transient travels

Each winter Carrabassett Valley, Maine is flooded with avid skiers headed to enjoy the slopes of Sugarloaf Mountain, one of the top ski destinations in New England. Every April, for one weekend, the winding roads leading to Sugarloaf are planted with signs welcoming visitors to the annual Reggae Fest.

Last weekend, Mike and I joined our friends for the fourth year in a row.

It was a beautiful, warm day- the kind where people like me need to bring out the sunblock.

At reggae fest- live reggae music, bud light, adorable dogs and believe it or not, babies abound…

My favorite part is that our trip has turned into a tradition over the years with our good friends Karl and his wife Colleen, who I met for the first time four years ago on the first trip- it’s kind of like our anniversary.

After a fun-filled day, our ride home on Sunday was pretty adventurous too.

Karl recommended that we stop at Gifford’s Ice Cream which has won many awards including “World’s Best Ice Cream” at the World Dairy Expo. They have fun flavors like Maine Lobster Tracks and Maine Deer Tracks.

The company was founded in 1938. After perusing their site, I discovered that their clientele has included President Dwight D. Eisenhower, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and actress Goldie Hawn.

Our ride home also included a quick tour of New Portland, where we crossed the Wire Bridge, which is one of the oldest American suspension bridges to retain most of its original components.

The bridge sinks and bends with the weight of the car and springs back into shape as it passes. It was scary, but also a little exhilarating.

Last weekend was tons of fun and it was a great way to kick off my week of vacation and my next getaway.