Believe it or not but one of the most gratifying things over this weekend was watching other campers. This park is one of the most visited in the state for its beautiful surroundings and lake setting, yet at times we were people watching like it was a terminal at Logan Airport. First observation, it was about 70% people from Massachusetts, 20% New York and 10% Maine. This could have just been the case in our little cove and by no means are we saying this was a bad thing. We try to treat our state like tourists (appreciative ones) so why not walk among them now and then. Plus, it’s fun to give nearby recommendations! The biggest observation, no matter where they came from was humans interacting with humans. Maybe it’s because larger parties seem to camp here and there are families everywhere, but we saw lots of people sitting around and talking. Not just around the campfire either; both of us kept saying how wonderful it was to see groups playing cards at a picnic table or eating meals with nothing to distract them. It’s sad that this kind of behavior now stands out. We are not looking to dwell on the negative, it’s just a simple, but sweet observation. 

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A lot of people were surprised when we told them that we hadn’t camped at Sebago Lake State Park before. We have been to the day use area countless times over the years, even Eloise has a number of day visits under her belt but there was never a need to camp at this park. We had just assumed it was more of the same; which is really nice but we live so close and already spend a lot of time on the lake at our family cottage in Casco. We have boated on Sebago Lake many times over the years and also went to college together at St. Joseph’s College which is on the lake as well. But to our surprise the campground is a different animal. First off, we didn’t even know that there was a separate entrance for the campground. Keep right, drive past the day use entrance and over the Songo River. We’ve boated through the Songo Locks but this was our fist time driving over the manual bridge.

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The check-in process and having some family visit was another story. We’ve gone back and forth about this for a couple weeks as we discussed what to write, and in the end, we always roll with honesty. To be frank, the 3-4 interactions we had with park staff on this trip weren’t great. Now there are a lot of reasons why this could have been the case but at the end of the day, park staff are often the highlight of our trips, so this was disappointing. It was clear that this staff has to shoulder a lot more here so we can’t imagine the added stress. We aren’t going to single people out or go into detail about the minor issues but it was certainly a different atmosphere here and the tone was unlike any of the 8 previous family campgrounds we’ve stayed at. Within the first 24 hours, you realize more and more how this park must be very hard to manage because of how large it is, but maybe just know your crowd better and work on that delivery. 

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Any little issues we had were erased the second we saw our site, #5. Though we weren’t knocking down the door to stay here, we knew that if we wanted a prime site we needed to be at our computer the second reservations went live back in February. Multiple people questioned about how we got this site and we just flat out told them what we are telling you. Know where you want to go, do your homework on the best sites and then be ready to roll when the time comes. Also, make sure not to have any morning work meetings scheduled on these particular days. If it wasn’t for this site, we wouldn’t have been able to stay for the weekend. We were camping with a 2.5 year old and a 2 month old during the hottest 2 days of the summer (record setting). This site was not only beautiful with water access, it had the breeze Sebago can be famous for; which was essential this weekend. On the water it felt like 70ish degrees, our site felt 80ish with a nice wind and by the bathrooms, it was a sweltering 95. If our site was 50 yards inland, we probably would have had to pack up and ship out. It would have been too hot for the baby, and even Eloise. But not only did it work out in the end, it was probably more comfortable here riding out the heatwave than in our oven of a house, back home. Because of this stunning site, we swam for breakfast, lunch and dinner. So obviously the rating on this park has a lot to do with site you land. Though the campground beaches were more than great, there is nothing better than having our own VIP entrance. We would try to reserve sites 3, 4, 5 or 6 if we ever camped here again.

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Back to camping with a 2 month old. We tried to listen to our own advice of Lessons Learned #2, but this was quite a jump from when we started camping with Eloise at 6 months. We have never flown in a plane with our children, but we all know that look people give you as you walk the aisle with your baby in tow. Well, we got that look a lot over the weekend but we also got a lot of people coming over and sharing how they did the same thing 20 years ago; which was really wonderful to hear. One thing we have also learned with both kids is that when a newborn has a full head of hair, it’s the best icebreaker into a conversation with strangers. “Look at all that hair, so…” 

Staying true to transparency, we almost retreated from the front lines a couple times, but one particular moment stands out the most. As a newborn, Adeline still hasn’t really developed a routine so of course on our first night, she had a major inconsolable meltdown right around dusk. Being that the entire campground is sites really on top of one another, this was less than ideal for us and our neighbors. If you have ever held a baby that is “purple crying” you often question why people even have children in the first place. This is normally done in a nursery or other controlled environment, not a campsite. So as you can imagine, this was our “what the f*** are we doing” moment. But like most bad storms in the summer, they come in fast and they leave fast. This one left no major destruction, and after a quick car ride, we settled in and had a wonderful evening. Night #2 went much smoother and in the end she really only had one major freakout over the 48 hours; which was less than what we were averaging at home at this time. 

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This weekend was a lot to take on at this stage but there were several times in which all the extra work was worth it. Sunset swims, beers in the sun, wine and cheese by the fire, conversations with ducks, both kids sleeping well through the nights, firefly encounters, family walks, a bald eagle and for the first time in months…adult conversations. It just felt really nice to be camping for the first time, all together and after a whirlwind 2 months. 

Key things to know about this place:

• Dogs aren’t allowed in any fashion; which caused some hiccups in our plans and forced us to run back and forth to the Ruby Cottage which was 10 minutes away and where Baxter was staying. We did take advantage of the cottage A/C on both days, with dinner there one evening and lunch and naptime the next.
• There is a lot of day drinking but when the lights went out, they really went out and the place was very quiet at night. Similar to St. Patty’s Day. 
• There is an incredible outdoor amphitheater that plays movies twice a week! 
• They have a Nature Center and library. 
• All the bathrooms and washing stations seem to be well placed and quite legit. 
• People bring their boats, anchor them and tie them to trees or bushes on the shore. This is a not a great system but made for wonderful entertainment. Especially at the end of the day when passengers had sea/Bud Light legs. 
• The swimming is amazing and the views are breathtaking.
• Ducks Unlimited!
• The campsites are grouped together almost like a pair of lungs, with one lung of campsites having electric and water hookups and the other lung without. We were in the one without so as you can imagine the other side had more RVs and such. 
• It is so popular that when booking your reservation in February, there is a 4 night minimum; compared to 2 nights at the other parks. Plus this campground reservation opens days before any of the others. They do 2 separate launches; here and then everyone else. 
• Windham is less than 20 minutes away if you need to escape bad weather for a bit or are missing Walmart. 
• Whatever you do, avoid the IGA in Naples if you are prone to anxiety attacks. It has good pizza and nice variety, but it’s so crowded.
• Kids are welcomed and so are their bikes. 
• If you drive by The Good Life Market on Rt.302 stop in. It can be a tourist trap but it is worth being trapped in. We love this place and everything in it, just bring $$$.
• There are hiking trails but it was way too hot for that when we were here. It was a swimming only weekend and Sebago is perfect for that. 

The place is wonderful but it’s like a state park on steroids, a bit too much at times. We get why people come from all over and why they seem to stay for 6-7 days at a time. Just for us at this point in our lives, it’s not somewhere we will be returning to very soon; especially when we compare it to some of the other places we have stayed. Maybe when the girls are a bit older it would make more sense so they can ride their bikes, go watch a movie or venture off with friends. Again, a really special place and we rated it really high (9 Rubies) but just because most people would love a sports car, doesn’t mean that its the right vehicle for everyone. With a continued increases in attendance and the extremely high demand, they won’t miss us over the next handful of years. But if you decide to go, book our site #5 (or 3, 4, 6) and pack your swim suit!