Visiting family in the wilds of Maine

After coffee and breakfast we said good-bye to Dick and dorothy and headed off to Maine. Making our way to Rte 146 we switched to I-290, and then I-95 for the haul north. Traffic was surprisingly light and we made good time, arriving in Bangor about 2pm. 

We tried to check in to our hotel but their "system was down" so we drove to Joyce and Avery's house. (Joyce, as you may recall, is Susan's sister and Avery is her husband.) Leaving our car at their house the four of us packed up food and loaded ourselves into Joyce's car. 

Returning to the highway north Joyce drove us some 75 miles to Lee, ME, where we switched to a deeply rutted dirt road for the remaining five miles through backwoods Maine.

After hugs from the MacDonalds we all walked down to the nearby stream (they pump their water locally) and were awed by the sheer beauty of the spot Glen had picked out so many years before.

On our walk back we were greeted by Jonathan and Naomi Bergman with their four little ones were just unloading as we returned to the cabin.

Chairs were sat our around the fire -- although it was warm there was a bit of a breeze and it was hoped the fire wold disrupt the black flies, but those bugs had other ideas. Beers were opened and with sandwiches in hand before long everyone got into the spirit of just being somewhere you couldn't get a cellular signal. . . 

entrance off the dirt road

front of the house

Susie and Johanna

the flat rock stream

a short walk down to their stream

family get together

Avery 

Glen and Christina

view from the house toward the stream

pulled pork sandwiches, chips and salads

Glen MacDonald - a man and his fire

Johanna and dad

Glen with his wood fire and Naomi with her kids

Christine enjjoying the backwoods

Lots of good food, warm family conversation and catching up, outmatched only by the sheer volume of black flies that began descending on the group as the light began to fade. After hugs and goodbyes all around we pulled back out on the dirt road and made our way back to the greater Bangor area.

By the time we got back to the hotel everything was in working order and we checked in with no problem.