Road Trip Photo of the Day: The Bay of Fundy

Because a picture is worth a thousand words–and because I’ve been uploading my photos to my netbook daily anyway–I thought I’d start a ‘Photo of the Day’ series.  It doesn’t take much time to post a photo and a caption, and then you get to kind of follow along on our trip.  So, from now on, whenever I have free wifi (like right now) I’ll post a photo of the day. 

Today I’m cheating and posting two.  So, without further ado, here’s two thousand words on the Bay of Fundy and St. Martins, New Brunswick…

Waterfall along the not-yet-completed Fundy Trail Parkway

Same Fundy Trail Parkway; an overlook

 Please Note:  Picking only two was damn near impossible.  Upon my return, this blog shall be overrun with photos.  So far I have blessedly few shots of  lighthouses and sailboats! 

Road Trip: Week One Retrospective

It was raining when the alarm went off at 7:00 this morning.  So we went back to sleep.  We didn’t even leave for Acadia until after 10:30.  It’s 3:00 now and we’re back, having driven the Park Loop Road—stopping wherever looked interesting—and doing one moderate hike to Bubble Rock.  As we drove back into town about 45 minutes ago, I remarked how the ‘me of last year’ would have said something like ‘we have time to drive to the entire other side of the Mount Desert Island before it gets dark’.  The ‘me of this trip’ drove back to the inn, had a late lunch, and is now sitting on the porch in the sunlight writing and relaxing.

The ‘me of right now’ should probably get a glass of wine, now that I think about it!

I’m glad we went on The Great Europe Trip last summer—I learned a lot from it.  And this trip is definitely benefiting.  For example, we’ve decided that we are spending exactly enough time in each location.  So far we’ve enjoyed two nights each in two small towns and by tomorrow will have spent three nights—two full days and the greater part of a third—in a larger town near a National Park.  I feel ready to leave here tomorrow and continue northward.  Though I am going to need some warmer clothing! 

We’ve been gone for almost a week now, and the Maine portion of the trip is coming to an end (though not the ‘main’ portion!)  It really is starting to feel as though this is just how we live.

 I don’t mind most of the aspects of road tripping.  I don’t mind living out of a bag.  I especially don’t mind living out of a suitcase and into a bag—as that’s how we set up our luggage (the majority of our ‘stuff’ remains in the car—we take into our lodging only what we need for that part of the trip.)  I don’t mind the driving, I don’t mind getting to know new places every few days.  Yes, I did mind the Laundromat, but hey, if that’s the worst part of this trip so far, I think we’re doing pretty well.

The one thing that would be nice would be to have friends—though we did meet a couple of couples at the bar last night, and there’s always conversation around the breakfast table.  If togetherness is what we were going for, we found it—hell, we shared a restroom today (it had a pit toilet and a urinal and there was a line—we were saving time, ok?)  As I tried to eat my overly messy sandwich just now, my husband sat across the table from me and laughed.  When I made a face he asked ‘would it help if I didn’t stare at you?’  Yes dear, yes it would.  But other than that, the togetherness is going surprisingly well.  We even agree on the right music to play in the car.  Today’s Park Loop Road drive was enjoyed to the music of Swan Lake (which I highly recommend for Acadia—the cymbals go well with the crashing waves.) 

We leave for Canada tomorrow, so my next post will either be devoted to extolling its virtues or cursing its name.  Stay tuned!

The Least Exciting Part of a Road Trip

Don’t get me wrong–I feel very fortunate to be able to take a trip of this length. Hell–we’ve been gone for five days already and the trip has only just begun. But there is one thing about longer vacations that is not fun–laundry.

I’ve had my own washer and dryer since late 2003. That means it’s been a long time since I’ve been to a laundromat–and believe me, being in a laundromat in Bar Harbor isn’t any more romantic, magical, or exotic than being in a laundromat in Hoboken (not that I’ve ever been to a laundromat in Hoboken, or to Hoboken at all–it just seems like the least touristy place I can imagine!)

At least I have a smart phone, a blog, and two thumbs to pass the time!

Perils of a B&B

We made it to Bar Harbor without encountering any traffic. But we encountered another peril–the four foot high bed in our B&B.

This place isn’t kidding around–it is a bed and breakfast, complete with doilys (how do you even spell that?) and Teddy bears.

My husband is quite pleased with the fluffy-ness of the towels. I’m just afraid I may fall out of the bed! See photos below!

This post has been lovingly written on my iPhone!

The Joy of an Under-Planned Vacation

Resting at the end of Burnt Head trail, Monhegan Island, Maine

Being the OCD planner that I am, there’s no way I could have done this trip without at least planning a route and booking lodging.  But that’s really all I planned—and that lack of planning is serving us very well.

We didn’t plan to eat at any of the amazing restaurants we’ve visited so far.  We didn’t make reservations, and occasionally we had to wait for a table.  But we’ve had some of the best meals we’ve ever had in the last three days—all unplanned.  One was at a place called McSeagulls.  Would I ever make reservations for a place called McSeagulls?  No way!  But it was a great time.

