Massachusetts, Oregon, Alaska and
Colorado are some of the license plates I saw this weekend. If you hadn’t
guessed…Summer is here!
Driving on Sunday morning to Raymond, I
realized that I wasn’t the only one on the road. Sunday morning in the off season it is rare
to meet another car unless someone is heading to church. This past weekend,
traffic in both directions was slow and steady.
Local business owners are encouraged by
the influx of people from away. Hannaford-to-go had one employee filling orders
for six customers at once. Business is good.
There is a catch-22 with summer
visitors. We love to have them here, but when we need to rush to the store for
a gallon of milk at 5 p.m. on a Friday, we aren’t thankful they are here.
Traffic is backed up to River Road and just to get to the center of town can
take half-an-hour.
I remember as a child living in Wells in
the summer. They had the same issue there on Route 1. Route 1 was backed up
bumper to bumper. We sat in the car in our bathing suits with the windows
rolled down (we didn’t have air conditioning) waiting for a break in the
traffic. My parents liked to take us to the beach often. To get there they
would plan out a route that required as little time as possible on Route 1.
They would take all the back roads to not have to drive on Route 1. We’d get to
the beach with little hassle.
This is why I tell people to get off the
beaten path. If tourists stay on Route 302, they will see the stores, a lot of
traffic and signs trying to entice them to stop. Sebago Lake State Park, Point
Sebago, Maine Wildlife Park and Dundee Park are all off the main roads. Just
think what someone might miss.
All of a sudden summer has arrived. From
the traffic jams to the temperatures that have everyone running to the beach,
we have waited all year for this. Get out there and enjoy it because before you
know it, the stores will be stocking back to school items and the yellow buses
will be back on the road.
Happy summer!
-
Michelle Libby
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