Maine - Day 18 - along Penobscot Bay

Pemaquid Point Campground
Saturday, 18 August 2018

today's route

Busy day - I had a lot of sights I wanted to see along the coast.

About 30 miles from Bangor (therefore an hour of driving time) I came to Searsport, a small fishing town that once was the home of many of the most prominent sea captains.  The buildings show it's still obviously an old town with a history.

across the street

along Main Street/Rt. 1

Around the corner from the building on the right was a narrow lane with houses on either side, leading down to the water.  It was easy to envision seafaring people living here 150 years ago, just as they are now.

As I was leaving town I passed a gorgeous home that I couldn't take a photo of, with no ability to pull over on that narrow Rt. 1.  But I think I found it online.  I feel confident this was built by a successful captain.

Belfast

Belfast was just down the road - clearly still a fishing port- but again I couldn't, so here's an online substitute.

Farther along the road I passed a sign that said Maine Alpaca Experience.  I was curious so I looked at their website and found this great photo. https://mainealpacaexperience.com/

I went on to Rockland to the Maine Lighthouse Museum, which I really enjoyed.  If you want to learn some of what I learned, read on.

Fresnel lens, 2nd order (I think)

• Seacoast lighthouses are usually 40 miles apart because their light is visible 20+ miles.
• Stephen Pleasanton was the auditor of the US Treasury and a famous tightwad.  He shortchanged the lighthouses and stalled progress in that field significantly.  On the other hand, in 1814 Secretary of State James Madison went him a warning that the British were near the capital, so he packed and hid, for posterity: the original Declaration of Independence, the original Constitution and the original Bill of Rights, as well as letters of George Washington.
• The only time in US history that a military branch of government took over a civilian branch was in 1939, when the Coast Guard was given the duties of the US Lighthouse Service.
• Originally lighthouses used multiple oil lamps, which the keeper had to keep filled and trimmed, with metal reflectors to project the light.  In the 1820s French scientist Fresnel (pronounced freh-NEL) invented lamps using prisms that allowed just one lamp to produce much stronger light.  These lights are still in use today.
• Both men and women were employed as lighthouse keepers and several women are considered heroes of Maine because of their work in saving lives from stranded and shipwrecked people. 

From Rockland I drove down to Spruce Head Island, aiming for McLoon's Lobster Shack, considered to produce one of the best lobster rolls in Maine.  It's still a real shack.

the dock next to the shack

McLoon's Lobster Shack

this is a lobster roll

Pretty good lobster roll - meat from a whole claw.

From the island I came back up to Thomaston, looking for the Maine Prison Showroom.  I'd read about it in an article in the Austin American-Statesman several years ago and decided to visit.  www.maine.gov/corrections/industries/  It was absolutely worth the time.  They've got dollhouses and many kinds of toys; embroidered duffle bags; leather goods; clocks; furniture; decorative ducks; carved wooden boats; various kitchen items; wooden switchplates for light switches and plugs - an incredible variety of things and all very reasonably priced.

In Thomaston I passed the Finnish Congregation Church, which surprised me.

A little farther down the road in Waldoboro ("Home of the 5 Masted Schooner"), I passed the Wooden Screen Door.  From the road I saw a door so pretty I looked them up online, and you may want to see what they have too.  www.woodenscreendoor.com/

From there I went on to the campground and, once again, Google lied about directions so I had to wander around a bit on very narrow roads, and turn around in places that I had no business turning in.  Oh well.  I found it.