Glimpses of Maine

September 13th. Checking lobster traps on the Nauti-Gal II in Somes Sound, Mount Desert Island.

September 19th. Lobster boats in the harbor at Lubec.

September 21st. An old building on the Schoodic Peninsula.

September 25th.  A view of Mount Katahdin from Interstate 95. The summit of Katahdin is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.

September 25th. Along State Road 11 in northern Maine. Yeah, I got lucky with this one!

September 25th. A little further north along State Road 11 in northern Maine.

September 27th. Seagulls at Schoodic Point.

The Ebb and Flow of the Tide...

On my first visit to the Schoodic Peninsula, when the tide had been low, we had noticed a little house along an inlet that had a dock on stilts. We had driven past it before we realized what we had seen. On the 17th when we left Acadia National Park and headed 'down east' I stopped and photographed that little house. I would go by it on two more occasions, when the tide was at different levels. I guess you could say I was a little fascinated by the tides and how different it looked under the various conditions. If you ever get there, this little spot is on the right side of the road, just as you exit the National Park on the Schoodic Peninsula.

 At high tide, or thereabouts. 12:43 pm on September 17th.

 Not quite low tide, at 10:48 am on September 21st. It was a cloudy, rather dreary day.

At low tide.  3:14 pm September 27th.

A Morning Visitor

Thursday, September 20th - - As I was taking down the tent, then waiting for it and the tarp to get dry, I saw movement down on the beach - an eagle had landed. The tide was low and the eagle was apparently looking for some little tidbit in the detritus along the shore. I quietly got the camera out of the van and slowly approached the edge of the bank overlooking the bay and was able to get off several shots before the eagle took off. . . these are cropped versions of the original images.

Sunset at Cobscook Bay

Wednesday, September 19th - - A stormy day sometimes brings a beautiful sunset. After driving around looking for a 'better' spot to view the setting of the sun, and not finding one, I returned to my campsite just in time...

 Sometimes I am, quite simply, amazed by the beauty of Mother Nature. The south-eastern sky was filled with a soft, muted pink...

 While the western sky was ablaze with fiery streaks of orange.

It was a beautiful sight! Yes indeed.

The Tides at Cobscook Bay

One of the advantages of having a campsite at the end of the road and overlooking the bay is being able to watch the ebb and flow of the tides. This area is known for having some of the highest tides in the United States. And, I will admit,  I was fascinated with watching the water move in and out of the bay.

 High Tide. After the storm. September 19th at 2:25 p.m.

Low Tide. September 20th at 9:36 a.m. The Island is no longer an Island.

 High Tide. After the storm. September 19th at 2:37 p.m. The view from a neighboring campsite.

Low Tide. September 20th at 9:39 a.m. From about the same spot as the previous photo.

West Quoddy Head Lighthouse

Wednesday, September 19th - - The weather forecast for today was rain and gusty winds.  In anticipation, I had gotten the laptop charged up yesterday and had plenty of 'work' to keep me occupied until the storm was over. It began sometime in the early morning hours. Alternating between a drizzle and a downpour. The wind whipped through the campsite and I wondered if I should have taken the tent down last night. But it held up throughout the day. The rain eased up in early afternoon and had stopped by 2 p.m. but it was still very cloudy.

I ventured out and visited the West Quoddy Head Lighthouse on the eastern-most point in the United States. It is reportedly one of the most photographed lighthouses, explained perhaps by the fact that it is easily accessible, unlike many that are located on offshore islands.

The Village of Eastport

Tuesday, September 18th - - So many things are "the eastern-most" thing  here in Maine - the eastern-most campground, the eastern-most town, the eastern-most point, etc. The Village of Eastport lays claim to being the eastern-most port in the United States. It was one of the places that I was told that I "had" to visit - a quaint little fishing town that is the epitome of all Maine fishing towns.

What I found was a quiet little town. Quaint, to be sure, with little shops selling a variety of artistic and crafty goods. And, of course, the harbor filled with boats.

Sunrise at Cobscook Bay

Monday, September 17th - - The State Park at Cobscook Bay has what are known as 'primitive' facilities (pit toilets, no electrical hookups) but the campsites are spacious and private. My site was at the end of an outcropping or small peninsula in the bay. I had my own private rocky beach facing south and a nice cliff that faced west. It was rather remote, being at the end of the road, but I really liked it! Joann had her site in a separate area specifically for RVs and camper trailers.

