Part Time Vagabond

Friday Snapshot: Fort Edgecombe, Maine

// August 6th, 2010 // No Comments » // SNAPSHOT

My lovely girlfriend and I are on a mission. The state of Maine has implemented a fun and challenging game for their 75th Anniversary this year. It involves collecting stamps in special passport books, available free at all state parks in Maine. Challenge 1: get to a state park and find the passport station. Challenge 2: look up the park in the passport book, find the code to unlock the station box. Challenge 3: Stamp your book. After you’ve collected some stamps, you gain a prize, ranging from stickers to park passes. If you collect all 48 stamps, you get a free season parks pass! It’s really a fun way for the family to see what Maine’s state parks have to offer.

Anyway, one of our stops this past week was to Fort Edgecombe in Edgecomb, Maine, just across the Sheepscot River from Wiscasset. The fort was a built in the early 1800s as part of the U.S. second system of fortifications to protect Wiscasset. The fort did see action, though it’s cannons were never fired in battle. It’s a fun little site on Davis Island, with beautiful views. Check it out if you’re in the area, then stop in to Red’s Eats for a lobster roll.

Friday Snapshot: Farmington, Maine

// July 2nd, 2010 // 1 Comment » // SNAPSHOT

click the picture to see full size

This past weekend, my girlfriend and I took a day trip to western Maine, to the town of Farmington, where she attended college. On our way out of town to scope out some waterfalls (which must be amazing during spring meltoff), we came across this fantastic vista. To the right, you can see Mount Blue in the far distance. When you see a lookout as stunning as this, even on a cloudy day, you have to stop, snap a picture, and then…just look.

My Top 5 Short Road Trips

// June 8th, 2010 // 5 Comments » // ROADSIDE

Road trips don’t have to be epic cross country battles that take days, weeks, or even months to complete. “Epic” is a word that people throw around a lot to describe the wonderful feelings they have after a long road trip, but epic can be used to describe even the shortest of journeys. As a Part Time Vagabond, I don’t always get to hit the road for weeks at a time, so shorter adventures quench my thirst for wide landscapes and quirky attractions. To kick off Road Trip Month on Part Time Vagabond, I’ve compiled a list of some of the more beautiful, eccentric, or just plain “epic” short road trips I’ve taken.

