"Retiring in Maine" (Houlton, Ellsworth: home, buy, theater)

[momokling8]

Good to hear you liked Wiscasset! The area around it is very nice, unlike the coast further south, which true Mainers refer to as 'Northern Mass'.... it's like you picture ME to be. A Naval Base just closed in Brunswick, ME, which is only about 20 min from here, and I think they still have medical services available for military families...... The islands off of there and up coast to Damariscotta are reallly picturesque. You really should plan a trip up!

[SensiblyScented]

Originally Posted by momokling8

You really should plan a trip up!

I am for sure planning a trip during the summer to find a rental. My husband is deploying in late Spring so I am heading out to NC as soon as my kids take their state testing for school. My family is in NC and my husband's family is in Mass and NH so I should have plenty of help with the kids while I search for a rental. I actually thought about renting a house for a couple of weeks on a lake, or something fun like that and having my parents come up with me so we can take a little vacation at the same time as searching for a rental. I absolutely loved Rhode Island/Mass when we lived there for a few years, but I would rather be a little bit more "country" than where we were living while still enjoying a small community feel.

Funny, when I was a kid I used to ask my mom and dad why in the world they wanted to raise us in NC where everyone was so "redneck" (my opinion of country folk when I was a teenager lol). Now as a parent, I know why!

[animalcrazy]

We are just finishing our second trip to Maine to look for a retirement home. It started in Brunswick where we talked to some wonderful people on the streets and in an Indian restaurant. We drove to a B&B in Bethel. The door was unlocked and no one was in the house. There was a note to call the inn keeper but my cell was dead. The gps screwed up and we wound up at the Bethel Inn. (I saw it on you tube.) The day clerk gave me his email and wanted us to keep him informed about our house hunt. We were driving to Eastport and wound up at the Canadian border. (gps again) We were kicked out for not having our passports and the US customs wanted to know why we were coming back from Canada without our passports. The customs agent was born in Maine and talked to us for a while about places to go. We went to Bucksport to see a house, well ok not really. We really went to see the foot on Buck's grave. We asked a local woman where it was and wound up giving her a ride to the store. We were waiting for her to give her a ride back when her friend drove up with the cutest puppy chulo and told us she would give her a ride back. We watched people walk away from their cars and leave them running. We met up with Forestbeekeeper and his lovely wife for dinner, and Retiredtinbender in Eastport who was most kind and helpful. I will never forget driving over the causeway at sunset coming into Eastport listening to the Little River Band's song Time for a Cool change. Ahh Maine, just let me breath the air. We can't wait to come back.

[mainebrokerman]

Originally Posted by animalcrazy

We are just finishing our second trip to Maine to look for a retirement home. It started in Brunswick where we talked to some wonderful people on the streets and in an Indian restaurant. We drove to a B&B in Bethel. The door was unlocked and no one was in the house. There was a note to call the inn keeper but my cell was dead. The gps screwed up and we wound up at the Bethel Inn. (I saw it on you tube.) The day clerk gave me his email and wanted us to keep him informed about our house hunt. We were driving to Eastport and wound up at the Canadian border. (gps again) We were kicked out for not having our passports and the US customs wanted to know why we were coming back from Canada without our passports. The customs agent was born in Maine and talked to us for a while about places to go. We went to Bucksport to see a house, well ok not really. We really went to see the foot on Buck's grave. We asked a local woman where it was and wound up giving her a ride to the store. We were waiting for her to give her a ride back when her friend drove up with the cutest puppy chulo and told us she would give her a ride back. We watched people walk away from their cars and leave them running. We met up with Forestbeekeeper and his lovely wife for dinner, and Retiredtinbender in Eastport who was most kind and helpful. I will never forget driving over the causeway at sunset coming into Eastport listening to the Little River Band's song Time for a Cool change. Ahh Maine, just let me breath the air. We can't wait to come back.

it's kind of a special feeling.....when you're out on the sea alone............

you went from bethel to eastport???? thats quite a haul!!

you got to drive through many many small towns- bethel is a beautiful area
It's great you got to meet some folks on here!!

[animalcrazy]

Thanks Mainbrokerman, We flew into Manchester and drove to Brunswick then to Bethel. We were going to ski but my DH wasn't up for it. We then drove to Belfast and met our realtor to see two houses and one in Camden. From Camden to Eastport and fell in love with a couple of houses there. We then drove to Bangor and looked at a couple of houses there and one in Old Town. We spent the night in Bangor and went back to Belfast. (Just had to have that lobster roll and see the theater.) From there we drove to Topsham and are here in Brunswick. We will go to Freeport and Kennebunkport before we fly out at 5pm tomorrow. It's been one heck of a fun walkabout. Someone once sent me a dm not to move to Maine because "They are all like (one of CD's posters) Meanest coldest people etc." We've been above and below the volvo line (yes I finally found out what that was ), and every one including the young people we've met have been amazing. Cudos Mainers and thank you. We love it here and I will be thinking about those home fries at the Liberty Cafe in Eastport for a long time. Thanks for the rep too. (I would be giving you a wink and smiley face but they're gone again.)

