Wednesday, September 30th – It was a Fun Day in Fundy, New Brunswick

The day started with Rice Krispies for breakfast in my motel room.  It was still a cold and dreary day with rain still falling.  According to the morning weather forecast, the predicted storm that was anticipated to bring flash flooding had been slow to materialize and had mostly unloaded throughout the night.  I wasn’t too concerned about how my drive would go since I was planning to stay mostly on the main roads as I had a relatively light day in terms of miles.

On the agenda were some covered bridges, the Fundy Trail and ultimately an overnight in Fundy National Park.  My first stop of the morning was at the coastal village of St. Martins.  By the time I arrived, the tide was again out.  The tide cycle in this region runs about 13 hours, so for the past few days, I’ve seen low tides in the morning and then again around nightfall.

St. Martins is said to be the only place in the world where you can take a single photo that includes two covered bridges plus a lighthouse.  The lighthouse found in town was the 1883 West Quaco Head Lighthouse and now serves as a visitor center.  There were two cruise motor coaches in the lot when I arrived and another was approaching as I left to do the Fundy Trail.

The cruise industry is a big boom to the local economies throughout Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.  I would continue to cross paths with “cruisers” throughout the rest of my vacation.

The Fundy Trail Parkway is a privately operated “tourist attraction” providing miles and miles of hiking trails along with the 10 mile road that cuts through the dense forest, often providing panoramic views of the cliffs and Bay of Fundy.  I did drive the entire length of the parkway, which actually dead ends before reaching the Fundy National Park.  Plans are to complete the trail to connect to the park in 2017.

Because there was on and off rain, it was a challenge to walk to many of the viewing platforms.  I did walk along the Big Salmon River to the walking suspension bridge.  It began to downpour just as I was getting back to my truck.

The Interpretative Centre was nearby and my timing coincided with their hosted afternoon tea.  Guests were shown a short video to tell about the logging industry that was so important to the Canadian economy.  They have the old saw mill with some equipment open to self-tour, but I took a pass due to the weather.  I enjoyed my molasses cookie and hot tea; and headed back through St. Martin so as to get on my way to the actual national park.

As I went through the village, I noted that the information center was closed (I guess no more cruise tours were anticipated) . . . and that the tide had peaked and already started to go back down.  The one covered bridge had a water line from high tide, and at the time I came back through, the water level was only about a foot beneath the bridge.  Compare this photo to the one posted above.  You can see the difference that only two hours made.

 

From St. Martins I headed over to Fundy National Park, about 90 minutes away. Along the way, I was once again distracted and taken off on a detour by the “covered bridge” sign.  This is the Trout Creek #5 bridge, also known as the Moore Bridge.  It was built in 1923 and as you can see, still serves as a public road.

 

I also stopped in Sussex to check out a candlepin bowling center that was for sale.  The proprietor was very friendly, lamenting that business was continuing to drop and that he couldn’t find anyone interested in buying his business.

As darkness fell, I was becoming concerned about my plans to camp especially since the heavy rains predicted were now anticipated for tonight.  I found a nice motel inside the park and called in advance to make my reservation.  For $80 CDN, it was an outstanding “shoulder season” value.  Lots of space, a kitchenette and a very comfy bed.

Today’s drive was 205 miles, mostly in rainy conditions.  My truck had a thick coat of dirt/mud when I stopped for the night.

Tuesday, September 29th – Should We Build an Ark?

The morning weather forecast for Maine and New Brunswick included a major rain storm, anticipated to dump between 100 and 150 mm of rain (roughly four to six inches) over the course of about 24 to 36 hours starting that afternoon and going into the night on Wednesday.  Flash flooding was to be expected and people were told to be very careful driving.

As I started my morning, the plan was to head first to the fishing village of Lubec, Maine near the Canadian border.  I wanted to get four more lighthouse stamps for my passport, but more importantly, I planned on visiting the famous “barber pole striped” lighthouse of West Quoddy.  Located in a Maine State Park, it was easy for Toots to navigate me to our first destination.

