I LOVE CAMPING!!

Jim, Zoe, Emma and I recently went camping in Southern Maine with my Sister-in-law Jen and my niece Desiree, who were up from Florida for the summer. We were very lucky to find a site considering we did not make reservations till a week before our trip! It was a bit rainy and chilly for much of the weekend, but that did not deter us from having a wonderful time together and enjoying the beautiful scenery. We were hoping to be close to Ogonquit, but our campground (located on Rt. 1) in Wells was much closer to Kennebunkport. New places to explore!

We took 95N up from Providence and made a favorite stop in York: Stonewall Kitchen! If you have never been, run, don’t walk. Jonathan King and Jim Stott started their business by selling some terrific jams at the local famer’s market (I remember purchasing some of their now-famous, award-winning, Roasted Garlic Onion Jam at the Hampton Beach farmer’s market oh, so many years ago!). Their headquarter’s now encompasses a cafe, store and a beyond fabulous cooking school where they hold classes daily! We picked up some of our favorites (wild maine blueberry) and a few new jars (you get to sample just about everything) , and then decided to take the “scenic” route 1, to our campground (instead of zipping back onto the highway).

Traffic was bumper to bumper on the Rt. 1, so by the time we got to our campsite and set up on our first night, it was dark, a bit late and drizzly. We were so very hungry (and a bit crabby) that we headed over to Wells House of Pizza (207-646-5578). A pepperoni pizza never tasted so good!
We woke up to a cool and sunny day, so we decided to check out the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge located about 5 min. from camp. Through her numerous books (most notably Silent Spring: 1962), Rachel Carson alerted the public to the link between human actions and their environmental effect. It is a beautiful preserve with trails that take you through a salt marsh. Since we were a minute from Kennebunkport, we just had to check out the Bush family summer home! We wanted to pop in to say hello to the President, but alas he and his family had just left for Bejing. Maybe next time……….
The drive along the coast thru Kennebunkport on to Cape Porpoise is gorgeous. The local fire station was having a lobster roll sale, but we opted for rolls and clam chowder from Port Lobster Company market across from The Breakwater Inn and Spa and parked ourselves on a bench overlooking the harbor where we watched the lobsterboats come in.
The lobstermen had to park here and count all of the lobsters, and then move on to let the other boats park and count.

After spending the day looking for edible plants in a salt marsh, driving along the ocean, doing some shopping in Kennebunkport :
(My favorite shop by the way is: Daytrip Society.)
We were ready for some good campfire grub!! The kids kept busy at the playground across from our site (not as wonderful as you might think!), and Jen and Jim and I popped open some terrific local beer: Geary’s Summer Ale

Jennifer had marinated some awesome steaks, so we threw those on the grill along with some corn and bread.

No camp dinner is complete without S’mores!

Here Zoe shows us how it is done!

Yummmm

The next morning Jim decided to make a hearty breakfast: coffee, hot chocolate, juice, bacon and pancakes!

Feeling full and happy, we decided to head down to York Beach and relive some happy moments from our childhood. Since we also had eager children with us and it was not a perfect beach day, we headed for the arcade!

Jim had almost as much fun as the kids! Me, I am not the biggest fan of arcades. Just don’t like playing the games too much. I did enjoy Skee-ball though!

“Look into my crystal ball. Ooh, I see great things in your future!”

They have been making (my favorite taffy!!!!) their famous kisses since, 1896! My favorite flavor and their best-seller is Molasses. It is so fun to press your face against the window and watch the taffy being made!

Pulling the taffy
Wrapping the taffy
Pick up an assorted box the next time you are in town or order online!

No trip to coastal Maine would be complete without a visit to a lighthouse and a lobster dinner.

This Cape Neddick Lighthouse began operating in 1879.

The forecast was calling for severe thunderstorms in the area, so we ended our camping trip a day early, but not without treating ourselves to a lobster dinner at my favorite lobster in-the-rough location: Ogunquit Lobster Pound (504 Main St, Ogunquit, ME (207) 646-2516) You pick out your lobsters as they are swimming around the tank outside, and then the guys take the steamers and lobsters and tie them up in a net and boil them in sea water for you!

The other Jen Corbin (my sweet sister-in-law) loved them so much she decided she would eat everyone’s lobstah!