Date: 2007-07-26
To: Beach Cove Motel, West Boothbay Harbor, ME
Miles today: 0.0

What a wonderful thing, to wake up in the morning and not have to go anywhere, not have to do anything, not having to hike anywhere. We all slept in a little bit, before heading to the Appalachian Trail Caf©, which is run by the same people that own the hostel in town. We had a delicious breakfast, and said goodbye to Plod and Wirenut, who were having breakfast there as well, then headed back to the hotel. I borrowed my dad¢s bathing suit, and went and sat in the hot tub for a bit. The jets were weak, but the water was hot, so it felt good to soak for a bit.We decided that we¢d drive down the coast for a bit, find a hotel somewhere, and then drop Professor off at his hotel in Portland tomorrow night, so he can get his flight back to Georgia on Saturday morning. We drove to the coast, then followed Route 1 down, through all the little towns. We stopped in Camden, and wandered around for a bit in the stores on Main Street, then stopped again for lunch at a little beachside joint in some little town.We turned off the main road in another little town, and eventually ended up at the hotel here. It was just bought by a Russian family, and they¢re in the process of renovating it, so everything is clean and new. The room is big, and has a nice balcony that overlooks a lake. We all went and swam in the lake for a bit, and they have canoes, so we took them out for a short ride. For dinner, we went to a restaurant in town, right on the water. We all got lobster dinners, and spent the next hour getting messy. Professor had never had a lobster before, and it was amusing watching him tear into it.So many people have had a part in making this trip possible, in making it what it was. I¢d like to thank them all, but that¢s impossible. Every interaction I¢ve had over the last five months has had an impact on how the trip turned out. There are a few that I¢d like to mention specifically. If I¢ve forgotten someone, I apologize. All your contributions are greatly appreciated.First, to my parents, for instilling in me a love of the mountains and the outdoors. To Rob; you were the one who planted the seed in my head, made me start thinking, ¢Maybe I could do the whole thing.¢To Pinky, for helping me get this started; without you, my parents never would have agreed to let me go, and without you, I never would have been able to plan this.To both our parents, for the courage to let us go out into the woods for months.To Pinky again, for learning with me as we started, and for being patient while I was hurt.To the Tingles and Utsmans; your kindness and hospitality was exactly what I needed to heal and keep going.To my parents, to adapting when Pinky and I changed our plans, for keeping track of all my maildrops, and for managing to track me down whenever I got to town, no matter where I was.To Grandma, and Carol, Andy, John, and Robert (and Lilly), for being my lifeline when I needed help.To all the Trail Angels, hostel owners, and outfitters that have adapted to fit the exact needs of hikers. There¢s nothing like getting into town and finding everything you need to get ready to get back out.To my parents one last time, for typing all my (sometimes illegible) entries, and uploading all my photos; it would have been a daunting task to keep up the journal while hiking.To everyone that emailed me, or commented on my journal; your support helped every step of the way.Finally, to everyone I hiked with, or even just met on the trail. You are truly the ones that make this experience what it is, and the ones that make it possible to keep going when everything seems futile.The Brain