22 - In My Footsteps Maine - Day 3

Initial Impressions Maine

Day 3 - October 3, 2010

1.  I was woken up at 7am after being buzzed twice in my ear by another fly.  Thought I had killed them all and was so mad that I smashed him flat, maybe that is the end of the flies tormenting me.

2.  It was 39 degrees this morning in Owl's Head.  It made me realize I am in the middle of Maine, not Florida, not even Cape Cod for that matter.

3.  There was no highway leading into Gardiner so I had to take a very curvy and hilly road, after 30-plus miles I felt like I had ridden a rollercoaster.  There was very little in the way of civilization, houses spread out along the way.  It was a nice ride, as they all were, don't get me wrong.

4.  Gardiner’s main street (Water St.) was deserted when I arrived, then I remembered that it was Sunday and church was in session.  Though it came in handy since I was able to navigate the streets like a ninja with nobody around.

5.  An old lady on Water St. who was just hanging around outside her apartment actually came up to me and said it would be busier if there was something fun to do in Gardiner.  There’s a nice endorsement for your town!

6.  Got to see a mother and father letting their little boy pee next to their car on the street, no restrooms available?  I mean how classy of a family are you?  Then you scoop the kid up and hurry into the store like nobody saw you?    

7.  In Augusta I saw some more intelligent folks at Fort Western.  These trashy people walking around with a pitbull-mix running free.  Oh yeah, that type of dog never hurts anything, right?  Hey, morons put your dog on a leash you idiots, then it won’t get loose and go off attacking other dogs at the place which is exactly what happened. 

8.  Visited the Kennebec Arsenal, a collection of really old granite buildings that were one of the oldest military complexes ever built.  It was really dilapidated and creepy but the creepiest part was the random guy that showed up out of the woods to tell me about its history.  He told me that the buildings must have caught my eye.  Yeah I got out of there pretty fast before I ended up dismembered inside one of those buildings.

9.  Maine’s State House was virtually empty because it was Sunday, made for some amazing photos.  The Capitol Park across the street helped too, an awesome wide open green field.  There was a cute little boy playing on a stone marker who saw me and began yelling to me and trying to follow me while I shot some photos.  His Dad didn't think so, guess random bearded strangers with a hoodie are seen as dangerous now, news to me.

10.  The State House did not have a golden dome like the Massachusetts and New Hampshire ones, it was still really cool though and I got up closer than the others thanks to it being Sunday.  I kind of was expecting security at some point to come ask me why I was shooting all of the photos, but I guess there aren't too many security threats in Maine, right?

11.  Still trying to get 5-Hour Energy to sponsor my trips, even took a photo smiling with their product.  If that doesn’t convince them I might have to just lie and say the already do sponsor me.  Of course until the lawsuits start showing up.

12.  Had some good Chinese from China Garden in Rockland.  My fortune cookie said ‘You will do well to expand your business.’  They must have read my mind, that’s all coming once my trip is over.  

Photos of the Day: 

A Fall scene of Water St., Gardiner

Water Street in Gardiner

Fort Western and the Old City Hall in Augusta

The State House in Augusta seen from Capitol Park.