We didn’t plan the impromptu afternoon sail with our innkeeper in Ogunquit.  Hell, I didn’t even know that our innkeeper had a sail boat.  We didn’t plan to arrive in Kennebunkport at just the right time to enjoy it before the crowds.  We didn’t plan to spend our ‘Boothbay Harbor day’ on Monhegan Island. 

We didn’t plan any of that.  And we’re having an amazing time.

So far we’ve spent two nights in Ogunquit and are entering our second night in Boothbay Harbor; tomorrow we leave for Bar Harbor and Acadia.  We’ve walked the Marginal Way, checked out Ogunquit beach and town proper, poked around the touristy part of Boothbay Harbor, spent a little less than an hour in Kennebunkport, enjoyed two fantastic meals in Ogunquit and three in Boothbay Harbor, sailed a small sail boat, and spent a day hiking and taking photos on Monhegan Island.  Oh—and watched one beautiful sunset whilst listening to the gulls and the church bells.

Did I mention that I didn’t plan any of that?  I may just be on to something.

Maine Rocks

I know that I said I wouldn’t be posting very often, but the husband is…in the bathroom…so I have a moment to let you all know this–

This has been the best first day of a vacation ever. Even with the eight hour drive.

I’m not sure how these photos will display, as I’m posting on my phone–but I think they will be worth several thousand words.

Edit–I forgot to mention…we’ve had mixed results with the first day of The Thrift Project. I’m calling today a success, even though it may not appear entirely successful. More on that when we return.

My Blog is ‘This Many!’

Today Blog on the Run turns two years old!  They grow up so fast, don’t they?

For those of you wondering about the origins of Blog on the Run, I started it just before leaving for Vermont for several weeks to attend The Breadloaf Writers’ Conference.  The point was to be able to update my friends and family while ‘on the road’, and also to see if it was possible to blog from an iPhone.  This explains the crappy name–Blog on the Run is so lame, and I have to admit that I put little thought into it–and the crappy URL.  For those of you who have always wondered, elbodans is my user name for almost everything I do online and once was my primary email address as well.  I stole it from an ex-boyfriend–and I haven’t given it back since!

I had no idea when I started this that it would become such a huge part of my life.  It has given me a reason to travel, a reason to (obsessively) take photos, and a way to meet new people.  It’s been the best hobby I’ve ever had.

I try to provide information that may be helpful to those planning their own trips.  I sincerely hope that those of you who follow me have been inspired, amused, and informed.  I’m sure you’ve also been horrified at times–but that’s the nature of a blog written with painful honesty. Though, to be fair, horror and humor are very closely related–so I’m also hoping you’ve had more laughs than gasps.

The future of Blog on the Run remains the same–I’ll be posting on here as long as I’m traveling, and that certainly doesn’t seem like it’s going to end any time soon (knocking on wood!)  Quite appropriately, Blog on the Run will begin its third year in existence documenting the Epic Road Trip of 2011.  We leave at dawn tomorrow.

However, I will not be posting daily from our trip.  I’ve given it a lot of thought, and my official blogging stance for this trip is as follows…

• I will post no less than one time per week.
• I will post no more than two times per week.
• I welcome comments to these posts–as I do to all posts–and will attempt to comment back.
• I will not maintain my real-time travel blog, Virtual Passenger, whilst on this trip.
• I will not let blogging interfere with the trip in the manner that it did last summer.
• I will be writing daily, just not posting.  When I return, I will be posting dozens of road trip related posts.
• I will not edit out the bad stuff when I post upon returning home.  Fear not–you’ll still get to witness me freak out.  Just not in real time.

These decisions have been made after taking many things into account.  I will not be posting daily because the point of this trip is to relax and enjoy time with my husband.  Second, I will not be posting daily because I simply can’t post daily.  I know that I will not have internet access at many of the places we will be staying or visiting, and I will need to keep my iPhone data usage to a minimum when we are out of the country.  Third, I will not be posting daily because it takes up time.  In addition to the whole relaxing with my husband thing, I want to spend a lot of time on this trip learning my new blog-enhancing hobby–photography.

So check back soon for my once- or twice-weekly updates from the road, and be prepared for a barrage of posts at the end of August featuring overly-saturated photos of lighthouses.  Oh–and while I’m gone, think happy, calming, traffic-free thoughts for me…and especially for my husband!

Road Trip: My Husband’s Words

My husband, doing what he wanted to do in Paris. The wine is right under his right hand.

With his permission, I’d like to share something my husband wrote in his journal the other day.  He shared it with me last night, and I’m sharing it with you today.  And yes, my husband keeps a journal.  It’s just like a blog, but a lot less public.

This summer, right after Summer Institute, my wife and I are taking a month-long road trip to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.  I need to remember, especially when we get snarled in Route 1 traffic, when we’re hungry and tired and cranky, that it’s not about getting there, it’s about going there.  And while lounging on a red sand beach in the land of my wife’s childhood idol, Anne of Green Gables, will be a relaxing and much needed rest (a sigh on our trip), much of the excitement and surprise won’t be found on a Prince Edward Island beach, but in the slow slog northward, stopping in little fishing villages, driving the Cabot trail, walking on the alien ocean bed in the Bay of Fundy, eating sweet lobster just off the boat, touring a distillery, taking a picnic lunch of smoked fish and crusty fresh bread to sit by a lighthouse and watch the sea break alongside it. 

