On Four Wheels

Constant snow and subsequent salt on the roads of Maine erode cars' paint and all exposed steel. After a few years, the harsh winters change a car forever. No two are the same. Mainers use their cars as plows, warming rooms, snowmobiles, grocery getters and basic transportation. Each one fits a specific purpose, place and owner.

A classic 15 miles north of Bath on 139.

Stationary for winter near Woolwich, Maine.

A modern day ox near Carr's Corner, Maine.

A Jeep delivery truck near Unity, Maine.

A pair of plows near Reid State Park, Maine.

On my travels I am always on the lookout for things on four wheels that tell stories just as dynamic and complex as the people that drive them.

Here are some more links,
On Four Wheels (Picasa).

My Own Private New England

In four months to the day, I will pack up my belongings and move away from New England for the foreseeable future. Three years ago, I arrived at Boston International Airport, naive, unsuspecting and excited to spend four years at a tiny college nestled in the Maine woods. It wasn't until my junior year that my curiosity drove me out of the walls of my college and I started appreciating the history and texture of the area around me. As the shadow of moving away from New England edges closer, I find myself looking for excuses to explore bumpy side roads that connect the forests and fields of Northern New England.

Crates in a lumber yard near Unity, Maine.

Convenience store near Decker Corner, Maine.

Locomotive breath near Detroit, Maine.

Jeep delivery truck near Dodge Corner, Maine. I wish it was mine.

A country road near the New Hampshire and Maine border.

A pair of weathered barns near Burnham, Maine.

A lone tree in a field near Shoreham, Vermont.

Aimlessly, I wander the cracked roads, listening to songs on repeat and measuring my trips in time, not miles traveled. I drive alone. Stopping often, I leave the car running as I skip across the road and into the snow. Through the lens of my camera, I try to capture my own private New England.

Here are some more links,
My Last Four Months in New England (Picasa),
Side of the Road (ART).

Have Truck, Camper, Three Motor Cycles and Two Cars, Will Travel

Waterville, Maine is an hour from Portland, an hour from the coast and an hour from the mountains. Normally I see three major demographics of cars on the highway: the SUV with Connecticut tags and a prep school bumper sticker (wealthy college student), the pickup truck with a gun rack and rusted fenders (true Mainer), and the hybrid with Obama and Co-exist bummer stickers (liberal, elderly Bostonian in exile). Every once in a while I see something that defies my stereotypes.

On the way to the beach on Sunday I spotted a yellow blob on the horizon. As we drew closer, the blob turned into a truck, a camper, three motorcycles and two cars. Truck in the front, camper/party in the back.

I love how the yellows match. Note the sun awning, and storage underneath and behind the camper.

This guy can go and live anywhere with the toys. He represents the ultimate in mobility in a time when more people are locking themselves into suburban lives dominated by mortgage payments and Saturday morning soccer practice.

The happy camper himself.

This guy likes his toys.

Not everything has to be 80 years old, made by a company with heritage, or exclusive to wealthy people. Instead, inspiration comes from individuality and uniqueness. I don't know where he was going or what his story was, but he looked happy as a clam in his setup heading for the open road.

Here are some more links,
Have Truck, Camper, Three Motor Cycles and Two Cars Will Travel (Picasa),

Barns From Maine

I love Maine barns. Here is a collection of some of my favorite from the last three weeks. All are available in 21-megapixel downloads on my Picasa page. Have a nice weekend and try to find a barn.

Here are some more links,
More from Route 137 (Picasa),
Houses Down East (Picasa),
New England Barns (ART),
Red, White and Blue (Picasa).