A tenting mom asks…

Last week in the e-mail box was a great note from T.C. of Canada…she has never been to this part of Maine before and had a few questions.  Her questions are probably ones others share so with her permission…I’m making the Q&A part of her e-mail public:

Could you please tell me if the beach is suitable for young children? Is the water cold in August?

It depends on how you define cold…the beach and the water are full of guests beginning in early July. Because we are at the head of the bay, our water tends to be more temperate. There are no mudflats to contend with, no undertow and only gentle waves.

There are no sharp drop-offs and when the tide is out it’s fun to walk along the ocean’s bottom searching for mermaid’s tears and other treasures.  It’s a great place to play in the tide pools and find sea stars, hermit crabs, silver fish and other non-threatening delights. 

In the afternoon usually there are waves enough to play on…when the weather’s shifting there can be large waves.  In the mornings and evenings the ocean is often as smooth as glass…this is the best time to watch for dolphins, seals and loons.

We have a Coleman tent that sleeps (supposedly but I find it hard to believe) 6.   Are the family tent sites walk-in? Yes & no.  The Shore’s is split down the middle by a stream The main tenting area is a walk in area and here you’ll find sites for families and others set aside for couples looking for more privacy…IMHO the nicest tent sites are in the walk in area…it’s quiet and old fashioned…no slamming car doors or headlights to contend with. There are garden carts to move your gear with and drinking water posts every couple of sites. If you need a bit of electricity, you always have access at the bathhouse or can leave a charger plugged in under the counter at the store. 

On main side of the campground there are traditional tent sites…ones with on-site parking and with w/e hook-ups or not.  We always ask the dimensions of your tent because they come in so many shapes and configurations that we want to be certain that your tent and the site are compatible…we have lots of trees and we have a large variety of sites to choose between.  The more specific you are about your idea of a perfect site, the better job I can do meeting your expectations.

Are there any issues with mosquitoes or black flies?

It depends on how wet the spring is but generally speaking we have no trouble whatsoever. We feed large numbers of birds, add dragonflies in the summer and have ocean breezes most of the time.

And the question that is most important: how far is the bathroom/ comfort station and are there flush toilets??   The bathroom with the flush toilets is about a 4 minute walk from the walk-in tent sites. There are also portable toilets in the tenting area…lovingly tended to by a company who trains their people that the principle job in the portable toilet world is cleaning…not emptying 😉

I also read on your website, that trailers are also available for rent. How much would it be for 5 days? 5 nights in a two bedroom trailer would be $700 including the site fee.

How far in advance are reservations for sites recommended?   It totally depends on how much choice you’d like to have…we ALWAYS have sites available somewhere in the campground.

Now here’s the open invitation…for all of you who have stayed here…particularly our tenters…please feel free to jump in and clarify, expound upon or differ with my answers…you know how much trouble perspective can create 😉