Day 1: Off to Bangor

2:55pm
We're waiting at our gate in Terminal F, and our flight to Bangor is now listed as departing a half hour late. As long as that all it is, that's fine. We're here and checked in and all is well. John was supposed to pick me up at 11:30, but he had some last minute business, and it was after noon when he got to my house. We were still plenty early.

My plan was to wear jeans and hiking boots and my rain jacket (wearing rather than packing some heavy stuff), but it's scorching hot here today, so I stuffed them in my big duffle bag and am wearing shorts and a t-shirt. As I mentioned in my last post, I am bringing my travel guitar, and they checked it without batting an eye.

One note of concern - when we got to Eric's house, he took me aside and said he wasn't feeling entirely well, and that if there were more than three people on the trip that he might even stay home. But he's coming, and I hope things will work out.

10:20pm
We're in two adjoining rooms at the Quality Inn, Bangor, ME. The flight took off half an hour late, but all was smooth sailing from that point. It was one hour and ten minutes in the air from PHL, and the flight was very pleasant. I was on the right window, and had a great view. I saw Long Island sound, the coast of Connecticut, and then the city of Boston in the bright afternoon light. Then it was woods, woods, and more woods.

No Maine stickers - yet!

The Bangor airport is very small, and we got our bags and our rental car quickly - unbelievably quickly by PHL standards. We have a Dodge Journey, which looks like something between an SUV and a station wagon. This is a very pleasant surprise, as we ordered a 4-door sedan. This is *much* bigger, and will carry us and our gear with ease. My guitar is fine (though it had a note inside saying it had been opened by the TSA!) Our motel was a few miles from the airport, so we went there first, checked in, and unpacked. Eric and I are in one room, and John has the other to himself.

After settling in, we went to the Walmart across the street and did our shopping for Acadia - groceries to last until Saturday noon, and common stuff (camp chairs, a cooler - and John and Eric found a very big tarp (12x24!) that they think might come in handy.)

At that point it was after 8pm and we were *hungry*. There was a 5 Guys burger in the Walmart lot, and that was fine with all of us. Since getting back to the rooms, we've been arranging our stuff and hanging out and talking. Bedtime is very soon. Off to Acadia in the morning.