Here's the drive from Danbury, CT to Lincoln, ME.
Danbury, CT to Manville, RI
Started off from Danbury on side roads down to New Haven. Curvy, hilly and fast, it was a really fun drive. Until I got lost in New Haven. Pulled over and spent another hour on the phone with the help desk, but finally got the Blackberry working again. Took off and after a little while on the freeway, got off on Route 1 along the coast of Connecticut. It would have been a nice drive, but it was too crowded. Eight-million people going north for the weekend, I guess. Went through Rhode Island and got stuck in traffic a bunch of times. Finally pulled off for the night in Manville, RI, north of Providence a bit.
Manville, RI to Portland, ME
Another frustrating drive, for the most part. Lots of traffic, several stop-and-go traffic jams. Stayed on the freeway the whole way, except for a little detour through Lowell, MA (Jack Kerouac's birthplace). Got into Portland at a decent hour, but had trouble finding a cheap motel room. Finally ended up forking over a good chunk of change and stayed in a place on the outskirts of town. Did laundry and then caught a cab into the Old Port area of Portland. Got some dinner and did some bar hopping and eventually saw Nick from Family Ties doing a Springsteen tribute at some place (no, it wasn't really him).
I'd decided to stay in Portland a second night just because I needed a break from driving. Ended up staying in a place in Old Port, which was a lot more convenient. Since it was a Sunday night, it was a lot cheaper too. Walked around for a couple hours and then checked into my hotel room, where I took a nap and then walked down to the pier to take a ferry cruise. The ferry cruise was nice. It was a three-hour cruise and we didn't wreck, so I was happy. Grabbed something to eat after that and went to bed early.
Portland, ME to East Orland, ME
Nothing too exciting to report. A really nice drive on Highway 1 up the coast and stayed at a place on a lake in East Orland. An older couple ran the place and it had waterfront access, so I sat outside, drank beer, smoked cigarettes and read my book. I'd meant to use their paddleboat to cruise around the lake a bit, but it got dark before I had a chance.
East Orland, ME to Lincoln, ME
More driving up the coast on Highway 1. It was a really nice drive, but got a lot better after after I passed Acadia National Park. A lot less traffic and a lot less development. About 3:00 this afternoon, I technically began heading home when I took a left on Highway 6 in Topsville, ME and started heading east.
Onto the pictures...
A familiar-sounding bar in Portland, Maine.
The following are shots from the ferry cruise I took in Portland, ME.
This is the view from the dock at the place I stayed in East Orland, Maine.
To be honest, I have no idea where this is. It was on the drive today though.
Pretty nice scenery for a rest area.
These are some pictures taken from the car along the drive from East Orland to Lincoln, Maine.
