The Maine Coast - Which Part?

The last part!



We splurged and spent one night at the adorable Pomegranate Inn in Portland, Maine. At breakfast, we met a mother-daughter team touring the northeast colleges, and an older couple from New York. The conversation topics were interesting - moving from the intensity of undergraduate requirements, expensive tutors and pressure, to the agony of a second home on Cape Cod, and the excitement and anticipation of traveling overseas. A very interesting experience, indeed!

Portland is a great, quirky town. Oddly enough, it reminded us of Portland, Oregon. It is a walkable community - and that is just what we did.


We experienced cobblestone streets, creative sidewalk art, unique architecture, enjoyed a cup of freshly roasted coffee, and goofed around in the local store selling various styles of the sock monkey beanie and animal mittens. As we scooted passed sailboats along the coastline path, we spotted a crude, ancient-looking vessel named Raw Faith.


It turns out that this ship is a homemade replica of a 16th century English race-built galleon (boat). The builder and owner, George McKay, first set sail in Raw Faith from Addison, Maine back in August 2003. It was pushed into the water by a bulldozer.

The mission: To offer free sailing adventures in order to provide a fun and safe environment for the wheelchair bound and their families to learn how to sail, meet others with similar life situations, and have a fantastic adventure.
(This mission was inspired by his daughter who is wheelchair bound due to Marfan's Syndrome.)


According to McKay, the reason behind the name Raw Faith is: "My entire family believes that kids with a disability have faith that life is worth living. And that faith is raw. That is why we named the ship Raw Faith."

Raw Faith hopes to make it to New Jersey and has already sailed many miles with its volunteer crew (which are recruited through the website). It has made the news numerous times due to breakdowns, and most notably for losing all three masts in a bad storm! Yet it still sails. Guess that is why they call it faith, heh?!?!?

Check out the ship's website here.

The basketballs on the anchor made me smile.

We wanted to view Portland's skyline, so we traveled across Portland Harbor to South Portland. The original Indian name for this area was "Purpooduck." We chuckled when we discovered it means "place that conspicuously juts out into the water and is little frequented." Amazing how that one word can mean so much!

Fort Preble

The first interesting structure in the park is Fort Preble, or remnants of it. Built in 1808, it was used to enforce the Embargo Act - which prevented exchanging goods with the British. The fort housed units from the War of 1812, and was even witness to action in the Civil War. Today, the fort serves as green space for the community to enjoy.

Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse

Nearby is Spring Point Ledge Light, which is named for the spring that once flowed nearby. Congress authorized $45,000 to build the lighthouse in 1895. The design called for "a circular cast iron foundation pier, 25 feet in diameter and forty feet high, which would support a three-story dwelling, topped by a veranda and parapet." The lighthouse went into service in May 1897, and automated in 1934. The breakwater to the lighthouse was completed in June 1951 with 50,000 tons of stone.

We spotted a few structures on strips of land across the water. One was of Fort Gorges. It was built in 1865 of granite, and its purpose was to support the other two forts in the area. It was strategically built on Hog Island Ledge, which is located in the middle of the pass to Portland Harbor. We thought it might be fun to kayak to the island one day, but read about the fierce rip tides and thought not.

Fort Gorges

Fort Scammel, on House Island, completes the triangular shape formed by Fort Gorges and Fort Preble. It was also built in 1808 (same year as Fort Preble).

We thought it interesting that the island was used as an immigration quarantine station from 1907 to 1937. Some considered it the "Ellis Island of the North."

Fort Scammel on House Island

House Island is privately owned, but we understand you can rent the island at an undisclosed price. They advertise to bridal parties, school groups, and offer lobster bakes or a quiet place to "get away from it all." We hear a few buildings from 1907 still stand, including the doctor's house, detention barracks, and the quarantine hospital.

Portland Head Lighthouse

We were anxious to head south to Cape Elizabeth to view the Oldest Lighthouse in Maine - Portland Head Lighthouse. It was commissioned in 1790 by George Washington, with the first light shining in January 1791. Portland Head Lighthouse was the 16th lighthouse built in the US, and 7th built in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (now Maine).


The deteriorating lighthouse in the background of the photo (above) is called Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse. In 1855, a simple iron spindle served as the first navigational marker placed on the island, then it was upgraded to a 50-foot wooden tripod. After millions of dollars of cargo were lost in multiple shipwrecks, a Congressional act of June 28, 1902, finally authorized the construction of a lighthouse and fog signal on Ram Island Ledge at a total cost of $166,000 and appropriated an initial $83,000 for the project.

