I recently had the honor of being invited to perform at a wedding in Orono, Maine, in which two of my former high school students were getting married. Knowing that RV park prices would be roughly half of what a hotel would cost, and needing a reason to do a test run with the Little Guy before the summer camping season began in earnest, I looked on the Campendium app (highly recommended!) for RV parks adjacent to Orono and stumbled across the Pumpkin Patch RV Resort in Hermon, Maine. Given that the online reviews were positive and the photos looked enticing, I went ahead and booked a two-night stay, thinking that I would go up there Thursday, do the wedding rehearsal on Friday, and then take the RV to the University of Maine campus on Saturday and park it there for the reception after the wedding so that I could drive home Saturday evening and thus be available to play a church service on Sunday morning (I happen to be a classical pianist of considerable skill, and I supplement my retirement income substituting for local church organists).

Before reporting on the Pumpkin Patch, however, I do feel it important to comment about the significance of being asked to play this wedding. Because I mean, who asks their high school music teacher to play their wedding? Who cares enough about a teacher they had in school a decade or more ago, after completing two college degrees, to even ask them to attend their wedding, let alone have an important part in the execution of it? I was beyond honored to be part of Kayla and Zach’s wedding (both of whom, incidentally, went on to careers in music) and I so appreciate the opportunity to contribute in such a meaningful way to their special day.

Anyway, all that aside, I found the Pumpkin Patch to be one of the best RV parks I have ever visited. On the one hand, yes, it is in many ways a standard RV park, with dozens of rigs parked side-by-side essentially in a field. However, never have I seen such impeccably manicured grounds! Here’s a view taken by the entrance drive:

I apologize for the annoying wires in the middle of the photo. If I had a newer iPhone I could edit them out, but….

Incidentally, that small white arbor in the distance was right beside my campsite and looks like this:

There are gardens here everywhere you look and the entire facility is immaculately manicured — including the roads! One would have absolutely no problem driving a big Class-A rig through here and in fact my Little Guy was one of only three RVs here with just one axle. The photo below gives you a general sense of the layout:

The staff here was super friendly and helpful, even providing someone in a golf cart to lead me from the office to my campsite once I registered. And on Saturday morning I enjoyed a full pancake breakfast in the Activity Center for only $7, presented (I learned later) because there was a group staying there and the management wanted to make them feel welcome! I will say, however, that I think a large part of the quiet surroundings I enjoyed here is due to the lack of a playground, swimming pool, or other kid-oriented amenities offered. This park is not advertised as a “55+” RV park, and I did see a few kids here and there — but children are certainly not catered to at this establishment and the management is very committed to enforcing decorum and quiet hours.

All of which made the Pumpkin Patch RV Resort in Hermon, Maine, an outstanding place to RV and one which I would not hesitate to recommend or to patronize again. And I am happy to report that the Little Guy performed admirably and is all ready for our next outing (a golf trip to Vermont with pal Steve) next week. Stay tuned!