sugarloaf USA with my family after a fun day of downhill wearing a pair of boards. Surrounded with arms around the tub’s edges, watching other skiers on the lift headed back up for more. My arms and upper body steaming with arctic smoke.
Nudists, Skinny Dipping In Maine. Black Flies, Frosty Weather And Neighbors With Pellet Guns Tends To Thin Them Out.
In a midst of the mist of steam from the water and air temperature contrast extremes.
Nudist next door to a Maine real estate listing is not good for business. We try to avoid being outdoors without clothes in the dead of winter in Maine. But I have had sauna users from Finland, Norway for real estate customers who for for health reasons,old World traditions like to roll in the snow. Like sugaring a fresh donut that just hopped out of the grease to cool on the rack. But otherwise we all take steps, precautions. The naked truth? We like to avoid frost bite in Maine. Being a nudist thrill seekers is not high up on the list of my bucket list living in the great state of Maine.
Haystack Mountain, a 1142′ high elevation 4 miles west of Mapleton Maine is a great early climb for a family.
The picnic area across the Route 163 west of Presque Isle Maine is the location of Haystack Mountain in Aroostook County . Haystack Mountain a great place south of the junior climb. To prepare for or to lunch at after the short hike. Plenty of parking at the trail head staging area too on Haystack Mountain. Haystack Mountain from the road on the approach can make you gulp. All these Maine potato fields, thousands of acres of woods and then here rises Haystack Mountain like a terrain sore thumb.
Hiking, Climbing Down Off Haystack Mountain In Castle Hill Maine.
The trail up Haystack Mountain is moderately easy.
To complete for the youngest hiker in the family to feel satisfaction that something looking that big from the road I conquered. Hit the summit and then feel the breeze. To gawk in all directions at the Great North Woods of Aroostook County Maine. Haystack Mountain is a rest stop, was used to be an eagle eye land perch for fire watches.
With your encouragement, just a little help, the whipper snappers hike up the trail too. About 75% up the path, the Haystack Mountain trail veers left and the shorter members of the family will feel they earned the topside view that’s coming. Haystack Mountain is just off RT 227, about 10 miles west of Presque Isle, five miles from Mapleton in Castle Hill.
To scale, get to the rock outcropping at the top. That offers tremendous views of the rolling Aroostook County landscape.
Of trees, lakes, just miles and miles of countryside loaded with wildlife. Just one mountain, that’s all she wrote and it’s Haystack. Not so many people. Have a seat, peer around you and bask in the beauty of this junior climb in Aroostook County Maine.
Another less challenging climb if a family of all ages is looking for a hike with a view in Maine is Horse Mountain.
Horse Mountain is located at Baxter State Park. And, like Haystack, Horse Mountain is another under the 1600′ high variety. Like Haystack, Horse Mountain gives a feeling of success to the junior hikers. That work hard to follow the blue marker dashes painted on the rocks. Not knowing what is ahead the first time with trees helping guide them to the peak. Get the little ones started early if you want them to have the hiking bug for life. I love it because my parents exposed the four boys in my family to the love of the outdoor recreation. Picnics, hiking, swimming, fishing, camping in Maine. All this beauty makes you feel spoiled living in Maine full time. Not having to be satisfied with only one long weekend or measly seven day vacation a year.
Then that’s all she wrote when made to wait until next year for more. That is the biggest reason why I don’t live outside of Maine, Vacationland.
The Top, Climbing Haystack Mountain In Castle Hill, Aroostook County Maine.
Horse Mountainprovides the tremendous views that take a little less effort to achieve which is important to start the life long passion of hiking, climbing Maine elevations.
The fresh air, snack of trail mix along the hike and lunch on top while taking in the panoramic views hits the soul.
Creates a peace that happens a lot in Maine and that is hard to describe to someone who has never been here.
But the satisfaction becomes a tradition to revisit to enjoy for a lifetime. Adding to the trail hiking, the mountain climbing family fun collection of images captured up top. Those photos of Maine’s outdoor beauty taken along the way remind everyone to get outside. Hop off the couch and turn off the device that robs and consumes your life. Haystack Mountain in Castle Hill Aroostook County is pet friendly. Just police your pet like your kids for others on the trail.
