Last week, I returned to my home state of Maine for the first time since I turned 18. I knew it would be different this time, returning as a tourist with my girlfriend Veronica. My childhood friends have all grown up and moved out of the neighborhood, pursuing their various careers all over the east coast and beyond. I have also changed as I came of age, training as an engineer at Rice and Vanderbilt while following a fascination with tornadoes to deeper roots in Oklahoma. I may call Oklahoma home now, but I was a Maine kid through and through.
Looking back, my childhood in Maine was idyllic. The neighborhood was full of kids my age, and we played outside together practically every day. The kickball and whiffleball games were frequent and intense, almost as good as the spontaneous games of bus stop tag. We had free rein of the woods behind the houses – Ryan and Sam and I built forts, climbed trees, and explored every field and stream within yelling distance of the back porches (and some beyond). We grazed on fresh apples and wild blueberries in the summer. We skied and sledded every slope in the winter. Our snowball fights with the boys across the street were next-level, complete with fortified igloos and combat trenches. It was truly paradise for a 10-year-old boy, and I didn’t know how great I had it until I had to leave it behind.
After my family moved to Oklahoma, we came back for a few days every summer. Some of my fondest memories come from when we were returning guests, often making day trips down to the picturesque coastline or going “upta camp.” Ryan’s family cabin is among my favorite places in the entire world, with so many fun things to do – swimming, kayaking, taking the skiff out to Blueberry Island, tubing while Ryan’s dad drove death circles in the boat, four-wheeling through the fragrant fir forests, playing flashlight tag in the quiet of night, stargazing without light pollution from the dock. Of course, it would be difficult to recreate the exact vibe that combines the homely Maine scenery with the warmth of those friendships, but I gave it my best shot for this three-day visit.
As an introduction to the Maine coast, we spent the first afternoon in Ogunquit, a coastal village in southern Maine that my family had previously bypassed in favor of other popular beaches farther up the coast. We strolled the scenic Marginal Way, watching the waves crash on the rocks then wading into a sandy cove at Lobster Point. We hopped on a sailboat for a private cruise along the coast, watching the picturesque cliffs drift past as we tried our hand with the rudder and rigging. Absolutely perfect, calm, sunny weather for a relaxing time!
After a delicious Eritrean dinner in eclectic Portland, we checked in for the night at Happy Hippie Lane (the ultimate Hipcamp experience…we stayed in a bus!). This was the best “upta camp” substitute I could’ve hoped for, tucked next to a homey log cabin in the woods on rural Westport Island. Around the communal campfire, we quickly got to know our host, Cary, her little dog with a huge personality, and the other visitors staying in tiny homes and glamping tents scattered around the property. For a nightcap, I snuck away from the fire to lie in a hammock under the stars, framed by the shadows of tall pines and accompanied by the sounds of summer crickets.
We spent the next day on Pemaquid, a quiet peninsula on the coast of central Maine. While sea kayaking in the calm harbor, we spotted an osprey, a loon, and several other shorebirds out for their morning hunts – we even glimpsed a seal at close range! We explored the historic lighthouse (of state quarter fame) at Pemaquid Point. We relaxed the afternoon on the beach, poking through tide pools and collecting hermit crabs as I did as a kid. A hike through evergreen thickets near the estuaries of Back Bay captured the peaceful essence of the Maine woods, a cherry on top of a weekend of outdoor activities.
Of course, we hit a fair share of tourist checklist items along the way. Expensive but delicious lobster roll and fried clams under the Ogunquit drawbridge. Pictures from every angle of Portland Head Light. Racks upon racks of flannel at the LL Bean flagship store. But what I adore most about Maine is unrated, uncrowded, and ubiquitous – the evergreen forests, peaceful ponds and lakes, and outdoorsy ethos that pervades the culture. While it may be impossible to recreate the magic of growing up in Maine as a child, I am deeply satisfied to have uncovered some old memories along with some new and exciting experiences!
Lots of lighthouse selfies as Maine tourists!
Worldly Observations 