York

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Sivan

Distances

  • Biked: 46.1 miles
  • Walked: 4.3 miles

My room was very comfortable but for some reason I kept waking up and going back to sleep. Not popping my eyes open or needing to hit the bathroom. Just a dream would end and I would be conscious again, rollover, and do my best to go back to sleep quickly. When 8:15 rolled by I figured I should get moving.

I enjoyed the continental breakfast at the hotel which had plenty of fresh coffee along with blueberry scones, cranberry orange coffee cake, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, fruit, and granola.  I also had a slice of toast with Maine Blueberry jam on it. All delicious. I noshed on breakfast out on the patio looking towards the beach and the shops I strolled through the previous evening. When I was finished I strolled  next door to the Harmon Museum, the historic society of town, which was closed but bustling since a bunch of volunteers were getting it ready for the season. A nice old fella let me in and showed me around telling me about the former railroad that ran down the coast and how Charles Lindbergh once made a landing on the beach in Old Orchard as part of a tour of the country he was commissioned to do by the president after his transatlantic flight. He was supposed to land in Portland but it was too foggy there so he chose Old  Orchard instead. I signed the guest book and slipped some cash into the donation box before leaving.

View out over Breakfast

View out over Breakfast

Back at the inn I packed my bag back up and recovered my bike from the shed where the staff had kindly let me park it. Then I hopped on and rolled for Kennebunkport. Shortly after crossing the Saco river I started seeing Bangor Banks which made me smile. Don’t know why exactly, just very Maine. Despite getting a little turned around on the south side of the Saco trying to find Route 9, I made good time to Kennebunkport. I had never been to Kennebunkport and found it a charming little place with lots of  shops and restaurants. I parked my bike and hit a public restroom. I then strolled around town perusing the shops and checking out the Captain Lord Mansion, a very fancy B&B my parents had visited in the past. I made a pit stop at a  local pharmacy for sun block and itch ointment (it was getting very bright and the bug bites from Sand Pond were turning into itchy welts).

I then collected my bike and headed down Ocean Ave. The nice old fella at the historic society tipped me off that the George H.W. Bush summer compound was in Kennebunkport when I told him about my plans for the day. So after about a 10 minute  ride from the center of Kennebunkport I was at a scenic turnout where I could see the compound and grabbed some pics. That portion of Ocean Ave. wraps  around a little peninsula and has some awesome views of the rocky Maine coast. I grabbed lots of pics and a passer by was also kind enough to take some pictures of me and my bike. I offered to take some pictures of her, but she insisted her place was “behind the camera.” She had her own DSLR rig and was taking photos as well.

Before leaving Kennebunkport I grabbed some a bottle of water and a delicious spiced carrot & walnut muffin from a little shop for a snack and pedalled on. I crossed the inlet that Kennebunkport sits on and entered Wells State Park. I quickly reached the Carson Nature trail, a 1 mile scenic hike that I pulled off for and briskly walked. I grabbed lots of pictures. Then I hopped back on my bike and headed for York. Again I made good time but was starting to get pretty low on energy near the end.

This Gallery is views of the Carson Nature Trail:

This Gallery is views of the Katahdin Inn @ York Beach

I checked in to the Katahdin Inn, a lovely large house that sits right on the ocean. It is run by a couple, one of whom is Rae who checked me in. She was very nice. Showed me where everything was and let me put my bike in the storage space under the deck. It is a family style inn, but they don’t serve breakfast only coffee. Less than half a mile away is York beach with lots of shops. And just about a  mile in the other direction  is the Nubble Light House. After quickly settling I grabbed my bike and headed for Nubble to grab pictures before the sun got too low. It is a very pretty light house, but it was very windy and chilly up there on the overlook.

I rolled back to the Inn and deposited my bike then continued on foot to York beach. Here to my dismay I discovered everything is closed. Since it is Tuesday and not yet Summer all of the shops and restaurants were closed and it seems the nearest ones that might be open were several miles away. I had covered close to 50 miles on my bike today and wasn’t in a mood to get back on it. There was one hotel on the opposite side of the cove called the Union Bluff Hotel which had a pub which was open so I ate there. It was good food. I had clam chowder in a bread bowl with an arugla salad that had feta cheese, almonds, and fresh blueberries. For dessert I had an iron skillet chocolate chip cookie topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and strawberries.

I strolled back to the Inn, where I am the only guest for the evening and settled in. I already noted on my walk that all the breakfast establishments near by are closed tomorrow as well. So I don’t know what I’m doing tomorrow. Whether I want to try to push the hour or so to Portsmouth, NH and eat there or head back up to Ogunquit or Kennebunk. I’m feeling kind of down about being in a closed up town.

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