Up High Where You Can Hear Yourself Think. Haystack Mountain Offers That.
Hiking the same hill or mountain top because you had so much fun the last time or two. Or adding to your list of Maine hiking / climbing adventures. As the age of the family members goes up for safety sake.
Pack a lunch, some gorp, plenty of water, a little bug dope or sun screen for the Haystack hike.
Lace up your hiking boots. Expect blistering sun, cool temperatures or intermittent showers. Maine weather is never boring or predictable. Where’s your walking stick for the climb? Study your map and stay on the trail.
In winter, the venues to climb that are open mean strap on snow shoes for a completely different take on the elevation climb.
Maine is pure and natural.
The Top, As Far As You Can Go On Haystack Mountain In Castle Hill Aroostook County Maine!
The place to visit for a two nation vacation with Atlantic Canada. You can hop back and forth and tap into lots of low or no cost fun outdoor options ideal for family entertainment. We all could use the exercise and you communicate as you hike, bike, climb, ski, boat, fish, whatever aerobic activity.
We are outdoors year round. Just adjusting the wardrobe a tad to tie in with the up or down Maine temperatures.
Low cost vacations in Maine usually mean camping, cooking outdoors. Sleeping under the stars. Using Mother Nature’s living room of lush green, other colors all depends on the time of year.
Hugs From Grandma, Family In Maine Is Special. It’s Important To Stay Connected.
Whatever the season you decide to roll into Maine’s vast outdoor playground that’s trips the five senses. Turn up the volume of what is going on inside. You can process and sort out your life easiest when you outside exploring in Maine. Get excited, find your center. Hear yourself think in the wide open vast expanse of Maine.
Surrounded, wrapped around by the wilderness of Maine.
That clean, crisp, fresh outdoor setting requires respect, good stewardship. Adopting the carry in / carry out mentality. One of tread lightly. To protect and preserve for the next Maine outdoor visit for you and others practicing the same attitude. Teaching the generation ahead to approach all you do in Maine with an “easy does it”respectful approach. That’s my legacy passed on from the generation before me.
Another less hassle, Maine day trip for something to do suggestion?
Outdoors, we want to spend our life there when lucky to live in Maine full time.
The weekend of the climb to the top of Haystack Mountain lead to a drive up into the St John River Valley. That’s a blog post for another installment of the Me In Maine collection to share. Haystack Mountain is an enjoyable easy climb. You will enjoy the circle trip around Northern “Crown of Maine”. Stopping off at Grandma’s home in Westfield Maine for a visit happens our last visit. To enjoy a hug. The ending of another day living in Maine, the way life should be.
Haystack Mountain Views Are 360 Degree And Surround You!
Check out Quaggy Joe Mountain near Echo Lake at Aroostook State Park South and off RT 1 in Presque Isle.
Aroostook State Park was Maine’s first. Loose rocks, some leaves and careful attention to the trail makes Quaggy Joe fun but requires caution to avoid injury. Slow down, be careful, there’s plenty of daylight to waste to keep everyone together on the trail and safe.
Just had to suggest another smaller but challenging family hiking climb up where the air is clean, the views are amazing. Are you ready or have you done it? Thank you today for joining us in the hike up Haystack Mountain in Aroostook County’s Castle Hill Maine.
The principles learned through soap box derby racing cause a lifetime of memories. Learning family fun through gravity racing.
Lots of science involved that a kid can apply and benefit from unlike some textbook exercises to teach the same things. Plenty of luck of the who did the driver get paired up with for racing heats all plays into it.
Mechanics, friendly spirited competitive racing all mixed in with being a good sport. Win or lose and learning how to master lane one and two in the big race for the state of Maine. The one at Derby Hill in Houlton Maine’s Community Park.
Started Young, Soap Box Derby Racing In Maine. A Family Fun Sporting Affair.
Soap Box Derby is a national program that operates on the World famous Derby Downs in Akron Ohio.
