After leaving Lee we stayed on SR 6 until we picked up the I95 south, through Bangor and on to the town of Palmyra where we decided to camp for the night. Maine seems to go on forever and we were still in the Maine Highlands region, land of moose and bear hunting, fishing and water sport. The campground was attached to a golf course so we knew it would be quiet, and it was. There was a swimming pool we had to ourselves, trails for bike riding and the largest cedar trees we had ever seen. So far the hot weather had followed us almost every day of our trip. Could we make it last one more day before heading home?
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| Palmyra Camping Resort, Palmyra, Maine |
We decided we would stay in Maine one more day to take advantage of the customs allowance at the border so we looked for another campground as close to home as we could, stumbling upon a shaded spot a few hours from home in Solon. We had passed through there on our way to Nova Scotia a few weeks back. The roads were as bad or worse than we had remembered and it was a relief to finally pull into the campground. The 201A takes the award for the worst stretch of highway in the USA in my vote so beware. The Evergreens campground was right on the Kennebec River, the longest in Maine and perfect for rafting or canoeing. It was dry and full of fallen needles from the towering pine trees all about. People were starting off from the bridge close by and could go all the way to Portland from here if they wished. We biked into the little village of Solon, ten minutes away, for ice cream and beer, the old buildings looking the way they have for 100 years or more. Where we stayed Benedict Arnold and his troops camped nearby in 1775 on the way up the Kennebec River to the Battle of Quebec. Here also between 1820 and 1860 the US Route 201 served as the primary link between Lower Canada and Maine. So much history so close to home!
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| Kennebec River from our campsite |
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| me and Ben, Kennebec River, Solon, Maine |
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| Selfie#10, Evergreens Campground, Solon, Maine |
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| Selfie #11, Evergreens Campground, Solon, Maine |
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| Solon Hotel, circa 1870 |
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| view of campsite from bridge |
We left the next morning before anyone else seemed to be up and finished the last 2 hours to home, the temperatures steadily falling as we got closer to the Quebec/Maine border. Thunderstorms were fast approaching as we stopped one last time for a selfie along the beautiful Chain of Ponds and then before we knew it we were home. Another great trip in the books with many good memories....
gws
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| Selfie # 12, Chain of Ponds, Maine |
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| 15 minutes to Quebec! |
