# Day trip to Maine



## Bobw235 (Sep 16, 2016)

We took advantage of a beautiful day here in the Northeast to take a drive up to the coast of Maine.

Ogunquit from the Marginal Way.







Wells, Maine.


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## RadishRose (Sep 16, 2016)

These are beautiful!

It looks like, from that last photo with the pond drying up, Maine needs some rain, just like CT.


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## Bobw235 (Sep 16, 2016)

RadishRose said:


> These are beautiful!
> 
> It looks like, from that last photo with the pond drying up, Maine needs some rain, just like CT.



Yes, it's been pretty dry. I wasn't sure if this was a pond or more like an estuary that is dry due to low tide, though I could not see where it would become filled once the tide rolled in.
We had a great day for visiting Maine. Very low humidity and cool temps made for great light this afternoon.


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## Ameriscot (Sep 17, 2016)

Nice shots, Bob!  Haven't been to Maine but my brother loves it and goes often (from RI).


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## Bobw235 (Sep 17, 2016)

Annie, I hope you can make it to Maine one day. One of my favorite destinations. Hoping to get up there for a more extensive trip in the days ahead. Soon it will be foliage season.


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## bluebreezes (Sep 17, 2016)

Those are wonderful photos, Bob, of some of the nicest sand beaches in Maine. I don't get down there much though because it's 2 hours south. There's a contingent of Mainers who don't like southern Maine and prefer to say the real Maine starts above what used to be called the Volvo line, north of Falmouth.  That group calls that very southern tip of Maine northern NH and now even the Portland area has been nicknamed North Boston (in part because the rentals are about the same price as Boston). 

I don't get into that debate because Maine has many different areas and each has its own specialness, and there's so much interesting exploration to do in this state, including our many inhabited bridged and unbridged islands. From where I live, I can still drive 5 hours north and still be in Maine. I've lived in many parts of the state, but there are other parts I've yet to explore. I prefer the midcoast area for its beauty, cost of living, and low population density.


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## Bobw235 (Sep 17, 2016)

bluebreezes said:


> Those are wonderful photos, Bob, of some of the nicest sand beaches in Maine. I don't get down there much though because it's 2 hours south. There's a contingent of Mainers who don't like southern Maine and prefer to say the real Maine starts above what used to be called the Volvo line, north of Falmouth.  That group calls that very southern tip of Maine northern NH and now even the Portland area has been nicknamed North Boston (in part because the rentals are about the same price as Boston).
> 
> I don't get into that debate because Maine has many different areas and each has its own specialness, and there's so much interesting exploration to do in this state, including our many inhabited bridged and unbridged islands. From where I live, I can still drive 5 hours north and still be in Maine. I've lived in many parts of the state, but there are other parts I've yet to explore. I prefer the midcoast area for its beauty, cost of living, and low population density.



Glad you enjoyed the pictures. We're fortunate that Wells and Ogunquit are but 90 minutes or less from our home. We get up there maybe 2-3 times per year.

I love the coast of Maine in all its beautiful glory. My wife and I have stayed in the mid-coast area (Westport Island gave me some gorgeous sunrise shots one year) and have often spent time in the Acadia area (Bar Harbor). Haven't traveled much of the state away from the coast, but certainly intend to explore that area in the years ahead. So much to see.

On a related note, how do you find the cost of living in Maine? I've not looked into it as we've tended to focus on a more southerly direction for our retirement years. I'm more inclined to get away from the cold of winter, but am also thinking about the cost of living. How are the taxes in Maine?


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## bluebreezes (Sep 17, 2016)

Cost of living is such a relative thing depending on your lifestyle. Like many folks, I prefer the coast not only for its water proximity, but because the snowfalls are more temperate. Like many folks, I have a geographic claustrophobia about being too far inland. Often we see that elsewhere in New England gets much more snow than we do, but I know being in Mass., you've seen the big fluctuations year-to-year too.

The Maine City Data forums are pretty good for specific questions and there are some good reliable posters there, and it's a good site for researching specific towns for property tax rates and the like. The state sales tax rate is 5.5%. Housing in Southern Maine is much more expensive, although certainly in other regions of the state (and especially along the coast), there are many high-end second homes. Maine is said to have the largest baby boomer population, which presents some interesting issues for the future. Healthcare here is highly rated and there's a good statewide network of hospitals in the cities and rural areas.

You may be aware we have a rather loudmouth governor these days who is in the news often, but hopefully he'll get voted out next time. Maine probably doesn't have the best tax climate for some levels of retirement income, but you can use the state calculators at smartasset.com to compare states.

There are many coastal retirement communities in Maine, and they're worth taking a look at. They're out of my price range, but they're gorgeous. As I gear into full retirement, I've been considering moving to the south to get away from winter, but it's hard to beat the laid back lifestyle and live and let live attitude here. Happy to answer other questions if you want to PM me anytime.


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## DaveA (Oct 4, 2016)

I can't help but see Maine as two separate states, especially during the May to September tourist season.  Mid coast - south can be almost as bad as Massachusetts, Cape Cod during these months.  From the New Hampshire line, north, traffic on Rte. 1 can be a crawling affair, and the crowded beaches, restaurants, etc. can sometimes  overwhelm the enjoyment of being there.  Western Maine, by contrast and with the exception of lakefronts, can be more "normal" as regards traffic and crowds.

We're at the family cottage in western Maine for 3+ months a year, divided into spring/early summer and fall visits and in our 20 years of being here rarely notice an influx of visitors, with the exception of traffic surrounding the Fryeburg Fair.  That can be a busy week, especially for folks living in Fryeburg.

As a resident of the southcoast of Mass., we religiously avoid trips to the Cape, after Memorial Day and before Labor Day.  During the summer months, the traffic tie-ups on the two bridges crossing the Cape Cod Canal (which separate the Cape from the mainland) can be of epic proportion.  The rest of the year It's a great place to live or visit.

I've heard the same thought expressed by folks living in Florida.  Until 2013, we spent the obligatory 3 month stay in southwest Florida.  Folks who lived there year round would express the same feelings about we Snowbirds.  They'd tend to say that the visitors (that was us) helped the economy but crowded many of their favorite places of enjoyment and they couldn't wait 'til tourist season was over.  Truthfully - - -I couldn't blame them.


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## Myquest55 (Oct 4, 2016)

Bob, thank you for sharing those stunning photos!  Cannot wait to get up there!  Still looking for the right house/condo and still hoping for South Portland but are open to other areas around the peninsula - somewhere we can keep ourselves busy and moving.  We'll all have to meet up for lunch sometime!


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## Bobw235 (Oct 5, 2016)

Myquest55 said:


> Bob, thank you for sharing those stunning photos!  Cannot wait to get up there!  Still looking for the right house/condo and still hoping for South Portland but are open to other areas around the peninsula - somewhere we can keep ourselves busy and moving.  We'll all have to meet up for lunch sometime!



Glad you enjoyed them. We're going to take a look at a 55+ community here.  http://highlandgreenlifestyle.com/ It looks lovely.


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## Myquest55 (Oct 5, 2016)

Thanks for sharing that link - will be curious to see your impression after a visit.  I went to the Highland Green website.  Beautiful homes but I'm not sure we want to isolate ourselves just yet - being near the city looks like a lot more fun.  I did see they are affiliated with Ocean View CCRC in Falmouth.  We have our eyes on that as our ultimate destination.


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