Going Upta Camp; A Traditional Maine Vacation

Going Upta Camp; 
A Traditional Maine Vacation 

I love how everyone puts up a sign on Maine camp roads.  It is such a welcoming site and looks so creative and rustic.  Try to find ours: clue it’s midway on the tree to the left.


Even homesteaders need to take a step back and enjoy the beautiful Maine countryside.  We find our refuge in Danforth Maine where East Grand Lake connects us with Canada. So here is Pepere Larry’s camp “Castaway Lodge” and Nana’s swing.  There is so much to do at camp and time just flies by when we’re up in the tranquility of nature.

East Grand Lake in Danforth, Maine

When we first get to camp we go and check out the water. The week we were at camp this time was pretty choppy. But we still went swimming, kayaking, skipping rocks and fishing. Jordan got the most skips with this fiver below.

 

Campfire and S’Mores

 

We learned how to make spider-dogs.  They are fun for the kids, but they won’t fit in the bun. Just slice an x into each end and heat. Watch as the ends peel away from each other and delight the littles.

A timeless camp activity is the campfire and roasting hotdogs and marshmallows over the open flames.  I’ve never tried filming campfires in slowmo before but you should watch this short video clip; it is hypnotizing.

Fresh Maine Spring Water

 

The most delicious water; cold and crisp coming straight out of this natural spring, can be enjoyed after a little effort to collect it. The kids took turns going to collect gallons of this pristine element taking the 4 wheeler with Pepere Larry. Listen to that marvelous water rushing out in all its natural pureness.  We collect spring water because Camp water comes from the lake and can be used for washing, but not drinking or cooking.  

Hiking New Trails

 

 Since the entire Spring sports season was cancelled for the children this year of 2020 and Covid-19, our family has taken to go on adventures trying out new trails.  It is a great activity for all of the ages and interests, at least in our home.  From the little guy getting the ride to the two racing ahead to find trail markers and my nature observers as well.

The Maine Outhouse

Yes, there is an outhouse at this Maine camp. We rarely use it as there’s also an indoor bathroom. But it is used in the winter time visits to camp as there is no running plumbing in the winter due to freezing; camp water is pumped up from the lake. Like any good outhouse there are a set of rules. See the funny list below.

 

The Fairy Houses

One of our favorite things to do at camp is build fairy houses. We use a hot glue gun and find lots of fun supplies from nature and put it together into a cute little home for a fairy. We find a nice spot in the woods and leave our fairy house there to find the next time we come.  See the video below for the close up of fairy houses 2020!

 

Fun Finds at Camp

So we were visiting “Pirates Cove” and noticed the giant rock man practicing his back float in the shallows.  The belly button is part of the rock, we only added the facial features.

Suspiciously big Moose tracks... aka just interesting marks on the ground that just happens to look like a giant moose hoof print.

 

Daisies at the lake’s edge and a frog at the spring.

A pile of wood for chopping and stacking to be used in the wood stove this winter. Thankfully this week was for relaxing and Pepere didn’t put us to work.

A mother duck and her seven ducklings kept coming to visit, which kept the kids jumping from rock to rock to have the best view of this sweet little family.

 

A watercolor painting I made a few years ago of another camp’s yard we saw while walking; it was so unique with the rake hanging on the tree that I had to photograph it and the later, paint it.  Pepere agreed and requested a copy to hang at camp.

Saying Good Bye to Camp

Packing up and heading home.  Transporting kayaks is really not that much work and totally worth it even for a day trip. 

We really saw this beautiful rainbow with the moon and blue sky for a backdrop just north of Waterville on our way home.

Thanks for checking out our post on going upta camp.  Please share your favorite Maine camp location or vacation spot in the comments.