Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

More Moxie in Maine

Thursday September 5, 2013
#28, Moosehead Lake Family Campground
Greenville Maine

 

 

 

The weather has changed pretty abruptly. 

 

Low last night was only 41 and high today only 57.  No slow change to fall.  It’s like turning a page.  Last week was the end of summer and the next day it’s well into fall.  Hope that means it will hurry the leaves along since we will be leaving New England before we get to see the fall colors if it doesn’t.

I give up the moose hunt for the day.  I’m starting to believe this moose business here is merely a marketing campaign.  There can’t be three times as many moose here as people or they wouldn’t be so hard to stumble upon.

 

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But there’s nothing like a good waterfall to pick up your spirits from Moose Hunt Failure.  Even if you have to drive 16 miles down dirt roads to see it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are crawling along at about mile 13 when we come to Wally World.

 

Or at least that’s what the house on the left side of the road says.  The basketball hoop is right on the road.  The “rock garden” on the right of the road across from the house says Wally World, Squaretown, ME.   What is this place?  Do you know?  Even the great google didn’t know when I did a cursory request.   They have unusual places in Maine.
We later find there is a sign at the end of this road pointing the way to Wally World as if it were a tourist attraction.

 

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After the 16 miles of dirt roads we end up on a strip of pavement with a double yellow line. 

Apparently we are in Lake Moxie or at Lake Moxie.   I am just amazed.  Moxie is the Maine State Drink and now here is a Lake Moxie, a town named Lake Moxie and a waterfall named Moxie.  Apparently these all existed prior to the creation of the soft drink and its Maine creator may well have named his drink after them. 

There is a big sign welcoming us to Lake Moxie.  There are 7 mail boxes.  Lake Moxie has a garage and one of the last remaining outdoor pay phones in the country I bet.  How does this thing manage to just hang out during these Maine winters???

 

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They also apparently have a town dog who comes to greet everyone who stops by.

 

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Cute dog or not, we have to move on down the paved road which instantly curves out of town.  The road through the town turns to dirt again after the one block of pavement at the town park/boat launch on the lake and opposite the garage.

 

We arrive – MOXIE FALLS!

 

In a few wonderful paved road miles we arrive at the Moxie Falls Scenic Area and start down the trail to the falls.

 

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This is a lovely easy trail and in about a mile we begin hearing the sounds of a lot of water.

I have to say up front that Moxie Falls is drop dead gorgeous and these pictures do not do it justice.  The morning light on the beautiful water just made the pictures so washed out.  I would really like some suggestions about what to do about this since I take many of my pictures in the morning’s harsh sun.

 

 

The viewing platforms are set up perfectly for those who have never been here before. 

 

First they tease you with a great view of a long series of cascades.  We think this is the falls. After all, falls  means different things in different places and we’ve seen some really varied falls.   This cascade is just beautiful.   But the trail goes on.

 

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At the second platform we are at the top of the falls.  It is clear now that the previous view was just the lead up.

 

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I do love water and waterfalls.  Such a gorgeous setting.  Such a wonderful falls.

 

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The third platform is of course a front view of the falls.  I wish I could share the sound of the water tumbling over and crashing into the pool at the bottom, the sweet smell of the fresh moist air, the almost tactile feel of the energy it is giving off.  

We stay a long time watching the water.  It’s mesmerizing.  Is it the ions in the water falling so far down that make everyone happy.  I’ve never seen a frown at a waterfall.

 

 

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On the way back to the trail up we find some other vantage points and see the water tumbling over.

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It’s lunch time and we know the perfect place.

We stop again at Lake Moxie on our way back just before the second 16 mile dirt road drive.  They have picnic tables and local ducks in addition to the town dog.  Maybe he’s the mayor and they are the city council.

 

As always, the self portrait lunch photo.   The mayor is watching.  I know he is wondering about us.

 

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What a great picnic spot!  The lake is lovely and someone has a great home/cabin on the island off shore.

 

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The beauty really is in the details. 

While we are eating, I’m watching the town council and noticing the absolutely gorgeous details on the design of these female mallard ducks.  Have you ever looked closely at a mallard??  They aren’t just brown ducks with orange feet.

 

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I won’t belabor the point.  Just take a close look….at the details.

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And it is only just after one.  There’s an entire afternoon yet!

 

We leave Moxie Lake, the mayor and the town council and drive back over the one lane bridge, down the 16 miles of dirt road and consider it our great good fortune to have spent the morning this way.

 

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This is what we did in the morning on this great  first Thursday in September.   We had another whole adventure in the afternoon but this post is already past long enough.  Check back tomorrow to see about the Moose Ponds.

19 comments:

  1. I'm gonna have to check out Lake Moxie the next time we're in Maine... heck, I'm still carrying around a can of Moxie (the drink)... something like a cross between Dr. Pepper/CocaCola/cough syrup.... sure hope you find that moose soon!

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  2. The elusive moose. I finally saw one (up close) in Yellowstone.

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  3. Ducks and dog on a beautiful lake :) Waterfalls are Mother Nature's happy place!

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  4. The positive energy of waterfalls fills one with happiness. Love the town council in Moxie. Hopefully you found a Moxie Moose later.

    With that kind of light I think you almost have to take two photos, on different settings, on a tripod, and layer them.

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  5. I love waterfalls too. Have you ever gone to Watkins Glen NY? Just the most beautiful series of waterfalls I've ever seen. Beautiful walkways done by the CCC that I know David would love. As far as photos, I cheat on these, and use some post-photo editing software to correct the exposure. I am working on learning manual settings though.

