Maine Wildlife Park

As far as I can tell, this is the closest you can get to a Zoo in Maine. The best part... we saw a MOOSE. They are HUGE! The kids enjoyed the animals and roaming around on foot instead of in the stroller. It was not crowded at all and everyone is so friendly. It's funny to observe Darrel and I on outings like this. If there is something to read, he reads it while I skim the pictures. He comes away with "Huh, I never knew that..." or he'll question me," Did you know that...?" I am positive I have Adult ADHD. I simply do not have the patience to read a caption even. We are so opposite in many ways.

Fun At SleepyTime

Daryl still asks if we can go back to the "hotel". This must have been our first experience in a motel/hotel or anything away from home besides camping. I think she liked the opportunity to watch Hannah Montana on the Disney channel the best. Our stay would have been more pleasant if I didn't have all our camping gear stuffed in a corner. I felt highly confined with four kids, a husband, two beds and LOTS of stuff. Nonetheless, it was a clean, comfortable place to lie my head down at night. The owners were like friends and we felt at home.

Portland Lobster Company

We wanted to ensure that we ate Lobster in Portland. There was one restaurant recommended to us but ah...we have kids. So we found the Portland Lobster Company. Outside, kid friendly, decent food and decent price. The kids entertained the other customers while we tried to gulp down our food before they got out of hand. It was fun for all. As usual we were asked "Are they all yours?" and the tried and true, "Now that is a stroller!" Another fun outing. Another memory made.

Narrow Guage Railroad

I had looked on-line for fun things to do in Portland with kids and this came up on the list. My boys are obsessed with trains and I thought riding a real one would be the best thing ever for them. They did enjoy it but there were no squeals of excitement or joy. The were a little apprehensive at first but overall it was a great ride. I think Darrel and I were more concerned with keeping them inside the train and not having anyone fall out. The area we sat in was open on the sides so that you could see the sites. Portland is a beautiful coastal city. After the train ride there was a museum inside the warehouse and they loved that because there was a train table and retired trains that they could walk through. daryl loves that too. We pretended to be train conductors and passengers.

Sunday

On Sunday we went to Church with a A couple that I met in Palmyra during the Hill Cumorah Pageant. It was no coincidence. At the time Darrel was still unsure about going to Maine and I was hoping he would change his mind. We hadn't even planned our vacation yet but when I met her, we exchanged information and viola! We went. After church the kids ran around in the yard and we had dinner outside on the picnic table. The weather was pleasant and the day was relaxing. The only drawback were the mosquitos outside of the church. They were fierce!

Camping In Maine... I Don't Think So!

I was SOO excited to camp in Maine. Why??? Who knows. It is just one of those things that I had in my head as being "fun". Hee Hee, the joke was on me! Camping in Maine is like camping on another planet! After traveling ALL day with four really good kids (but still, it was ALL day), we finally made it to POLAND SPRINGS CAMPGROUND around 6:30 pm.



As we drive up the dirt road, a voice whispered, "You don't want to stay here".

I replied, "I'm tired and we can't afford anything else."

The voice repeated," You don't want to stay here."

I continued on, dodged pot holes and eventually reached the gate. I got out of the truck and walked into the office to check in.

Once more the voice whispered, "You don't want to stay here."

I completely ignored it and even though I felt uncomfortable with it, I PAID FOR THE ENTIRE WEEK!
As soon as she swiped my card through the machine, I felt my stomach start to churn and I knew I just made a BIG mistake. Darrel's first question was, "Did you pay for the whole week?" He too was having second thoughts while I was gone.

So, we set up shop. Two tents, two queen size air mattresses, six sleeping bags and equipment all unloaded and set up.
As I did this Darrel took the kids down to the lake. When he returned, I was concerned by the look on his face. It was completely unsafe for US to take our four little ones to the lake. There was no beach. No beach entry. Just land and then lake. JUMP IN!

Here's the kicker. After a long day of traveling, what is the one thing you look forward to? A shower! Well, in Maine, you have to PAY for your shower! Yes, metered showers. 25 cents for every 7 min. Now throw four kids into that equation who DO NOT like showers. Formula for disaster.

Bright and early Saturday morning I had both tents down, both air mattresses deflated and rolled up. All equipment packed back into the truck and off we went with NO REFUND. Policy.



Lucky for us we occupied the last vacancy at the SleepTime Motel. A little Mom and Pop place that worked out to be a huge blessing! Thanks to Mark and Lynn we have fond memories of Maine.

LL Bean and Freeport, Maine

While doing my research for our trip, I discovered that:

L.L.Bean was founded in 1912 by avid hunter and fisherman Leon Leonwood Bean (born October 13, 1873) in Greenwood, Maine, who had developed a waterproof boot (a combination of lightweight leather uppers and rubber bottoms) that he sold to hunters. He obtained a list of nonresident Maine hunting license holders, prepared a descriptive mail order circular, set up a shop in his brother's basement in Freeport, Maine, and started a nationwide mail order business.

By 1912, he was selling the "Bean Boot," or Maine Hunting Shoe, through a four-page mail-order catalog, and the boot remains a staple of the company's outdoor image. Defects in the initial design led to 90% of the original production run being returned: Bean made good on his money-back guarantee, corrected the design, and continued selling them. Leon L. Bean died on February 5, 1967, in Pompano Beach, Florida. He is buried in Freeport's Webster Road Cemetery.

The company passed into the directorship of Bean's grandson, Leon Gorman, from that time until 2001, when Gorman decided to take the position of Chairman of the Board, leaving the position of CEO to Christopher McCormick, the first non-family member to assume the title.

L.L.Bean has a history of high quality manufacturing processes and products as well as excellent customer service. Their return policy is noted as being one of the best for any retailer. It is not uncommon to hear stories of L.L.Bean giving a customer a brand new product after one is brought in for repair. L.L. Bean is also a major business in Maine; out of 3 major businesses in Maine, L.L. Bean is the second most popular one. (Wikipedia)

The store is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. IT NEVER CLOSES!

There is a summer concert series that I really wanted to go to. Saturday evening we went to Freeport and attended the concert that night at 7:30. Sorry but I cannot remember the name of the guy who opened nor the group that performed. They were good though.

It was fun to be out and about with my family. We made a memory together and that is what it's all about. As our Stake president counseled: "Have fun together". We did.





The pictures are taken of the kids outside of Friendly's where we ate dinner. While at dinner we meet a family that use to live in Maryland. Darrel met them first on his way to the restroom while I sat at the table with 4 squirmy and hungry kids. When he finally returned to the table it was my turn to visit the restroom. I met the same family and they talked to me even longer! One thing the mother said to me was,

"Honey, if you do end up moving here, just know you're gonna gain weight! "cause we just don't care. That's how laid back we are."

If you read "The Blitz Is On" you will know that this is EXACTLY what I needed to hear.