Random Connections – Page 147 – A collection of photography and exploration focusing on Upstate South Carolina and beyond.

Pemaquid Point to Boothbay Harbor

June 29, 2009 Tom 2 Comments

Travel

Thursday, June 25

This was supposed to be our best day, weather-wise, so we had reserve a place on a Puffin Cruise that was supposed to sail from Port Clyde. However, things didn’t look quite as nice when we got up. We started out anyway, headed back south through Camden and Rockland. We had just stopped for a bit more coffee when I got a company from the Monhegin Boat Line that the port was socked in, and that the cruise had been canceled.

They did rebook us for Friday, but it put us in something of a quandary. We had wanted to head back to Acadia at some point, especially before any weekend crowds gathered. Now, though, we were on the opposite side of Penobscot Bay, and we were possibly obligated for tomorrow. We decided to continue in this direction and see if we could find some of the lighthouses along these lower peninsulas.

Our first target was Pemaquid Point. I had remembered visiting here from our previous trip to Maine, and remembered the fort and beach. I thought it might be a good diversion.

B&B Life

June 29, 2009 Tom No Comments

Travel

Thursday, June 25 “Motels are for the anonymous. B&B’s are for the gregarious.” That was the conclusion I reached at breakfast this morning. In addition to the couple we had met earlier, we were joined by two other couples. One person kept introducing himself over and over again, making almost too much of an attempt … Read More “B&B Life” »

Acadia in the Fog

June 29, 2009 Tom 1 Comment

Travel

Wednesday, June 24

The weather continued to be rotten. It was alternately cloudy, foggy, or rainy and sometimes all three. We were really glad to have our new rain gear from L. L. Bean. It had been a worthwhile stop.

The breakfasts continue to be fantastic at the inn. This morning was another three-course meal, culminating in a wonderful fritatta.

Despite the foul weather, we decided to head up to Acadia National Park. We figured that mid-week would be less crowded than the weekend, so now was the time.

We headed north out of Belfast on US 1, retracing the route we had take Monday. Once again, I had to resist the urge to stop and photograph every one of the Victorian mansions we passed. Of particular interest to me was the traditional Maine farm house. This usually consisted of a small wood frame cottage, usually with Victorian Gothic trim, and a huge cedar-sided barn that would be attached to the house via a passageway. I guess the farmers wanted a way to get to their barns without having to trudge through winter weather. In many of these the barn had now been converted to living space or garages, so the actual square footage of the house had been greatly increased.

US 1 from Bucksport to Ellsworth was fairly non-descript. Ellsworth itself was a quaint town, with a lovely riverfront area. However, the town was much larger than others we had encountered. The town was somewhat extended even further, by virtue of it being near a National Park. The route from Ellsworth to Bar Harbor was lined with motels and the types of distractions that come with such parks – campgrounds, miniature golf places, etc., etc.

Belfast Photo Walk

June 28, 2009 Tom No Comments

Photography, Travel

Wednesday, June 24

This morning I got up very early to do a photo walk around the little town of Belfast. It was still misty outside, but that seems to be typical for this area. I figured I could still get some good shots of the historic buildings and waterfront area. I had a general goal, but wasn’t sure if i would have the time or energy to get to everything.

My first stop was the village green. This large open area has great views of the entire Belfast Bay. There are a few walking paths and benches, and looks like a great place to just hang out and watch ships pass.

From the green I walked on down to the waterfront. It’s typical of most of the small Maine waterfront towns. There are a fair number of recreational boats, but many more lobster boats. Lobster floats can be seen throughout the bay. I had wondered aloud to Laura, “At what point do lobster floats cease to be scenic?” There were also a couple of restaurants and pubs along the waterfront that we may have to explore further.

