[p]Several of us: whofit, Paul and me- david have been planning a meetup in the Northeast and have decided on the fourth of July weekend at the Blackwoods Campground at Acadia National Park. All LL camper owners are welcome to attend. You can follow the developments on this thread, but if you are thinking about it seriously, give us your user name and we will add you to a private LL message group that will include everything- planning, dates, sites, activities, etc.[/p][p]
[/p][p]The core dates are the weekend of the Fourth of July: Friday and Saturday nights, July 1-3. But some of us will come early and some may stay later. I am planning to camp in the White Mountains National Forest in New Hampshire on the way up from Connecticut on Thursday and would welcome company.[/p][p]
[/p][p]Acadia National Park is near Bar Harbor on Mt Desert Island in Maine, just south of Bangor. The park was founded in the early 1900s and covers much of Mount Desert Island. It has carriage trails that are great for biking and easy hiking, spectacular waterfront rocks and cliffs, mountains, ponds and lakes, a real fiord, I could go on and on. The town of Bar Harbor is the commercial center with a nice waterfront park, hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, and of course lots of t-shirt shops.[/p][p]
[/p][p]You can hike, bike, travel protected interior roads by car, see a waterfront spout, swim on a frigid beach, drive up a mountain with 360 deg views and have tea and popovers at a nice restaurant on the lawn overlooking a pristine lake. It is one of my favorite parks out of many great national parks in our country. It is a vacation destination that many travel thousands of miles to reach.
[/p][p]
[/p][p]So please join us if you can.[/p][p] [/p][p]David[/p]
I am going to leave on the June 28 after work and go to St Andrews New Brunswick for 2 days on June 30 I will leave St Andrews to go to Acadia until July 3. This will cut my drive in two.
Looking forward to this. I think this will be an out and back for us. We will have just returned from Moab not long before. This will be great!
I haven't got my trailer yet but that would be a great time. I'm in southern NH. The closest dealer is only open Friday-Monday so I'm chomping at the bit to start some serious price discussions.
I will add you to my message group. The first half dozen or so messages are between me and whoofit talking about camping in our areas. Since you live in southern NH you might be interested in whoofits camping experience.
Then it switches to discussion of the Acadia meetup and gives reservation info. If you are pretty sure you want to come, I would seriously consider reserving a spot as soon as the reservation window opens, in very early January. Keep watching and I will advise when and which campsites to try to snag if you want to be near the group. Well I guess I am being presumptuous that anyone would want to camp near me ;-).
David
I love Acadia. If we weren't going to be at the opposite end of the country in July, we'd be in Maine!
We are leaving Bar Harbor June 22, so we will just miss you. Too bad for us, but we will be on our way to the PNW Rally. So many places to go, so little time...
The reservation window on reservation.gov is now open for making camping reservations starting July 1, 2016 at Acadia National Park. We are using a private message group on this forum to keep everyone interested in attending up to speed about this meetup.
So if you have interest in coming and have not yet gotten on the message group, post your username here and I will add you to that message group.
Book soon, because that weekend is probably one of the busiest each season.
David
So glad for the invitation! Joan & I will be there and are really looking forward to meeting all of you and seeing the Park (and surrounding area), as we have never been to Maine. Wait! Isn't there a song by that title? Oh no, my bad. That was Never Been To Spain by 3 Dog NIght (back in the mid-70's for all of you youngsters)!
Looking forward to it!
Thanks,
Gregg & Joan
Could I get in on the message group for this? The wife and I and dog, would most likely be up for a trip to Acadia.
mitch:
I'll set you up in just a minute. It now looks like we will have seven CLs at Acadia.
David
It's great to see so much interest in this gathering. My wife & I and our small but mighty Camplite 11FDB will be attending. Last year just three trailers met at Fundy National Park in New Brunswick, Canada, for what was the 'First International Camplite Gathering'. We hoped it might be the start of something annual. This one, with more participants, should be even more fun. It will be interesting to see if this grows every year.
I just wanted to add (and I'm sure everyone participating would agree) that if you are interested in Camplites but haven't yet bought your own, please feel free to join us (tent camping or whatever). It could be a great opportunity to see various models (i.e. the trailers not us participants) and we'll share our experiences. When we factory-ordered our 2013 Camplite in 2012 we had never seen a Camplite in person. As there aren't many dealers in this part of the world - a gathering like this can be a great opportunity to see some up close & personal.