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows through the campsite.

Only 'tent sites' had a shelter, which contained a picnic table. There was a second picnic table outside the shelter.

Tuesday, September 18th - - Joann was more energetic that I this morning. She got up early and drove the 15 miles to the West Quoddy Lighthouse, near Lubec, to photograph the sunrise. That lighthouse is located on the eastern-most point in the United States. I, on the other hand, took one look at the sky and stayed in bed a little while longer. However, I did manage to get up in time for these pictures...

But then, I would have missed out on these shots... The tide was still going out. Or maybe it was coming in. Not sure. But at low tide there was no water in this little bay and at high tide it was completely filled.

This was the view from my little beach spot, looking south. Oddly enough, the sky was clearer over at the West Quoddy Lighthouse and Joann got some really nice shots. Almost made me wish I'd gotten up and gone over there myself. Almost.

Good morning, sunshine. It's so nice to see you! 

Acadia :: Another visit to Schoodic Point

Monday, September 17th - - Today was moving day. We were traveling Down East out toward Cobscook Bay and Campobello Island. After a few stops in Ellsworth, and with plenty of time to spare, I decided to stop once again at Schoodic Point. I had checked the tide schedule at the campground and knew it would be high tide at Schoodic about the time I was passing by. Besides, it was yet another beautiful day!

I had planned to stay for about 30 minutes but enjoyed the sunshine and waves for a full 90 minutes before moving on...

Acadia :: Schoodic Point

Sunday, September 16th - - On the eastern side of Mount Desert Island in Acadia National Park is a popular little inlet known as Thunder Hole. A small cavern below the surface of the water creates a sound similar to thunder when the 'right' waves crash against the rocks. The day that we stopped by to see Thunder Hole, there was no action - the sea was rather calm and the waves were merely lapping the shore.

However, I found a spot out on Schoodic Point that was just as exciting as Thunder Hole. Maybe more so. And it was far less crowded. There wasn't quite the roar of thunder but there were some pretty loud crashes when the 'big ones' hit.

Much like the action of a tsunami, the water would pull away from the shore...

Gain momentum, and crash into the granite walls... 

and momentarily fill up the little inlet.

I thought this man was more than a little irresponsible to let his son get so close to the edge. One really big wave and he could have been swept over the edge.

I moved around toward where the man and boy had been, but a little further away from the edge.

Thanks to the capabilities of zoom lenses, I grabbed this shot of a wave smashing into the side of the cliff. It was awesome. And so much fun watching these waves...

Acadia :: The Schoodic Peninsula

Sunday, September 16th - - Another beautiful day greeted us this morning, our last day at Acadia National Park. We decided to visit the 'other side' of Acadia, the side that few visitors go to see...

Residents of two towns, Winter Harbor and Gouldsboro, as well as several small villages reside on Schoodic Peninsula but about half of the area is part of Acadia National Park - the only part on the mainland.

As the crow flies, Schoodic Peninsula is only 4 miles from Mount Desert Island but the drive from Bar Harbor is about 40 miles and an hour away. If the conditions are 'just right' out on the southern tip at Schoodic Point the ocean waves crash against the rocky granite shore in a magnificent display of power and beauty.

The 'big hill' in the background is Mount Desert Island, four miles away - as the crow flies. On the long island in front of Mount Desert there is a lighthouse that could barely be seen. This was taken from the western side of Schoodic Peninsula a short distance into the park.

 The color of the water was amazing, changing from a deep dark blue to this vibrant blue to a greenish color - all depending upon the direction of the light. This was taken on the eastern side of Schoodic Point, with the sun at my back.

 Though it may not look all that impressive, this 'little' wave was about six feet high and when it hit the rocky shore it created quite a splash.

This fella was standing out on the southeast tip of Schoodic Point for quite a while. The water would crash against the outlying rocks...

And wash over them... Several times, I thought for sure he'd get a good soaking, but apparently he was higher and further away than it looked.

He turned to say something to his companions higher up on the rocks. Still, it did not appear that he got the least little bit wet!

There is something primal and energizing about watching waves hitting the shore. It was a bit breezy but plenty of sunshine and 70 degree temperatures. We really couldn't have asked for a nicer day!