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14 Tips For Planning Your Maine Working Vacation

Although, my work-cations mostly take place in Maine, these tips also apply to other work travel destinations. 

1.  Forward Your Mail. Find a place to forward your mail before you leave if you are working for an extended period of time. Don’t rely on family and friend to collect your mail. Have it forwarded.
2. Sign up for the US Postal Service’s Informed Delivery program. This is handy to have if you’re working remotely for a limited time and don’t need your mail but still want to monitor the mail you receive.
3. Set up as many online bill pay options as you can. This saves time and hassle. Admit it, you’ve been meaning to do this anyway.   
4. Pick a fun location. For me, working from a cool/unusual/alternative location is empowering. What is the point of going to a unique location if you do the chain hotel thing? If you have the option of picking your venue, pick somewhere memorable.
5. Be  prepared with more than your smartphone. Maine has many remote areas. Relying on your smartphone’s Internet access could put you in a bad situation. You may end of off-grid and not realize it. Take a few old school maps and some printed directions. It’s a good idea to take phone screen shots of important info on your phone if there’s a concern that you may lose connectivity at some point on your trip.
6. Amazon Prime. This is a life-saver for me.  Where we’re at in Maine, there are local stores nearby but it’s about an hour drive to the nearest Walmart. An hour doesn’t sound that long. However,  it’s 1 hour to drive to Walmart plus 1 hour to drive back back. Also, factor in shopping time and the cost of gasoline.  Instead, let Amazon deliver packaged goods directly to your cabin or cottage.  The delivery times may be longer than the 1-2 days in metropolitan areas. However, it’s still a great shopping option if you plan ahead. 
7. Research your area ahead of time. Don’t assume that you’ll have access to the same kinds of stores, restaurants and amenities commonly found in suburban areas. For example, our town has a supermarket. No big deal, right? I’ve since found out that all of our surrounding towns have no such grocery store. Most of them drive to our store to shop. You want to know what is available in your vicinity before you make the trip.
8. Bring or pre-ship your favorite foods. Again, don’t rely on the local supply, especially if you are particular about brands. 
9. Check Maine weather conditions. Have a plan if you experience severe weather. Everyone knows about Maine winters. However, even in Fall wind storms can knock out power for extended periods of time. No power means no Internet, no charging your electronics, no electric heat, etc. Emera of Maine has a web page devoted to power outages here.
10. If traveling with others, select a location where your guests can explore while you work. If you provide the only means of transportation and there’s nothing to do close by, it will not be a relaxing trip for anyone.
11. Internet Cafes. If you need really strong fast Internet for work, look for Internet cafes close by. Many hotels, rental houses and AirBnb’s offer wireless Internet but there’s often no distinction between intermittently functional and stellar connectivity.  However, an Internet cafe’s main purpose is to provide reliable bandwidth. Make sure you know where one is.
12. Check cell coverage.  You may have the best coverage where you live but things change region to region. Check out a site like Dead Cell Zones to find out how your cell phone is likely to function at your destination. FYI, US Cellular is commonly used throughout the state of Maine.  
13. Designate a work space separate from your living area. This is especially important when traveling with companions. It helps keep the stress level down for you and your guests.