Hi Blogsters and Blogsterettes,
Today we are checking out of The Vacationland Inn. We are driving down to Oakland to my Aunt Dawn and Uncle Jack's home, a lovely Lake Cottage called Kool-Bee.
The photo above is a scene behind glass, set up at our hotel/motel that depicts a mother black bear and two cubs toasting marshmallows over a campfire. The Vacationland Inn , as I have mentioned has been refurbished and is trying for the rustic, log cabin in the woods look.
The Maine Wild Blueberry Sauce to go on the Waffles you make with the automatic waffle maker; it makes two waffles at a time and is an engineering marvel.
The old fashioned wood stove in the breakfast rooms sets a tone. It is non-functional, mores the pity, and doesn't have a stovepipe to let the wood smoke out through the wall or ceiling. This is very similar to the one that we used at Pine Hill Farms on the Garland Road when I was growing up. We used to come in from the snow and cold and huddle around the open oven door and put our boots on the oven door to dry out.
A lovely T-Shirt we found at Mickey Marden's Salvage Warehouse. It said "If God wanted us to be vegetarians..." Ross wanted me to buy it but I refused. I am a conscientious objector to shooting vegetables.
Dad's beast parked in front of the door to our room, Rm 119 at The Vacationland Inn, on Wilson Street in Brewer, Maine between Walgreen's Pharmacy and The Coach House Restaurant. When we come back from Kool-Bee, over the weekend, we move to Days Inn in Bangor, near the Bangor International Airport.
Ross leaves for Montreal on a plane from BIA on Wednesday, very early morning. I will drive him from Days Inn, which should be a ten minute or less drive. We spent a lot of time booking hotels because we left it very late, only a week or so before we had to get him on the plane, and many hotels were booked out or too expensive.
I am booked to leave Brewer/Bangor on the Friday, August 7th, so Ross leaves Wednesday, July 29th and flies to Montreal, he stays for a few days and then flies to Toronto, then after a few days he flies to San Francisco, which he gets to a couple of days before me. I stay here in Maine for that time, so, in fact, I stay in Maine 9 days after he leaves.
My Itinerary, that has colored highlights and that I sent out to everyone, says that I was to pick up another Alamo Hire Car on Wednesday, August 5th and drive down to Freeport, stay overnight August 5th, then drive to Cilla and Carl's and stay overnight August 6th, and then drive into JFK Airport, where I have booked an overnight stay at The Comfort Inn JFK for August 7th. I fly JFK to San Francisco on August 8th. Dad suggested that I fly down to JFK, rather than hire another car. We were talking about the expense of the hire car, since the 2-day hire was almost as much as the week-long hire we had previously.
I told Dad and Sandy that flights out of Bangor weren't as easy as they used to be. It used to be that you could fly non-stop to Boston or New York several days a week, but now it has all changed. If I wanted to travel on Thursday August 6th , for example, my only way to get to JFK would cost $1400 and involve two stops, Portland, and Washington D.C. Ridiculous, I know, but that's the case.
Even on Friday, sort of a better "flyin' day" to paraphrase my Gramps who used to say it was a good "Dryin' Day", it would cost $450 and involve a combo that made up 8 hours of travelling time.
Dad suggested I try to fly into La Guardia Airport instead of JFK Airport. What a genius!
He was absolutely correct. I found a flight that was only $220 and it was only 4 hours and 45 minutes travelling time, leaving at 5:45 a.m., Friday August 7th and going to Washington D.C. first then switch planes and get in to New York City at La Guardia at 10:30 a.m. I then have to get a Shuttle Bus to JFK for $50 and get into my Comfort Inn Hotel at around 12 noon. That's compared to the two days travelling and about $700 by hire car. Brilliant suggestion Dad.
I need to cut down on my luggage, so I will ship home a couple of boxes of old clothes. Then I will just travel with my backpack together with my big white rolling suitcase, and the new duffle bag I got from L.L.Bean.
More shots of The Vacationland Inn. Lovely rocking chairs surround the fireplace in the main entry and the front desk.
The double waffle maker, whoo-hoo!
Another embedded place mat in the breakfast tables which describes the elusive Moose that Ross is trying to see in the wild.
We did see a deer moving through Sedgeunkadunk Stream behind Dad's house yesterday, so maybe that will have to do. Lots of action behind Dad and Sandy's house at 229 Brewer Lake Road, Orrington, Maine.
Yesterday Dad and his old friend and ex-assistant manager at Agway Brewer Store, Spencer Greaterex, and I played golf at the lovely Pine Hill Golf Course, which is just across Brewer Lake Road from Dad and Sandy's house. Dad is an amazing golfer, for any age, often hitting less than his age. "Hitting your age" is a bit of a miracle, at the best of times. Dad is 85 and his best score at Pine Hill Golf Course is 80 scored this year. Wow!
Anyway, Spencer beat both of us with an 87 and Dad and I both hit 89. That was excellent for me, Dad probably took it easy on me. I was happy to break 100 really.
Ross spent the time I was playing golf at The Bangor Mall and it's associated stores. He seemed to have a good day and I me him right on "Dentist Time" at The Java Junction" in the middle of Bagor Mall. (Dentist Time is, of course, for those few uninitiated, "Tooth Hurty").
We looked at Staples, The Big Bookstore and Home Depot, then traveled back to Dad and Sandy's house via the Big Yellow Schoolhouse Antique Store. Ross picked up some quilt squares that he plans to make a quilt with later. He had spotted them the day before when he explored that antique place extremely comprehensively.
Then Ross got dolled up and we all packed into the Beast and dropped Ross off at his Rotary Meeting and Dinner and Dad and Sandy and I went to dinner at nearby Governors Restaurant in Old Town.
Lovely dinner, lots of fun.
Picked up Ross, who also had a good time, although I don't think his spaghetti dinner could compete with ours, particularly the Chocolate and Peanut Butter pie Sandy and I shared for desert.
Well, it is almost 7:15 a.m., Friday morning, July 24th here in The Vacationland Inn Breakfast Room.
I need to shower and shave and get ready, and Ross and I need to pack all of our worldly belongings into the back of The Beast. Then check out and head down to Aunt Dawn's at Kool-Bee, stopping at Dysarts Truck Stop in Hermon for a couple of home made pies.
More Vacationland Inn Breakfast Room.
Bye for now,
Lance and Ross.
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