Once again, it was a very foggy morning.  It was a dense fog that never did lift!  At times, I t was actually more like a misty type of rain, heavy and damp.  It seemed appropriate especially since the West Quoddy Lighthouse is still an active navigation tool complete with fog horn.  Fully automated as most lighthouses in North America are; this one just had the real feel of being “active” . . . not just there for tourists to visit.  Inside the keeper’s quarters was a small three room museum and art gallery.

There is also a “spark-plug” style light in the channel, also providing warning through use of a combination of light and horn.  They said that under normal weather conditions you could see it out in the channel, but on that day you couldn’t see in from West Quoddy.  Later I would stop back in the area at low tide to take a peek. I was able to walk about 20 yards out into the receded coastline to snap a couple of photos through the wet fog.

After stopping at the local inn at the harbor to pick up my four lighthouse stamps, I headed for the Canadian border and onto Campobello Island.  This was a beloved spot for the Roosevelts and today is an International Park.  They had a summer cottage on the waterfront, where FDR as a child and young adult often vacationed.  It was there, at the age of 29, that he was stricken and diagnosed with polio leaving him unable to walk again.

Upon entry on the island, there’s a nice New Brunswick welcome center.  I stopped in for a couple of reasons; first to see if they had WiFi and second to use the restroom.  I was also able to get some information about my time on Campobello Island and to find out what was there to see other than the Roosevelt summer house.

I had already planned on visiting the Mulholland Point Lighthouse, which could be seen from Lubec as well as the bridge crossing over into Canada.  The hosts at the visitor center suggested that as a first stop because the gray seals were frolicking in the surf as the tide was going out.  I did head over there first, but found them pretty far from the shore, and moving even further away as the tide continued to go down.

The grounds there at the lighthouse were nice place to make and eat lunch.  I found it way to chilly and windy to sit at one of the picnic benches, so my dash served as my dining table again. 

I drove the length of the island, all the way to the end where adventurous folks could hike out at low tide, through the channels between two smaller islands to reach the East Quoddy Lighthouse.  Tide was about half out, but even at a low tide, this was not a “hike” I was inclined to attempt. In addition to walking along the dry waterbed, the trip would require climbing and/or descending two wrought iron ladders of about 20 feet each.  I was happy to enjoy the view and talk football with a couple from Kansas City, unhappy with the outcome of the football game the night before.

He had spotted a finback whale about 200 yards beyond the lighthouse island, but had lost sight of it.  Shortly after he saw it, one of the whale watching tour boats ascended the area, probably chasing off whatever may have been out there to see because we couldn’t locate the whale again.

After my limited time exploring Campobello it was time to head back into Maine to continue my journey towards St John, NB.  Initially my plan was to find a campground to overnight in, but with the impending heavy rains I didn’t feel comfortable car camping with the possibility of flash flooding during the night.  Instead, I again used Toots to find an inexpensive motel.  She came through with a room in St. George, NB.  At just $73 CDN the Grove Motel was a bargain and conveniently located right off Hwy 1 which would be my route for the morning.

While I did have WiFi there, I simply wanted to relax and watch some mindless TV.  Their satellite system had several channels to choose from, but to be honest I don’t remember what I watched that evening.

For the day it was 226 miles, and my last day in the USA until I begin my return drive in about 10 days.

Check out just how low the tide is at the harbor in St. George. This was just before I decided to stay in town for the night, about 6:30pm.

 

This is the view of the Mulholland Point Lighthouse on Campbello Island in New Brunswick.

There was something about seeing this gentleman sitting on the bench in the

Lost Fisherman's Memorial Park that made me weep.

Monday, September 28th – Acadia National Park For Real

There is something wrong with being on vacation and having to set a clock, especially if you typically wake up at a certain time every day.  I couldn’t risk sleeping in this particular day since I was scheduled for the 9:30am boat tour of Acadia National Park and the five lighthouses in the surrounding area of Bar Harbor.

I was awake before the alarm went off so it was all good.  I headed into town, about 20 minutes from my cottage.  It’s a funny thing traveling and doing touristy type things near the end of the season.  You can feel the impatience of those who have endured a full season of visitors.  The counter staff at the Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company was no exception.   Thank goodness I was in town on a day that had no cruise ships in port, or it might have been really ugly.

