Date: 10-17-13
Location: Ogunquit, Maine
Written by: Joey

TAKE NOTE: This post was written while DJ & Joey were on their RV roadtrip across America. Sadly, their trip ended before it really got started. No worries, Shelly & Lucia are taking the Connextions Out n About Roadtrip to new heights, exploring one RV park at a time!

One of the many wonderful things that both Joey and I have learned during our trip was to be flexible and impulsive, especially with our schedule.  It is harder than you might think.  I am a planner by nature and it has been a challenge for me to resist my inherent discipline to adhere to an itinerary and schedule but I am.  I made a commitment to myself before we left that I would follow my instincts when an unplanned opportunity presented it self.  The way I see it there are two ways you can travel, the first is to depart from point A and arrive at point B and the second is to just depart and embrace the journey itself rather than focus on getting to the destination.  Joey and I chose the latter, and we are both better for it.  It has been when we deviated from our planned itinerary that we have experienced the most memorable moments of our journey so far.

As we visited with Amy and waited for Mike to arrive I was glad that he had text me when he did and that we had decided to head back to meet him.  After a while Mike walked in and I recognized him right way from his photo.  He was smiling ear to ear as we shook hands and introduced ourselves and he joined our conversation with Amy.  I could sense right away that we would get along fine.  He was easy going and friendly and as we sat down at a table to continue chatting we decided to take advantage of the beautiful sunny day and walk toward the beach.  Joey and I packed up our stuff and dropped it off onboard Priscilla before all three of us headed toward the ocean.

We arrived at the beach and marveled at its beauty and the sparse spattering of people that walked along its shores.  Joey, camera in hand immediately took off his shoes and socks and rolled up his pant legs and I followed suit shortly afterward.  The water was cool at first but we both enjoyed the feeling of water caressing our feet as we walked.  Our conversation with Mike touched on philosophy, Gay life, relationships, politics and everything in between as we moved at a casual pace laughing and chatting without a care in the world slowly making our way toward Kennebunk.  

After what seemed like minutes we reached the end of the sandy part of the beach and stopped to take in the view…  I love this journey and the people we have met and will meet and in that moment at that time I felt like we were EXACTLY where we were supposed to be.  We turned to head back to where we began as the sun began to set.  We stopped along the way and Mike offered to take some photos of Joey and me.  We all stopped and watched the sun set low in the sky as the colors spread across the darkening sky.  We arrived back at Mikes car and shook off the sand from our feet and clothes before starting the drive back to Priscilla.  As Mike began moving I noticed a full moon glowing like an orb high in the sky and a middle aged comely woman standing there admiring it.  I don’t know why but I felt compelled to say something to her.  Without preamble I blurted out “It’s beautiful isn’t it?”  She turned and walked up to the car and said, “Yes it is.” and I apologized for interrupting her moment to which she replied, “You did not”.  She invited us to stay and chat but Mike had to meet friends for dinner and we needed to hit the road before it got too late so I told her I wish we could but we had to go.

Her reply puzzled me at first but has stayed with me.  She said, “You are exactly where you should be and when you are supposed to be”.  I thanked her for invitation and comment and we drove off…  we said our goodbyes to Mike and he proffered a case of local beer as a gift, Joey’s eyes lit up and we promised to stay in touch.  As we began to drive away I couldn’t help but think about what the lady at the beach had said to me and wished we would have accepted her gracious invitation to linger.

Date: 10-17-13
Location: Ogunquit, Maine
Written by: Joey

TAKE NOTE: This post was written while DJ & Joey were on their RV roadtrip across America. Sadly, their trip ended before it really got started. No worries, Shelly & Lucia are taking the Connextions Out n About Roadtrip to new heights, exploring one RV park at a time!

I woke up with a feeling of sadness because we were leaving Ogunquit and our new friends.  But all good things must come to an end and I quickly realized that our journey would be replete with many goodbyes as we visit new places and make new friends over the next year.   After a quick cup of coffee and an Egg Sandwich, Joey and I started to get Priscilla ready for departure.  We both wanted to hit the road early enough so that we could get to Salem with enough time to find parking.  We had almost a week to go before Halloween but we wanted to get there ahead of the crowds that we knew would be flooding the historic seaport town.

