The Maine Event

We look forward to this time every year. It's time for our annual Maine vacation!

Our original plan was to head up for our anniversary on July 13th, but of course, that got a little messed up (thanks COVID). Instead, we decided to head up a few weeks later for Grandpa's 88th birthday—which is a much bigger accomplishment than a 1-year wedding anniversary anyway!

We've always found it funny that our families are perfectly spaced up the East Coast to make the trip to Maine a little simpler. Seven hours from North Carolina is Cameron's family in Maryland. Seven hours north of that is my family in Massachusetts. And five hours north of that is the final stop in Deer Isle, Maine.

As luck would have it, this was also Kay's birthday weekend, so we could celebrate two birthdays in one trip! We got an early start on the road Friday morning to make it up to Maryland to celebrate. When we arrived we parked the camper and truck smack in the front yard. The perfect campsite! 

Shortly after, were greeted by Kady and Colin until Kay came home from work. That was when the fun began... choosing the plan for the night amidst the chaos of family visitors every 10 minutes. That's just life on Baugher's Farm!

Kay wanted to go out, Kady and Colin wanted to stay in, and we didn't really care what happened. All Luna cared about was that she got fed. We decided to go out and try a new brewery that opened. Kay had talked it up, and of course, we're always down for beer! We left Kady and Colin at the house and headed out for beer. When we got to the brewery, it looked abandoned. Turns out, like all things in 2020, COVID happened. The brewery had an outbreak and had shut down for the time being.
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​Well, it was back to square 1! Deciding what to eat and where to go. Cameron had seen several commercials for the new Applebee's bowls, and this looked like the perfect opportunity to try one! We did a nice "To Go" order and took our delicious smelling food home to enjoy. With bellies full of food and beer, we ended the night with some family and friends before resting up for the next leg of the trip! ​

The next morning after a sunrise workout and walk around the farm, we loaded up the truck and trailer and headed out of Ripley's Campground. Next stop was Aldo's Campground! Since COVID pretty much ruined the worlds plans, the roads were fairly empty considering the time of year. We had an easy drive up to Massachusetts and rolled into Aldo's right around dinner. Phil and Phil's campground service was impeccable with a fire going and food on the grill! Cole seemed glad to see us again too! 

After a lovely dinner, we all retired inside and watched the Truck Race (or rather Cameron and Phil did at least, I fell asleep from all the early traveling). Final stop was Maine!

​We left a positive yelp review for Phil and Phil's Campground before hitting the road that morning. We were hoping to make it to Maine early afternoon. Since Cameron had two long days of driving prior, I decided I would drive when we crossed into Maine to ease him of his duties and allow him to relax. It was my first time towing, and for some reason, we decided to take the coastal scenic route rather than stay on the highway. Turns out it was for the best because some of the views were beautiful! There is just nothing quite like the narrow Maine hills full of trees and ocean views. I told Cameron and Luna to keep their eyes peeled for moose!! 

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I got everyone to Grandpas safely around 2:00. I did have to let Cameron back us into that spot because otherwise Grandpa would have unknowingly hired a tree removal service... LOL. After we parked, we exchanged distant hugs and greetings. Grandpa was ready to go after that and had plenty of little tasks for Cameron! We got right to work helping with the list before heading down to the beach to check on our wedding venue since last year. Cameron forgot how buggy Maine is and had to prepare himself for the walk to the beach. 

We spent the next few days enjoying mom and Grandpa's company while working on chores, sun bathing at the beach, and sippin cold beers. The weather was great the entire week, and we tried not to venture off the property too much so we could be careful around Grandpa. We finally got to take the canoe out in Maine! We also biked and hiked the island. Needless to say there are PLENTY of outdoor activities that you can do on the island during a pandemic! 

Mid week we celebrated the most special man on his 88th birthday! We had lots of cake (no really we got Grandpa 2 cakes), and enjoyed seeing family. See below for lots of cake and smiling faces! 

Before we knew it, the week had flown by. Cameron had done most of the chores on Grandpa's list, and we all had a wonderful, relaxing vacation. The best part of Maine, besides seeing Grandpa, is being able to unplug and unwind in a place that offers so much peace and beauty. It was time for us to start our trek back to reality, but we are already looking forward to the next Maine adventure!