Mr. Cranky that waited on me, felt compelled to tell me that I was late since folks were to arrive half an hour early for the 9:30am trip.  I stood up to the counter at 9:05am to pay for my pre-booked reservation and to get my ticket.  With ticket in hand, I was told to head out to the pier where I then stood in line for 10 minutes before boarding.  Honestly, I don’t know what the big deal was.  Maybe it was their fear that they wouldn’t be able to get everyone through the mandatory photo stop. You know what I mean . . . those photos they take and then after the tour you can pay $20 for your 5x7 photo with their cheap advertising foreground.  A polite “NO THANK YOU?” would be in their future!

Once aboard, it was actually nice to have the boat relatively empty.  I would have to guess there were less than 50 people aboard the two level catamaran.  There was plenty of space for people to move about, including inside and out, and on either side of the vessel for the various photo ops.  I always find it nice to be able to see the natural landscape from the water, so any time I have a chance to take a boat tour; I try to schedule it into my itinerary.

The name of the tour was the “Lighthouse and National Park” tour.  The beginning was along the coastline, with the guide providing narration about the history and geological features of Acadia National Park.  He pointed out several of the cottages owned by prominent residents, past and present.  With that part of the tour completed, it was time to visit the five island lighthouses and a USCG Life Saving Station.  All but one of the lighthouses were clearly visible from the water.  With the winds and choppy water, getting decent photos was a bit of a challenge.  Here are a couple that turned out pretty nice.

During the 10-15 minutes between lighthouse stops we learned about the lobster fishing industry in the area.  The regulations and seasons in Maine are different than what is down the coast in Massachusetts or up north in Canada.  The preserve the future of the lobster industry, only those caught within a certain range are allowed to be kept.  Also, egg carrying females must be “notched” in their tail and returned to the water.

I enjoyed the three hours on the tour and would say it was worth the $45 price.  For anyone interested in seeing a few lighthouses and learning about this area of Maine, it is a very good value.

After we docked, I headed into the park to explore to the top of Cadillac Mountain and to walk to the Bass Harbor Lighthouse at the far southern end of the park.  As with what I saw in New Hampshire and Vermont, the leaves were just starting to change over.  Most of the trees were still fully green, with a few here and there starting to show reds and oranges on the tops and tips.  I would say probably another good week or so before the colorful leaf peeping season would be in full swing.

As I headed back towards my cottage, I saw a "lobster pound" where they retail sale live lobsters or you can order one to be cooked to dine in or carry out.  I spent some time with the guys there to learn about the lobster industry in Maine.  They were very nice and informative.  

For dinner, I enjoyed a nice treat at a local seafood place near Trenton.  I had bought a Restaurant.com dining certificate for Jaspers.  Needing to spend $30 to apply the $15 discount was impossible to accomplish without overeating so I opted for a simple fish and shrimp dinner.  My meal was very good, although the fish was a tad on the greasy side.  With iced tea, it came to $22.  The lovely waitress allowed me to use my dining certificate anyway.  A first in my over 10 years of dining with Restaurant.com.

Originally my Monday evening was to include watching the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football at a local tavern.  Unfortunately, there really wasn’t a convenient place to go, not to mention with the 8:30pm kick-off time, I didn’t think I’d want to be up for the entire game.  I was right . . . as the game seemed in hand at half-time; I went to bed around 10pm.  I was glad to have watched the game in my cottage, even if it was on a 13” flat screen TV mounted on the wall about eight feet away.

Not sure how many miles I drove today since I didn’t zero out the trip meter.  I’d have to guess something around 100, but I’m not really sure.

Sunday, September 27th – Bowling, Lighthouses and the Blood Moon Eclipse

It’s so nice to be on vacation and not have to set a clock.  Too bad that as our bodies get into their natural sync, I find it nearly impossible to sleep in unless I’m dead tired or sick.  I was wide awake at 7:30am which taking into consideration the change to Eastern Daylight Time, that’s my normal wake-up time at home.  I enjoyed a bowl of Rice Krispies with banana slices

It wasn’t long before I was in Maine, driving up the coastal route along US 1.  For this portion of my journey, I stayed on the “no highways” navigation routing.  I wanted to take in each and every little town and fishing village along the coast.  I stopped in at the Maine Welcome Center to use the restroom and see what tourist info I might need to pick up.  With the biological needs taken care of, I was off for Portland.  I didn’t really any purpose to visiting other than to just see it.  I drove down through the downtown and harbor area.

