Friend in Portland Maine

[Deleted member 21367]

Hi, my name's Joe. I used to ride trains and hitchhike around the West Coast a little bit. Somehow I wound up in Portland, Maine. Now that it's spring I'm wondering if many travelers pass through here. I saw a few last summer but there don't seem to be a whole lot. I'm not planning on being in motion any time soon, but if any one is passing through and wants to hang out and busk in the old port I could really use some friends who just want to live simply and hang out outside. There are some great forests around here I could show you, we could buy some beers and hey pots legal here now so i got you for a smoke if that's your thing. Safe travels.

 

[nobrains]

In my experience not that many people get all the way out to ME, but from the ones that do they say it's nice. My road dog and I tried last year cos we wanted to see Stephen King's house but we got sidetracked by Boston, and eventually winter came and we said fuck it. It definitely left a bitter taste of failure in my mouth. Maine's on the list.

 

[roughdraft]

i love it up there man, the offer is a good one

 

[AAAutin]

I. met an old tramp down in Georgia who swore by Maine—said it was his favorite spot in the country and that he planned to retire from the life there.

I should hit Portland sometime this summer; if you're still there, I'll be sure to hit you up.

 

[Dorkimus Prime]

I was wondering about Maine myself. Right now I'm trying to head to north Dakota but Maine was a consideration. Even though main is farther from the pole it's overall cooler. I hate the heat and I don't plan on going back south once I leave. I want to get out by June if possible.

 

[sd40chef]

What's in north Dakota other than small honkies towns and beets and other crops? Maine seems way more appealing to me but I suppose it depends on your interests.

 

[Dorkimus Prime]

What's in north Dakota other than small honkies towns and beets and other crops? Maine seems way more appealing to me but I suppose it depends on your interests.

Cool weather North Dakato also has more large cities than Maine and more job opportunities. I'm considering areas that have the mildest summers and more jobs. Maine is overall the coolest state but it's nothing but small towns and cities. Even Portland is microscopic compared to most other major cities.

On the plus Maine has more woodlands so I can camp out during the summer. ND is mostly flat dry terrain. I also looked into Washington state but I'll say I'm afraid to go there because I've never been there and I don't know my way around the West coast. I'm right at home on the east coast though.

 

[sd40chef]

Cool weather North Dakato also has more large cities than Maine and more job opportunities. I'm considering areas that have the mildest summers and more jobs. Maine is overall the coolest state but it's nothing but small towns and cities. Even Portland is microscopic compared to most other major cities.

On the plus Maine has more woodlands so I can camp out during the summer. ND is mostly flat dry terrain. I also looked into Washington state but I'll say I'm afraid to go there because I've never been there and I don't know my way around the West coast. I'm right at home on the east coast though.

Fair enough if you want work I suppose its a good place from what I hear. Although what big cities in nd? Fargo...minot...Bismarck. Not too big and I never been to minot or Bismarck but Fargo suuuuckkkedddd in my honest opinion. Nothing happening. Also since its so far inland it gets damn hot in the summer no? Better in Oregon California Washington new England new York I think. In Canada winnipeg gets hot as the sun and is one of the biggest temperature changing cities in the world. -40 celsius in January to plus 40 in july. Whereas Vancouver or Halifax might be around freezing in the winter and mid twenties in the summer. I suggest don't be afraid of somewhere you've never been...well be afraid but give it a shot! You will have a new experience and grow from it and true freedom is no fear! I wish u the best!! This is off topic too my bad....

 

[Dorkimus Prime]

Fair enough if you want work I suppose its a good place from what I hear. Although what big cities in nd? Fargo...minot...Bismarck. Not too big and I never been to minot or Bismarck but Fargo suuuuckkkedddd in my honest opinion. Nothing happening. Also since its so far inland it gets damn hot in the summer no? Better in Oregon California Washington new England new York I think. In Canada winnipeg gets hot as the sun and is one of the biggest temperature changing cities in the world. -40 celsius in January to plus 40 in july. Whereas Vancouver or Halifax might be around freezing in the winter and mid twenties in the summer. Anyway I wish u the best and this is off topic to this thread.

I was looking mainly at Grand Forks. It's a small college city. Bismarck was my next in line. I'm in Florida now and pretty much anywhere is cooler than Florida during the summer. If I can find someone on this site who knows there way around Portland especially the wooded areas then that might put Maine back in my sites.

Worst case scenario I get stuck outdoors in Florida for summer I'm going to St. Augustine or Jax beach. I really don't want it to come to that. I just ran out of work so I might try to hustle up some money at Jax beach for a bus ticket. Hitching up 95 can be painfully slow and I don't want to be stuck on a onramp for weeks.

