We were up a little after 6 am Saturday. Our intent had been to sleep in and leave Portland around 10 am, but let's face it......we were excited to be at the end of our 3,389 mile journey and almost 4 weeks of continuous travel and site seeing. Over the last two plus years we have spent more time stationary than moving....by far.
It was particularly cold overnight and when we awoke the bedroom temperature was around 53º F.....the first time it has been below 60º F on our journey to the northeast. Needless to say, we had all three gas furnaces rocking to take the chill off the Newell interior as quickly as possible!
By 8 am we were ready to roll, but I wanted to top off our 180 gallon diesel tank so it would be near full when we arrived in Southwest Harbor where we will be parked for close to 5.5 months before we roll our wheels again. A full diesel tank reduces the chances of condensation building up in the tank over a long period of time, especially if you are living in an area prone to higher humidity. We took on 50 gallons at $3.29/gallon and were on our way northbound on I-95 once again.
The northbound Interstates are toll roads here in Maine. Unlike New York where you pay for exactly what you use after you have used it, here in Maine every time you enter the Interstate you pay. On this day we paid $3.50 to enter I-95 south of Portland, then another $3.50 when we switched to I-295 for about 40 miles, then another final $3.50 when we came close to Augusta and rejoined I-95......so $10.50 in tolls for the day. It's only $1 for cars, so when we do travel south to Portland in the future it will cost us $3 each way.
The drive north was unremarkable except for the noticeable lack of Rest Areas. Usually, first thing in the day, we pull into a Rest Area to brush our teeth, take a walk, etc. after 40-50 miles, but on this day the first Rest Area was almost 90 miles into our 183 mile day. Otherwise, the roads were in excellent condition.
We knew the elevation of Southwest Harbor was around 52', but we spent most of our day alternating between 200' and 500' elevation until the very end as we made the gentle descent into Southwest Harbor and our home for the summer......Smuggler's Den Campground.
Getting close!
Because of our very early start we arrived at our final destination around 12:30 pm and were met by Todd and Rain Holbrook who own, and run this seasonal campground (opens May 25th, and closes October 22nd). We had really enjoyed our interview with Rain and her mother back in August when we were still at Yellowstone, and were pleasantly pleased to find both Todd and Rain just as we expected.....welcoming, low key, helpful, patient, and understanding. I think we are about to have a great summer!
We will be the only Workampers at Smuggler's Den this year.....all other workers are locals who love working at this family owned park every summer. We feel blessed to be chosen as their only onsite workers. Todd showed us to our site, and one can immediately see why this is a worker site as you can only get into it when the sites across the road are empty. I had to pull into the site directly across from ours and then back the trailer as far into the back of the site as I could before we unhooked it, and then spent about an hour maneuvering it into the corner of the site using the Trailer Valet.......I am so glad I bought it! We don't use it often, but when we do it makes things so much easier!
Once the trailer was positioned TLE helped me back the Newell into the site.....there is a wooden deck (in very nice condition....painted baby blue) that Todd will help us move into position once the Newell is parked.......
By the time we finished getting the Newell hooked up, and our quite full black and gray tanks dumped it was after 2 pm. As soon as I saw the site I knew using my rooftop crank up Winegard satellite dish would be fruitless, but I tried nonetheless for about 20 minutes without success, so it was time to deploy our Winegard Carryout dish, which we bought a few years ago when we were in Cape Blanco with a similar problem. We have only had to use it a few times in the intervening years, but are so glad, once again, that we bought it. Within minutes after I had it set up and connected to the Newell we had DirecTV.........
Winegard Carryout dish at the back of our site
....by the time I was done putting things away it was after 3:30 pm and time to sit down and relax, and maybe catch a quick nap.
The temps here in Southwest Harbor have been averaging in the mid 50's the past couple of weeks, and there is a hint of warming over the next two weeks into the low 60's.....Spring has been slow in arriving here in northeast Maine. Thankfully, the overnight temps are in the low 40's, so not a big temperature swing.
For those who are interested in where we are in Maine, and our proximity to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park, here is a Google map for your reference.....
We are on Mount Desert Island
......there is a lot to explore, and we have over 5 months to do so.....time to get started!
Thanks for stopping by!
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Glad you arrived safely at your summer home. We didn't realize you were going there to work camp but it sounds like you will have a nice place to work with nice people. Enjoy your new home!
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