Camden Hills State Park is a primo campground, clean, private, and excellent hiking. We hope every place we stay at on our upcoming cross country trip will be this nice. The Campgrounds are excellent with both tent and RV sites. The place is immaculately maintained. Bathrooms and showers were sparkling, and Mitch said the last time he felt water pressure like these showers was from the hydro-therapy pressure hose in the old Roosevelt Baths (Saratoga) forty years ago.  Hiking trails offered mountain top views of Camden Harbor and points west as well. The hiking trails to Megunticook (1400′ elevation) and Mt. Battie were moderately challenging and very steep in places so we got a decent workout. The park was built with Civilian Conservation Corps workers during the 1930’s.  We can think of no better way to spend taxpayers’ money. We should do it again!

West Penobscot Bay is a quarter mile walk from the campgrounds but there is no swimming on site. For swimming (if you like the chilly North Atlantic waters), there is a rare, sandy public beach 5 miles north in Lincolnville with four hours of free parking. Mostly locals swim there. We had dinner at McLaughin’s (a stone’s throw from the beach) with our friends Mike and Nancy Fluhr one night.

On day three we walked about two miles into Camden along Route 1 with sidewalks the whole way. We got there just before a hugh downpour and had lunch outdoors but under cover with our friend Sue Scher at the Harbor. A kind waitress gave Apollo a taste of vanilla ice cream for being a good boy and not mooching too much. The next day we went to Belfast. It had been decades since either of us were there and the changes were striking- going from a manufacturing town in decline to a sophisticated artsy sort of place much less touristy than Camden.

The Roadtrek performed well. It kept us comfortable and secure. After some initial complaining about having to stay on the lead, Apollo settled down and enjoyed himself. Same for Mitch who was out of sorts until he found the source of a water leak in the RT. A culinary highlight was a steak cooked on our George Forman and veggies done in RT’s kitchen area. Of course the real trick will be to see if the three of us can live harmoniously 24/7 in a 20′ van for 2-3 months.