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  6. I wonder why the moose are avoiding you, maybe they're afraid of hugs? :cD

    Those waterfalls are absolutely beautiful, I love to see them, they are so mesmerizing. You are right, I've never seen anyone frowning while watching waterfalls.

    Love those small town mayors! :c)

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  7. I love waterfalls of any sort, but these are really beautiful. Lovely photos of the mallard.

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  8. Beautiful waterfalls. We are always disappointed by how our photos of them turn out. Maybe it's because a big part of the experience of looking at waterfalls is the sound of the rushing water.

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  9. I remember when we lived in Nebraska. It would be warm for Labor Day week-end but that would be the last warm week-end of the year. Kind of funny isn't it? I hope our cool weather doesn't come as abruptly here. I'm enjoying it exactly as it is now.

    I remember Jeannie and Eldy wondering the same thing about the Moose last year. They never did find any.

    I have noticed the beauty of the female Mallard. They are beautiful.

    That's a lovely waterfall. I also have problems getting them to turn out as good in the picture as what I see. I might need some photo lessons.

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  10. The waterfalls are amazing! In one of the pictures, it looks like the water is curving as in a spiral. I love the sound of water too. It's so soothing. Love the first picture of the duck- perfect composition and she is a beauty. Of course, I have to comment on the handsome dog. Highs in the 50's? It's cool here in the morning and then warms up to the 80's. The cool evenings are nice but I am not finished with summer yet and don't want it to go away.
    XXXOOO

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  11. Another lovely blog - Wally World in Squaretown didn't lead me to anything either, except that Wally World has been known as a nickname for Walmart - for all those Mal-warts out there ;) The dog looks almost regal - wonder who he belongs to. The falls are gorgeous - I can't get enough of listening to the sounds and trying to visually follow the droplets from top to bottom - the colors are neat too. Nice duck pictures - I like the last one with the wing and foot stretched - very artful shot. High of 88 here - I think the tulip poplars are thinking about turning and some leaves are yellow already, but summer is definitely not gone! I can't even remember the last high of 57 - lol.

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  12. I assume that you didn't see a single person? I know that there are people who are completely content being isolated, but what about the winter at Moxie Lake? Again, I am thinking of my mother and grandparents living in the Blue Ridge Mountains where they'd wake up with snow on the quilts. So much beauty and so much isolation . . . hmmm . . .

    On a more concrete topic, thank you, Sherry, for helping us look at details. Actually, I didn't really need a pictures of the falls because your description was sufficient to take me there and I do love the mallard pictures. Our world is lovely.

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  13. oh, me too. I can sit by a waterfall and the fast flowing river over rocks for eons... now, that's where I love to camp when I camp. you are absolutely right on about the energy, the smells and nary a frown...

    Again! the photograph with the Mallard ? outstanding

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  14. Great waterfall. Looks like a nice little town where the mayor keeps a close eye on things.

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  15. Ahhhhhh...just the thought of waterfalls makes me relax. Bob and I both said the same thing about the waterfall - it looks just like some in Oregon. We hike to waterfalls everywhere we go. Your early picture of the cascades looks like Lombard St. in San Francisco! LOL.

    Our favorite places for waterfalls:
    1. The Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper in Alberta, Canada.
    2. Columbia River Gorge, Oregon
    3. Silver Falls State Park, Oregon
    4. Hwy 138 between Glide and Crater Lake, Oregon
    5. The Blue Mountains west of Sydney, Australia
    6. Southern Highlands, Australia
    7. Waterfall Way, Australia
    8. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
    9. Yosemite National Park, California
    10. Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington
    11. Ruby Falls, Chattanooga, TN
    12. Southern North Carolina
    13. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee/North Carolina
    14. Vancouver Island, British Columbia
    15. Yoho National Park, British Columbia

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  16. You do a fantastic job of showcasing the beauty in nature that surrounds us. Thank you for sharing your appreciation, it enhances my own. What a joy to be alive to be free, to be healthy and able to travel and explore. Life is better than just Good.

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  17. Heather SylvesterJuly 6, 2014 at 1:53 PM

    A friend of mine happened upon this blog and told me about it! I am the "Mayor of Moxie's" owner! He loves people and I am so glad he could greet you and make you feel welcome in our home! His name is Bullet and turned 2 years old this June, 2014. My husband grew up right here and we now reside next door to my IL's raising our son! This is a beautiful place in God's Country and an even better place to raise a young boy who loves the outdoors! For those who wonder about what it is like to live here year round, it is great! We are in no way isolated, though in order to live here, you must be willing to travel EVERYWHERE to get to places. We are located 30 miles (North and South) from the nearest grocery store (except for the winter months when we are only 20 miles across the dirt road which was talked about above). We are 50 miles from the nearest Walmart and Dunkin Donuts, 70 miles from the nearest Starbucks ;) The kids here attend school in Jackman, Maine, 30 miles North of us and we have a 4WD school bus so the kids can safely get to school in the winter months.
    If you are ever in Moxie again, please stop by and introduce yourselves, I am sure the mayor will welcome you once again ;)
    ~The Sylvester Family

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  18. I just came across your blog when I googled "Wally World Maine." We are from Texas but my husband's family has a camp at Pleasant Pond in Caratunk, ME. We've driven by "Wally World" several times over the years heading to Greenville from The Forks. We've always wondered if it was a camp or year round residence.

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