5/28/2015
I could feel the blood course through my veins. My body felt great as it moved ever closer to the halfway mark. Little bubbles of excitement percolated and popped while I continued to take in my surroundings. Dandelion puffs seemed to sit still in the air as I continued my journey through New England. I weaved through the annoying maze and tried my best not to inhale the floating spores.
Many businesses had closed doors because it was Memorial Day. Traffic was quiet and it allowed the rock and roll music from backyard barbeques to drift about. The seafood restaurants had increased in number and I encouraged Crystal to try a specialty of the area. On the way up the coast we had heard rumors of the abundance in lobster. The prices we spotted seemed to be higher than expected but lower than other parts of the country.
After thirty two miles of small town and country we settled on a place to park. We figured we would rest outside of Dover because of the narrow streets and low bridges. Crystal and I chose to eat in the town. Plenty of dining establishments peppered the downtown landscape but we didn’t want to just eat anywhere. We followed the scent of cheesy goodness along a brick road and discovered ourselves at the door of La Festa Brick and Brew Pizzeria. Hipsters filled the place drinking local brews and eating pizza. The manager of the place was named Daniel and she was a blessing. Crystal explained our budgetary situation and the manager offered to buy our dinner. We were very grateful and didn’t want to take advantage of her kindness so I ordered two slices and Crystal ordered one. The large portions provided me with ample energy.
The next morning I felt ready for another day of beautiful scenery. A few miles into the day I crossed the final border of stage two. When I stepped across the border I felt a rush of strength. It was at that point that I felt we would definitely finish our journey. The pinnacle was close. It would be all downhill after that. The time to return would begin to grow shorter than our time spent on the road. I ran with a smile from Berwick to Wells and then finally to Arundel.
We had arrived at Kennebunk in the afternoon and Crystal had found another Pizzeria that wanted to help us on our way. Toppings was a local place with a friendly staff. They gave us a large cheese pizza and tons of water. The water slid down my throat by the gallon. It seemed that the warm spring air had dried out my mouth. As we ate, Crystal told me we would be staying down the street another two miles. After lounging around for a bit I told her that I would meet her at the Hemlock Grove Campgrounds in Arundel. My body had begun to unwind but I found another gear and made it to the resort in quick time. The place was nestled among large trees. It gave you a secluded and private feel. The front office was in beautiful shape and the entire grounds were fully sustainable. We were ecstatic to be a few steps away from the halfway point of our journey. But, a hot shower and a strong internet connection put big smiles on our faces.
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