 

[sd40chef]

I was looking mainly at Grand Forks. It's a small college city. Bismarck was my next in line. I'm in Florida now and pretty much anywhere is cooler than Florida during the summer. If I can find someone on this site who knows there way around Portland especially the wooded areas then that might put Maine back in my sites.

Worst case scenario I get stuck outdoors in Florida for summer I'm going to St. Augustine or Jax beach. I really don't want it to come to that. I just ran out of work so I might try to hustle up some money at Jax beach for a bus ticket. Hitching up 95 can be painfully slow and I don't want to be stuck on a onramp for weeks.

Grand forks was a lot better atmosphere for me than Fargo. Godspeed. Maybe this friendly dude who started the thread will show u around Portland???

 

[Deleted member 21367]

I. met an old tramp down in Georgia who swore by Maine—said it was his favorite spot in the country and that he planned to retire from the life there.

I should hit Portland sometime this summer; if you're still there, I'll be sure to hit you up.

Yeah i think I might end up 'retiring' (I'm only 28) and buying some land here, its relatively cheap once you get away from town. Looking back on some threads it looks like there used to be a kind of farm punk co op around here, I'd like to get something like that going again. Let me know when you're here!

 

[Deleted member 21367]

I was wondering about Maine myself. Right now I'm trying to head to north Dakota but Maine was a consideration. Even though main is farther from the pole it's overall cooler. I hate the heat and I don't plan on going back south once I leave. I want to get out by June if possible.

No joke about the cold, this past one was the most brutal winter of my life. I can only Imagine what Alaska would be like for the winter.

 

[Deleted member 21367]

Cool weather North Dakato also has more large cities than Maine and more job opportunities. I'm considering areas that have the mildest summers and more jobs. Maine is overall the coolest state but it's nothing but small towns and cities. Even Portland is microscopic compared to most other major cities.

On the plus Maine has more woodlands so I can camp out during the summer. ND is mostly flat dry terrain. I also looked into Washington state but I'll say I'm afraid to go there because I've never been there and I don't know my way around the West coast. I'm right at home on the east coast though.

Maine is tough to find employment but if for some reason you want to do social work there are a lot of positions available. Mostly special ed and work with home bums.

 

[Deleted member 21367]

In my experience not that many people get all the way out to ME, but from the ones that do they say it's nice. My road dog and I tried last year cos we wanted to see Stephen King's house but we got sidetracked by Boston, and eventually winter came and we said fuck it. It definitely left a bitter taste of failure in my mouth. Maine's on the list.

His house is exactly as creepy as you'd expect. He bought the house next door and built a tunnel between them, turned it into his library. He's an awesome guy from what I hear, gives a lot of money to good causes in maine. My friends sister was very sick as a child and wouldn't have survived If Stephen King hadn't paid for all her hospital bills. He didn't even know their family.

 

[Deleted member 21367]

I was looking mainly at Grand Forks. It's a small college city. Bismarck was my next in line. I'm in Florida now and pretty much anywhere is cooler than Florida during the summer. If I can find someone on this site who knows there way around Portland especially the wooded areas then that might put Maine back in my sites.

Worst case scenario I get stuck outdoors in Florida for summer I'm going to St. Augustine or Jax beach. I really don't want it to come to that. I just ran out of work so I might try to hustle up some money at Jax beach for a bus ticket. Hitching up 95 can be painfully slow and I don't want to be stuck on a onramp for weeks.

If you make it out here I'm happy to show you around! there's plenty of woods to make a little camp in. There's plenty of resources you won't starve, and with all the tourists passing through in the summer you can make bank if you're a decent spanger/busker. One thing I like is there's very few police. The bayside neighborhood can be kind of out of control with people robbing eachother but I've never gotten harassed by police busking or drinking.

 

[Dorkimus Prime]

If you make it out here I'm happy to show you around! there's plenty of woods to make a little camp in. There's plenty of resources you won't starve, and with all the tourists passing through in the summer you can make bank if you're a decent spanger/busker. One thing I like is there's very few police. The bayside neighborhood can be kind of out of control with people robbing eachother but I've never gotten harassed by police busking or drinking.

I appreciate it. I'm still leaning towards Grand Forks but it depends on who is heading what direction. I just picked up a gig for this week so I'll probably head that way towards mid June because I get a full month of food stamps then. I certainly don't want to hang around here any longer than that. I don't spange but I will fly a sign if I can't find any work.

 

[salxtina]

I might be out that way sometime next month...

 

[Deleted member 21367]

I might be out that way sometime next month...

Let me know if/when you get here! Summer is a great time to be here.