Maine Update

June 26, 2009 Tom 1 Comment

Travel

I’m three days behind on blogging. We’ve been off exploring, and have been getting back so late that we just collapse. Add to that a thunderstorm that knocked our Internet offline for awhile, and I’ve really fallen behind. I’ll try to catch up tomorrow, but in the meantime here’s a preview… Wednesday morning – did … Read More “Maine Update” »

Lobstaaaahhh!

June 23, 2009 Tom No Comments

Restaurants, Travel

At breakfast we had asked our hostess where she recommended for good lobster. She said that the Angler’s Restaurant above Searsport was the place all the locals went, so we decided to give it a try for dinner. The place was packed, and most of the denizens did appear to be local. We had an … Read More “Lobstaaaahhh!” »

Breakwater and Mooses

June 23, 2009 Tom No Comments

Travel

Our Victorian abode is getting more crowded. Another couple came in last night, so there were four of us for breakfast. Mark and Chris joined us for another three-course meal – more scones, and incredible fruit concoction, and blueberry pancakes with Maine maple syrup. Mark is another amateur photographer, so we swapped stories and chatted about things in general.

According to the Weather Channel hour-by-hour forecast, our best bet for no rain was for early in the morning, with the rain starting back up in the afternoon. That being the case, we decided to head south to the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse. Since things were dicey as far as the weather, we drove straight there, without stopping at any of the interesting places along the way.

I had been to the Rockland Breakwater on my previous trip to Maine. The breakwater extends nearly a mile out into the bay, where it terminates at a lighthouse. On my previous trip I only took photos along the path, but didn’t hike out to the end. This time I was determined to do so.

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The Rain in Maine Falls Plainly on the Insane

June 23, 2009 Tom 4 Comments

Travel

Having gorged ourselves on a gourmet breakfast, we packed up cameras and maps and set off in search of coastline and lighthouses. There was just one small hitch – the wind was howling and it was dumping rain. We may have lost our minds to be going out in weather like this, but hanging around the B&B surrounded by creepy Gothic decor would have been just as bad.

We started our trek with a turn through the town of Belfast. We had only explored on foot last night. It looks as if there is lots to see and do, including a footbridge across the Penobscot, and a higher walkway along the US 1 bridge. We may have to spend more time exploring this area.

The rain kept kept a steady pace as we headed north on US 1 through Searsport. I wanted to stop and photograph all the interesting old farm houses and churches. If we had done that we would have never made it out of town. There’s just much more interesting architecture here.

More on the Jeweled Turret

June 22, 2009 Tom No Comments

Travel

I had briefly described the Jeweled Turret Inn yesterday. We had a bit more time to poke around this morning, and to sample their fantastic breakfast. The house was built in 1898 by James S. Harriman. The current owners purchased the house in 1986 and restored it, opening it as a B&B. The inn consists … Read More “More on the Jeweled Turret” »

From Greenville to Belfast

June 21, 2009 Tom 1 Comment

Travel

Even if today hadn’t been the summer solstice, it was still going to be a long one. We got up, packed our last-minute gear, said goodbye to the cats, heat, and humidity of Greenville, and headed for the cooler climes of Belfast, Maine.

The first leg of our flight was from Greenville to Philadelphia, and apart from being a bit bumpy, was uneventful and relatively quick. The second leg was a bit more exciting. While landing, our flight attendant stated that this was the third time she had landed with one blown out tire, and the smoothness of the landing (or lack thereof) reflected that.

Then there was the matter of our luggage. TSA had apparently seen fit to disassemble my brand-new tripod, which was in my checked baggage, but hadn’t bother to put it back together. For awhile I was worried that they had broken it. Eventually, though, we made it to Portland, got our rental car, and headed up the coast of Maine.

The weather was much cooler, and rainy. Since conditions weren’t great for coastal sightseeing, we decided to drop by Freeport and the home of L. L. Bean. The place was a zoo, with people from all over dropping to pay homage to the quintessential purveyors of monogrammed yuppiedom. We were not immune. We purchased two very nice windbreaker/rain slickers, and I got a great straw hat. We were now set for Maine weather.