To build on what PEIslander just said, we should have a range of CL models at this event: 11,13,16, and 21' trailers. The 21 should be brand new.
David
This is TOO cool! Y'all be sure to take some pictures of the whole group together...We'd love to use it on Livin Lite social media and such :-) (With permission, of course)
Christian - will do! Appreciate you being a part of the forum and passing along things discussed to those at LL who should know.
We're in, arriving June 30 and leaving July 5th.
[quote source="/post/17552/thread" timestamp="1452141032" author="@mitch"]We're in, arriving June 30 and leaving July 5th.[/quote]Great! :)
Those dates (6/30-7/5) are the same dates that Joan & I made reservations for! We are really looking forward to it! Should be a great time!
Gregg
I booked June 30 to July 3
I booked for five nights with an arrival on June 29 and departure on July 4.
I've been looking at YouTube vids about the park. We're going to bring our bikes because the 'Carriage Trail' system there looks incredible. I also hope to hike to the top of Cadillac Mountain. 8-)
Hello all:
I just checked the recreation.gov reservation site for Acadia NP and it is now half full for the July 4th weekend. We have seven LLs now booked for that weekend. So if anyone wants to join us, please reserve now. It should fill up in a few months. If you do reserve let us know by a post on this thread and I will add your name to a private message group for details that would fill up this thread.
David
Just thought I'd bump this thread back to life! Its snow-storming again today here on Prince Edward Island and the weather has me thinking how much I'm going to enjoy the get-together at Acadia National Park in Maine. Here's hoping some more folks will join all of us who have committed to participating. We want you to join us!
Thanks Ross. I just checked on recreation.gov for availability for the 4th of July weekend. There are only two larger sites: 20'+, suitable for a 21 RBS or so, but fifteen are still available for 20' and shorter sites which would be suitable for the 16TBS or smaller.
Book now and join the fun!!!
David
This is relevant to Paul & myself (and if anyone else comes from Canada it is relevant to them too)...
At the border entering the great US of A we will not be allowed to bring in any meat, fruit, or wood. I have heard of visitors having dog food also taken from them if it isn't in the original packaging.
[quote source="/post/19926/thread" timestamp="1459078622" author="@peislander"]This is relevant to Paul & myself (and if anyone else comes from Canada it is relevant to them too)...
At the border entering the great US of A we will not be allowed to bring in any meat, fruit, or wood. I have heard of visitors having dog food also taken from them if it isn't in the original packaging.[/quote]I plan to stop on the other side of the border to buy my meat and fruit, less trouble that way
I just checked Blackwoods Campground at Acadia NP for availability (recreation.gov) on the 4th of July weekend. The larger RV sites (21-35') are all booked, but there still are plenty of smaller ones- up to 20' ok for a 16, available.
David
What's our count as of now?
This is how it now stands for confirmed attendees:
david- David and Joan Marchand organizer of sorts
WilliamWallace- Chris ?
Paul- Paul-Andre Robichaud and wife
PEIslander- Ross and Heather Macintosh
gbpack- Gregg and Joan Boettcher
mitch- Mitch and Robbie Berg
I was expecting whoofit to join us, but I haven't heard officially from him. Any others I missed or who want to join us? If you would like to know more about Acadia, post a reply to this thread and I will add you to a message group that I am using for participants and those interested. We can answer your questions easier there.
Or just go to reacreation.gov, book a spot and let us know. Spots are assigned on or near the day of arrival. I will try to coordinate with the rangers near July 1, so we know where everyone will be.
David
How cool is that? Acadia is our favorite place on the planet, been there 15+ times from home in Tennessee. You all will love it, I could do without Bar Harbor, too touristy, but everything else is beyond incredible. Seawall campground is magnificent too, if you fill up Blackwoods. Thurstons for cheap lobsters, the sunsets at Bass Harbor Head lighthouse, the little restaurant just down from the lighthouse, on the bay at Bass Harbor..........Seafood Ketch, that's the name. Love it. Southwest harbor is the best little town on the island, not touristy at all, or only allows quiet respectful tourists. just outside Southwest going to Seawall is a drive up that has great, cheap lobsters, cooked and handed to you in a brown paper bag, drive the 5 minutes to seawall, and use rocks to crack the lobsters. Nights will be chilly even in July. It would be a huge pull for us, so it is doubtful that we could come, but we wish you all the best. I tear up everytime we drive on the island, it is so beautiful.
