Another Year, Another Road Trip: Maritimes 2.0
DAY ONE: AT A GLANCE
Starting point: Home
Ending point: Bangor, Maine
Starting mileage: 15,536
Ending mileage: 15,775
Daily total (miles): 239
Trip total (miles): 239
The plan…which, depending on weather, could certainly change…
When it comes to trip planning, I usually start MONTHS in advance and slowly and carefully curate a trip that will be—fingers crossed—incredible. We had ideas for this summer, but my heart wasn’t really into any of them. I’ve spent the year dealing with chronic back pain, and while the physical pain has been truly unbearable at times, my mental health has taken quite a hit as well. Every idea this year—whether for a day or a weekend, spring break or this summer—was consumed by questions: How would I feel? Would my low back revolt after a long car ride? Be okay on a plane or a train? What about sleeping? Will the bed be too soft? Not supportive enough? Would I be able to walk a lot? What if it hurts to walk? To sit? And on and on. And so a lot of ideas got put on the back burner, and my world has been pretty small this year.
The question of this summer was always just hanging there—we both wanted to do something, but I knew it would be up to me to make the decision based on how I was feeling. We didn’t do a trip last summer, as that was when my back and sciatic nerve pain were at their worst, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to one this summer, either, given I’m not even close to feeling 100%. But during a walk a few weeks back, I had a thought that was both troubling and somewhat motivating: what if this is the best I’m going to feel? I’d be mad if I kept putting things off in the hopes of feeling better…and so I threw together a trip that I thought would be doable. Instead of planning a trip with new locations and lots of logistics, we’re opting for a mini-redo of our first road trip through the Canadian Maritimes—the trip that’s still the one by which all others are measured. Instead of 21 days away, we’d do it in 12. We’ll revisit some of the same places and add a few new ones. We’ll take the van but add some indoor stays in the mix. We’ll take it easy, and I’ll (try) to listen to my body and (try to) be patient. And with any luck, we’ll have a great time.
So, Thursday, June 25, after a half-day of work and a quick stop into my mom’s, we left home midafternoon and figured we’d drive a few hours en route to one of our favorite places, Prince Edward Island. And so, with the van packed and the starting odometer at 15536, we set off. A few hours of gray skies and steady drizzle/drain later, we stopped in Freeport, and I was lucky to stop into L.L.Bean for a liner for my sleeping bag, as I had left my favorite one (my Cocoon merino wool) at home. Then, back in the van, and we were on our way to Bangor, where we decided to call it a day.
We stopped to eat at Roca Azul, a very tasty Mexican restaurant, and then checked into the Fairfield Inn, where we’d be spending the night. Tomorrow, we’ll be driving through Maine, crossing into New Brunswick, and arriving on Prince Edward Island, where we’ll spend the first few days of the trip.
