Sunset from Barter Island, Maine
I stayed two nights with my friends Ray and Candy spending the 4th at their summer home on Barter Island which is fairly close to Boothbay Harbor. Ray and I were fraternity brothers at the University of Rhode Island where we both attended during the early 60's. We restabilished contact about 20 years ago when I contacted Ray to repair a chimney in our home when we lived in Maine. Ray remembered my name when I called for service. We have been keeping in contact ever since then and manage to see each other a couple times a year. Ray took delivery on a new Grady White boat this past spring and we managed to take a short day trip on his new boat during my visit. Their neighbors on Barter Island had a 4th of July picnic with fireworks which I was invited to attend. There was lots of food and the fireworks seemed to go on for ever.
Aftere leaving Ray and Candy I traveled Route 1 downeast staying over the first night in Ellsworth Maine then the following day I traveled to Campobello Island stopping for a short while in Lubec, Machias and Cutler.
Campobello Island is actually located in Canada which required me to pass through US and Canadian border control. I forgot to take my passport with me however when crossing the border back into the US I was able to use my driver's license. Since they were able to access my passport information online and since I was born in the US and had a photo ID (driver license) traveling without my passport did not raise any concerns however I think it is better to be safe and carry a passport when crossing the border these days.
Head Harbour Lightstation, Campobello Island
While on Campobello I visited the Head Harbour Lightstation at the end of the island, the Roosevelt provincal park and the Roosevelt cottage during the two days of my visit to the island.
Roosevelt Cottage
Before leaving the area I visited Quoddy Head Lighthouse. The point of land the lighthouse sits on is the most eastern point in the US. (My British friends may like to know that this theoretically is the closest point in the US to Liverpool)
Quoddy Head Lighthouse - Quoddy Point, Maine
I began my return Sunday afternoon first visiting Meddybemps Lake for a short visit which my friend Peter insisted on and then traveled route 9 also known as the Airline. The Airline is a long somewhat boring road through mostly forests and blueberry fields but not much else. I traveled as far as Newcastle where I spent the night with my friends Susan and Peter.
I managed to have my annual Lobster at the famous Small Brothers in New Harbor with Susan and Peter. I wasn't up to the traditional ritual of ordering a whole lobster so I ordered a Lazy Man's Lobster avoiding the need to fight with the shell of the lobster. My friends didn't think much of my ordering the lobster the way I did but I enjoyed it any way.
On Monday I returned to my home in Groveland. This was a needed break from the constant lawn care our home seems to demand and even though the temperature was above 90 degrees F I still had a relaxing time.
