NAPLES, ME: Another Week, Another KOA

 We're behind on the blog, but we'll catch up as we can.  As always, click on the pictures for better detail.

Sunday, Sept 13: Our short drive from Fryeburg, ME to Naple, ME was only about 28 miles. The town's website says:

"Naples is one of the most picturesque small towns in Western Maine surrounded by Maine nature at its finest. Located in the center of southern Maine's Lake Region, Naples has a wealth of opportunities for recreation year-round. Visitors are drawn to the Naples Causeway on Long Lake & Brandy Pond where they find lots of fun activities by day, then spectacular sunsets and bustling nightlife at restaurants and pubs". 

Many of the restaurants and pubs are closed for the season, so the area is more quiet this time of year.

 

 This is the main road through Naples (Hwy 302) with Long Lake in the background.  The Songo River Queen, an old-fashioned riverboat, can be seen leaving the dock for a lake tour.

Looking north at Long Lake with the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the background.
















We picked the Naples KOA Campground as our home for a week because of  the good online reviews, especially concerning the owners, the free WiFi and cable TV.  We were not disappointed.  A lot of the prepared food they sell is homemade, including bread.  They also offer Passport America discounts for several nights, and the last two nights of our stay were a KOA 'buy one get one free" promotion.  When we arrived, the owner let us use his golf cart to pick out our site. We chose A-13 at one end of the campground in a quiet area.

 Monday, Sept. 14,  was a day to start catching up on laundry and computer work.

Tuesday, Sept. 15,  we explored some of the area.  We also had friendly neighbors move in on our driver's side

Wednesday, Sept. 16, Hank spent most of the day working on Selene's computer which had issues after downloading new updates. On the recommendation of some local people, we went to The Galley for supper - a rustic grill on the edge of town, popular with the locals and serving good food.

Thursday, we went on a drive to Portland, about 30   to the southeast.   At one edge of the waterfront is Fort Allen  Park - a very scenic area overlooking Casco Bay.




 Boats of all sizes can be seen from small pleasure boats to large cargo ships.














 A small schooner is dwarfed by a large freighter.












Here's examples of some of the beautiful homes facing the park and the bay. Not sure if they're private homes or bed and breakfast establishments.

 As we entered the Victorian style wharf area, with restored buildings containing shops and restaurants, we saw the Serenade of the Seas at the dock, one of several cruise ships that come into port.

 We also visited neaby Cape Elizabeth which has another beautiful park on the waterfront as well as the Portland Head Light,, one of the oldest lighthouses in continuous use in the country.

Our return trip took us through parts of Falmouth, Gray and Windham.

Saturday, Sept. 19 was an early Halloween celebration since the campground closes in mid-October, as many other  campgrounds do in this part of the county.  The day was full of family activities, including an hour of trick or treating at 4:30 P.M. and a Haunted Walk from 8-9 P.M. in the woods behind our campsite. 

This was another great week in a part of Maine,where it seems that almost every home has at least one boat, and chowder is on every menu!