1. Oak Creek Canyon – Flagstaff to Sedona, AZ – This is quite possibly my favorite short road trip. From alpine forests to red rock desert in 45 minutes, this trip will have your heart pounding and your mind racing! Make this breathtaking trip in late spring or early summer (avoid treacherous winter driving) and watch for elk and deer in the Ponderosa pine filled Coconino National Forest just outside Flagstaff. Follow Route 89A down Oak Creek Canyon and watch as the landscape transforms from high alpine tundra to red rock desert. Take it easy as you hit the switchbacks in Oak Creek Canyon, because while they offer gorgeous views, they can be tricky. The entire drive is a lesson in geology, with layers of exposed rock revealing the historical evolution of the area. It’s one of the most stunning drives in the country.
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2. Route 9, Fishkill to Hyde Park, New York – Take exit 13N off of Interstate 84 in Fishkill, NY for a quick ride through the gorgeous Mid-Hudson Valley. Autumn is the best time to do this trip as you pass through small upstate towns and by national historic sites flourishing with autumn color. This 20 mile drive has plenty of places to stop and poke around, especially for those of you who love antiquing. For the history buff, the end of the journey features the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Val Kill (Eleanor Roosevelt’s Home) National Historic Sites. Stop off in Poughkeepsie to see the campuses of Vassar and Marist Colleges, and hit up the Culinary Institute of America‘s restaurant, open to the public with a reservation.  If you stay overnight in Hyde Park, catch a first-run movie at the Hyde Park Drive-In theater.
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3. Interstate 87, Rockland County, NY to Montreal, Quebec, Canada – Interstate 87 passes through some of the most beautiful country in the United States, and certainly in the Northeast. Hugging the outskirts of Adirondack State Park, this trip takes you nearly the entire length of New York State. Small towns and large cities alike punctuate the mostly forested route. I love stopping at rest areas along the way for a quick picnic lunch overlooking some gorgeous vistas. This is the true New York. Head north on I-87 from Suffern, NY for 320 miles to the Canadian border, where you meet up with Autoroute 15 into the historic French-Canadian city of Montreal.
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4. Route 1, Portland to Camden, Maine – This classic road trip is one that most people have only heard about. Lighthouses — while popular attractions in these parts — aren’t the only things to see on the rocky Maine coastline. Start in Portland, where you can tool around the Old Port for some fresh lobster and local craft beer. Head out to the Eastern Promenade for views of Casco Bay, then hop the ferry to Peaks Island, a year round residential island where life is a bit slower and a lot more peaceful. Hop back in the car on the mainland and head north on Route 1, stopping in Freeport for some outlet shopping (make sure to hit up outfitter L.L. Bean, which has been open 24 hours a day since 1951. Look on the doors…no locks!) and a nice dinner at one of the many fine restaurants. Further up the road, stop in Brunswick for some gelato and a stroll down Maine Street, then hit the road toward Bath, where the Bath Iron Works still builds ships for the U.S. Military. As you pass through Wiscasset, take a stroll downtown and grab a red hot at Red’s Eats, right on the water. Wind your way further north on the MidCoast to Damariscotta, Rockland, and Camden, then stop at Historic Fort Knox and the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory, which offers stunning views of the Penobscot River. End your trip by heading onto Route 3 in Ellsworth and taking a trip to Acadia National Park, or continue on Rt. 1 up to the Canadian border.
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5. 7th Avenue, Manhattan, NY – Strange, but true. New York City’s 7th Avenue is one of my favorite short road trips. Walk it, ride it, drive it, whatever you do, enjoy it. True, not all of this trip is actually on 7th Ave., but it’s worth it. Start at the north end of Central Park, then make your way down Central Park West. You could spend an entire day in the famed green space and all the museums that call it home, but we’re on a schedule here! When you hit Columbus Circle, head east on 59th St, then south on 7th Ave. Cruise down the avenue and enjoy all the sights and sounds that come with The City. Pass through Times Square, then it’s a straight shot through the Fashion District and Chelsea to SOHO where 7th Ave. turns into Varick St., leading you right into the Financial District.

Road Trips don’t always have to be long journeys across a country. There is always something to see or do wherever you go. It’s just a matter of taking it slow and keeping your eyes and ears open as you go.

Friday Snapshot: Bristol, Maine

// April 23rd, 2010 // No Comments » // SNAPSHOT

Sometimes, you have to take a macro shot, close up, to see the big picture. I don’t imagine there’s a big story here: a crab walking at low tide, a gull snatches it up, drops it on the rocks below, and has a nice lunch. But how did this claw get here, at least thirty yards from the water? Where is the rest of him? Why here? You could ask yourself all these questions, or you could just snap a picture and move on.

TRIP REPORT: Portland Trails – Fore River Sanctuary

// March 24th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // TRIP REPORT

Spring was definitely in the air last weekend in Maine, and I’d be damned if I wasn’t going to take advantage of warm temps and sunny skies. After hitting up a nice brunch, my friend Bryan and I set out for a leisurely hike on our local Portland Trails system at the Fore River Sanctuary.
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Friday Snapshot: Portland, Maine

// February 26th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // SNAPSHOT

Down by the Maine State Pier, just off to the left across from the Narrow Gauge Railroad, is a marina where a sailing school is based and marine maintenance work is done. On one of my acquaintance walks, where I was wandering around getting to know my new home, I came on this large beam covered in black, shiny mussels. The beam must have just been removed from the ocean for cleaning. I thought it was fascinating to see so many of these little crustaceans and realize that they were living beings.

Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Recruitment video

// December 16th, 2009 // No Comments » // VIDEO

Ever wanted to be a game warden in Maine? Check out this well-produced video by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife and see if this gets your blood pumping.

The Five

// October 21st, 2009 // 1 Comment » // THE FIVE

The Five

The Five is a new feature on Part Time Vagabond that showcases an adventure, big or small, in five – and only five – photos with text (or minutes of video, minutes of sound, etc).  Think of it as though you’re presenting your trip to a group of really interested friends; you tell a story with each picture, but you only have five minutes to get your whole trip across. What will you say? The premise is to boil down in the most basic elements what truly makes us want to travel and seek out adventure, and to examine those elements for some hint of what these journeys bring to our lives. Either that, or it’s to look at pretty pictures. You decide.

