Part Time Vagabond

Welcome to Part Time Vagabond’s new writer!

// July 12th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Feature

I am supremely happy today to announce the first official writer to Part Time Vagabond (other than myself). Alexandra Munier runs the blog Broke207, and has posted to PTV before. She’s a fantastic writer with a biting wit and sharp sense of humor, knows a ton about having fun while living on the cheap, and loves exploring places most people wouldn’t normally go. I can’t wait to see what Alexandra brings to PTV, but I know you’ll all love it. Here’s a little introduction Allie wrote about herself.

When I was a little girl, my dad used to stuff me (and my mom and 4 additional sisters) into our faux wood paneled (and un-air conditioned) station wagon for 2 weeks of camping all over the state.  And when I say camping, I mean CAMPING. There were no air mattresses, porta-potties, or folding camp chairs. It was just the 7 of us (rowdy and uncooperative as we often were), lots of campfire pancakes, and the great outdoors. My dad taught me everything I know about loving life on the road, finding fun anywhere, and generally amazing travel under inopportune conditions (also known as 5 children under 10), so I’m hoping I can do him proud as I join the cast at PTV.

Other than having logged a lot of road hours with my crazy family, I do have a few other fairly weird qualifications that I hope will add some new perspective to my posts here:

I don’t drive (as in don’t have a driver’s license, and never have).  Surprisingly, it hasn’t kept me from roaming, and it has made me into an excellent co-pilot and expert public transit taker. I can also give one hell of a walking tour.

I’ll do just about anything on a dare that isn’t illegal or dangerously unsanitary. Which is not to say that I’m fearless, but I do believe that some of the best vacation spots lie outside of our comfort zones. If there’s an abandoned building to be explored or a mechanical bull to be ridden, I’m your girl.

I don’t pay full price for anything. I’m a very serious shopper (with enthusiasm for everything from cocktail dresses to plumbing parts), but I am cheap as hell. There are a few things that I don’t tend scrimp on like the occasional amazing meal, or a direct flight when I can afford it, but everything else is fair game for my discount hounding, coupon clipping ways. You’d be amazed how much you can get for free or dirt cheap if you just know where to look (or who to ask nicely).

In my non-traveling life, I am the office manager for a small commercial real estate office, and busy the rest of my hours with my very amazing friends, and other stuff like reading juvenile fiction from the 50s & 60s (go Nancy Drew!), attempting to learn how to dance, and writing about my financial mishaps over at my personal blog, Broke207.  I am extremely excited (and honored) to have been asked to start contributing regularly to PTV, and I’m hoping to use it as an excuse to log even more time out on the road.

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.

Trip Report – Presumpscot River Sanctuary

// November 10th, 2009 // No Comments » // TRIP REPORT

Chris Cavs at the Presumpscot River Preserve.

Big cities always have something to hide. And when you think of the secrets of a big city, you usually imagine them to be bad secrets. But when it comes to Portland – Maine’s largest city – those secrets are more like hidden treasures. Not many people know about them, but those who do are among a very special group. And so it is with Portland Trails, a network of multi-use trails all tucked away within the borders of Maine’s metropolis. My friend Bryan and I count ourselves among the special group of outdoors enthusiasts who know about these trails. And one day last week, we set out to find some of Portland’s amazing treasures.

Dead End Road

We set out from my apartment in downtown Portland at around ten in the morning, plugged some coordinates into my compadre’s GPS unit, and headed toward the Presumpscot River Sanctuary. Most of the Portland Trails trailheads lie at the end of dead-end residential streets, most times only marked with a small but colorful sign. We really didn’t need the GPS, as the directions are fairly simple, but to be safe, we used it anyway. Plus, we’re geeks, and we like techy gadgets. The Presumpscot River Sanctuary trails feature a canoe and kayak portage around Presumpscot Falls, a short section of rapids that breaks the relative tranquility of the surrounding river. I assume that due to this portage, a small parking area was built at the trailhead.

Walking less than a quarter of a mile, we came upon a break in the treeline. The glistening water drew us closer as we headed to a T-junction in the trail. We took a right down the trail that follows the beautiful Presumpscot River, stopping every few hundred yards at small outcroppings or breaks in the foliage to admire the view over the river. The trails are well used, but they’re also well maintained and obviously well loved. Man-made staircases lead down some of the steeper sections of the river bank to the water below, where I could imagine sitting for hours casting a line.

Presumpscot Falls

As Bryan and I walked further downstream, we happened upon signs for the river’s portage, where kayakers and canoeists can hop out of the river before they inadvertently shoot down what looks to be class 3 or 4 rapids. You can’t really see or hear Presumpscot Falls until you’re nearly on top of them. A slight bend in the river combined with a short uphill keeps the falls out of sight for much of the hike. But when you do finally happen upon them, the roar of the crashing water and sight of foaming curls makes for an intense and exciting experience.

Stomping down a quick downhill nearby, I noticed an interpretive sign posted by the Portland Trails organization. Apparently in the 1700s, early settlers to the area had built a dam just downstream from the falls in order to capture some of the power of the river. Mills were built, and the falls were covered by the high waterline. Later, what was known as the Smelt Hill Dam was turned into a hydroelectric facility that helped power the nearby community. Flooding and storm damage eventually shut down the facility, and in 2006, the State of Maine deconstructed the dam, finally revealing Presumpscot Falls after more than 260 years.