We walked across the street to The Backyard Coffee House to say goodbye to Amy and to see how her conversation with her parents went about her engagement to her girlfriend.    I really don’t understand how or why it’s such a big deal for some people if two people who love each other want to get married.  First of all if you are LUCKY enough to find someone who loves you enough to want to marry you it should be celebrated regardless of anything else and I was hoping that Amy’s parents would feel the same way.  As we chatted with Amy she told us that her parents just looked at her and her Mom started to cry.  Amy and her partner are such wonderful human beings and deserve their chance for happiness together.  I had met her parents and found them to be very nice people, and I told her that sometimes people just need some time to figure out what they feel but that Love is Love and her parents clearly loved her. 

We boarded Priscilla and blew her trumpet horn as we pulled out of the parking lot of Maine Street and out of town toward the highway - both of us knowing that we would be back someday. As with any road trip sometimes you get on each other’s nerves and today was that day for us.  As we pulled away Joey was giving me directions to the highway but I wanted more information and he got irritated which further got me frustrated and ended us with both of us sitting next to each other in silence.  As we approached the highway I decided to pull over and make something to eat before the long stretch.  I found a parking lot and pulled in and brought Priscilla to a stop.  I figured that since he was ignoring me I would make lunch and get caught up on some work and reply to some emails.  

Before we left Chicago I had begun chatting with a gay couple in NH - Mike and Paul - and we had tried several times to coordinate meeting while we were in New England but had failed to make it happen.  As I was sitting there eating lunch, I received a text message from Mike saying he was close to Ogunquit and would be free to meet in an hour or so.  With no real timetable we decided to turn around and head back to meet Mike.  Joe was still mad at me and he sat there silently as Priscilla made her way back to town.   We approached our previous parking spot in front of Maine Street hoping for the best but alas the space that we had enjoyed for the previous week was now full.  I circled through town looking for a 33’ foot long space for Priscilla with no success when all of a sudden I spotted a potential space in the parking lot of Backyard Coffee House.  I pulled in and maneuvered Priscilla into a tight angled spot that would not block anyone else.   Grinning because of my cleverness and parking skill, I shut down the engine and walked inside to ask Amy if it was ok if we left Priscilla there for a couple of hours and with her customary smile and friendliness she said “No problem, and I will keep an eye on her for you”.   We sat down and waited for Mike to arrive…

Date:10-16-13
Location: Ogunquit, Maine
Written by: Joey

TAKE NOTE: This post was written while DJ & Joey were on their RV roadtrip across America. Sadly, their trip ended before it really got started. No worries, Shelly & Lucia are taking the Connextions Out n About Roadtrip to new heights, exploring one RV park at a time!

Joey and I walked into the Backyard Coffee shop filled with local business owners and walked over to meet Karen Arel.  Karen grew up in Claremont, NH where I spent some of my teenage years, and now works for the Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce.  I had originally called the Chamber, looking for a local guide, but when I mentioned that we were planning on going through a little town called Claremont on our way to Manchester and Ogunquit she exclaimed that she had grown up there!  We talked about Claremont and quickly realized that we were both there at about the same time!  It reminded me of how small the world can seem and how we are all connected in some way.  As we chatted and reminisced about Claremont we made arrangements to meet upon arrival into Ogunquit. 

Karen was behind her desk and her assistant Francis was just outside her office door.  We connected right away and our conversation seemed like it was between old friends rather than new acquaintances.  Karen and Francis invited us to join them as their guests at an event the Chamber was hosting called Business After Hours, later that week and we accepted.  She told us that it would be a great opportunity to meet a lot of the local business people and tell them about our journey.  Joey and I mingled with Gay and Straight business owners and commented on how there was virtually no segregation of any kind between the groups.

Karen was nice enough to introduce us to the crowd and briefly outlined our journey and Joey and I were warmed by they way everyone made us feel welcome.  As the meeting wound down and people began to leave a small group of people waved us over to join them.  We introduced ourselves and began explaining in detail what we were doing and why and a little bit about Priscilla.  During our conversation, Amy - the owner of Backyard told us that her girlfriend had proposed to her earlier in the day, but that she hadn’t told her parents yet who were also in attendance.  We had met both of her parents earlier in the evening and they were so nice and friendly so I immediately told her that everything would be fine because their love for her was so apparent in our discussions.   

I love the conversations that always happen after an event or meeting, when people feel much more relaxed and open and this was no different. Joey and I left to go back to Priscilla to spend our final night in Ogunquit.  

Date: 10-16-13
Location: Ogunquit, Maine
Written by: Joey

TAKE NOTE: This post was written while DJ & Joey were on their RV roadtrip across America. Sadly, their trip ended before it really got started. No worries, Shelly & Lucia are taking the Connextions Out n About Roadtrip to new heights, exploring one RV park at a time!