If you’d like to contribute your own Five, shoot an email to info [at] filmosity.com and let me know.

Acadia National Park, Mt. Desert Island, Maine – October 2008

A year ago, I was living in Jersey City, New Jersey, trying to figure out why I was so depressed. It didn’t occur to me that it was the city – and the state – that was driving me crazy until I came to Maine for a weekend camping trip with my brother. These images are from that trip.

Photo by Dan Cavallari

It was around mid-October, 2008, a time when the colors of fall in Mid-Coast Maine are at their peak. I’ve been coming to Acadia since 1993, and had never seen color as striking as this.

Photo by Dan Cavallari

October is just past peak tourist season in Maine, so while there are still a good amount of people floating around the park, it’s much quieter there than other times of the year. Here I soak in some sun breaking through the trees at our campsite. It’s been some time since I’ve been camping, so some of my clothing and equipment are not quite up to par, even for “car camping.”

The Tarn at the base of Dorr Mountain

On the second day of the trip, I decided to hike Dorr Mountain (named for one of the fathers of Acadia National Park, George Dorr), a walk I had never done before. It was a goal I had set for myself, one of many new goals I seemed to be putting on my list at the time. Sitting here, at the base of Dorr Mountain on the edge of The Tarn (a mountain pond), I first realized that the quiet was something I sorely missed living in New Jersey.

Bubble Rock on top of South Bubble

It wasn’t until I made it up to The Bubbles, a pair of small bulbous mountains at the north end of Jordan Pond that I finally decided it may be time for a life change. Sitting on a rock outcropping on the edge of the South Bubble, my senses came to me with a renewed vigor. I could smell, hear, see, even taste something I had lost since moving to a more urban environment.

Eagle Lake; Photo by Dan Cavallari

It was time. Being able to sit at places like Eagle Lake, or hike up the Bubbles, or even backpack to the summit of Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park (the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail) on a regular basis was my new goal. It may be somewhat cliche, but in the words of Henry David Thoreau, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I have not lived.”

Simply put, I needed to eliminate things in my life that were not only distracting me, but influencing me in a negative way. I didn’t know if moving to Maine would eliminate my problems – I wasn’t naive enough to really think it would – or simply create newer, more interesting problems, but I had to at least make a change I thought would be positive.

So far, so good.

S24O Video Update #2

// September 25th, 2009 // No Comments » // TRIP REPORT, VIDEO

From day 2 of my first S24O camping trip. Tuesday, September 22, 2009.

S24O Recap

// September 25th, 2009 // No Comments » // TRIP REPORT

My first S24O camping trip was a mixed bag of complete success and utter failure. And I totally expected both. (For those who don’t know, S24O stands for “Sub-24-hour-Overnight” camping, where you get to a camping spot, usually by riding your bike, set up, eat dinner, chat by the campfire, sleep, then head in to work the next morning. The great thing is you can do it any day of the week, so long as you’re in riding/driving distance of work.)

Successes:

• Found the campground and got a nice site
• Hiked to the top of Bradbury Mountain with a loaded backpack
• Had a roaring campfire all to myself
• Finished a book by headlamp/campfire light
• Learned a lot about my current gear
• Started (almost) a fire using magnesium firestarter

Failures:

• Lost my $115 Oakley sunglasses on the trail
• Found my gear to be incredibly bulky and heavy
• Forgot the battery to my camera
• Trekking pole lost parts
• Insufficient amount of water
• I have no rain gear
• Headlamp died
• Knee started to hurt
• Chafing. Enough said.

General Observations:

• Need insoles and taller socks for boots
• Heavy cook kit
• Tent was heavy, too big for one person
• Need to improve my backpacking skills
• Found out there’s apparently a pocket for a water bladder in my pack. Will need to use that in the future

Overall, I consider the trip a success. It’s a great way for me to both get outside to enjoy camping and have a nice campfire, and also to test my gear and my skills. I love that I was able to find out what works and what doesn’t, and seriously improve upon my techniques. In the spring, if I’ve been able to meet a few goals, I’ll get a new touring bike with panniers and do an S24O on my bike.