For anyone who might still be interested in going to this campout, a larger campsite will be coming available soon. My wife and I were signed up to go to this and had a reservation for a larger site (21'-35'), but are having to back out of the campout due to a family schedule conflict. I will hold off on cancelling our reservation for one week in case somebody out there is interested in going and needs a larger site. (Smaller sites are still available per David's earlier post above). If you are interested this larger site, let both David and myself know, and then I can try to coordinate my cancellation with your campground reservation at the Acadia Park office, as all of the larger sites have been sold out for a while now. My reservation is for 5 nights stating June 30 (departing on July 5), but you wouldn't necessarily need to take it for the entire 5 days if you don't want to. Many of the others who are going are only scheduled for 3 or 4 nights. Let David and I know right away if you are interested in this site. Sounds like it's going to be a great time and we are sorry that we have to miss it.
Thanks, Gregg
We are now just about 30 days away from the meetup at Acadia National Park. I just checked with recreation.gov, the reservation site and there is one large site available on July 3 and another on July 4 but nothing earlier.
I will be sending a message to the participants soon and if you want to get on that list, send me a message.
David
How are things going? Did you go visit "Baa Haabbaa"? Or are you too tired from all the gaiety to post about it? Wish I could be there!
well, we had a great time with a somewhat diminished crowd. Three couples, the original three from the Bay of Fundy group last year showed up: Me (David) and Joan, Paul and Melanie and Ross and Heather. I sort of vegged out at the campsite, but others made some hikes and bike rides. Weather was good except for a heavy middle of the night rain storm that cleared by the next morning.
Acadia NP is beautiful, but the campground has limited facilities- no showers for example. So we are looking for somewhere else next year that will have those and be accessible from both sides of the border like Acadia was.
David
We're really sorry we couldn't make it. In fact we were half way there and had stopped at a campground in New Hampshire for the night when we got word that Robbie's dad was in the hospital. We packed up and left in the middle of the night so that we could get back home.
Next time we'll make it for sure! Hope you guys had a great time.
We are sorry we had to miss it as well. Glad that you guys had a good time. Please keep us posted regarding next year, as we would love to be able to join you.
I am having conversations with Paul and Ross about where to go next year. Even though Acadia NP is very nice, the campground is limited, no showers among other things.
So Ross found what looks like a nice county campground in north central Maine, Mattawamkeag Wilderness Campground, see http://www.mwpark.com/. It is very rustic, has some sites along a river but also has full or partial hookups and showers!
Baxter State Park is about 45 miles away which is an incredibly beautiful park that rivals Acadia, Yosimite and Yellowstone. We can do day trips from MWC. But MWC is very pretty in its own right with miles of hiking trails connected to the campground. Also white water rafting is nearby.
So how does this sound to you guys? BTW, where were you Mitch in NH? We stopped at Jigger Johnson campground on the Kancamagus Highway in NH on the way up last week. It was a no reservation campground and even though there were sites available when we arrived in mid afternoon, it filled up by dark on a Thursday!!!
David
We stopped at Ayers Lake Family Campground outside of Rochester NH. It's seems like mostly a seasonal place so the sites for RV's appear
semi-permanent although they do have tent sites also. We actually had a small site right on the lake that was absolutely gorgeous.
We'll take a look at Mattawamkeag site for next year.
[quote source="/post/22801/thread" timestamp="1467816217" author="@david"]I am having conversations with Paul and Ross about where to go next year. Even though Acadia NP is very nice, the campground is limited, no showers among other things.
So Ross found what looks like a nice county campground in north central Maine, Mattawamkeag Wilderness Campground, see http://www.mwpark.com/. It is very rustic, has some sites along a river but also has full or partial hookups and showers!
Baxter State Park is about 45 miles away which is an incredibly beautiful park that rivals Acadia, Yosimite and Yellowstone. We can do day trips from MWC. But MWC is very pretty in its own right with miles of hiking trails connected to the campground. Also white water rafting is nearby.
So how does this sound to you guys? BTW, where were you Mitch in NH? We stopped at Jigger Johnson campground on the Kancamagus Highway in NH on the way up last week. It was a no reservation campground and even though there were sites available when we arrived in mid afternoon, it filled up by dark on a Thursday!!!
