Majestic Maine

After four nights on Prince Edward Island we returned through part of New Brunswick and were delighted to cross over into Calais, Maine and the good old USA. The long line of travelers behind our rigs facilitated our entry; the officer said that normally he would want to inspect our trailer. We immediately purchased fuel at a reasonable cost compared with Canadian prices and made our way to the first Campground USA RV Park we could find. These parks are not usually five-star quality, but they provide half-price rates to members. The next morning we planned to drive picturesque Coastal Route 1 all the way to Bar Harbor but ended up taking a shortcut; the 100-mile journey went quickly.
Bar Harbor is a well-known tourist town, filled with gift shops and wonderful restaurants famous for their fantastic seafood. Elegant yachts, sailboats, and a large schooner grace the quiet harbor. For the next few days, we mostly did our own thing, and Lloyd and Elaine did the same. They are huge fans of lobster and ate it daily. Our favorite simplistic meal consisted of two big containers of the most delectable clam chowder you can imagine along with a berry sweet roll. Carrying our meal to the local city park, we ate while seated in our folding chairs, and listened to live jazz music on a perfect, mosquito-free evening. Afterward we met Lloyd and Elaine by accident at a nearby ice cream parlor, where we sat outside and reflected on our day. Near Bar Harbor is famous Acadia National Park, one of the 10 most visited. It is known for its rich diversity and tranquility rather than for any one distinguishing geological feature. It is surrounded by water, which is much prettier in June, the month of our 2003 visit. Because the surrounding water drops toward late summer and leaves a lot of brown vegetation on the huge granite rocks, the park sacrifices much of its beauty, rich luster, and charm. We did take one long hike over a sometimes-rocky wooded trail that revealed Ship Harbor at a couple of points.

One of the highpoints of our visit was a walking two-hour tour of Bar Harbor with Lloyd, Elaine and our stylish, articulate guide. She has been coming to the area since she was a child and really knows her history. In the beginning, many famous wealthy families like the Fords and Morgans came to “Desert Island” (pronounced like dessert) to spend the hot summers. Soon they built elegant, mostly-frame mansions they called cottages. They called themselves “Rusticators,” as they preferred a rustic environment compared with manicured Newport, RI, where the “cottages” are more elaborate and made of rock and imported marble. Rusticators were mostly liberal Democrats--rich Republicans preferred Newport. We were told of the horrible fire of 1947 that obliterated much of Bar Harbor to include most of the mansions. However, some still remain as shown here in our photos.

Another day we drove to the small, much-photographed Bass Harbor Lighthouse. The quaint frontal view is clearly visible from the water, but unless one is on a boat, a memorable photo is impossible. Jerry made a valiant attempt to capture the best view by climbing (sometimes crawling) from the bank several feet onto some big rocks frequented by a couple of young artists, but the photo results were mediocre. These artists were trying to capture the rocky coast rather than the lighthouse they couldn't see well. They had to wonder, “What is this old man thinking?”

On our last day on the island, we retreated to the nearby town of Ellsworth with its elegant City Building. Our Tundra pickup needed a 5000-mile service; a quality repair shop seemed to reach out to us, and the price was right. We also did our laundry in a clean facility, had a great seafood lunch, and visited the best kitchen store we have even frequented. It was located in an old three-story mansion next to a scenic, tranquil river and was a better place to purchase gifts than glitzy Bar Harbor. Gloria had her hand x-rayed at a clinic that provided first-class service. The cracked bone was pronounced "completely healed” after a break on July 4 back in Madison, WI. The brace has been removed, but the hand is still sore and a bit swollen at times.

On our way to New Hampshire we passed by Augusta and visited the Capitol, which was closed on weekends. We did shoot some photos of the exterior and toured the historic State Museum located next to the capitol. Fortuitously, Saturday admission was free. There were many interesting exhibits, one being a big belt-driven saw similar to the one used in Jerry’s parents’ sawmill, which they operated near LaSal, Utah in the late 1920s.