A look at the weather forecast revealed cool and rainy days ahead in the area of Maine we were headed toward. We decided to stay where we were until Sunday.

Friday dawned as promised with a fairly light but constant rain. It seemed like a good day to get some indoor things accomplished. We started with the promised 25 cent showers at a nearby state campground. The showers were clean and private with plenty of hot water. A quarter got you 3 minutes so I splurged and went for the 6-minute shower for 50 cents. When you have access to daily showers, you really don’t appreciate it fully.

Time to find a coffee shop and then a laundromat. We found Frontside Coffee Roasters in North Conway and settled in with our usual half caffs. It was a busy place with a steady stream of customers despite the rain. They had a large menu in addition to very good coffee. Francis enjoyed his chocolate donut.

Right next to the coffee shop was a store called Positive Vibrations. A purse displayed in the window caught my eye so we went in. Happily, the purse was in my price range and made by a culturally conscious company called Global Girlfriend. Sold! The owner of the shop was very friendly and we spent some time trading travel stories. Meeting interesting, like-minded people is one of the best parts of our trips.

A quick trip to a nearby laundromat finished up our chores for the day, and we were ready for something to eat. The rain made the idea of cooking back at the campsite unappealing, so we started looking for a local restaurant. We drove around for a bit debating where to go before ending up at Via Roma Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria.

It was definitely the right choice. It was an interesting combination of Italian and Mediterranean food.  Friendly service, good food, and a relaxed, comfortable environment made it a very enjoyable experience. I will be doing a more detailed review soon when we add the reviews section to our website. Stay tuned.

Despite being greeted with a wet tent and soggy pillows when we returned to our campsite, it was a thoroughly enjoyable day.