The local race is annually held to produce a winner, the “Champ’ to be eligible to compete in the AASBD race against other “Champions”.
A rally program allows allows participants to earn points by racing in events around the region closest to the driver and his or her family. Rally Champions compete in the AASBD against other winners in from around the country.
Stock, super stock, master drivers are part of the car racing division breakdown.
Stock racers are 7-13 and the car they drive takes approximately five hours to assemble from a kit. The racer in their stock cars are approximately 5’3″ tall and 125 pounds. The car with out driver or weight tips the scales at around 61 pounds on the dial.
Super stock racers for derby down hill runs have drivers 9-18, the same assembly time as the stock cars. The size is up to 6′ tall, 160 pounds or less.
Happy? I Guess. Drove Hard To Win, Place In The Top Eight For Maine’s State Soap Box Derby Race In Houlton ME.
The masters division of soap box derby racing is for 10-20 year olds. Up to 6′ and 160 pounds in a lay down design. Shields and tucked inside with only the eyes visible in a masters soap box derby car. The assembly time varies on the skill level and imagination, resources of the Master driver and his or her support racing.
All the cars are sold as kits through the International Soap Box Derby.
The kits for cars include everything with the exception of Z-Glass Racing Wheels and weights.
Love to talk about the Maine soap box derby program and here to use as a resource. 207.532.6573 is the daytime number to call with your questions. Work this week to track down empty cars, find derby drivers to wheel them down the big Derby Hill.
Have had two of my own kids make it to Akron Ohio and helped others make it to the prestigious race out west. Will share how to get a program started, what it involves for manpower and resources needed to pull off a local soap box derby race.
In many areas of the country the thought of witches, warlocks, goblins of any kind climbing up on your open porch to trick or treat is not happening.
Too much crime, worry about apples with razor blades, etc. All kinds of reasons to avoid the door to door panhandling for treats of any kind.
Maine Small Towns Still Safe To Halloween Trick Or Treat.
Just the transition from gypsy scaling, bounding up the front steps two at a time. To ring the front door bell. Scream trick or treat. To instead having a church or recreation center party on stop shop. All under one roof rather than helter skelter canvassing out in the neighborhoods in places outside Maine.
No danger of someone wearing a sheet or pirate, walking dead zombie being hit by a Halloween night in the dark motorists.
In the dodging across, zigzagging this and that street in the dark.
But small Maine towns are different for trick or treating that still happens. With the fourth lowest crime statistic, and pretty much everyone in a small Maine town knows everyone, it is not a dangerous affair. We know that relative, cousin, whoever.
Behind the gruesome mask, under the gown or white blood stained sheet.
Are his hockey or little league coach. Or know her from church, the neighborhood that is connected. More so than a large sprawling urban area where worry happens when you leave your own backyard. Welcome to Mayberry, welcome to Maine. I’m Andy. Not sure what happened to Opie, Aunt Bea, Barney but you get the drift of the way things roll here.
To outfit, bundle up and get the family of small ones rigged up to trick or treat for Halloween.
To head out starting at 4:30 to look for porch lights left on. The signal we play the Halloween game, are open for visitors. There is candy here. To trick or treat, canvass the neighborhoods in a small Maine town.
Also the best neighborhoods to trick or treat are not necessarily the ones with the highest taxed Maine homes.
No, No, the number of Maine homes per neighborhood. Less busy streets are factors that kids out to collect the sweets quickly figure out. When it is only so much time on the clock before bedtime to ring the bell, open the bag. Holler out trick or treat. Hitting the High Street home example in the video above makes that area popular.
There is a lot of expense and planning to year after year build the trick or treating traffic.
Collecting Candy, Adding To The Trick Or Treat Halloween Stash.
And it is contagious. Others in the surrounding houses up and down, across the street start to ramp up their Halloween game. It takes one to be the red nose reindeer and lead the charge of “trick or treat” heard hollered around small Maine town neighborhood.
But experience from the year before of what you got, remembered and wanted to return for another dose. Those Halloween trick or treating hot spots are talked about through the grapevine of kid’s that tramp the small Maine town.