The 3rd Order Fresnel lens was delivered in April 1905 to light the structure, but the lighthouse was automated in 1958. In 2001, it was converted to solar power and is now licensed by the American Lighthouse Foundation.

"Annie C. Maguire shipwrecked here Christmas Eve 1886"
(story below)

Late on Christmas Eve in 1886, the three masted bark Annie C. Maguire struck the ledge at Portland Head. The crew was safely rescued, but the wreck is still puzzling. According to crew member reports, they "plainly saw Portland Light before the disaster and are unable to account for same."


Portland Head Lighthouse stands on what today is known as Fort Williams Park. This land was originally established in 1872 to serve as a sub-post for Fort Preble (located in South Portland). Additional land was purchased around the fort and three gun batteries were added. In April of 1899, the 90 acres of land and new structures were renamed Fort Williams.

In the 1900's other structures were built on the fort - officer's quarters, enlisted barracks, a balloon hangar, telephone switchboards and a disappearing searchlight. The fort was closed and deactivated in June 1963, and instead of allowing the fort to deteriorate, residents of Cape Elizabeth petitioned to purchase the fort.

The Central Powerhouse

Their success to maintain the old acreage is obvious. It is home to numerous community events - and we spotted hundreds of people with their kids and dogs.

While heading south, we resisted the urge to visit Kennebunkport, but reminisced about Dana Carvey and his wonderful Bush senior impressions from Saturday Night Live. And who could forget his bathroom bit from Opportunity Knocks...

Man: Paper towel, Mr. President?

Dana Carvey: Not gonna do it. Not gonna do it. Wouldn't be prudent at this juncture. You know, what do you say we try that blower thing over there?

Man: It's right over here, Mr. President.

Dana Carvey: You know, Bar and I love these things. Love... love doing that blower thing. Good for the hands. Good for the economy. You know, make a note, Tom. We'll get one up there in the White House. Get one up in Kennebunkport. Maybe a gift set for Gorby. You know, seems to me, blowers good, paper towels bad!

Goodbye Maine Coast!

The Maine Coast Part VII & Augusta, too!

We ate breakfast at Moody's Diner, a must-stop along the coast of Maine, according to the locals. We want to warn you that you will be surrounded by photographs of people from around the world wearing the "I'm a Moody Person" t-shirt. It is incredible where these shirts have been - Italy, Russia, Uruguay, Chile, on soldiers in Afghanistan, and even just down the street in neighboring Rockland. Check out their website here.

We had plans to visit an Alpaca farm further south in Wiscasset, but Moody's placemat had an ad for the Village Farm Alpacas. It was just down the street, so we couldn't pass it up.


We dropped in to see Terence and his alpacas, and we were greeted by Molly, the one-eyed Labrador Retriever. Unfortunately, you have to buy something from the store in order to get a tour. But it was a good decision to get some alpaca socks with the upcoming winter weather.

Terence is obsessed with alpacas. He started talking about fiber thickness in terms of microns - and we joked about mediclorian counts (from Star Wars) and Jedi mind tricks. He got a kick out of it and commented that alpaca owners, at least those who are serious about the business and competitions, act like any other enthusiasts. They can talk all day about microns and their latest prize alpacas.

And that is just what Terence did. He brought us through the gates to meet his prized alpacas. He said they are not a feeding or petting farm, so we weren't allowed very close to the animals. He also said you don't want to herd the alpacas - as this causes unnecessary stress for the animal.


One of the funniest things that happened while we were there was centered around a few adolescent males. Terence keeps the mature males separate from the females and younger males. But just because some of the males were too young to be fertile, doesn't mean they couldn't try. And we think they need all the help they can get. At one point, the female was sitting on the ground and a youngster was sitting on top of her, but backwards. (See the photo below.) Once one started, they all got a bit of practice in. Check out Terrance's website here.

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We received a note from one of our climbing buddies that said "Pemaquid Point Lighthouse or you can't come home." Little did we know that this message came at the perfect time and was a secret in disguise.

Richie and I became frustrated in our struggle to find a place to sleep for the evening. We just couldn't understand why everyone had closed down for the season when the weather is so spectacular?!?!


But we decided not to stress about where we would spend the night - knowing that something always presents itself - even if we have to sleep in the car on the side of the road. While heading down Highway 130 to the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse (on the peninsula east of John's Bay, which I'm sure the peninsula has a name), we happened upon a campground that couldn't decide whether it was open or closed for the season. There were RVs parked in the park, but we couldn't tell if there were people in them or not. The sign on the office door said they were open, but the door was locked and the lights out. So, it was a free night for us. We didn't feel bad not paying the requested fee because there was no running water and the portable potty was chained closed and bungeed to a tree.

