1st stop

This was our 1st stop after we left the house and made a fast pit-stop at Wawa's.
Took us about 4.5 hours and we are roughly 9-10 miles into the State of Maine and we are about 1/2 way to ourLes mer
VacationLand Estates

So this is our hangout for this upcoming week. We are on the outskirts of Island Falls (pop. All of 600) 😁
Surprisingly, I made it here in 8hrs 40mins incl. the break
Interesting setup with theseLes mer
Cabin 61

And that is our "cabin". Very clean, plenty of space even has a loft
Huge communal deck in the back overlooking golf course geen.
End of the day

..and do after getting ourselves situated, going to the local grocery store, which is absolutely a Typical County Store, getting provisions and grabbing fast dinner, we are retiring for the nightLes mer
Robinson Mountain

Robinson Mountain is a peak not far from our cabin in and has an elevation of 1,020 feet. Robinson Mountain is named after Maj. George Robinson, a former resident in Island Falls. Robinson servedLes mer
Trail

So the trailhead proved to be somewhat elusive, but in the end, we found a service road that eventually got us on it.
The ATVs use the trail as well, so there are plenty of mud spots...
Of course, weLes mer
The summit

We made it to the summit and marveled at views again.
We spent some time on this little opening, had some lunch, and rested. Mosquitoes were still relentless, though...
So we traversed the other sideLes mer
Cheese and Wine

..so this was a major bummer.
As many of you know, today is Laurie's birthday, and I was all set to take her out to a nice dinner.
I forgot where we are!!!
Not only does one have to go completelyLes mer
Shin Falls

Today we squeezed in 2 relatively sort hikes.
The partial problem is that, although there are abundance of places, it takes forever to get to them. This one, Shin Falls, was about 35 minutes drive -Les mer
Maybe... and a little later

The trail unfortunately turned out not well marked at all. We completely missed the turn, therefore never making it to the loop and the Lower Falls.
Perhaps it was for the best - many reviews mentionLes mer
Seboeis River Nature Trail

The trailhead was perhaps 5 minutes away from Shin Falls so we jumped at a chance.
The northern access point for the Seboeis Riverside Trail is the start of a 6.75 mile one-way trail that leads southLes mer
Picnic Break

This was a beautiful trail, wide and gravel.
It followed the river and was also marked rather consistently.
We came upon this picnic area and took our repast and continued on.
However, soon enough,Les mer
Thus Ends Today

I am extremely upset.
Somewhere out there, the Stars Aligned just do NOT want me to take my wife out for her birthday 😡
Turns out that not only these so-called eateries closed down on us lastLes mer
Houlton

As expected, we woke up to a very steady rainfall; thus, any idea of hiking was not feasible.
We decided to take a ride to Houlton- only 21 miles away and play tourist.
Houlton is a town in AroostookLes mer
Meduxnekeag River Trail

Much to our surprise, the other side of the bridge turned out to be a trailhead to Meduxnekeag River Trail obviously running along the Meduxnekeag River.
We happily jumped at a chance, especiallyLes mer
Houlton 2

After coming back from the trail, we strolled to a small Memorial park and checked out some stores around Market Place.
Of course, I found me an ACW Monument and a smaller one commemorating WWII,Les mer
Shire Ale House

While the rain thankfully stopped, the humidity in the air was quite unbeatable.
We decided to duck into Shire Ale House and partake in a refreshing cold pint.
Patrick, the bartender, who wound upLes mer
Dinsmore Cove

Coming back, we took a quick detour to Dinsmore Cove (part of Pleasant Lake) not far from the resort. As a matter of fact, the place we stopped does belong to the resort
Clear skies and "Ursa Major"

The day is finishing on a very nice note; the rain is over and the skies are bright and clear. The views from the back patio are awesome...
... and so is the view of mosquitoes bites on my arm thatLes mer
Katahdin Lake

Katahdin Lake is a fairly new addition to Baxter State Park, and it is located on newly acquired park land on its eastern side.
The 3.3 miles hike took us almost 2.5 hours as the trail that wasLes mer
Bog, mud, slippery boulders & log bridge

The reason for difficulties we experienced was the fact that the trail turned out to be a collection of Bog, mud, slippery rock boulders, and narrow log bridges.
At one point I almost had a CaminoLes mer
Baxter State Park

Clear skies persisted into today's morning, and after breakfast, we decided to carry on with the hiking plans.
We chose to drive to South entrance of Baxter State Park (about 70 miles from our place)Les mer
Stunning sunset

Absolutely stunning sunset (pictures just don't do justice)
Preamble of the Day

As many of you may have heard, the northern lights (a.k.a. Aurora Borealis) were said to be potentially visible in at least 17 states (including ME) this week on July 12 and 13, according to an auroraLes mer
Penobscot River Trails

And so it is quite understandable that we got up and ultimately ventured out LATE!
It rained more through the night, but by the mid-morning, the skies were clear, and the sun was shiningLes mer