Joey and I left Priscilla under bright sunny skies, looking forward to exploring the quaint and picturesque LGBT friendly New England town by the sea, Ogunquit.  We had made plans to attend a business after hours event at the invitation of Karen Arel, the President of the Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce later that evening, but until then we had all day to walk around and explore.  We started the day by walking over to the Backyard Coffee House and Eatery for coffee and a little breakfast.  We walked inside and immediately felt like we were welcome.  One of my pet peeves about coffee houses in general is if they feel too stark or unfriendly. Backyard had the right feel, where you felt like you could sit and chat or do a little writing or work while having an espresso and one of their homemade baked treats without feeling like you are violating their space or being rushed out the door.  Coffee in hand and a plan to come back later we headed toward town.  We walked up and down several of the streets lined with small shops and café’s.  You will not find any chain restaurants here and as we walked down the tree-lined streets you can feel the personality of the town in every detail.  Joey and I made our way through town with Joey exclaiming periodically “I could live here!”

We made our way to the one of the local attractions called The Marginal Way, which is a mile long walkway along the rugged coastline that runs most of the length of the town from its beginning on Shore Road, meandering to its end in the small fishing community of Perkins Cove just on the edge of town.   Along the way, Joey and I stopped to take in the beautiful views, each one more spectacular than the last. We both love the ocean and beach and this was one of the finest we have seen so far on our journey.  As we headed toward Perkins Cove, I suggested that we stop and film some footage for our Connextions Out n About roadtrip.  We found this small beach and I set up the camera.  I love impromptu filming.  I think it really reflects who Joey and I are as people when we don’t think about filming or set up.  Plus I love the bloopers that we create.  After a few minutes of filming and a lot of laughing, we finished and resumed our peaceful walk, talking quietly like we were in a church out of respect for the beauty and majesty of what Mother Nature created.

As we reached the end of the path, the small town of Perkins Cove unveiled itself before us.  We walked past one of the best seafood restaurants in the area called Oarweed and Joey stopped to ogle the menu of seafood and shellfish with that look of “if only you weren’t allergic?”   We strolled into Perkins Cove and immediately noticed the small marina and what looked like a walking bridge that spanned the waterway.  The town reminded me of Popeye and I half expected to see Wimpy or Olive Oyl pop out from one of the shops or boats.  I wanted to climb the stairs and walk the bridge and I convinced Joey to follow behind me.  Arriving at the center of the span, I saw this big red button on one of beams.  I couldn’t really read the sign posted above the button so I fumbled around for my glasses and put them on.  The red button was a manual control for the DRAWBRIDGE!!  Laughing I explained to Joey that wouldn’t it be cool to push the button as a boat went by but he was not as keen on that idea as I was.  Besides, there was a smaller sign that said only the Harbormaster or one of the boat Captains were allowed to operate the bridge… Darn!  As we walked back toward the stairs I noticed the bridge actually moved if I swayed back and forth.  One look from Joey and I knew that my swaying days were over so we walked to the end of the bridge and down the stairs and back toward town and Priscilla for a nap before our event later that night.

Date: 10-15-13
Location: Ogunquit, Maine
Written by: DJ Doran

TAKE NOTE: This post was written while DJ & Joey were on their RV roadtrip across America. Sadly, their trip ended before it really got started. No worries, Shelly & Lucia are taking the Connextions Out n About Roadtrip to new heights, exploring one RV park at a time!

Joey and I finished our breakfast and we dropped off my backpack onto Priscilla as we prepared to walk through town toward the beach with Jake.  As we approached the ocean we crossed a small bridge that separated this section of the beach from the main part of town.  Jake told us that during the peak season this area was packed with tourists but now it was like we were getting a private tour.  At the end of the street there was a place called Splash, a restaurant/bar that was about to close for the season.  We stopped in for a Bloody Mary and a cup of coffee…  All three of us were feeling the effects of our marathon visiting session the night before, so a Bloody Mary and a coffee sounded bloody good! 

We settled around the bar and chatted up the owner who explained that she was going to head to Key West for the winter.  We all sat there for a few moments as Jake asked each of the straggler tourists that wandered into Splash the same question he posed repeatedly the night before to the laughter of his impromptu bar audience “ … “In a non sexual way… which would you prefer as a companion? A Giraffe or a Donkey? As we were finishing our drinks and readying to walk on the beach, an older lady walked in and sat at the bar.  She ordered a couple of bottles of water and something to eat.  Jake nudged me to ask her the question of the day but I refused.  Thinking that that would be the end of it Jake began addressing the woman and asked her the question of the day!  She looked at him strangely but after a little pause squeaked out the word “Giraffe”.  Jake told her that there was no real wrong answer and proceeded to explain that most people would choose Giraffe and further explained the reasons why.  The Giraffe represented beauty and grace and had things done for it whereas the Donkey represented a workhorse who carried the weight of any task.