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse is a stout building with spectacular views of the ocean. Some facts:

• The first tower was commissioned in 1827 by John Quincy Adams, but it didn't last long due to salt water mixed in with the mortar. The second lighthouse was completed in 1835, and the mortar was mixed with fresh water this time.
• The 1856 Fourth Order Fresnel lens is still used today.
• This is the lighthouse on Maine's state quarter.
• The grounds house the 1857 keeper's house, the 1896 oil house, and a reconstructed fog bell tower built in 1992.

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It was off to the 400 year-old town of Wiscasset, which means "coming out from the harbor but you don't see where" in the Abenaki Indian language.

Our goal was to see "The Softest Farm in Maine" - Winter's Gone Alpaca Farm.

Harry, a beautiful Bearded Collie, greeted us at the driveway. Then we saw Judi, owner of the farm. And finally, we met the official "Spokespaca" of Winter's Gone Alpaca Farm - Snowball.


Some Alpaca Facts:

• There are two types of alpacas - the Huacaya (with crimpy hair) and Suri (with long silky hair). Alpacas are related to the llama and the camel.
• Alpacas come in 22 natural colors.
• They don't have front top teeth.
• Their lifespan is 15-20 years.
• And surprisingly, alpaca farms are profitable businesses in the U.S.

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With such a high recommendation from the lady at Cappy's Chowder House Bakery, we took a side trip to Augusta, Maine.

Some facts about Maine's capitol:

• Augusta was established as Maine's capitol city on February 24, 1827.
• The first state house was completed in 1832, and extensively redesigned around 1910.
• The Maine Legislature is a part-time, citizen Legislature. It meets for about 6 months during the first regular session and for 4 months during the shorter second regular session.
• It is the third smallest state capital in the U.S. (Second smallest: Pierre, South Dakota; Smallest: Montpelier, Vermont)

While touring the capitol building, we happened upon the Senate chamber where we were intrigued by the rocks on the legislators' desks. Unfortunately, we couldn't find a reason for them being on the desks, but perhaps they are today's equivalent of tomatoes? Let's hope the legislators have a clear motivation to behave themselves and give succinct speeches. Filibuster anyone?

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On our meandering drives along the coast, we came across many Maine cemeteries. They always struck us as beautiful in their simplicity - bordered by low stone walls - one you could imagine someone building hundreds of years ago from stray boulders scavenged from the woods.


Another common theme across Maine were the lobster buoys. The coastal Maine communities were similar to other beach communities we've visited - where it's pretty much an unspoken law that decorations must be of the nautical variety. Traditional buoys were made of wood and originally were painted a simple solid color which would be used to identify the owner of the traps. Today, most buoys are made of Styrofoam and incorporate unique designs to identify the trap's owner.

The Maine Coast Part VI - Eatin' Lobsta

I can't be certain, but I believe we are leaving Maine's Mid-Coast Region.

We were anxious to walk the 4,300 foot long breakwater to the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse. It sounds really far when you measure it in feet, but it is only 7/8 of a mile.


Construction on the breakwater began in April 1881 and took 18 years. It cost $750,000 and is made of 732,277 tons of granite. The lighthouse was built in 1902 and still serves as an active aid to navigation.

Owl's Head Lighthouse was built in 1825 at the direction of President John Quincy Adams. There was an increase in shipping due to the lime industry in mid-coast Maine (towns of Rockland and Thomaston produced 50,000 casks of lime a year), therefore the need for a lighthouse.


Owl's Head Lighthouse is still a working light manned by the U.S. Coast Guard. We were ecstatic to learn that the 1856 Fourth Order Fresnel lens is still used today!

My Dad's name is Clyde, so I felt it appropriate to give him a call from none other than Port Clyde, Maine. The great thing about my parents is when I call they immediately head to google Earth to look up the town we are calling from. This time, I asked Dad if he could see us waving.


We ate a whoopie pie and watched two local fisherman each drink a 6 pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer at the picnic tables on the wharf.

What are whoopie pies?

At first glance, they look like hamburgers in Handiwrap - like a quarter pounder with icing, hold the meat. Maybe even a Moon Pie on steroids! Basically, they are two mounds of cake glued together with icing. While in Port Clyde, we sampled a pumpkin spice whoopie pie. Mmmmmm!


A little further south, we drove to the Marshall Point Lighthouse and picnicked at the ocean. The first lighthouse was built in 1832, while the current one was built in 1858. To read more about Marshall Point Lighthouse, click here.