David[/quote]Thanks for that campground link. I saved that for an eventual trip to the Northeast. Looks like a great place.
That sounds good David. But whatever you guys decide for next year will be fine with us! Thank you!
If we make it east next year for this (and i hope we can), an inland location would interesting. I've never been inland in Maine. Would there be moose? The last time I saw a moose it was in the film camera era and I got so excited taking pictures I forgot to load film in the camera.
I can guarantee you will see Moose in Baxter State Park among other places. Moose are everywhere in north central Maine.
I think the Canadians and I have now agreed on MWC for next year. Ross will check with them as to when 2017 reservations open and we will start a new thread for that trip.
David
Count us in! My husband wants to spend a month in Maine this summer. We just might want to spend a week at Baxter State Park either the week before or the week after we do the LL meetup. I am not familiar with this area. Is it close to LL Bean? I have a contact there.
No, I don't t,honk that LL Bean is nearby.
We are thinking about mid August for this trip. The month of August would be my choice to spend a month there. Fly season should be gone and the warmest temps.
David
If anyone starts a message list for this meetup, include me. If this ends up being mid-August, we might make it.
Mid-August works for us, as well.
Anyone interested in a great camping location near Freeport I can highly recommend Recompence Campground. Great place for waterfront camping 15 minutes from downtown Freeport. Bow Street Market is a great grocery store too.
Recompence Shore Campground 134 Burnett Road, Freeport, Maine 04032 (207) 865-9307
I camped with a rental pop up years ago (@1997ish) in Baxter State Park. Make sure you review their web site. They keep the park very primitive. Narrow unpaved roads, limited facilities. However it is a great place to dry camp. Reservations in the summer is hard to get but I was there in October so the place was not too full. We want to go back but they do not allow dogs in the park. Our dog does not do well in a kennel.
What? No dogs in Baxter State Park? Do you know about other state parks in Maine?
We will be camping with our two dogs.
No, Baxter does not allow dogs and has no hookups. That is why we are thinking about the county park which is close to Baxter so you can do a day trip and leave your dog back at the county park.
David
Hmmmm.......this Maine State Park web site indicates dogs are allowed in Baxter. There is only one park listed as no dogs. Maybe the site is not up to date?
https://www1.maine.gov/dacf/parks/camping/reservations/pets.shtml
Baxter Web Site still states no pets in the park: http://www.baxterstateparkauthority.com/rules/
They are a separate authority from the Maine State Parks: http://www.baxterstateparkauthority.com/about/BSPauthority.htm
Quote from: @charleschapman" source="/post/24936/thread" timestamp="1474804672Baxter Web Site still states no pets in the park: http://www.baxterstateparkauthority.com/rules/
They are a separate authority from the Maine State Parks: http://www.baxterstateparkauthority.com/about/BSPauthority.htm
Ahh, got it. It's like Mackinac Island State Park here in Michigan.
Thanks for clarifying this?
What is the county park? The no pets is a big hurdle for me, I do not like leaving my chocolate lab alone all day.
Michael
We don't leave our dogs alone all day, either. We look for places we can take them with us, right down to restaurants and coffee shops.
That being said, we can leave them for a few hours to go places they aren't allowed. And sometimes we arrange for dog-sitting, sometimes swapping with other dog owners.
[quote timestamp="1474837648" source="/post/24951/thread" author="@mjmoore17"]What is the county park? The no pets is a big hurdle for me, I do not like leaving my chocolate lab alone all day.
Michael
[/quote][p]The park is described a page back on this thread in a post dated July 6. The MWC campground allows dogs. But if you want to do a day trip to Baxter State Park, you will have to leave your dog behind. We could probably arrange a dog sitter to make the rounds of our campers to walk our pets while we are gone. Or maybe you can leave him/her in the car.[/p][p]
[/p][p]David
[/p]
What dates are you thinking for next summer? We just got our 10.0 this September and along with my wife and little boy we have wanted to go to Maine. I think going with some other livinlite owners would be fun.
jammydee:
This thread was for the meetup in 2016 and has been superseded by one titled Meetup N. Maine in August 2017- Mattawamkeag Wilderness Park. We have settled on the weekend of August 5-6. PM me your email address if you plan to attend.
David