[retiredtinbender]

Originally Posted by animalcrazy

Thanks Mainbrokerman, We flew into Manchester and drove to Brunswick then to Bethel. We were going to ski but my DH wasn't up for it. We then drove to Belfast and met our realtor to see two houses and one in Camden. From Camden to Eastport and fell in love with a couple of houses there. We then drove to Bangor and looked at a couple of houses there and one in Old Town. We spent the night in Bangor and went back to Belfast. (Just had to have that lobster roll and see the theater.) From there we drove to Topsham and are here in Brunswick. We will go to Freeport and Kennebunkport before we fly out at 5pm tomorrow. It's been one heck of a fun walkabout. Someone once sent me a dm not to move to Maine because "They are all like (one of CD's posters) Meanest coldest people etc." We've been above and below the volvo line (yes I finally found out what that was ), and every one including the young people we've met have been amazing. Cudos Mainers and thank you. We love it here and I will be thinking about those home fries at the Liberty Cafe in Eastport for a long time. Thanks for the rep too. (I would be giving you a wink and smiley face but they're gone again.)

Glad you had a good whirlwind trip. Come back soon even for just a visit for the 4th or pirate festival. Ain't the Liberty Cafe some good, eh? It was good meeting you and DH.

[animalcrazy]

Ditto Retiredtinbender, Pirate Festival? Sounds like great fun. Thanks for the invite, we will come back and bypass the Canadian border next time. I get to see my dog and cat in about 11 more hrs.

[retiredtinbender]

Originally Posted by animalcrazy

Ditto Retiredtinbender, Pirate Festival? Sounds like great fun. Thanks for the invite, we will come back and bypass the Canadian border next time. I get to see my dog and cat in about 11 more hrs.

Both worth a look. Usually a weekend apart.

Eastport Pirate Festival

Eastport Salmon Festival | Downeast Maine's Fish Festival

[mainegrl2011]

Originally Posted by animalcrazy

We are just finishing our second trip to Maine to look for a retirement home. It started in Brunswick where we talked to some wonderful people on the streets and in an Indian restaurant. We drove to a B&B in Bethel. The door was unlocked and no one was in the house. There was a note to call the inn keeper but my cell was dead. The gps screwed up and we wound up at the Bethel Inn. (I saw it on you tube.) The day clerk gave me his email and wanted us to keep him informed about our house hunt. We were driving to Eastport and wound up at the Canadian border. (gps again) We were kicked out for not having our passports and the US customs wanted to know why we were coming back from Canada without our passports. The customs agent was born in Maine and talked to us for a while about places to go. We went to Bucksport to see a house, well ok not really. We really went to see the foot on Buck's grave. We asked a local woman where it was and wound up giving her a ride to the store. We were waiting for her to give her a ride back when her friend drove up with the cutest puppy chulo and told us she would give her a ride back. We watched people walk away from their cars and leave them running. We met up with Forestbeekeeper and his lovely wife for dinner, and Retiredtinbender in Eastport who was most kind and helpful. I will never forget driving over the causeway at sunset coming into Eastport listening to the Little River Band's song Time for a Cool change. Ahh Maine, just let me breath the air. We can't wait to come back.

Last weekend, I stopped on the outskirts of Ellsworth to buy some home made mittens (from a lady with a home business) for my grandchildren who were sitting in the car in the driveway. She suggested I take the mittens to the car for them to try on and pick out the color they wanted. I remember thinking "only in Maine" and it made me appreciate Maine even more. Of course I could have brought them in, but it was a small place and somewhat crowded already. I also took a drive to Houlton and a nice woman employee at McDonald's went out of her way to provide a bowl for my dog to drink out of....even though I already had a bowl, I was happy to accept her kindness.

[slyfox2]

JOE Bastardi at Weatherbell(formerly of accuweather) is predicting a serious return of winter for between January 10 and 25th, and continuing into the middle to the end of February. While he's not forecasting a big drop in temps for Maine he is forecasting a normal winter for Maine.

If this is true, then even the coast should get some white stuff and maybe the lakes and rivers will freeze up for at least a little while.