September '07 - Page 2

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Sunday, Sept. 09

Back on US soil, we drove a few miles south to see the West Quoddy lighthouse. This one is striped red and white; the east lighthouse has a red and white St. George cross on it.   The West is still a working lighthouse, but it was not open for a visit for another hour when we were there, so we decided not to stay.  Where we stood was a plaque explaining that this was the easternmost point in the US.  If you’ve seen the film “Pete’s Dragon”, you would remember “Passamaquoddy” and the Quoddy lighthouse. 

 Pictures taken along the way...

It was overcast and foggy, so we drove to see what we could see that way – in and out of Hwy 1, on the 191, 187 and 186 loops.  All very rough coastlines with beautiful scenes, but poor visibility because of fog and then rain; lovely small fishing villages with older and well-maintained, interesting homes. We spent the night in Corea, Maine, behind a line of trees in a parking lot once belonging to the US Wildlife Service. Rained all night.

Monday, Sept. 10

The radio this morning said “rain and cool for the next two days”, so we set on a driving day again today. We traveled a scenic road around Schoodic point.  It's part of the Arcadia National Park, one peninsula north; saw several small fishing towns, the rugged coast, especially at the point, and many eider ducks (salt water ducks that have the eider down used in pillows and some cold weather clothing). At the point, black basalt stripes appeared amongst the rocks.  Further down the road in Gouldsboro, we saw the falls that empty fresh water in the river into the estuary. This is one of last rivers that Atlantic salmon spawn in; most Atlantic salmon bought in stores is farm-raised.  We really enjoyed this drive; met others that claimed it was better than Arcadia!

In Ellsworth, we took Hwy 3 down to Acadia National Park (we can’t help stopping at National Parks, as you well know if you read our 2005 journal). Just short of Bar Harbor, we stopped for a Fish and Chips dinner, but here it is fried haddock, and LOTS of it! Both of us enjoyed the dinner very much, and finished it by sharing an order of warm blueberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream!

In one public restroom, Ed saw something funny.  You know how the swing door of the toilets in these rooms is hinged on supports that go from the floor  to a height above the top of the door, making the shape of an “H”.  Stamped on the door hinge was a line drawing of this “H”, with the words "Hiney Hider"!

We settled in the Blackwoods campground in the National Park, then took the bus back to Bar Harbor to see the sights (tourist shops).

A beautiful log house being built with waterfront view.

Another view along the way.

Tuesday, Sept. 11

Again raining. We spent some time at the Visitor center at the park (usual great video and displays, but no bumper stickers!), and then decided to do some miles today.  We passed through some interesting country.  At Bucksport there is a new bridge that is very modern in design and has an observation deck on top of one of the bridge towers!  We enjoyed the fried haddock so much the day before that we had it again in a mom-and-pop restaurant.

We drove until we came to Freeport, the home of L.L.Bean.  Since the store is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, we stopped.  We found that everything in the store was at retail price, but we found the outlet store about a mile away and did some shopping there; then stayed in their parking lot overnight.

Wednesday, Sept. 12

On our way out from Freeport, we stopped at a Visitor Center, and the man gave us good advice on what to see, including several lighthouses close by. Across the street from the Visitor Center was the corporate offices of DeLorme, the map people.  There was a very big revolving globe outside inside the building, as well as a very interesting gift shop.  

We went into Portland on I295, crossed through the city, and stopped at a display showing the location of the WWII “Victory” ship factory.  From 1941 to 1945, the South Portland coast along Casco Bay was radically transformed to accommodate two bustling shipyards responsible for building cargo vessels during World War II.  Click here for more information.  These ships were welded instead of riveted, and were quickly built for transport purposes during the war.  Here, and further along the coast were also dockyards and several lighthouses.

Portland Head light and Cape Elizabeth Light.

Portland Breakwater (Bug) Light and Spring Point Ledge Light.

We passed through Old Orchard Beach.  Ed remembers coming here with his family when it was quite small.  Now there are many condos and businesses.  The Pier is still there, and the sandy beaches are as Ed remembered them: big, long, and wide. 

Further down the coast we drove through some fancy neighborhoods in the town of Kennebunk.  We stopped at Goose Rocks Beach hoping we could spend the night there next to the water.  Here, the beach was like that at Old Orchard – wide and long, but it was not commercialized.  We asked a resident, but he said the police would not allow parking overnight.  On we went, and drove until after dark trying to find a parking space.  At Wells Beach, we decided to give up and we found a commercial campground, and signed in.

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