There were a lot of people milling around enjoying yet another picture perfect weather day.  The city looked like a fun place to stay and explore, especially if you like brew pubs and seafood restaurants. For me, however, it would have to be a drive-through visit if I was going to make Bar Harbor by nightfall.

 

I did however; find myself distracted at the marina where there was an artist’s exhibit called “Unpacked” was on display.  Andy Rosen’s exhibit on the wharf is intended to bring notice to the destruction of natural communities by humans.

Heading on north I passed by a couple of candlepin bowling centers.  Being before noon, neither was open, but I did stop to take photos of the buildings.  I especially loved the mural painting on the front of this center.  With photos taken, my next stop would be the Maine Maritime Museum   located in Bath.  Originally planned for my return trip to do their lighthouse boat tour, I thought  I should stop now and get my US Lighthouse Society passport stamped in case the weather prevents the boat tour in a couple of weeks.

 

 

 For this same weather concern, I decided to do yet another schedule change and stop at the Owl’s Head Lighthouse and Interpretive Center to check out that lighthouse and get the lighthouse stamps available there.  I got in and out just in time, as a large motor coach with cruise tour folks pulled into the parking lot.  I enjoyed my lunch with a lovely view of the ocean.

 

After lunch, I continued my northerly trek with a goal of arriving to my cottage in Bar Harbor by 6pm.  Unfortunately, more stops along the way had me arriving closer to 7pm.  One such stop, perhaps my most engaging of the day was at Oakland Park Bowling, a cute 18 lane candlepin house.  It was here that I learned about candlepin bowling from Casie, a delightful 20-something working.  She told me how she had just taken up the game a year or two ago.  Happy to share with me, she got her “bowling bag” out of her locker, sharing with me her four Boston Bruin hockey puck balls.

My overnight accommodations for my two nights in the area were booked at the Open Hearth Inn in Trenton, just minutes from Bar Harbor and the entrance to Acadia National Park.  I felt lucky to find the cottage style lodging via Hotels.com for $65/night back in the early spring.  When I inquired about adding another night in case I needed more time in the area, I was told they were already booked solid.  I also learned that the current rate for my unit was $80/night, once again proving that planning and booking ahead can save you some bucks.  My cottage was perfect for just me as a single traveler.  Had David been with me, it would have been crowded both in terms of the bed (it was just a double) and the lack of seating or a table.  But again, for me, it was fine.

Once I got checked in and got my stuff unloaded into my room, it was time to go scope out a spot to view and hopefully photograph the much anticipated full eclipse of the blood moon.  My host at the cottage suggested heading up to Cadillac Mountain inside the park.  Since it was already dark and the park roads are narrow and winding, I opted for something at a lower elevation inside the park.  I found an eastern view lookout about a third of the way up the face of the mountain.

When I pulled in there was a small group of folks from Georgia.  They were regular vacationers to the area, and were very fun to spend the evening with.  There was also a local gentleman who joined us, commenting about how crowded it was at the top.  We were all in awe as the eclipse began.  It was chilly and very windy!  Even with a tripod, my photos turned out marginal at best.  Simply too much shake at the slower speed that my equipment operates.  That said, it was nice to be able to share the view through my camera with them, as their iPads and cell phones were unable to capture any of the images seen with the naked eye.  I promised to send them some of my photos when I get home.  In the meantime, here is one of the better images I was able to capture from the evening’s show in the sky.

As the full moon became fully shadowed by the earth, darkness fell over Bar Harbor, the crystal clear skies provided a second stellar show of stars and constellations.  For the first time in my life, I could actually see the Milky Way by naked eye. Truly stunning!

Calling it a night as the total eclipse occurred, I was back to my cottage around 11pm.  I was cold with stiff knees; tired and ready for bed.  For the day, I logged 420 miles, four bowling centers and countless new friends!