Off To Maine - Again

Tomorrow I'm leaving for my 10th trip to Maine.  I'm looking forward to sitting by Pigeon Hill Bay in Milbridge, watching the lobster boats and smelling the salt air.  There's no doubt about it, I love Maine and consider it my second home.  My adventures in Maine began in 2005 when I turned 60.  As I wrote in a previous blog post, I sent a letter to Oprah asking for her help in finding the best campsite in Maine and I described exactly what I thought the best campsite would have to offer.  Oprah never responded  but I found a little blurb in a Maine travel guide and that little blurb led me to the best campsite ever - site 22, Oceanwood Campground in Birch Harbor, Maine which is on the exit road from the Schoodic National Park (the "wild" part of Acadia).  Back in 2005,  I was going to spend my second week in Maine at site 22 but my first week would be at the Sherwood Forest Campground in New Harbor, Maine.

New Harbor is on the Pemequid Peninsula which is down near Boothbay.  I had two inspirations for going there.  First, Barbara Cooney (Miss Rumphius author) lived in Damariscotta and second, Rachel Carson explored a tidal pool in the New Harbor area as part of her research for Edge of the Sea.  Rachel Carson became a great inspiration to me after I read a biography written by Linda Lear and Barbara Cooney's, Miss Rumphius, is one of the best children's books ever!
The tip of the peninsula is where you'll find the beautiful Pemiquid Lighthouse.  I sat on the rocks at the base of the lighthouse and had my first encounter with the rocky coast of Maine and the giant waves.  The lighthouse and the grounds are not to be missed.

 
I visited the lighthouse more than once and then would head over to Shaw's Fish and Lobster Wharf Restaurant.  I would pick out a large lobster in the lower part of the restaurant, buy an order of onion rings up on the second floor and then sit on the deck watching the lobster boats bring in the catch. It's a working harbor and from the boats the lobsters are loaded into crates and then loaded into trucks. You can watch all this from the deck.

The boats for the Hardy Island Ferry Service for Monhegan Island dock right next to Shaw's.  My first adventure with the Hardy boats was an evening cruise around Muscongus Bay.  There were thousands of lobster trap markers around the bay.  I'd never seen anything like it and was very excited and enthused.  Toward the end of the trip, we were told to write our impressions on a sheet of paper, turn them in and then there would be a drawing.  The winner would be able to go on an all day trip to Monhegan.  My enthusiasm led me to write a great review and really I don't think there was a drawing, I think they simply read my review and said, "she wins".  That next day I went to Monhegan and spent all my time sitting on the rocks watching the huge waves - they were amazing.  Off to my right was the vacation home of the artist, Jamie Wyeth.  By the time I decided to move on, it was time to board the boat and I lost my chance to walk around the small island.  Fortunately, I returned during another vacation with Jill and explored.  There were no cars back then, and at the end of the tourist season,  there were only 65 people left on the island.  Great place to visit and lots of artists go there to paint.

I visited Rachel Carson's tidal pool more than once.  The first time I was annoyed because another visitor wanted to talk to me and I just wanted to sit and soak in the ambiance and be with Rachel.  I didn't want to be rude so I just left and returned later.  Tidal pools are full of life when the tide is out.  I go looking for them whenever I'm on the coast.

I went to Damariscotta to do laundry and visited the Skidompha Library.  Barbara Cooney donated about $200,000 to the library and the children's section was named for her.  She died March 10, 2000 after writing many wonderful children's book, - Hattie and the Waves, Roxaboxen (always makes me cry), Island Boy and, of course, Miss Rumphius (and more).
When Jill was visiting Maine with me, we went to North Country Wind Bells in Round Pond which is also found on the Peninsula.  We each ended up buying a bell.  Mine still hangs in the crooked willow tree in my backyard.  You can check this out on-line.  I've even seen their bells for sale here in Michigan.  High quality.
I visited the Pemequid Peninsula twice - once on my own and once with Jill.  Both times I camped at Sherwood Forest Campground.  It was an older campground but clean and the sites were fairly large and both times my site backed up to the woods.  I see that it's still open but I don't know what it's like now.  If you're interested in going, check out the reviews.
I won't be returning to the Peninsula but it's an area that I highly recommend for those who want to visit Maine. 
I'll be leaving tomorrow for Milbridge, Maine but won't be camping there.  Last year I stayed at the Two Jetties Cottage and on Sunday, I'll begin a 3 week stay.  I'm really looking forward to this vacation.  Milbridge is located in the part of Maine I know best.  It's about an hour north of Bar Harbor and about an hour south of Campabello Island, New Brunswick - I camped for two weeks on this Island a few years ago and probably one of my favorite vacations ever.
I'll be posting about my vacation if I can find wifi. I think I can sit outside the Milbridge Library and do this.  Mitzi can be with me there which is a must - she will go with me everywhere on this trip.
So for now - I'm alive, looking forward to sitting on the deck at Two Jetties, onward and upward.