I am always fascinated by how an overnight trip can open one’s eyes to life and what we deem important. In this case, my overnight trip was back to Lubec where I went camping last summer. To say the area is different in the winter and early spring would be more than an understatement. This isn’t a place booming with activity to begin with. Once the warmer weather is taken out of the picture, even the fishermen disappear and what remains active in this small community on the Canadian border is minimal at best. IGA, the local grocery store, is still a mainstay, but aside from getting water views and ambiance, there isn’t much to do or see. Granted, I knew this in advance but I was cautiously optimistic that my hotel, a converted sardine factory, was going to break the trend and provide the same service it does in the summer months, on this Saint Patrick’s Holiday weekend. To begin, this isn’t meant to be a bashing piece. If anything, it’s simply to remind myself and others of the reality we find ourselves in. Or maybe it’s just a reminder on how you need to do better research before undertaking any overnight journey. With a significant amount of international travel now under my belt, I’m always looking for a deal. For that matter, I want a decent experience not only with where I stay, but what I eat, and bonus if the running is good. It was one thing to rent an apartment for one night in Poznan, Poland where I spent under forty dollars for a one bedroom with beautiful views and then jet off to Warsaw the next day for an almost eighty dollar a night room in the center of the city. I understand that Lubec is not a metropolitan center, but don’t let that confuse you on the prices. Seriously, while the rooms are cheaper in the off season ($110+) compared to their summer rate, you more than make up your travel budget in gas and food. I would compare it to taking a cheap Ryanair flight into Paris and then being hosed on the hotel room. You are going to pay one way or another. Still, during the pandemic when I first stayed in Lubec this wasn’t the case. I don’t remember flinching at the food prices or even the hotel where I stayed for a very reasonable price for two nights. On this trip, I wasn’t even in the main building. Strike number one. I should have known better when I was booking, but I didn’t process that the suites were next door in some glorified waterfront homes. Advertised as sound proof and with private decks, neither were true in this scenario. Strike number two. Granted, it’s March, but the deck bare of all furniture made me retreat through my sliding door into a room that was almost maxed out by the king-size bed. I didn’t care that much as I was happy with the water view. If you want to see nature at its best, this is one of those spots where you can just sit and watch the tides come in and out. And yet, with the deck furniture missing, I immediately noticed little things that I expected would have been handled in this “newer” part of their facility. The bathroom sink wouldn’t drain for one. Thank goodness for the shower, right? Seriously, I brushed my teeth while the water was pounding down on me, because it made no sense to watch the water level rise, simply for a few seconds of cleaning the toothbrush. Spoiled by Poland, Jersey, Malta, and other places, I was a bit baffled by the lonely coffee pot with no tea or coffee options. Thanks for the creamer, but where’s an assortment to choose from? This simple addition so common in Poland adds greatly to a weary traveler, especially after a four hour plus drive. Despite the lack of tea, the sink, and the bare deck, I walked over to the hotel anxious to grab some food. I even teased my mother that I would be getting lobster Benedict for breakfast and some lobster stew for lunch. The hundreds of lobster pots on the dock, the stacked chairs, and the lack of cars, made it clear I blew this trip. Not to mention, the fact the management of the hotel called me en route to say the key would be waiting for me in the room, should have been a tell tale sign. Knowing now that there was no physical interaction, I really should have known better. Strike three, four, whatever - this was not going to be a smooth voyage. With the restaurant closed and no other options in Lubec, I either had to go to IGA for some glorified microwavable meals and pay five dollars for an ice cream sandwich (no joke) or venture another forty-five minutes to Eastport for whatever food choices were open in that cosmopolitan center. I’m exaggerating on that one by ten fold, but it is still considered a city, the easternmost one at that. Retreating to my car, we made the journey and I did my best to remain upbeat. Who cares if it meant another 90 minutes of driving and that the restaurants were only open in Eastport from 2pm - 6pm during this slower season. The Happy Crab was the lucky winner of my hungry stomach and also more than eager to take as much money from me as possible. I don’t know if it’s inflation or the fact Eastpost is the final American outpost before you hit Canada, but $46 for six chicken wings, clams, and one adult beverage makes me shudder even now. My lunch was more expensive than three of my stays in Poland. As for food cost, even in Szczecin where I splurged at the Colorado Steakhouse, I still only spent $23 for their wings, a pasta dish, and winter tea. Something is wrong with this picture… truly. Perhaps that’s a greater topic for another day. After digesting my meal, I made the most of my time in Eastport, filmed a vlog, met a pack of deer, and then returned to my waiting room in Lubec. That’s when it truly struck me how this trip was simply a waste of space and time. I loved being able to see the water, but when I saw that the only cars on this isolated and quiet street were in front of the house, the very house I would be staying in, I knew this night was going to be a long one. Outside - absolutely serene. Inside - every single step from the monsters above me could be heard. Dragging furniture, sliding out chairs, just walking, made this introvert cringe and pine for his cottage in central Maine. The light was on in the adjacent room and of course what was likely a regular conversation boomed through the walls, that or the television. To say it was quieter outside is the truth. I wished for warmer weather, to sit on the deck and not feel trapped inside my rented quarters. That’s when it struck me, I drove four plus hours one way simply to go for a run. The peacefulness, the serenity of being on the water, all of it was destroyed by the thunderous steps down the stairs. Instead of making the best of it, I fixated on the cost of the trip, and how I could have been happier with a weekend at home. This was only magnified at 4:40 this morning with a conversation bleeding through the wall and stairwell clanging that served better than any alarm. With the rain washing away my metaphorical tears and cleansing my soul, I fought the morning storm and ran along this border post community, wondering if this run would be my last in this area. Even now, another five hour drive in the books, I think it’s safe to say there won’t be any new trips to that area for the foreseeable future. It might be rash to say, perhaps never again will I visit Lubec or Eastport, especially since I know New Brunswick is right across the bridge and a bit cheaper for comparison sake. For that matter with the ever increasing prices of hotels and food even in central and northern Maine, this adventuring spirit thinks you get more return on your investment saving up and going over to central Europe. At least there I can feel like my money is going farther, even if I had to fork over $450 - $600 for a plane ticket in those non tourist months. What do you think? Is it better to explore new places in your country or get out of Dodge completely?
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Meet Mr. Jon- a traveler at heart who loves a good story and walk. Jonathan has over twenty years experience in independent publishing. While he prides himself on crafting a good story, nothing truly beats an adventure and a camera. Archives
July 2024
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