MAINE: my final frontier. These are the voyages of the Scooter Vespa 250 i.e. Super. Its continuing mission - to explore America's most heavily forested state - to roam the vast coastline, numberless lakes, and mighty mountains. To boldly go where no scooter has gone before!

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Lost in my own backyard -again

This is my first post since Mike and I got lost on our way to a lake three weeks ago. It's been a miserable month so far - my body feels sorry for itself and refuses to move. I'd been out for a couple of brief rides, nothing longer than a dozen miles. So when Mike suggested a ride down the coast, I told my body that I was going out - with or without it.

After meeting in for coffee at a newly opened coffee shop called "The Speckled Axe," we checked Mike's map for the best route to Gooch's Beach in Kennebunkport and roared out of town. This is my part of Maine. I know my way around the coast.


Mike is pointing at his map and wondering why we aren't at the beach. (Does this photo like familiar? Check out my May 1 post, "Just three inches off.")


But - Hallelujah! - just a few hours later, Mike is pointing to the sea on the map - with said sea in the background!


This is something one can't do along the coast after Memorial Day. The traffic is slow but very heavy, and the middle of the road just isn't safe. It's really not safe now, but remember, Mike's from New York City ...


We talked with this gentleman, who rode a Vespa L50. Note that the dog basket isn't secured to the scooter.


And check out the footwear! Well, at least the dog seemed quite pleased to be out and about.


This dog, on the other hand, was expressing his disgust loudly. "Throw the damn stick, one of you -why else did you drag me here?"



So, the damn stick was thrown, retrieved, returned, and the process was repeated endlessly


This young lady caught our eye. She seemed to be dancing in the surf 



and enjoying herself immensely


For a moment, she rested as the sea gulls gathered around her. When she returned to her car, we walked down to speak with her; she'd parked quite close to us. (Alright, maybe not close, but within my walking range - barely.)

"Are you a dancer," I asked. "No," she replied. "Well, we watched you in the surf. You looked like a dancer." She smiled very nicely (why didn't my "charm" work 45 years ago?) and explained the reason for her activity.


"I was just trying to keep my music out of the water," she said, as she demonstrated her dance steps.



We stopped at the "Rock and Roll Cafe" in Scarborough for lunch. I am reflected in the mirror in the upper left-hand corner, snapping the photo.. Mike's a tad glum here, as he pondered why he needed my help in ordering a drink.

He asked the waitress for a "malted." She asked, "A malted what? "A malted," Mike repeated.

The young lady looked completely baffled. "He wants a milkshake," I told her. "Oh. O.K. - a milkshake," perhaps relieved that this was going to be a short conversation after all.

I've saved the most unpleasant photo for the end. Mike has a cell phone with GPS, which recorded our little ride to the beach. It should have been a nearly straight line from Portland to Gooch's Beach. It wasn't.







10 comments:

  1. There is no such things as getting lost. You know what they say: Getting lost is just another way of saying 'going exploring.'

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    1. Sonja,

      While I agree that Mike and I ended up exploring, my bragging that "I know the coast like the back of my hand" requires the label "Lost" in this case.

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  2. Hmmm...I commented on your post, but it does not appear. Do you not like me? :=(

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    1. Deb,

      Thank you for reading and commenting. I don't delete comments, and I don't know why your comment did not appear. If the above is your second comment to this post, the first was not seen by me.

      I hope you'll try again.

      Tom

      Delete
    2. Just sayin'...you guys are quite the cut-ups! I talk to Mike some on email and I am sure that the two of you are having some great fun with your scooters!

      The dog rider was inspiring (see my blog for my co-pilot, Maxi) until I realized that the poor pooch was prone to being tossed. Amazing he sat there like that!

      Anyway, sounds like a fun day...especially the "dancing in the surf" experience!

      Safe rides...

      Delete
  3. Love the dancer in the surf photos. Glad you got out for a ride.

    On lost. I suspect tourists changed the road signs on you. Either that, or perhaps you mixed up your metaphors. Perhaps you turned your hand over and simply ended up with a very nice ride in the palm of your hand. Thinking I know thing like the back of my hand often gets me in trouble.
    ~keith

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  4. Thomas:

    tell Mike that I know what a malted is, not really like a milkshake, perhaps if blended and thicker. It should be too thick to pour out. He keeps telling me that he's Italian, sort of like a DeNiro, sort of.

    It's great to go exploring, but make it home in time for dinner. I liked the dancer too, but I'm too inhibited as you can tell by my Pink Crocs©

    bob
    Riding the Wet Coast
    My Flickr // My YouTube

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  5. Your posts just crack me up. I love your humor. Take care of yourself, man.

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  6. Great day. Who cares if you "expanded" your knowledge of the coast? ;)

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  7. I must say that Tom has all the "Charm" one needs at his age. The young lady was in no hurry to leave - AND - she said, "come back here soon, I'm often here.", looking AT TOM. Come to think of it, I'm not sure she ever looked at me.

    As to the ride, well, riding with Tom is never anything other than one great time, AND I get to see so many interesting side roads.

    Happy to learn that Bob knows what a malted is - dead on! - Thanks Bob. We can't wait to meet up with you mid-country....

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