USVI-On-Line

Not sure there are many here that are interested but thought I'd do this just the same.
We just got back from our annual Maine vacation. We go to a lake in Maine every summer and this has been the place to go in my family for a long long time. My mom started going here when she was 1 year old - she will be 86 in September and she still loves it just as much.

This year we started our trip in Lake George. Last year Charlie's sister passed away at age 50 and it was quite a shock to the family. This spring her headstone was finally placed and we took my Father in Law up so he could have a chance to see it. FIL lives in Staten Island and doesn't drive so we worked it in to the plans to hit the Lake George area on the way to Maine.

I snapped one pic of our view of the lake from Holiday Inn.


We were able to visit Charlie's niece and nephews while we were in town and his Dad appreciated the visit so all was well. The next day we headed to Maine and we stayed at a place called the Milestone along Route 1 for 2 nights. We love this place. It's basic and clean and has a great pool and we enjoy being in town and near the ocean for a few days before heading to the lake.

Our first stop in Maine was to meet up with other family and friends for lunch at a place called Dockside in York.






doing some serious thinking!


On Saturday the 11th we headed to the lake. As I said this has been a family tradition for many, many years. In the past my parents and several other families would spend 2 weeks here. They all rented the same houses year after year on a cove with a great beach and many of the kids of my family recall many memories of summers here. Not much has changed on the lake. Well my mother cried the year they put electricity in the camps and this year the cabin we rent put in a TV and wireless internet. I was aghast and really disappointed. I enjoyed knowing that there was a week a year with no cell phones, tv's or computers but alas no more. I was able to show restraint despite the access but my husband not so much
Luckily still no cell service at the lake!

Someone in my family has been renting this cabin every year since 1980. We consider it "our" place! LOL


My Maine vacations feel a lot like St. John and vice versa. I feel comfortable and at home in both locations. I don't bring make up or a hair dryer. I look forward to seeing familiar faces in both places. I feel lucky to have 2 happy places that I can get to as frequently as I do.

I have been to Maine so many times that I take fewer and fewer pictures each year. It's like the Trunk Bay overlook - how many times can you take the same photos!
Here are some highlights from this year.



the local beverage




On our one not so nice day we headed to Camden


Foggy on top of Mt. Battie


That same night we came home to a fantastic sunset



So that's about it. Boring, right? Like STJ I could never recommend this vacation to people. We have been doing it for years and it is in our blood but I imagine many others would get there and wonder what the heck we saw in it! All in the eye of the beholder. It's our history, it's emotional and every year of late my mother wonders aloud if she will return the next year.
It's a wonderful place for my family, my immediate family and extended family that still make the trek every year. We laugh, we cry, we read, sleep, eat, play games, reminisce, We fish, swim, boat, tube, sun. Most importantly we rejuvenate and we do it together. We love it.

Mousam Lake
Shapleigh, Maine

Mary Beth, thanks for sharing your Maine vacation! Your photos are beautiful. It's great that you and your family have this tradition. Sorry to hear about your sister in law. Sad.
Glad you had good weather, too!

Looks like you had fabulous weather! I feel the same way about our little corner of Maine!

Thanks for sharing "your other special place" with us!

I thought that was pretty damn cool

Your pictures are wonderful!

Maine is another thing that we share. I don't have the long family history that you have, but I have the same feeling when I am there.

Great report. I've never been near Maine. Thanks for a great trip. I love the family story. What great memories you must have.

Sounds like a great vacation Mary Beth.

We were an NH family growing up - rarely went to Maine, but visit a few times a year now (SIL lives in Wiscasset).

Cypressgirl - have you ever even left Texas?? (kidding, just kidding )

Yeah Jay, that's it. STJ and Texas. Only place to be.

That was great, MB.

That's great, MB (am I repeating myself?). Thank you for sharing.

Ahh Maine. Much Thanks MB for report, pix, and perspective. Looks like the weather finally turned summer up there.

Never done the Maine lake thing. We do the coast and love searching out the classic little lobster shacks and have been to several listed in this article in the Sunday Globe. I have some nice pre-digital photos from these and someday hope to get a good flatbed scanner so I can digitize and share.

http://www.boston.com/travel/explorene/ ... the_rough/

Talk about your skeeters though. We stayed at a B&B in the Five Islands area and come nightfall, they can be bad, plus they are about the size of sparrows.

Another one on N.E. clam shacks. We never miss #16 Bob’s on the way in or out of Maine.

http://www.boston.com/travel/explorene/ ... am_shacks/

i've been thinking about you marybeth!

we had such crappy weather here in june and early july that i was hoping you came sometime in the past few weeks and got some sun at least. looks like you did!

i was up at mousam from end of june to beginning of july and it rained (POURED) everyday until the day i packed my car to leave. doh! didn't catch one gosh darned fish either. doh!

I heard we really lucked out with weather! It was raining when we left so it was easier to leave!

Mbw
Great report
It sounds like my northren WI summers except the cottage was in the family. I bought it from my parents last year because I couldn't see it going out side the family.