They Say You Can't Go Home...

They say you can't go home.  That saying has appeared everywhere over the years, even in a Bon Jovi tune.  Well, here's what's going on.  My son has decided to go to the University of Northern Ohio, and I grew up not far from there around Fort Wayne, IN.  So, in order to tour the campus, I made the trip back home.  What happened?  We loved the college, I got to see some amazing old friends that I hadn't seen in decades, and I learned a lot.

When I lived the first half of my life in Indiana, I didn't like the view.  It was all about corn, soybeans, wheat, and flat.  I moved to the east coast where we have hills, mountains, waterfalls, and ocean.  It's vastly different.  But, is vastly different entirely a good thing?  I began to wonder when my son and I headed down Route 30 to go to Fort Wayne.  That was the first gigantic wind farm that we encountered.  The wind turbines stretched across the massive farm land for miles.  You won't find that in Connecticut.  As far as I know, my state has three of these turbines, and there was at one point a law that there couldn't be wind turbines in our area, because they make too much noise.  I was blown away at how progressive Ohio is, since New Englanders pride themselves on being progressive.

There are things that haven't changed in my lifetime.  There are still tires being made in Findlay, there are still drive through liquor stores.  But, unlike many other states, Ohio is extremely progressive.  Did you know that a parent can actually take their adult child that is not quite 21 to a bar?  It's an interesting way to make drinking less of a forbidden fruit.  I like it.  While the state wrestles with the same issues as many others like health care costs and insurance and taxes; they also find solutions to issues.  Cities are cleaning up, and bringing in business.  There are lots of places looking for help.  It's a productive view that you see when you drive by.  There is a sense of hope in Ohio.  I liked it.

Not only did we enjoy a visit to The Waffle House and Bob Evans, but the staff in the restaurants were happy.  Haven't seen a whole lot of that in a while.  Most wait staff that I encounter around my home, are miserable and think that they deserve better.  The folks I met on that trip were happy to do their jobs.  They were a pleasure to be around.  I tipped extra well too.  And they said "Thank you very much."  I enjoyed that.  I had a feeling that I had gone to another country while I was there. 

There were many other things that I loved about Ohio.  They have a lot of race tracks for all kinds of racing.  They have amazing amusement parks.  They have great sports teams.  They have air museums, Amish communities, and Cleveland.  They have wind power and solar power and Menards for everything else.  I guess you really can't just go home.  My home town was not in good shape, and nothing much in the Midwest was the way I left it.

When I left the Midwest, everything was a bit dumpy, and it was called the rust belt.  What I saw when I went back, was a rejuvenated productive and progressive Midwest with a future and hope.  What I saw was an entire population of people doing great things and making their lives better.  The sunsets are still beautiful in the giant sky, but the people are really doing well.  It was a pleasure to go home.

I didn't really want to leave and go back to my current home, but I had to get back.  On the way home, I discovered the one thing that I never knew about Ohio.  They have the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  I had no idea that there was a national park outside of Cleveland.  They have a lot of hiking trails, and we stopped off at Brandywine Falls.  It's a beautiful waterfall right off the toll road.  We walked around a bit and found some great views. 

And last, but not least, I got to drive across the old route 8 bridge over the Ohio Turnpike.  Why is that special?  well, I've made this drive a hundred times, and I always knew when I was officially leaving or entering the Midwest when I drove under that bridge.  This was the first time I've driven over it.

Cedar Point, King's Island, the Browns, the Indians,the Reds, the Cavaliers, the Bengals, astronauts, Tony Stewart Racing, Cooper Tires, Cuyahoga National Park, and so much more are waiting in Ohio.  It's not like it was when it was my home.  It's so much better.  Find it here.  Ohio.  Enjoy!

https://ohio.org/
https://ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/site/tourism/resources/ohio-org
https://www.thisiscleveland.com/
https://cincinnatiusa.com/
https://www.experiencecolumbus.com/
https://www.visitcanton.com/visitors/
https://www.go-ohio.com/Toledo/
http://www.ci.sandusky.oh.us/
https://www.cedarpoint.com/
https://www.nps.gov/cuva/index.htm
https://www.allencountyohio.com/
https://www.unoh.edu/
https://www.eldoraspeedway.com/
https://www.daytoncvb.com/
https://www.greenenergyoh.org/
https://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
https://www.zazzle.com/store/imagings
https://terri-dixon.pixels.com/
https://www.picfair.com/users/ninakindred/uploaded-recently
https://www.inkitt.com/ninakindred
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/721980
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/928833
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/954057
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B06Y1C2MS7
https://www.fictionpress.com/u/530752/Nina-Kindred
https://www.facebook.com/adventuresforanyone?fref=ts

And Then There's the Southern Coast of Maine...