She stared blankly in his direction as he finished speaking but did not respond. I suppressed the laugh that was struggling to break free but thankfully after a brief but awkward silence, we paid our bill and got up to leave - no more questions.  We walked outside and the fresh breeze blowing off the ocean filled my nostrils and reinvigorated us for the moment.  We stepped into the sand and removed our shoes.  The clouds gone and a bright sun made it feel warmer than the middle of October.  After about an hour of walking on the edge of the water we settled into some Adirondack chairs that lined the beach next to Splash and we talked more about the natural beauty of Ogunquit as the sun slowly began to set before we decided to head back to town. 

We said goodbye to Jake and headed back to Priscilla to take a nap with plans to all meet up later that evening at Maine Street.  Joey and I laid our heads down on the pillows and closed our eyes as sleep overtook us.  Neither of us awoke until the sounds of the next morning filled Priscilla and the glow of the bright morning sun lit up the edges of the privacy curtains.

Date: 10-15-13
Location: Ogunquit, Maine
Written by: DJ Doran

TAKE NOTE: This post was written while DJ & Joey were on their RV roadtrip across America. Sadly, their trip ended before it really got started. No worries, Shelly & Lucia are taking the Connextions Out n About Roadtrip to new heights, exploring one RV park at a time!

Joey and awoke the next morning in the spare bedroom that was generously offered to us by our new friend Jake the night before.  Don’t get me wrong, we both love Priscilla but it was nice to sleep in a real bed and take a real shower nonetheless after a few weeks onboard.  I stepped into the living room and looked for the coffee maker and to see if Jake was up and around.  We had all stayed up late talking and laughing the night before but Jake and Joey had remained awake long after I went to bed and until the wee hours of the morning, so I wasn’t expecting much life from either of them until noon.  After a brief walkabout through the apartment I quickly realized that Jake had already left.  Wondering how he got up before me and where he had gone off to, I finished getting dressed and told a half asleep Joey that I was going to walk across the street to where Priscilla was parked to get a few things. I wanted to get my computer and relax at Bessie’s, a local place for coffee and breakfast and use their Wi-Fi to get a little work done while I had some time to myself. www.bessies.us/  I suggested to Joey that he should join me when he awoke but I was pretty sure that it would be lunch before I saw his smiling face staring back at me.

I walked into Bessie’s; my backpack slung over my shoulder and scanned the room for the best location to spread out my tools for blogging and the precious electrical outlet.  I found a booth in the back dining area with a counter lined with stools. I saw this hunched figure sitting there reading his newspaper and sipping coffee and recognized that it was Jake.  I approached the counter and settled into the stool beside him.  I ordered a coffee and he offered to share his newspaper.  We chatted about the local news and how Joey and I had arrived in Ogunquit at just the right time because it was between the end of the busy season but before the holiday tourist invasion.  I asked him what time he and Joey went to bed and he mumbled something that sounded like “a couple of hours ago” and asked him how he felt.  With a shrug, he said fine and went back to reading his paper.  My coffee arrived and I decided to wait to order breakfast for a little bit to give Joey the chance to come down and join me.  

Sitting there enjoying every sip of my first cup of coffee of the day I turned and was shocked to see Joey strolling through the door and I waved him to where we were.  He sat down next to me as I found myself excited that I could finally order my breakfast.  After a quick perusal of the menu Joey decided on the Lobster Benedict and me, the Blueberry Pancakes.  He doesn’t get to eat lobster or crab too often because of my severe allergy to any shellfish so he was as happy as a clam when the waitress placed his breakfast in front of him, but not as happy as I was to have my blueberry pancakes!  

Life is good!

Date: 10-14-13
Location: Ogunquit, Maine
Written by: DJ Doran

TAKE NOTE: This post was written while DJ & Joey were on their RV roadtrip across America. Sadly, their trip ended before it really got started. No worries, Shelly & Lucia are taking the Connextions Out n About Roadtrip to new heights, exploring one RV park at a time!

From the very beginning, chatting on Facebook, I could sense Steve’s positive energy.  I am not a huge fan of Facebook and I am even more skeptical of most of the people that dwell there, but I try to keep an open mind.  Steve was always very polite and exceedingly respectful during our conversations. He stood out in that vast ocean of web noise as someone that we should definitely try to meet and get to know in person, if we could during our journey.  So, when he invited us to visit him in Ogunquit Maine if we were in the region both Joey and I agreed that we should go. 

