Terri and Peter's RV Adventures

Finally, a day without drama. No major problem solving other than figuring out how the washing machines and dryers worked in the Bar Harbor launder mat. That was it. And even that was a comedy.

The machines only took quarters and were charging $7 a load, plus $1.25 for a little box of detergent. That’s a lot of quarters, especially for three machines. We started plugging the first machine and after two quarters it stopped accepting more quarters. We were stuck. No phone number to call for help. So I went next door to Pat’s Pizza and Bar. It was noon and I walked into this dark, low ceilinged pub with a long bar filled with noontime drinkers, including two women who were fighting about who worked harder and who should pay the tab. They had clearly had more than enough to drink given their glassy eyed expressions and loud protestations, all while the bartender, a large presence with a thick African accent, or maybe it was Caribbean, patiently waited while keeping a keen eye on them in case they decided to make a break for it behind her back.

She did turn toward me long enough to let me ask how to get a hold of the owner of the launder mat. “Go that way” she said emphatically in her thick accent, waving her hand and finger pointing in the direction of the door. “Go to Everyday Joe’s Cafe!” she insisted, with a further wave of her hand. I stepped outside the pizza/bar joint, with minimal need to squint my eyes as the skies continued their parade of perpetual gray, and I headed toward a ramshackle building that boasted the sign “Everyday Joe’s.” Stepping inside, I was assaulted by the smell of stale frying oil and I took in the scene of a beat up diner that served all manner of breakfast and even some tacos. Behind the register, a Philippino man with a few missing teeth, smiled at me broadly and asked if I wanted to order. I said, “No, I’m looking for the guy who runs the launder mat. Do you have their number?” He pulls out his phone to give me the number. I call the number and hear a ringing on the other side of the cafe. Incredulous and feeling like I was in the Wizard of Oz and the man who opened the window to Oz was also the wizard behind the curtain. It was bizarre.

“Is that the phone for the owner of the launder mat?” I inquired with incredulity. “Oh yes, that’s me.” I shook my head and explained the problem. All he could do was offer my 50 cents back and suggest I use a different machine. I returned to the launder mat and by then Peter had befriended a guy who showed him the technique for working the machine.

I got out of there as soon as I could, taking the dogs to Acadia National Park where we hiked Witches Hole and Pond Carriage Trail to Eagle Lake. It was a wide, gravel road, up a hill, through the woods with a detour to a river and then to a larger pond. Despite the temperature in the high 40’s, Lily remained undeterred, swimming in both stream and pond. Cali, defying her advanced age, also trotted up and down the trail but made it clear when it was time to return.

She must have known that Peter was done with the laundry. We picked him up, got a few groceries and headed back to camp. The little town of Bar Harbor is quaint but not too overrun by t-shirt shops and touristy stuff. I hope we can explore it over the next few days.

Returning, we sorted out clothes and groceries and generally got our act together. It’s been three weeks since we left and things can get thrown into corners, stuffed into the back of drawers and all around disheveled. Now we have a sense of order, if just for a few days.

The sun actually broke through the clouds around 5 pm. My mood instantly lifted, if for only a brief moment. It was still in the 40’s with a brisk north wind off the water, but the sun’s appearance created a beautiful shift in light. We grilled turkey burgers, pretending it was actually almost summer. I took Lily out for a final ball throwing session (it’s never enough for her) and ran into a couple from Quebec (yes, their dog and Lily became friends) and we talked about the sad state of politics. They said they weren’t going to come to the US but decided to come to Maine because it was a “blue” state. They said that when we go to Canada, just tell people we’re from California and they’ll know we’re friends. It’s just so sad and unnecessary.

Overall, this was a simple, sweet day in Bar Harbor, Maine. Maybe tomorrow we’ll explore the town some as well as do another hike. I’m really enjoying being in one place and exploring. It feels pretty civilized. I’ll be ready to head to Canada on Saturday, but for now, this is the life!