Luxury, Um, Camping?

Ok, so now I have you scratching your heads, right? Luxury camping? As in, camping out-of-doors in the wild Maine woods? Absolutely! Believe it or not, a good Maine camping trip is not to be overlooked. But, be advised! Not all campgrounds are created equal. And being particularly particular about my choice of campgrounds, I am not easily converted into a "happy camper".

However, this changed for me last year on August 6th weekend for my husband's 35th-ish birthday, we headed for the great Maine woods of Grafton Notch, right up against the New Hampshire border just outside of Bethel Maine.

So often, when trying to select a nice place to camp that offers:

• Privacy

• Clean bathrooms

• Clean anything

Compounded by beautiful scenery, easy access, and little to no crowds can be a daunting if not impossible task. I can honestly say "Eureka!" The weekend that we chose to camp in Newry just so happened to be at the tail end of a massive rain spell, and these campsites were situated pleasantly along a river. There was a flood advisory that night, but off we went with our pop-up in tote. (Yes, I love my pop-up complete with shower, fridge, furnace, linens and tablewear).

Now I'm not sure if we had the place to ourselves because of the recent flood warnings, because Grafton Notch Campground is fairly new, or if it's really just that good. We chose site 13 which offered plenty of space and a nice short walk to an exceptionally clean outhouse. We enjoyed the beautiful night with our red zin, a wonderful meal of steaks, corn, and potatoes cooked fireside, and strawberry shortcakes.

In the morning, I was greeted by cool breezes and warm sunshine. I decided to stroll the rest of the campground and was absolutely delighted at what I found. I guess its fair to say that words cannot describe how immaculately clean the bathrooms were, big huge private walk-in shower with WATER PRESSURE! Outlets, clean sinks, the smell of cedar, it was truly as nice as any home or hotel bathroom. All of the outhouses were spotless and well-maintained. Nestled in a tremendous gorge surrounded by the splendor of the Mahoosuc Range with the river running by, Grafton Notch Campground gets my absolute approval should you decide to try a different kind of luxury.

www.campgrafton.com