Spotted, Moose in Maine

Like I said, I definitely know where I get my “go, go go” mentality and attitude from now- my dad! After our failed fishing attempt and delicious lunch, my dad has another excursion lined up- a moose safari! This was booked through Northwoods Outfitters and was one of the best things we did all weekend! The safari was described as follows on their website:

Your personal moose safari will be led by an experienced and knowledgeable registered Maine Guide from the Staff of Northwoods Outfitters, Maine’s premier outdoor outfitter. Our guides have a passion for the Maine wilderness and are well rounded naturalists. In addition to seeing and learning about Moose and other wildlife, you will also learn some of the interesting history that makes the Moosehead Lake region truly unique.

After meeting at the outfitters, we piled into a van with one other couple and our guide. After 45 minutes we arrived at our destination, the far end of Moose Head Lake.

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It was absolutely gorgeous and the water was pristine. We were happy to see that the clouds seemed to be blowing away so that we’d be left with a perfect dusk.

We took the normal precautions and suited up in rain gear and life vests in case the elements didn’t act in our favor.

IMG_2941IMG_2944       I was so excited at this point that I was almost beside myself. I was singing “here moosy moosy moosy” and smiling with glee. I was about the check off one of the items on my bucket list- see a live moose!

Each couple piled into these

IMG_2946       with the handsome men steering the canoes from the stern and the IMG_2948  women paddling in the bow.

After about 20 minutes we stopped at our first destination where we learned about the local lake vegetation from our tour guide, Joe. He IMG_2950was standing on an island of floating vegetation! The coolest flower he showed us resembled a pitcher plant.

IMG_2949       After our botany lesson, we had a brief aviary lesson where we learned about loons.

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At this point, I started to get a bit antsy. We’d already been on the water for an hour and still no moose sighting. Joe mentioned that there was the possibility that a previous canoe group had scared them off due to noise levels. Excuse me? That would not be the case for this group as this was one of our main goals and adventures for the trip! Luckily we were all aligned that we were willing to stay out on the lake past our time and pay extra in hopes of seeing more animals and scenery. I love small groups who all think alike! 

Unfortunately, a few minutes later we encountered some animals we hadn’t expected or desired- MAINE BLACK FLIES. These devils were evil! The swarmed around like the gnats I left far behind in Savannah. We all started to look like this

DSC_0009       and my neck started to resemble a topography map of Mars. DSC_0011  Now more than ever I was determined to find a moose. I wasn’t suffering out here to learn about the local plants.  

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That’s when we saw it. Like a game of Where’s Waldo a new brown dot emerged from the woods. Unfortunately, it only stayed for a minute or so before it darted into the woods.

Our guide had the great idea to try paddling over to the other side where the moose headed when he went into the woods. Suddenly this was a game of hide and seek with three canoes!

As we turned around the island we not only found sun but we also found these cuties hiding out! We could tell that these were two female moose, also known as cows. The one on the right was older, probably around 10-12 years old based on the spotting and lighter coloration.

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      Hey good looking what ya got cooking?IMG_2976  IMG_2977     Really? I’m thirsty. Can’t you just let an old lady drink in peace? IMG_2978  Okay, if you won’t move then I will, hmmph!IMG_2980 IMG_2981    IMG_2985     IMG_2990    How do you like this view?     IMG_2995 IMG_2996   IMG_2999 

Great success! We sat silently in our canoes watching them for at least 10 minutes. They are so ugly they’re cute, they make noises similar to a horse, and actually move quite majestically.

Forget the horrid bug bites I’ve been fighting since Saturday or the bottle of Extra Strength Benadry that we’re half through. It was worth it! We had a blast and were finally able to see that the moose is not the next Lochness Monster. They do in fact exist- at least in Maine. The jury is still out as to whether Vermont’s road signs are false advertising. 😉

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My first awesome race pictures!

The North Face Endurance Race pictures are finally posted and they are AMAZING! I’m so excited by them that I seriously almost put all 9 in the “shopping cart.” The $11.95 price tag kept me from doing that but I’m definitely buying at least one!

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Do you buy race photos? How do you decide whether they are with the price?

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The calm after the ATV storm…

So after recovering from our ATV adventure it was time for a little relaxation before our dinner reservations.

IMG_2882How gorgeous is the view from the Blair Hill Inn? The owners actually bought the house 13 years ago after just seeing the view alone during a trip out east from Chicago! IMG_2878 IMG_2879I wish I had a wrap around porch like this back in NYC! It was amazing, especially the porch swing!IMG_2880 IMG_2881

The wicker flower baskets were throughout the front and back porch. The owner apologized as they aren’t in full bloom yet. Really? I think these look just dandy!

We had 8pm reservations at the Northern Pride Lodge so we hurried off again to ensure they wouldn’t give away our reservations.

IMG_2886  Yes, this is the sign that greeted us as we turned into the restaurant.We knew it would be an interesting experience!IMG_2887IMG_2888   IMG_2889    Meow, this greeted us when we walked through the door. Yikes!IMG_2901        Oh wait, there were more! By this point we were all a little over taken with the animal paraphernalia thought it was appropriate for the location.  Our Inn had suggested we enjoy dinner at the local hunting lodge. They kind owner seated us in the dining room and insisted that we take our time but let her know when we were ready. The menu looked great but it was a little weird that we were the ONLY people dining there that night. She insisted that we weren’t interrupting her evening and that others had dined earlier.

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Some of the highlights included me trying cantaloupe for the billionth time and actually enjoying it. Thanks mom for insisting again! Maybe it was the caramel and melted brie?

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Mom and I both tried their salmon which was okay but unfortunately not amazing. In fact, the salmon needed seasoning or a sauce.

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However, the guys definitely loved their dinners. Bo and Dad went with the house specials- ribeye and duck. They both ate their entire meal!

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Overall, this lodge reaffirm our belief that you can’t judge a restaurant by it’s exterior or interior.

The next morning we were greeted bright and early by homemade blueberry coffee cake and fresh fruit. Ruth and her husband certainly knew how to delight their guests with fresh breakfasts!

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My dad doesn’t really believe in vacations. He believes in work free super adventures. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him sit still. This meant that we weren’t going to stay still all weekend either. Our plans for Saturday included lake fishing and a guided canoe moose hunt.

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Fishing was not exactly our favorite activity. We all love the adventure and fun of deep sea fishing but loathe lake fishing. IMG_2911I IMG_2912think by the end of the first hour we were all ready to jump off the boat due to boredom. Finally during the second hour we started catching some fish.

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Four hours later we called it quits and returned to land for lunch which included the best scallops I’ve ever had!

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We found some friendly moose who didn’t mind giving us a hug and a place to sit for a minute to catch our breath.

IMG_2938  So clearly my dad needs to practice taking photos more often. The only one that shows the moose is the one where I’m yelling at Bo for hurting my back! IMG_2936 IMG_2937

Yes, this is what love is all about!

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