We spent a few minutes exploring the area around the falls, and just past them, you come to the end of the Portland Trails owned land. You can head onto private property beyond, but beware because at that point, you’re trespassing and that information is posted. A few hundred feet past the end of the trail is the recovered land where the Smelt Hill Dam used to reside. I don’t recommend you go down there, but if you do, be prepared to talk to unhappy landowners. I, for one, am prone to exploring reclaimed and/or abandoned areas, so take that as you will.

Upstream

After spending a good amount of time at the falls, we headed back upstream and hiked past the approach trail we had taken to the river walk. The trail winds its way NorthWest following the contour of the river. At several points we noticed small offshoot trails, marked “Loop,” which take you up into the woods and back down to the trail. We continued our hike over a few trail bridges and made our way towards the area where Interstate 95 passes over the trail. We stopped at a tree whose boughs overhang the river. The tree is perfect for a tree swing, and I’m sure that’s exactly what hangs there during the summer months. As the mid-Autumn daylight began to fade, Bryan and I took one last look at the beautiful Presumpscot River, then set off for the trailhead. It was time for a late lunch.

Short, but Satisfying

The entire Presumpscot River Sanctuary trail system only covers approximately 2.5 miles overall, but it feels like an oasis in the middle of the brick and concrete of Portland and its suburbs. The main attraction is, of course, the river itself, but the rest of the sanctuary offers a richness of flora and fauna that will make you forget that you’re still within Portland’s borders. Spend a few hours wandering the trails, staring at the rapids, or dropping a fishing line into the river. It’s a great local refuge from the busy-ness of city life.

For more info on the Presumpscot River Sanctuary, or to learn about the rest of the Portland Trails system, visit www.trails.org.

To view more images from the trip to Presumpscot River Preserve, Go HERE!

Reason #233 Why I Dig Portland, Maine

// August 28th, 2009 // No Comments » // VIDEO

Street Music – Portland, Maine from Chris Cavs on Vimeo.

One of the things I love about Portland is the music scene. There are some amazingly talented musicians here. From spring to fall, some musicians take to the streets and parks as buskers, giving tourists and locals alike a taste of their art. The band in the video was Holy Ghost Tent Revival from Greensboro, NC. They’re “an eclectic mix of so many things – dirty jazz, ragtime, folk, roots country/bluegrass, big band and rock and roll.” Whatever, they’re good.

*NOTE: Sorry for the lip sync issue. Looks like it went out when Vimeo compressed it.

Why I Moved to Maine

// August 17th, 2009 // No Comments » // Feature

Earlier this year, I decided that I’d had enough of living in New Jersey. It was loud, busy, and annoying. I couldn’t sleep, and I was becoming more depressed with the way things in my life were turning out. It was becoming clear that I needed a change. The following is from a post dated February 3, 2009 from my old blog, the Inside/Out Reality, in which I announced that I would be leaving New Jersey and moving my entire life to Maine:

Ok, so I announced this yesterday on Twitter, but no one seemed to notice. I had to get my email out to my old school friends first, so they’d know. Now, I’m getting the question I both dreaded and knew would be coming: Why are you moving to Maine?

Problem is, I don’t really have a good answer.

i love that i keep getting asked, “Why Maine?” I really just want to say, “Why not Maine?” 9:48 AM yesterday from TweetDeck

I guess it began back in October 2008. I had already been feeling overstressed and very much out of sorts when I decided I wanted to go camping somwhere. I needed the break. The trip I had planned was already falling apart and likely wouldn’t happen. Then my brother called me from Arizona, saying he was moving back East. We hadn’t seen much of each other over the previous 8 years, so it was a good time for us to get back together. I asked him if he wanted to go camping, and when he asked where, I knew: Acadia National Park in Maine. This place holds a very special spot in both our hearts, and has for many years. I love the area, and enjoy being in Maine. My brother attened the University of Maine at Orono, and loves the state. So it was a no brainer.

After a very long and infuriating drive to Maine, I finally started to relax and enjoy my time up there. We had a great weekend in the outdoors, and I finally felt the tension releasing. I didn’t realize how much tension I had released until I made it back home to Jersey City. The first night back in my bed was one of the worst I can remember. Everything was so loud. I heard every siren, every car and truck, every voice outside my window. My roommates (who many of you know are a bit…rambunctious, to say the least) kept me up late as well. I could feel the tension oozing its way back into my body. It was that night when I realized that I was not meant to be here.

My goal when I first moved to New Jersey was to live there no longer than 5 years. Now, at the 5.5 year mark, it’s time for me to go. So why Maine? First, I’m a New Englander. I love it up there. It’s who I am and where I want to be. Second, Maine is a beautiful state. I’m an outdoorsman, and having access to the outdoors is very important to me. I realized that down here in NJ, I wasn’t getting outside nearly enough. Finally, Portland, by all accounts, is a very cool, culturally rich, and highly accessible city in Southern Maine. It’s on the Maine Coast, and close to New Hampshire and Boston.

No, I don’t have a job. No, there’s no girl. It’s just a decision I needed to make for my own sanity, my own health. I certainly have my share of doubts, but everyone I’ve told about the move has said it’s the right one for me, it’s where I should go. I’m not tied down to anything, and I’m still within a half a day’s travel from everyone I care about (including my online buddies!). I love NYC to be sure, and I’ll be visiting as often as I can.

So in the beginning of March, I’ll be calling Portland, ME home. I’ll be looking for work, whether freelance or full-time (or both). And hopefully, I’ll have a cool local brew in my hand and a smile on my face.

Since the original publishing of this post, I’ve realized that the first indication that I wanted to move actually came in June of 2008, when I visited my brother who was living in Flagstaff, Arizona. During that week, I realized how very beautiful and quiet it was out there, and that I wanted that. I had made the decision: I was leaving.