He wrote that three weeks ago, back before I started to freak out about this trip.  And do you know what?  He’s right.  He’s always been right.  So what if it is a fifty-three hour round trip drive?  I get to be with him–my husband who actually wants to–how did he put it?–eat smoked fish by a lighthouse.  Gee–when you take it out of context like that it sounds kind of funny!   I  am vowing here and now that he will get to do all of those things he listed–even if I have to smoke that fish myself!

I am finally excited for our trip to begin.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Dress

My recent post about how to pack for a road trip led to a discussion of my rather odd travel wardrobe.  To be honest, I didn’t even realize that my style was odd, but now that I think about it, I realize that this is yet another example of me being, well, strange.

You see, when I travel, no matter where I go, I wear a dress.

Why?  Because in life, no matter what I’m doing, I wear a dress.  In fact, I’m wearing one right now as I type this.  See?

Me, writing blog posts in a dress.

It’s a terrible photo, but it makes my point.  I wear dresses like most people wear jeans.  They are comfortable, they are attractive (the above being the exception!) and best of all, they require no coordination.  This is particularly important when traveling, as you don’t need to worry about taking all neutral colors.  I can wear a bright pink dress one day and a subdued black dress the next, be comfortable, and best of all, it looks like I care about how I look.

But now you know the secret.  I don’t actually care.  I’m just lazy and comfortable!

To determine exactly when this dress-wearing habit started, I flipped back through my iPhoto albums.  It appears to go back as far as 2006–but then that’s as far back as my iPhoto albums go!

It was actually laughable how many photos of me I have wearing dresses in various settings.  Here are some of the highlights, starting in the past and traveling up through the present day.  As a bonus, you can watch me get fatter and older, too!

Me, in a dress, in Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden in Vancover, Canada

On our honeymoon in 2006.

 Me, in a dress, on the beach in Ocean City, Maryland

Random trip to the beach, summer 2008

Me, in the same dress, also in Ocean City, mini-golfing!

Could this shot be any less flattering?

Me, in a dress, at a writing retreat on top of a mountain in rural western North Carolina

I'm also wearing a scarf because it was cold on that mountain!

Are you getting tired of this?  Because I have more, and they just get more and more silly.  For example…

Me (well, my feet anyway), wearing a dress and standing in a stream in Vermont

The bunchy colorful thing is the ankle-length dress I was wearing--I had to hold it up!

Me, wearing that same dress (different day) at Robert Frost’s cabin, Middlebury, Vermont

It was not a snowy evening, clearly! Though it is in the woods.

 Me, wearing a dress, on a boat on Lake Champlain

It was really windy!

 Me, wearing a dress, at the National Zoo in D.C.

We went specifically to see the pandas.

Me, dress, Vegas

He was trying to get the whole building into the shot!

Me, dress, Stonehenge

Brrrrr!

Me, dress, Central Park

Really bad hair day!

Ok, I’m sure you all get the point by now.  And I hope you understand how amused I was, trying to find one single photo of me somewhere wearing pants.  I do have a few from our honeymoon, but I think you’ll agree that this location kind of dictated pants…

Me, wearing pants, Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska

A dress was simply not an option.

So, there you have it.  Me, in a dress, almost everywhere I’ve ever been (ok, I left out a few places because I figured by now you’ve stopped reading!)  Thus, I feel perfectly ok with wearing a dress on the beaches of Maine, in wilds of Cape Breton, on the bike paths of Prince Edward Island (with bike shorts underneath of course) and even on a whale watching boat in the bay of Fundy.  Though that last one may be ill advised, what with wind and all.  I’ll let you know how it goes!

Road Trip: I Get Cranky When I’m Hungry

For our wedding shower, my mother’s husband gave us a picnic basket.  We actually used it on honeymoon number one–our trip to Cape Cod.  We filled it with wine and cheese and bread and took it to a park to listen to music at the bandstand.  I didn’t think I had a digital camera back then, but I guess I did, because I just found this photo of that exact day…

Doesn't he look happy, newly married?

So we thought, why not take the same picnic basket with us on our trip?  We can use the plates and silverware inside for meals in some of the places we are staying, and we may just find a park with a bandstand again.  Plus it contains a little wicker holder thingie for two wine glasses–which are very important indeed!  In fact, I’m not sure why he’s drinking from a mug in the photo above!

In preparing to schlep the basket out to the car, I thought about how it is kind of a waste of space.  So, to stave off low-blood-sugar-induced road rage, I packed it full of snacks.  How unromantic is this?

Though, to be fair, after five years of marriage, it is really romantic of me to make sure my husband doesn’t throw me out of the car in the middle of Nova Scotia after I flip out.  I get cranky when I’m hungry!