Into Maine

Coming to America

I left Yarmouth on a ferry at 8:30 in the morning. The CAT is a fantastic ferry that’s available Until about a couple of weeks after I was leaving. I wasn’t going to be able to come back and I had a heck of a trip in front of me to go. Winter was coming, and I had to hurry. Getting to my grandmother was going to be the heart of the next part of the journey.

The ocean rocked. I slept through the first half of the trip, and woke up watching the Cat breeze through the water. It’s an incredibly fun trip into the US and I recommend it to anyone in Nova Scotia or Maine. It’s a great way to see the country. I ended up crossing into the border this time with no problems.

One small note before I continue writing about this. It’s really strange how border crossings work from state to state. Washington State is far and away the hardest border to cross. If I wasn’t an american they would have sent me packing. Maine had no issues. They were used to the tourism, and I find myself in an amazing place.

Battle Harbor Maine reminded me just a touch of Grand Bend, Ontario. At least that was the closest analogue I had. Bar Harbor is much prettier. Maine literally has everything. It has mountains, trees, beaches and sea. Bar harbor had that in spades. Best of, fall was approaching full bloom. The leaves turn amazing colors in maine and creates one of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever seen. There were still hints of green throughout, but the oranges, yellows were all taking over the whole countryside.

I wasn’t in Bar Harbor too long. I actually made an elderly married couple on the bus. They too were traveling, and seeing the country, but they weren’t roughing it quite as much as I. Steve and Katherine and I hit it off once we got to customs. Steve was carrying an instrument, and I stopped to admire it. We started talking and getting to know each other and what we were doing.

Steve is an impassioned writer who writes about politics. He hated Trump, and shares a lot of the sentiments a lot of my facebook shares. We talked about what the election might bring, and somehow made it to religion.

Steve and Katherine figured me out. They know what I’m looking for. And actually made me make a promise about it in regards to me doing my wedding. So right now, I got a standing offer to have my wedding officiated, and it’s intriguing to say the least. I may take them up on it.

Steve and Katherine helped me board the bus to go to Ellsworth. Ellsworth is a nice spot in maine. It’s kind of in the middle of nowhere. I knew when I started this trip that I would be hitchhiking Maine. Everything I read about it said that they would be receptive to it, and I thought I’d try it the next day. I planned on seeing if I could make it to Portland Maine thoroughly through hitchhiking. From there I had a meeting with a friend of mine I always wanted to meet, but until then I’d explore the state.

I will say without spoiling anything, as of this writing, Maine is my favorite state. Part of me wishes I had come later, as I still feel I’ve only started travelling. But I enjoyed the state, and the people, who are simply wonderful.

Ellsworth is a nothing city in the sense that it’s a small town. I ended up at a Pizza Hut, and there I met with the manager and we just talked stuff out. Being a backpacker, you get the opportunity to listen to people on the way. The manager was a good dude. I enjoyed my pizza hut and found a spot by there to crash.

I was optimistic, and I was in a touch of a hurry. How much of America can I make it to before Winter? I had my grandmother to meet.

So I slept, and the next day, it began.