Breathing Casco Bay Air, At Long Last

As already mentioned, there are parts of the country that are just better to fly over…like Gary, Indiana and Youngstown, Ohio. Wisconsin had some nice cows (at large) and we had a good time in Madison, eating tasty vittles and wandering around downtown, with a trip to the dog park before departing. Pennsylvania has some redeeming pastoral beauty, and spotting the vanload of Amish folks filing out of the McToilet did elicit a good chuckle, but mostly we were just eager to get to the Maine coast with some tasty lobster and salty water.

But before we get there, we should give a nod to Jamaican James in Ledgewood, NJ—these guys cook up some killer fried plantains and jerk chicken and provide papa’s homemade BBQ sauce to douse the stuff in. While he wouldn’t divulge the recipe, the cook admitted to a multitude of ingredients that we think probably included cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and all kinds of fruit juices. Jamaican James was a delicious hole-in-the-wall that provided great relief from the chain-restaurant juggernaut we had endured for the previous 2500 miles! Ah, civilization…NJ barely qualifies, but we’ll give it a pass on account of Jamaican James!

So, on to Maine we went, dodging all sorts of weekend traffic and nasty tolls. If my beloved complained about tolls one more time, I was going to relegate him to the rear and move the four-legged to the shotgun position. Tolls are a fact of life anywhere beyond the west…that means, well, just about everywhere we’ll be over the next several years. So, we bucked up and paid our tithe to NY, MA, NH, and ME, with a special deposit at the NH State Liquor Store for the traditional additional offering and to supply ourselves for the days ahead!

Upon arriving in Vacationland, I’m pretty sure I suffered a blood-pressure drop of about 25 points. Breathe deeply and smell the briny air. Amen. We swam, imbibed, sailed, tennis-ed, ate, golfed, ate, imbibed, walked, shopped, ate, boated, and chatted with our friends. All around a great stay in my favorite of places, albeit just a bit too short. The Salty Dog was back in her element too, with some running around, swimming, clam digging, and of course, getting a good dose of Atlantic brine. She seems to be weathering all the change—new scenery, new smells, and lots of attention—with aplomb. Of course, having more time in the sunshine and being free to run and play in the water may have something to do with it!