Driving Mah Caaah to Mainah

As I sit here fighting my old lady tendencies to now go to bed at 9PM Eastern Time (yes, I assure you, I’m 25 years old), I feel the desire to add more photos to the World Wide Web!

With fall coming, I figured it was about time I put a few more miles on my Jeep to be sure and drive it out of warranty before year’s end. 😉 My first stop was to Owatonna, MN, and then Coloma, MI (twice in one year—a record!) to visit family. Family time is ALWAYS time well-spent in my book! From there I continued east for some legendary Northeast fall foliage.

First Stop: Mistake on the Lake

Ever heard of that name before? Well, I hadn’t prior to a lesson from some family who took it upon themselves to educate me. Mistake on the Lake—probably better known as Cleveland—is home to not only some very well known sports teams, but also the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame situated on the shore of Lake Erie. I must say Lady Gaga’s meat dress was most memorable of its many relics of music history.

Niagara Falls, United States

Since I don’t have a passport, I had to take the long way around, eventually ending up in Buffalo, NY, to enjoy some waterfalls. Although I’m sure it’s even more spectacular from the Canadian side, riding on the Maid of Mist right up to the base of the falls was the ultimate up-close-and-personal experience for me.

But Mainly in Maine

After spending a few days drifting across upstate New York, I landed in Bethel, ME, where I remained for the month to follow. Bethel is a resort town in the White Mountains, surrounded by several ski resorts. There was no shortage of outdoors to be had amongst the splendor of fall colors. I spent many days remembering just how out of shape I really am by hiking.

I was also quite lucky to have some friends from my college days make the trek up from Baltimore for a long weekend. We found all sorts of fun at Sunday River’s Fall Festival, the Samual Adams Oktoberfest in nearby New Hampshire, hiking and chowing some local eats.

Next, since it was only a few hours away, I decided a trip to one of the few national parks in the Northeast was not to be missed. Acadia National Park did not disappoint with it’s beautiful drives, diverse (and dog-friendly) hikes, and all around beauty. I’d have to say this park is in my top 5 favorites!

Although the weather was less than ideal, I spent my last Saturday in the coast city of Portland, ME. Rascal and I started the day with a ferry ride to the islands. That was followed by a little shopping, a visit to Fort Williams Park, and then FINALLY a taste test of famed Maine lobster. Seriously… have you looked at one of these things?! What about it makes you think ‘man that looks delicious! I think I’ll eat it!’ My assessment—it was fine… but I prefer a juicy steak or some fresh halibut 😉

To give all of this some perspective, I left Maine on October 28 and have had many adventures since then! I’m currently residing in Cape Cod…but more on that later 🙂