The Best of Both Worlds

After a bout of laryngitis this week, I wanted to keep it low-key this weekend. This, naturally, led me to the coast on a sunny, 70 degree day to soak up the sun on the beach.

Driving on the highway that closely hugs the shore is a surreal experience at times. With the windows rolled down, awesome tunes on the radio, and the great expanse of the ocean before me, I couldn't have a care in the world. It is in these moments that this adventure becomes so real; that the distance between my old life and my new life is put into perspective.

The beaches were packed with surfers, sand castle builders, and kite fliers. I have learned from experience it is wise to go north to Maine to avoid the crowds. North I went, stopping at York Beach to sit on the rocks and watch the waves crash in.

After dipping my feet in the cool salt water and walking the beach a bit, I kept going north to the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge in Wells, Maine. With over 50 miles of coastline and about 9,100 acres of woods and marshland, the area is named for the world-renowned marine biologist and environmentalist who happens to be one of my heroes. Known by most for her pivotal book Silent Spring, Carson argued the biological implications on humans of pesticide use in the post World War II ear. A victim to cancer herself, Carson died in 1964. This refuge, which served as a source of inspiration in her younger years, was renamed in her honor in 1969.

The one mile path led me through a small portion of the refuge and had overlook areas with gaping views of the marshland. It struck me about halfway through what an amazing place it truly is. I was submersed in the woods but all the while I could hear the ocean in the distance. How many places can you go and watch a wild turkey strut through the woods and listen to waves crashing onto the shore at the same time?