How to plan an awesome vacation

Like life, when it comes to vacations it is never good to over plan.  And as much as I love to be spontaneous, that is how you end up in Virginia Beach, 4th of July weekend at 3 'o' clock in the morning seriously considering staying at a hotel with bullet proof cops in the parking lot and what could only be blood stains on what passed for carpet.  But that's another story...

Sometimes, an adventure is so epic in scale and ambition that it calls for some serious considerations and (gasp) reservations.  

We call these binder worthy vacations.  They usually are at least 2 weeks long and have multiple destinations.  Our first binder vacation took us to Newfoundland and the maritimes and resulted in this.

First you need a destination or two (anywhere will do) some imagination and a propensity for adventure.

Next we head to a bookstore and stalk the travel section for good guide books to our chosen destination.  This process is best with coffee.

Then once you are completely excited and inspired by what you discover, make a short list.  This is a list of places that you absolutely must see on your trip.  Sometimes this list is also long.

A calender is handy.

Next, you will need a binder.  I like these because of the elastic closure (good for holding in all the stuff), also the softer cover with the rounded spine makes for easy packing. 

Also, you will need these or some other binder pockets, one for each day of your trip.

Let the planing begin!

As you schedule flights and reserve accommodations print out the confirmation data, directions, cancellation polices (I will get to that later) and any other info you might want and place it in the pocket for the appropriate day.  It isn't uncommon to not have (free) internet access so having hard copies of your itinerary is a nifty thing.  You can also include info on your must sees, things like hours and fees are good to know.  Another reason I like to have a binder 'pocket' for
every day (reservations or not) is that it is a great place to store ticket stubs, recites, travel info and anything other memories you pick up along the way.  (this is when the elastic closure on the binder becomes a necessity)  I don't know how many times I have gone back to the binder to find the name of the resturant we ate at that one time.  It also comes in very handy if you happen to be blogging your vacation.

Remember at the beginning of this post, the thing about not over planning?  Here is a trick...schedule in extra time for "stuff" and "exploring".  In general we try not to "schedule" more than half (or less) of each day (including driving time) so that there is plenty of time to get side tracked.  And just because you have this nifty binder with stuff, don't be afraid to change your plans!  That is why you print cancellation info.  Also, you never know when something may be canceled for you, having all the info will help with re-scheduling as well.

Now...go forth and travel!  Just don't forget to send us pictures!

Modes of travel

In the course of this blog we have traveled via plane, car, and ferry, and have featured various rentals, but today we are in The Van. We have a 1994 Ford Econoline, that has had past lives as a locksmith and a work van. We inherited it from a loved family member when we were in need of hauling things. The van is very good at hauling things. In return, we put a rug in the back, keep it maintained, and acquired some fuzzy dice.


Through the years we have become attached to our loyal pack mule. It has moved many things, for many people, to many places. Now, we are headed to South Carolina, Shawn's childhood home, to see family, attend a wedding, and haul stuff home.




Of course, we being us, are going the scenic route though Shenandoah National Park.



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Location:On the road...

Mt. Washington

We started on our way home today. Along the way we became momentarily distracted and started driving towards New Hampshire. Towards Mt. Washington specifically. You may have heard about this peak, high in the white mountains, or seen the obligatory bumper sticker on a car on the road in front of you saying "this car climbed Mt.Wasington" and wondered what that was all about. Mt. Washington isn't that tall by rocky mountain standards, but it doesn't know that. It does have the unique distinction of having its own micro climate or several actually, with extreme weather fluctuations. So, at the summit there is an extensive weather station which still holds the record for highest wind gust measured on the earths surface. The record stands at 231mph and was set in 1934.






The other thing Mt. Washington is famous for is the (very steep, windy, narrow, dirt) auto road that allows visitors to experience the summit themselves.
Which is what we did. How could we resist?
The drive started out pleasant enough, but soon the trees started to look as if the wind shaped them...




...and then the trees became more like horizontal shrubs...




and then the trees stopped altogether.



The landscape became something exotic and alien as the evidence of extreme weather left everything rocky, barren, and windswept. Once at the summit we found the second geological marker of the trip. It was an amazing view and I highly recommend it.









