This winter season seems to be neverending, and the grey, slushy streets of New York city have finally gotten to me. Though I have been pining for an escape to Miami. Or Mexico. Or St Lucia... I came across this story in T magazine about this glorious Wallace K Harrison-designed house in Maine.
And suddenly I'd rather be there, watching the snow fall over the Atlantic ocean.
The title of this post sounds worse than it actually is. PopTech, the annual conference in Maine that brings together thinkers and doers in the arts, education, science, media, technology, medicine, and politics, is a life-changing, inspiring event. However, on the Sunday morning that follows, one can't help but ask: What Am I Doing With My Life?
I missed the first day, and it's unfortunate. One of the people I really wanted to hear speak is John Fetterman, the courageous and innovative mayor who is revitalizing the depressed city of Braddock, PA. Here is the PopTech post about his talk, and another post from Sharon Glassman at HuffPo.
So, enter Day 2. The theme of the day was thinking differently, of shifting our mindsets; which, honestly, is the overarching theme of PopTech anyway. But, the speakers who were first up on Thursday asked the audience to change they way we relate to technology and think about the natural world. Here are the highlights:
Michael Pollan and Dean Ornish, on why we should learn how to cook, eat food that our great grandmothers would recognize, and make sustainable choices; Alec Ross, the determined senior advisor for innovation in the State Department who makes me hopeful; Will Allen, who alongside John Fetterman, is truly an American hero; the ridiculously brilliant Neri Oxman, and Mark O’Connor, who brought tears to my eyes with his unbelievable talent.
This post is about a different kind of travel - armchair travel, if you will; the kind of travel that is all about where your mind can take you.
Every October the town of Camden, ME. is host to the mind-expanding conference Pop!Tech. It's the perfect time of year for deep thought, it seems; the crisp air keeps you alert (and when you begin to fade, the chill forces you to run for a cup of warm caffeine) and coastal Maine is the perfect backdrop for dreaming/pondering/reflecting, or at least sorting out all the ideas you've tried to cram into your head for three days.
I missed much of the conference this year due to illness and work-related activities, sorry not to have caught such lumineries as Will Wright, Richard Dawkins, Tom Friedman or the Yes Men... but the few presentations I did see were as powerful and thought provoking as ever. Chris Anderson on the economies of scarcity and abundance; Tom Barnett, who always puts the political landscape into sharp perspective for me; hilarious and refreshing Kent Nichols, proving Chris Anderson's point that the world of media distribution has changed forever (as if anyone had any doubt); and Alex Steffan's passion to change the world. Alex, who closed Day One with one of the most powerful presentations I have ever heard simply because everything he said was accessible and clear, and everyone got it ("wows" were heard all around me), has a book that will launch next week called World Changing: A Users Guide for the 21st Century and you can buy it here...
Travel Notes: The Inn at Ocean's Edge, located 5 miles from the center of Camden, is worth the short drive for spectacular ocean views and superior comfort. This year while my mind was on overdrive, my body got to rest at their Ducktrap property, 2 more miles up in Lincolnville Beach and somewhat off the beaten path. Ducktrap is a series of private (modern & luxurious) cabins and a main lodge that feel like a private camp, lacking other hospitality-style buildings or other people, for that matter. I stayed in the lodge, 7 private rooms surrounding a spatial community living area with a huge fireplace. The common area opens up to a large deck set with Adirondack chairs, overlooking the Atlantic ocean in the distance. Breakfast is served at the Inn but you can opt to have your breakfast delivered to your door at either property. Even at the remote-ish Ducktrap all the rooms have free wi-fi, which amazes me; I can't even get that at most hotels in Manhattan. The inn has an infinity pool and full service restaurant that was recently featured in Gourmet, and I was told by the innkeeper that by the time I return for next year's conference, a full spa will be up and running. My room rate for mid-October was $225/night.
Photo found on Flickr PopTech 2006
After what feels like months of an endless cold, dark day, the sunlight burst through my windows yesterday morning in Lincolnville Beach, ME. Pulling back the curtains revealed the rich jewel-toned colors of fall, the Atlantic ocean sparkling under the sun in the distance. I was in Maine for PopTech held in Camden, the next town over; a place where my dad and I were plotting to rent a house this past summer for a family vacation. It was a bittersweet trip, as I left Camden yesterday to be home in time for his memorial service. It was the most gorgeous day for a drive and I realized that I was exactly where I was supposed to be - traveling. Given the time and space to remember my dad on a perfect fall day, in a place he loved so much.
Camden, ME. If you want to have a perfect autumn experience, this is the place.
An hour's (+) drive north of Portland ME. on the Atlantic ocean, Camden is a small, funky-cool town with stately Victorian homes and great restaurants. I am here for Poptech a mind-blowing conference about technology and the future, about which I could wax ecstatic for pages.
Camden is an easy getaway for Northeasterners because it's driveable. There are numerous place to stay, but my two favorites are Norumbega, a gorgeous B&B within walking distance to town with clear ocean views. When you check out, you'll be tearing yourself away from the place it's so beautiful. Built in 1886 by Joseph Stearns who invented the telegraph, he was inspired by castles in Europe and incorporated some of his favorite castle elements into the architecture. Even if you don't get a room here, a drive-by is a must. On the other end of the lodging spectrum is Samoset Resort, an expansive, lodge-like resort in an incredible location with all the amenities (golf, tennis, fitness center, etc). The rooms are not luxurious - in fact, an upgrade is in order - but nothing can really compete with the view and it's very comfortable. Plus, it's across from a big old graveyard, completing the perfect picture of Autumn. I may have to travel back for Halloween.
