Two Lane Adventures: Thursday, July 14th – July 17th, 2022 … Two Lane Adventures Continue!

We are spending 4 nights at the Birches Lakeside Campground in Litchfield ME, with our friends Peter & Becky. The first 2 nights, we had our own “lakeside” site. But little did we know, we were coming on “Christmas in July” weekend. So, for our last 2 nights, we camped on Peter & Becky’s extra-large site, which was just fine!

I have been very diligent in my walking since the end of May, but I was not sure I was ready for walking with Becky and her “Litchfield” gang. She started me out gently … the first day, it was just the two of us … but we still did 4-miles!

The next day, we added Bill to our group … damn, he has long legs! We did the same loop, which still remained 4-miles!

The 3^rd walk, we added Anita to the group. Becky warned me that she would “keep the conversation going” … that is good, because I spent most of the walk, trying to catch my breath! We did the 4-mile loop and I survived!

The 4^th walk, it was getting a bit easier … even the BIG hill! But, it did not get any shorter, it was still 4-miles! At least, it is a loop so there is no backtracking!

The 5^th and final walk with the “Litchfield” gang, Bucky joined us! Thank God, because he had not been walking, so we took a slower pace! Where have you been for these past 4 days, Bucky! All kidding aside, walking with Becky and her gang has renewed my desire to pick up the pace and extend my distance!

We took a boat tour of Cobbossee Lake. It is a treasured vacation destination with over 62 miles of shoreline, dotted with many islands, and valued as one of the best lakes in Maine. Its 1600s original name of Lake Cobbosseecontee was shortened and means “the place of many sturgeon,” purportedly named by Abenaki Indians.

Cobbossee Lake has the prestige of being the site of the only freshwater land-locked lighthouse in the state of Maine. The gorgeous 5,500 acre lake has many coves and inlets and is known for its fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities. A state-owned public launch is located on the southwest shore of the lake in East Monmouth. The Lake is also a secondary source of drinking water for the City of Augusta.

As one might expect, fishing is a dominant activity with major species including brown trout, brook trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, white perch, and yellow perch. The largest fish now inhabiting the lake are northern pike and, for the bass angler, many tournaments are regularly held on Cobbossee Lake. Anglers can have a field day here! Sailing doesn’t take a back seat, with the Cobbossee Yacht Club having many regattas and races. Birders can really enjoy the lake area with species to be seen such as Bald Eagles, Great Blue Heron, Least Bittern, Osprey and Loons.

We enjoyed lunch of the lake. We purchase our lunch at the North End Café and docked at a friend’s house, to enjoy our lunch!

One day, while Becky was visiting her Mom, Peter gave us a tour of Maine’s State Capital, Augusta. We spent time driving around his former place of employment. The Kennebec Arsenal in Augusta is a historic landmark that has a confusing and somewhat controversial history. The original large stone building was built to serve as a major arsenal after the War of 1812 brought to light the need to better protect the coastal borders of the United States. The site in Augusta was chosen because of its easy access to the Kennebec River.

The arsenal was in use until 1901 when it closed its doors. The property was then sold to the Maine State Hospital, which planned to use the arsenal as an expansion. The arsenal then became home to Maine's mentally-ill, including children. Built in 1840 to help Maine's mentally ill, it had promise of being a savior for those in need. But, the reality is much different. The Maine State Hospital, later renamed the Augusta Mental Health Institute, closed the operations of the arsenal in 2004. The site was then sold to a developer. Today, the surviving buildings are some of the oldest examples of mental care facilities in America. And, despite having been replaced by a much more competent facility, much of what remains is intact. In some ways, it feels like the grounds have simply been deserted.

We enjoyed dinner and a visit with Gail & Larry, before we enjoyed the Christmas Boat parade. We had to wait until dark, so we enjoyed another sunset!