Listed in no particular order.
Bathrooms - If you are a 50 year old man it is essential that the bathroom you are assigned to use is on the same floor as your bedroom. No further explanations need be provided.
Fishy Smell - After catching fish, just about everything around you starts to smell like fish for a while. At dinner on Thursday night my drinking water smelled fishy. So did my plate. So did my napkin. For the record, fishing had been 7 hours (and several substantial hand washings) earlier and I wasn't having fish for dinner.
Maine's State Insect: The Mosquito - The state insect of Maine has to be the Mosquito. It just has to be. I was actually swarmed by a flock of them while hiking. We are talking about nasty reddish-rust colored critters here, the one's that seem to smell out-of-towners like my cat smells a freshly opened bag of treats.
Old + Active - Maine provides proof that the key to happiness in later years lies in being active. You will not find a happier group of middle aged and older folks than what you find on a warm day on Mount Desert Isle in the summer.
Blueberries - It's impossible to consume too many blueberries. What's more, they are to Maine what coal is to northeastern Pennsylvania: you literally see them just laying on the ground, all over the place.
God As A Co-Pilot - It's great to have God as your co-pilot, but when you are driving back from Maine to Northeastern Pennsylvania in one day, it helps to have someone next to you who can also drive.
Fog - I saw a year's worth of NEPA fog in just one week at Southwest Harbor. And I am talking real, London-esque, hardcore fog to boot.
Pool - I need a pool table, as playing is just too much fun to be without one. The fact that I have been playing since about age 7 and still lost several games this past week make the need all the greater.
Whales - Whales, like Penguins, are show-offs. They must be.
Probably (not) Going Back (for a while) - I'm probably not coming back to Maine for a couple of years. The reason? Well there is just a lot going on for me over the next few years, and while I love Maine to death and would like to re-visit in about two or three years, being here reminded me of just what kind of investment this trip entails. It isn't the money (investment) part either that I'm referring to; rather, it's the time and the place your mind needs to be if you want to go there and really make the best of it.
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