Maine - Seeking Advice

[TripleDigitRide]

I've been a YouTube subscriber for a while. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I'm 42 years old, and have never ventured more than a few hours away, for no more than two or three days. Even those have been few and far between. 

I've recently found myself in an emotional and psychological rut of sorts, so I've made the last minute decision to step out of my comfort zone and take a week or so long solo trip to Maine. I plan on heading out from Nashville, TN on the 13th.

As of this minute, I'm very unprepared. I have my F150, an air mattress, and a couple coolers. I need to be somewhat mindful of how much I'm spending, so I'll probably buy a tent for this trip.

I've never been to Maine, so I could use some advice regarding places worth checking out, restaurants serving good seafood, and places to camp with access to a shower. I'll probably have 3 days to spend in Maine, and I'm not opposed to driving to a new place each day.

As you can tell, I'll be "winging it", for the most part. Thank you in advance for any helpful information you may be able to provide.

 

[RowanFae]

RV parks fill up kind of fast. Calling ahead to, at the very least, confirm occupancy is a god idea. Don't forget the KOA camps.

If you are sleeping in a tent, don't forget a good sleeping bag or warm (non-cotton) blankets.

If you are eating out and staying in an RV park:
A lighter, knife, extra cordage, lighting, trash bags and spare batteries for lighting are the basic essentials.

A chair to sit on, is nice too.

 

[TripleDigitRide]

RV parks fill up kind of fast. Calling ahead to, at the very least, confirm occupancy is a god idea. Don't forget the KOA camps.

Thank you very much for the helpful information. It sounds like I need to first figure out which area(s) I'll be visiting, so I can then look for places to pitch a tent and shower. I don't need anything too fancy.


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[rm.w/aview]

State Parks would be my choice. Take 65N to 71N and you'll have choices in Ohio. Continue up then across New York in the Finger Lake Region for more State Park choices. State Parks will generally have walk-in sites available and take reservations as well, have the facilities that you desire, and are pretty scenic or at least more so than RV Parks in general. How long will your trip be? Some areas that you'll travel through can be pleasant enough to distract you is why I ask. Rand McNally has an online mileage calculator and a large print Atlas that shows a lot, and of course online research regarding your route and parks along the way will help in planning.

 

[rvwandering]

Acadia National Park would be my choice but it does get crowded. On the plus side, it's beautiful, there are many places to hike, and lots of good seafood.  You can still find campsites that aren't reserved yet but you don't have much choice on the days -  https://www.nps.gov/acad/planyourvisit/camping.htm

 Freecampsites has a very good trip planner - 
https://freecampsites.net/#!&query=TripPlanner

 

[rm.w/aview]

@ tonyandkaren… I sent a PM but in hindsight thought I'd say this publicly as many others may, as I, overlook the signature links that folks have. I went to each of yours and in a word, WOW! Nicely done, I now have some reading and will clearly gain knowledge regarding future trip planning, thanks.

 

[AMGS3]

Also, don't get too anxious about not having a campsite reserved on a particular day. You can ask a local person if it's possible for you to camp in their yard for the night.
If you do this 1) be a good guest, pack in/pack out 2) don't start a campfire without asking first 3) offer to pay the going rate for camping in the area per night 4) if they refuse your money, graciously accept the gift, don't insist as that would be rude 5) pay them if they do not refuse to accept it, that was the deal

And even if you can't find a place to pitch your tent on a night, you can stay in your truck. Plan for it and it won't suck. It'll just be another part of the adventure.

Also however you end up camping, ask the locals for information on 'not to miss' places to see and eat.

Have fun and go and smell the flowers!

~angie

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[TripleDigitRide]

Thank you all very much for the helpful information.

If I find that all RV parks / campgrounds are full, how likely is it that they'll allow me to pitch my tent? I wouldn't need an actual campsite, just safe 9' x 10' piece of ground for the night. Access to a shower would be a huge plus.

 

[rm.w/aview]

Holiday weekends aside, I never had a problem getting a campsite with a tent. Sites with electric will fill, as will sites with the other two options, with folks & their RVs but the dry camping areas do not fill as much.

 

[RowanFae]

Www.maine.gov has information on free camping. Click the backcountry link.

You can research using words like dispersed camping and backcountry to help you find places to camp for free.

I've never been to Maine. I look forward to hearing how your trip went and seeing pics

 

[bigskybob]

Maine is a beautiful state.Hope you have a good trip.

 

[prone2wander]

If you want to get away from it all and do some hiking try the 100 mile wilderness just south of Mt. Katahdin State Park. Not really a true protected wilderness but beautiful all the same with lots of old glacier ponds the size of lakes. You can find places to camp along the roads. They may charge an entrance fee to use the logging roads but may let you in free if you tell them your a hiker. Except for the occasional washout the roads are graded and wide. The Appalachian Trail goes right through it. I hiked it last summer while doing the AT and it reccomment it if you want to get away from it all. No stores for miles though. I would avoid Acadia in the summer unless you like crowds

 

[tav-2020]

consider tossing in an extension cord with power strip in case you do end up tenting at state park. most have an electric pole even for tent sites, so charging cell phone, or running laptop is easy. If you have games or movie files on a laptop you can have a bit of entertainment in case you need a break from nature.
best of luck on your grand adventures and kudos for stepping outside of your comfort zone!

 

[AMGS3]

^^^^TripleDigitRide

Depending on your personal preference, many vehicle dwellers use a wide variety of hygiene processes to stay clean. Showering can be accomplished off grid with any sort of privacy shelter/tarp setup. Lots of places sell them, shop around for a good deal.
Here's an example of what I'm talking about-
https://www.amazon.com/WolfWise-Pop-up-Shower-Tent/dp/B076MNP66X
There are "camp showers" made usually of black plastic bags to hang in the sun with a hose attached so you can spray off.
Some people prefer a pump up garden sprayer, as the pressure is much better. If you paint it black and leave it in the sun (or the back of your truck if it's sunny and you are driving) and you'll have a warm shower in short order. They commonly come with one or two gallon tanks and are pretty cheap (between $15-$30). The sprayer wands need to be shortened to easily use as a shower, but that's nothing a few minutes of work with a hacksaw won't fix. They are commonly sold at home improvement stores.
An example (please note I'm not suggesting you buy any of these linked products, this is just an example)
https://www.amazon.com/Chapin-20000-Multi-Purpose-Fertilizers-Household/dp/B000E28UQU
Another perfectly viable alternative to a shower would be using a basin or two of clean water and washing off with washcloths and soapy water, then rinsing with the clean water. Pretty primative, but it gets the job done and works well if you have privacy (like an enclosed vehicle or a tent large enough to stand in or one of those shower tents).
Another option if you find yourself in primative campsites and are desperate for a shower would be to pay for one at a campsite that has a shower house, or a truck stop, or pay for a day at a gym. Those last two I would rank as absolute last resorts, because of the cost. Though look around. I've heard of truck stops that have promotions where if you spend a certain amount on fuel they give you a free shower coupon.

~angie

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