First roadtrip in the new ND Miata!

After a year and a half hiatus from travel for reasons that need no further explanation, and with fresh vaccinations and a shiny new Miata, there was only one thing to do: roadtrip! We both like Maine a lot, and it's close enough to make it an easy day's drive, so off we went. Stayed at one of our usual spots on the coast and spent a week doing whatever we felt like doing. Among those activities is photography, so this is going to be mostly pictures (taken with a Fuji X100F - more on that later).

First, however, a quick word or two about our chariot. It's a 2021 Miata RF GT 6MT. It had just over a thousand miles on it when we set out, and we put another 850 on it over the course of the week. It was great - comfortable, engaging to drive, and just generally fun. Small? Sure, but we dealt with it. The cabin was no problem at all, but the trunk was as full as full could be; we mailed home the few things we bought. New, more efficient luggage will be required. We drove with the top open more than I expected to. I'm not really a convertible guy, but the cool, salty air and lilacs in full bloom made it irresistible when driving along the coast and around town. I'll talk a bit more about the car later on, but we both really enjoyed it.

Without further ado, photos:

A quintessential Maine beach scene (note the intrepid beachgoer at bottom right):

More beach, the first one we came to. Not the most exciting scenes perhaps, but after 18 months looking at the same things, it felt plenty exciting.

For those who haven't been, there are two kinds of beaches in Maine: those with rocks, and those that are rocks. Hyperbole aside, this one is actually quite sandy for the most part. That's a lobster boat in the upper left.

Tidal salt marshes are common. Here the town is built right up to the channel connecting the marsh to the sea. The beach above is to the left out of frame.

Ubiquitous but photo-shy gulls.

In Maine, if there's sand by the ocean, kids will play on it, and someone will sell lobster next to it.

More to follow.

Unsurprisingly, boats are everywhere. Many are fishing boats of various sorts, based in dozens of small harbors all along the coast. There are some pleasure boats, but fewer than you might expect in such a beautiful area; the short season may have something to do with it. These are all from Perkins Cove in Ogunquit.

Cape Porpoise is a little further up the coast, just past Kennebunkport, with the port out at the very end of the point. Nothing there but the pier and a couple of restaurants.

In spite of a lot of development, Portland still has an active fishing fleet. The old fish market building is a relic that sits amid a rapidly gentrifying downtown - I hope it never changes.

The Casco Bay ferries are ubiquitous in and around Portland, connecting the various island communities with the mainland. Sadly, the current schedule is more limited than normal, so we were not able to take the mailboat that covers the length of the bay on this trip.

While there are lots of active boats on the water every day, some have likely seen their last voyage.