Ah, the southern coast of Maine in the summer.  Wall to wall tourists, ridiculous resorts, crowded beaches, amusement parks that make no sense, traffic, hokey attractions, and people wearing things that they just should not wear.  That's what I've always known as the southern coast of Maine in the summer.  I've avoided it for years, decades really.  I'm a traveler, not a tourist, and I don't like crowds of people who just want to spend money.  I like to see the places that I travel to, not just the attractions that were made for my entertainment.

By the way,  I loved Lenny the moose.  Who doesn't love a life size chocolate moose?

Then, there's Biddeford and the area.  The area is right in between Old Orchard and the Kennebunks but it's different.  It's the way life should be and is a true representative of Maine.

Biddeford Pools is a great seaside park.  The rocky shore, the lighthouse views, the Atlantic Ocean.  It is serene and amazing and everything that you should be looking at when on the Atlantic Coast of Maine.  Maine is a unique coastline full of seals, puffins, rocky shores, and lighthouses.  This is what I crave when I'm on that coast and Biddeford was a great place to get a peaceful natural look at it.  We spent hours walking the pebble beaches and the rocky shores and the grassy meadows.  I enjoyed every minute of it.  And best of all, the tourists were shopping in Old Orchard.  It was quiet and we only ran into locals out to get some air.  It was great.

Biddeford is a town in the process of reinventing itself.  The old days of the massive industry that used to sustain the area are over.  The mill complex is turning into the epicenter of the town with restaurants, condos, offices, and small business.  The town has made sure that the property is beautiful as they continue to refurbish it.  The downtown is full of small businesses that are flourishing.  It's a quiet, beautiful community that doesn't give you a headache.  It makes you want to move to Maine.

The art scene is growing in the area, as this boy talks to his female friend who reportedly is on another wall in Afghanistan.  Creative is the word for Biddeford.  And refreshing.

Biddeford also has a blooming micro brewery and food scene.  Good eats are available all over and the suds are great.  There are some wineries too, but it's Maine, so it's north.  It's not like Long Island up there.  You can find the chain restaurants and Walmart if you need to shop there, but they have some great small places that you can't beat and a lot of outdoor seating so you can watch the world go by.

Some other things that you will find in the area are the East Coast Greenway.  This is a project that is still ongoing that will make it so that you can walk or ride your bike from Maine to Florida on this path.  It's a cooperative effort between all the states and it runs from Port Kent, ME to Key West, FL.  This is the second part that I've discovered and I'm intrigued at the project.  It's a modern day Appalachian Trail.

Scarborough, a neighboring area has a Marsh.  The Scarborough Marsh is amazing.  It's more of a bog, with well defined water areas and peat like ground.  This place is amazing because, not only can you bike and walk the paths, you can rent a canoe or kayak to paddle around on the waterways.  It's a great place to get out, and only the locals seem to know about this one, because there were no crowds there either.

So, after an amazing visit with my dear friend in the Biddeford area, it was time to head home.  What did I do?  I took Route 1 south to see what the rest of the southern shore was like.  This is what I found out.  Most places are tourist traps, where no one is appreciating the beauty of Maine.  Kennebunk Port is the worst of them all.  I will never go back there.  Then, I found York.

York is a strange combination of everything I hate that goes on in Maine in the summer, and everything that I love.  They have a beautiful beach and a stupid amusement park.  They have a beautiful seaside park and a bunch of dumb shops and resorts crowded with fat people in summer clothes spending all their money on junk food and souvenirs.  What they have most is a great little lobster shack and a park with the Nubble Lighthouse.  What a beautiful place.

It's quiet, even though it's crowded.  It's beautiful in a perfectly natural way.  I climbed on the rocks, took my photos, and met some locals who were painting in the area.  It was a great place amongst the ridiculousness that can be the southern shore of Maine.

My best advice is to be like Indiana Jones in the Last Crusade and choose wisely.  I loved the southern coast of Maine...in certain spots.  Biddeford, Saco, Scarborough, York; yes.  Most other spots; no.  Most of Southern Maine is for the tourist.  Be a traveler and be more discerning.  Enjoy!

https://www.biddefordmaine.org/
https://visitmaine.com/places-to-go/the-maine-beaches/biddeford-saco
https://www.southernmainecoast.com/
https://visitmaine.com/places-to-go/the-maine-beaches
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