We walked into the very popular gay hangout Maine Street Video Lounge and Night Club www.mainestreetogunquit.com and immediately picked out Steve, who was working behind the bar.  He was just as I envisioned.  Joey and I sat down to order our drinks and get to know him.  We began by telling him and a few other local patrons about our adventure thus far and the people we have met along the way.  It was amazing to hear the feedback about our road trip, what we were trying to do and why.  It validated our perception that there is a huge LGBT majority that is not really represented in the media like us that would connect with our journey. 

After a few drinks and the brief tour of Maine Street, we were on a first name basis with our new friends.  We talked about Ogunquit, what its like to live here during the tourist season and what we should try to see and do during our visit. 

One of the locals that we met while socializing at Maine Street was Jake.  He was a bear of a fellow and straight.  He was witty and intelligent and opinionated and most important of all, friendly.  Joe and I talked with Jake and Steve and the others as we got to know everyone.  As the minutes turned to hours and the daylight melted into night we realized that we hadn’t yet found a place to park Priscilla overnight.  As I announced our dilemma to our new friends it was amazing to see everyone jump up to try to help us find a resolution.  It wasn’t very long until someone piped up and said Norm Paquin, the owner of Maine Street Video Lounge and Night Club had offered us a place in his parking lot right in front of the building and near the center of town, we couldn’t have asked for a better location for Priscilla!  With our parking situation settled we went back into the bar and let ourselves relax among our new friends, excited for what the next day would bring.

Date: 10-14-13
Location: Ogunquit, Maine
Written by: DJ Doran

TAKE NOTE: This post was written while DJ & Joey were on their RV roadtrip across America. Sadly, their trip ended before it really got started. No worries, Shelly & Lucia are taking the Connextions Out n About Roadtrip to new heights, exploring one RV park at a time!

After leaving Burlington VT our plan was to make our way down I-89 toward Manchester New Hampshire before connecting to I-95 north toward Portsmouth and across the Piscataqua River Bridge to Maine.  I am generally not a fan of driving on interstate highways when on a road trip because I feel like you lose that whole sense of connecting to the places that you pass through when you are driving 65 mph for hours and hours.  However, in this case we had left later than we had planned (as usual, hahaha) and were trying to get to Ogunquit with plenty of daylight ahead of us. 

As Priscilla made her way up I-95 Joey told me to take exit 7 which was 2 exits ahead.  I could see the bridge on the horizon and realized that exit 7 was the last exit before the bridge.  I put Priscilla’s turn signal on and prepared to ease off of the highway when to my surprise there were barricades blocking the exit!  As we drove past where we were supposed to get off the highway I could see that a cement mixing truck had apparently miscalculated his speed and had overturned…  Frustrated that I could not exit and pissed off that we would most likely have to pay another toll to cross the bridge and then again to come back so we could exit, I began bitching and complaining to Joe like he had could have anticipated this detour and somehow prevented it.

After a few minutes of raised voices while we drove across the bridge and trying to figure out the best way to turn Priscilla around, we both suddenly realized that we in fact did not pass the exit we were supposed to take but rather we had left the State of New Hampshire and crossed into Maine and the exit numbers had started over again from number one. With only six more to go, we both breathed a sigh of relief simultaneously, first that there would be no toll to pay in order to cross the bridge and secondly that we had not passed the needed exit to continue toward Ogunquit.  After a few moments to regain our bearings we both started to laugh at our own stupidity or as Joey pointed out, MY own stupidity…

As we pressed on, we both commented about how Maine smelled different, seemed different. We couldn’t put our finger on exactly why we felt this way, just that we did.  We glided down exit 7 toward York and Ogunquit as the weather transitioned into a bright and sunny fall day.  Like everything about our road trip to date we had not originally planned to visit Ogunquit, but at the suggestion of a friend, we had decided to alter our timeline and route to fit it in. 

From the moment Priscilla drove into town we both knew that we were about to experience something “special”.  The Quaint B&B’s, shops and restaurants that lined the main street were all decked out in Halloween and fall decorations with people walking and shopping.  We made our way through the narrow street looking for a place for Priscilla to rest and then decided to turn around and park at Maine Street Video Lounge where our friend Steve was working and waiting for us to arrive.  I resisted the urge to blow Priscilla’s two huge trumpet horns as we made our way back and was relieved when I spotted a space long enough for me to pull in right in front.   Priscilla groaned to a stop and I shut down the engine.