Once we were down the mountain, there was just enough light left to take a drive into the North Woods for a chance to see a moose. Among some spectacular scenery we saw her, munching on the side of the road. Our second ever moose sighting! We decided that this was a place we must return to.




Tomorrow we head home...for real.
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Location:Gorham, NH

Last looks

Today is our last day here. We have checked all of our must sees off the list and are just enjoying being in this place. We took a drive to some of our favorite spots. It was a little breezy today, and the waves were massive completely covering the rocky shore in some places. As the waves retreated, the rocks hosted waterfalls that looked like a million tiny Niagaras. The sun was out and warm, and we found comfortable rocks that became recliners as we sat and watched. It doesn't get better than this.

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Location:Mount Desert Island

Down East Discounts

In reading up about Maine for our trip, we discovered that it is home to two chains of stores, Reny's and Mardens, which feature discount and salvaged merchandise. Nearby Ellsworth is home to both, as well as a factory store for Maine's more famous, but less discount L.L. Bean. We took a short drive this evening to check them out.

The L.L. Bean store was nice, we bought some clothes, but overall it was just a larger version of what you would find in any outlet mall. Our next stop was Reny's this store was very cool. The inside was no frills, but packed with name brands at a discount prices: clothes, home goods, some food. Finally we ended up at a repurposed WalMart where Mardens is located. They specialize in salvaged goods. Like Reny's there are plenty of name brands at really great prices, but Mardens has such a breadth of items and a lot of the stuff is so random. There are clothes, a large hardware section (reminded me of Harbor Freight but with named brands), furniture, craft supplies (Sara bought some yarn at a great price), carpet, hardwood floors, appliances and fixtures, and lots more.

I really wonder why these chains have remained a Maine-only fixture, I'm sure they would do good business almost anywhere . . .


-- Post From Shawn's iPhone

Location:Ellsworth, ME

Hidden Summit

At 1,530 feet above sea level, Acadia's Cadillac Mountain is not an extremely high peak compared to others we have visited, but it is the highest point along the U.S. East Coast. A road leads to the top, so most of Acadia's two million annual visitors make the trip and walk around the "summit area" that the National Park Service has setup on top of this mountain.




Like so many before us, we milled around the summit loop trail and marveled at the views. Unlike most of our fellow visitors this is not the first mountain we have been to the top of. So we were very suspicious when we couldn't locate the metal benchmark which is the hallmark of mountain summits and most other points of geodetic interest in the U.S. We also noticed a second summit several hundred yards away that seemed just a bit higher than where we were standing. So we set off to investigate . . .

We found a discretely marked "South Ridge Trail" that headed off in this general direction and followed it up grade. Once near the top we noticed several potential high points, one of which had a pointer benchmark indicating the direction to a small rocky outcropping a few yards away. On top of this rock we found what we had been searching for. Of the hundred plus people wandering around the area at the time, we were the only ones who truly stood atop Cadillac Mountain.




Why would the National Park Service perpetrate this deception on the public? First they never actually point out any one spot in their "summit area" as the actual summit. They just let people wander around the area and come to their own conclusions. There are also a myriad of signs indicating that the hundreds of millions of annual human foot falls are a major source of erosion on the top of the mountain. Add to this to the fact that an easily accessible and publicized summit benchmark is a target for souvenir hunters, and I suspect the Park Service is just balancing its commitment between public access and protection of our natural resources.


-- Post From Shawn's iPhone

Location:High atop Cadillac Mountain , ME

Popovers and Blueberry Tea

This morning we woke to a traditional Maine fog, complete with fog horns, which Sooke always felt obligated to respond to. We chose today to go have lunch at the Jordan Pond House, a lodge like restaurant on the banks of Jordan Pond. Shawn had their famous lobster stew, and I had the most delectable tomato basil bisque. But the real reason everyone gathers there is for the popovers.



If you aren't familiar with popovers they are the perfect combination of flower, eggs, and milk, baked into fluffy hollow rolls. At Jordan Pond House they are served one at a time, so that they are always served warm, and with homemade strawberry jam. Yummy!

After we licked our fingers, we took a walk on the nature trail along Jordan Pond.



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Location:Jordan Pond House, Acadia National Park, Maine