June 25, 2023 This is our last day in OOB, so we want to make the most of it. We woke up at 7 AM to the sound of a diesel motor starting up directly behind us only to discover that the bus that came in late last night was leaving. Next to us, one of the 3 families from Quebec took off early this morning. One down….2 to go. We couldn’t have our usual Sunday breakfast because we were out of eggs, so unbeknownst to me, Bob walked across the street to Dunkin’ Donuts and picked up some breakfast items for us! What a guy and what a nice surprise! Around 9:00, another Quebec RV pulled out with grandma and grandpa. Two down…1 to go. Ooops! False alarm. They just moved their bus from one site to the one right next to us. Bummer! Meanwhile, the other Quebec family pulled out, so that leaves grandma and grandpa here by themselves. It was a partly sunny morning and the temp was in the 70s. There was no rain in the forecast, so it was a good day to head down to the beach and the pier. We left around 11:00 and our first stop was to check out a beach rental in Ocean Park that my friend, Terry and her husband Dennis, are renting for their usual 2-week vacation in July. It’s just down the road from us a few miles. We took the short drive to Ocean Park–a quaint little village near OOB, to check out my friend’s beach cottage. It was a cute little place with easy beach access via a short walk.
I walked up the stairs to get a look at the beach and there were a good number of people enjoying a nice beach day. The tide was out–far out. There was a lot of beach to enjoy!
There was a high ledge of sand above the sandy beach at the water’s edge. I noticed the tops of these fence posts sticking out of the sand. The sand must be covering up the rest of the stairs. It looked like some beach erosion was going on there.
From there, we took Seaside Ave. through the Ocean Park neighborhood to Grand Ave. which would take us to OOB and The Pier.
We drove around a little looking for some cheap parking. There were a lot of parking lots to choose from, but we only wanted to walk around for a couple of hours and not pay for all-day parking. On Mulligan St. we found a huge, pay-by-the-hour public parking lot that was only 5 short blocks from The Pier. We parked there and paid $3/hour for 2 hours. We decided to walk on The Pier so we could get a great view of the beach.
There were beachgoers everywhere enjoying the sun, sand, and water!
From the higher vantage point on the pier, we could see this lighthouse off in the distance. It might be Wood Island Lighthouse, but without a clearer view, I can’t be sure.
We walked along the pier checking out all the shops and eateries.
Not much has changed from what I remember from the last time we were here in 2018, but we were here in September then and the summer was definitely winding down. Things were quieter and there were fewer people at that time of year. When we first got to the beach, the Palace Playland was closed, but by the time we left, the carousel and the other amusement rides were operating. We walked up and down Old Orchard St. checking out the variety of shops and rested on a bench to do some people-watching.
The crowds had thinned out a little as we headed back to the Jeep. We took Highway 5 back towards the campground and stopped at Hannaford’s Grocery Store for sweet corn and potato salad for dinner. Our last stop was at the Lobster Claw just down the road from the campground.
We bought 2 live lobsters which they steamed for us in about 10 minutes. We spent $22 for two lobsters. Not bad!
We got back to the campground at 1:00. The campsites around us were empty, but they began filling up by 4:00. I shucked the corn and did a couple of loads of laundry while enjoying the sunshine and 80 degree temp outside with Auggie. Bob did his homework, preparing for our departure tomorrow by checking the route and finding an easy in-easy out cheap place for fuel. We enjoyed cocktails under the awning where we watched the campers arrive. Bob had to help the family with a motorhome next to us get positioned correctly on their site. He was having a heck of a time backing it in and lining it up so the slide-out wouldn’t hit the electrical box. He was open to suggestions and finally got it. They were renting the motorhome for their vacation and in a couple of years when he retires, he wants to buy one and travel the country. Life is good! Bob grilled the lobster tails and he picked the meat out of the claws to use in lobster rolls at a later time. Lobster dipped in butter, sweet corn, and potato salad. How much better can it get?
For dessert, we had to have one of those famous Whoopie Pies!
We have enjoyed our stay in OOB. We will be back here for 2 nights in mid-July on our way back south. We have been out now for a total of 40 days and still have 2 months to go with lots more fun and interesting places to visit. We will be up near Bar Harbor for 2 weeks over the 4th of July where Bob’s sister, Mary, and friend, John will join us in their 5th wheel. My brother, Randy, is flying in to join us for the last 3 days in Bar Harbor and then he’ll travel with us to our next destination before flying out of Portland, ME after staying a week with us. There’s lots to look forward to!