Another Maine boondocking weekend!
If you follow this blog, you know that Maine is our absolute favorite place; when G and I first started dating back in 1995, we often spent our weekends driving to Maine and visiting the small towns dotting the coast. We fell in love with the coast and with Maine itself; 26 years later, we’re still making those coastal drives, and Maine still has our heart. One of these days, maybe we’ll hop the border and even make our home in “Vacationland.” While we love Maine year-round, there’s something especially beautiful about the coast in winter—the quiet, the stillness, the solitude (all the more appreciated these days!).
After our first successful boondocking weekend in Acadia over the Thanksgiving weekend, G and I decided to boondock again to celebrate G’s birthday. As G’s birthday falls between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we’ve always tried to sneak away for a weekend in between the holidays each year. This year, our getaway might have looked a little bit different, but we still managed to escape in Tedda for a change of scenery. We opted for two different spots—an overnight parking lot for RVs in Freeport, Maine, and a Boondockers Welcome site in Friendship, Maine. We booked the BW site ahead of time—again, really easy and so user-friendly to book online. As for the public parking lot, we had checked online to make sure overnight parking allowed using the app and website iOverlander. There are a few different apps/websites that are helpful in finding places to camp and boondock, and iOverlander is one that we've been checking out more consistently.
This was our first time boondocking in a public parking lot, and given that it was a cold December weekend, we didn’t have much trouble finding a spot. I can imagine the parking lot would be packed in the summer months, as it’s super convenient to all of the Freeport shops (including the LLBean flagship store, one of my favorites!). We had pulled in around 4:30 on a Friday evening, and Freeport seemed all but deserted. Few folks were out, and we were the only vehicle in the lot until a truck camper also parked and stayed the night. Needless to say, our first night boondocking in a parking lot was quiet—we barely heard the train that passes through Freeport—and we felt absolutely safe. One of my boondocking fears is that we’ll be awakened to knocks on the van telling us to move; that’s why making sure overnight parking is permitted is important; I’m not ready for “stealth” camping just yet and simply overnighting in non-designated areas.
The next morning, G and I headed up the coast. Our first stop: Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in Bristol. We had first visited Pemaquid Point during our very first camping trip in our 2002 VW Eurovan Weekender, when we camped over the 2019 Memorial Day weekend at Hermit Island Campground in Phippsburg, Maine. The lighthouse (like all Maine lighthouses!) is pretty majestic, even more so when viewed from the rock formations below (I skipped going out on the rocks this time, as the day was pretty windy, and I didn’t need to slip on icy rocks!). In addition to the lighthouse tower, also onsite are the museum (located in the keeper’s house but closed), the bell tower, oil house, learning center (closed), and the Pemaquid Art Gallery (closed).
If the lighthouse looks familiar, it might be because you recognize the image from the Maine state quarter!
Making our way further up the coast, G and I stopped at Marshall Point Lighthouse in Port Clyde, Maine. We first visited this lighthouse during our three-week road trip up the Maine coast and to the Canadian Maritimes in summer 2019, as our ferry to Monhegan Island departed from Port Clyde. Then, we toured the small museum and climbed the steps to the top. Marshall Point Lighthouse quickly became one of my favorites, and it might just be one of my favorite lighthouses to photograph. I could return here again and again and never get bored. Fun fact: it’s the lighthouse featured in the 1994 Tom Hanks film Forrest Gump during the iconic “Run, Forrest Run” montage.
Wallace’s Market and Italian Deli, Friendship, Maine
We continued up the coast, meandering through the quaint coastal towns of Rockland, Rockport, and Camden, going so far as Belfast before circling back toward our destination for the night: Friendship, Maine. We booked our stay at Wallace’s Market through Boondockers Welcome (note: I made sure to get the host’s permission to name the site before writing this!). The market is owned by Joan and Ernie (also RV owners!!), Massachusetts natives who have owned Wallace’s for nearly two decades. How cool that they’ve opened their establishment to fellow RVers looking to boondock! Our parking spot was located just outside the market. There’s a cute bench (made out of lobster traps!) outside and a bocce court in the back, so I imagine visiting in the summer would be a lot of fun. Unfortunately, the sun had just about set when we arrived around 4 (I can’t wait for the days to start getting longer!!), and the once-clear skies had turn to clouds and rain. We didn’t care, as we planned to unwind, order takeout from the market deli, and just relax. Joan came out to the van to introduce herself (in the drizzle and on her day off!) and to let us know to reach out if we needed anything. We didn’t chat for long, but we immediately felt welcomed.
Now, the important part: food. I’m half-italian, and I take food pretty seriously—I tend to be picky about “Italian” food, and I compare everything to my mom’s, great-aunt’s, and grandmother’s cooking. My favorite Italian foods aren’t fancy; homemade pasta is simple: flour + water (maybe an egg once in a while). Gnocci? Potatoes and flour. Sometimes a simple sauce. Sometimes, just butter and parmesan. And I LOVE a good sandwich, especially “grinders,” as we called them growing up back home in CT—funny, I don’t remember switching to calling them “subs” like I do now, but I guess somewhere along the line, I assimilated. (For the record, however, those multicolored candies you put on ice cream are called SPRINKLES. And the brown ones are called CHOCOLATE SPRINKLES. I will never acquiesce to calling them “jimmies.”) But back to the grinders/subs: when I read the following on Wallace’s website, “Here at Wallace’s, We Think we Make The Best Italian Sub In the State,” I knew what I’d be having. The “Boston” Italian sandwich features provolone, capocollo (or capicola), salami, and mortadella, with lettuce, tomato, onion, black olives, hot pepper relish, and submarine dressing. Oh, hell yes. This sandwich was amazing. I’m so glad we hadn’t really eaten during the day—that way, I had no problem rationalizing ordering a large sub and eating the whole. damn. thing. Yup, not at all sorry. I’d return to boondock based on the sandwich alone!!! I was half-tempted to order another before we left just so I could have it for dinner, but I held back.
The next morning, we grabbed a few provisions for the road from the market, thanked our hosts (Joan and Ernie, so glad we got to meet you—we can’t wait to return!!), and headed back home. So far, our two Boondockers Welcome stays have provided us the kinds of escapes we’re looking for. Traveling is tough right now, but being self-contained in our Travato and having safe places to stay not so far away have allowed us brief escapes during these times. We love mid-coast Maine, and staying at a local market and supporting local business owners certainly appeals to us more than staying overnight at Walmarts (though I’m sure we’ll be doing that as well!).
This weekend getaway might have looked a little different than G’s birthday weekends in past years, but looking back, the weekend really was a fantastic one—right up there with the others, if not better. These days, we’re seeking solitude more than anything. We’re seeking simplicity. We’re slowing down and enjoying each moment a bit more. If there’s been one blessing to the last 9-10 months, it’s been that: a chance to reevaluate life and our priorities. For that, I’m both grateful and lucky.