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Eating Lobsta!

Maine has some BIG crawfish! When we first arrived in Maine, we picked up a brochure appropriately titled "Lighthouses and Lobsters." You can't have one without the other, I suppose.

The brochure contained information on the lighthouses along the DownEast and Acadia Region, and the proper steps for eating Maine Lobsta!


We studied the rules extensively, but weren't confident enough in our abilities to eat a lobster in public. We envisioned the classic fancy dining scene in the movies, where an attempt is made at cracking the claw or tail, and lobster parts fly across the room. Thankfully, we were able to get our lobsters "to go" and had a fun photo shoot with the red bugs before we devoured them. Morbid, I know.


Just for fun, here are the tips on lobster peeling and eating...

1. Twist off the large claws.
2. Crack each claw and knuckle with a nutcracker, knife or rock (whatever's handy).
3. Separate the tail from the body and break off flippers.
4. Insert a fork or finger and push out the tail meat in one piece. Remove and discard the black vein by separating the top piece of meat from the main part of the tail.
5. Separate the shell of body from the underside by pulling apart (discard the green tomalley if you want, many locals consider this a delicacy) and open the body by cracking apart in the middle. Meat is in the pockets or joints where the small legs are attached. Meat in the walking legs can be eaten by biting down on the leg and squeezing the meat out with your teeth.
6. If all else fails - ask a local for help!

(My favorite are the images that go along with the descriptions. Many thanks to the Maine Lobster Promotion Council)

They say Maine's lobster season is year-round (most fish late June and late December), but that is not our experience. Most restaurants and dock lobster shacks are closed for the season, so unfortunately, we were unable to get the true Maine lobster experience from a wharf.


Some Maine Lobsta facts:

• The first official Maine lobster landings were reported in 1605, making lobster fishing probably the oldest continuously operated industry in North America.
• Actual commercial marketing of Maine Lobster began around 1840.
• There are about 7,000 licensed Maine lobstermen.
• 3.5 ounces of cooked Maine lobster has only 98 calories, 72 mg of cholesterol, and 0.1 g of saturated fat.

The Maine Coast Part V

We are still in the Mid-Coast Region of Maine, and the locals say that if you are looking for an authentic Maine experience, this is it. Our visit to the Mid-Coast Region has been a wet one, but that is the perfect excuse to visit Rockland's downtown art galleries. In our wanderings, we happened upon The Island Institute, a local non-profit agency. Their mission is to:

• support the islands' year-round communities;
• conserve Maine's island and marine biodiversity for future generations;
• develop model solutions that balance the needs of the coast's cultural and natural communities;
• provide opportunities for discussion over responsible use of finite resources, and provide information to assist competing interests in arriving at constructive solutions.

At one time, there were year-round residents on 300 islands along Maine's coast. Today, only 15 islands house year-round residents. The Island Institute works with island residents to develop sustainable year-round island communities.

We were intrigued by their Island Fellows Program, where individuals can live in the community and assist with schools, libraries, town offices, fish co-ops, and art programs. This might be a great opportunity for us after our return from the Peace Corps.

Rockland is home to more Windjammers than any other port in the United States. I've never heard of a Windjammer before - a canoe, kayak, pirogue, sailboat, motor boat, etc. - but not a Windjammer. I figured it was a really big ship with multiple masts and sails. Unfortunately, all the Windjammers were "Closed for the Season," and we didn't spot any. But we did see hundreds of fishing vessels!


Rockland is also known as The Lobster Capital of the World, and naturally hosts the Maine Lobster Festival every August. We've seen some wonderful photographs and read stories of the Crate Races from years past and thought we'd share in the excitement!

An article from the Maine Lobster Festival website:

An extremely popular and fun event, contestants from all over the world take a shot at navigating a string of 50 partially submerged lobster crates. The winner is the person who runs the most crates before falling into the chilly Atlantic ocean.

In recent years a young man from Austria won the race with over 2000 crates crossed before he fell into the cold waters of the harbor. The NEW all-time record, set in 2008 is 4,501 crates, run by Andrew Bachiochi, a 12-year-old participant from Stafford Springs, Conn. The previous record was held by a midcoast girl, Susan Lundquist, who managed 3,007! That record took 25 years to break!

The "Great International William Atwood Lobster Crate Race" is open to anyone brave enough to risk falling into the chilly ocean with thousands of people watching your every move! Sign up for the Crate Race occurs the day of the race, Sunday, August 2, 2009 at the Information Booth starting at 7:00 am. Be there early as the spots fill up quickly and space is limited!