June 26 - Day trip to Pemaquid Point

After you've hit most of the popular (more touristy) spots in Maine, there's still much to do, The coast of Maine is challenging to explore without the advantage of a boat. Envision, if you will, the anatomy of a comb with its spine running down the back and teeth protruding from the spine. To visit a port or tiny town located at the end of one of Maine's coastal finger's requires some tedious travel. Yesterday, for example, we we're on Pemaquid Point and wanted to visit Booth Bay on a nearby point. As the crow flies the distance was 7 miles. The actual GPS "shortest route" was nearly 30 miles and over two (2) hours. See for yourself:

Typical of seeing sights along Maine's jagged coastline

Instead, we opted for Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster! That's no backseat, secondhand choice, by-the-way. It just exemplifies how planning and flexibility are requirements. It helps, too, having some extra time. Don't get me wrong; both trips were well worth it as you can see below.

The beach at Pemaquid Point looking toward Booth Bay

Playing on the dangerous rocks at Pemaquid

NOTE: Folks lose their lives here on the slippery rocks. This typically happens during storms at high tide despite the numerous warning signs posted nearby.

The backbone of the aforementioned comb analogy is Highway 1. It differs significantly from the Pacific coast's Hwy 1 in that you seldom find yourself driving immediately adjacent to the coast. As I mentioned before, the inlets and fingers of the coast make navigation more challenging. Until you've been here, your imagination might have conjured images of driving along rocky fingers of land reaching out to the sea. Perhaps, those exist; but our experiences, thus far, reveal the routes running from Hwy 1 toward the ocean are through dense forests. This leads to a much anticipated surprise when you actually encounter the stretch where land meets ocean.

Now that what I call a gorgeous, rocky coast!

Maine resident enjoying the sunshine on Pemaquid Point

One of the Maine features of Pemaquid Point is the lighthouse there. Some say it is one of the most photographed and painted. The park area includes a museum, a restaurant, and an art gallery where many of the locals display and sell their art.

The lighthouse a Pemaquid Point

The museum is also a private residence upstairs. Nice digs!

We're still pondering how the restaurant got its name...yes, Martha...they're real.

As we arrived there was a gorgeous two-masted schooner heading out to sea. I must apologize because while I did have my trusty 400mm zoom lens, I find grabbing the tripod a bit of a hassle. Therefore, I exposed that I am far to old to handhold such long lenses. Oh well...hopefully we're among friends here. So here's the gorgeous schooner...

Boat ride anyone?

I know...you should never zoom a handheld, long-lens shot. So shoot me.

Handsome old fellow. Sometimes the sky can be just too perfect - needs some clouds for interest.

Shortly after 1pm we decided to head for Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster. For those that don't know, it is a dock at the end of a point on the Maine coast where a delectable sea creature, known fondly as the "lobster," is captured, cooked and consumed continuously. Until you've chomped down on a boat of bread containing a crew of 3/4 of a pound of this morning's lobster, you haven't lived. Unfortunately, we may have to forego this delectable delicacy sooner than later. It seems the warming waters around Maine are yielding fewer and fewer of these nautical nibbles. Soon they will migrate to Nova Scotia or cease to exist in the warmer waters where they will not or cannot spawn.

Here is my only shot from Harraseeket since I was far to engrossed in foraging than filming.

Just a filament of my imagination.

As you can see by my enlightening photo above, Harraseeket is but a tiny spot on the map. It is almost always crowded with illuminated locals who have come to see the light, culinarily speaking, dontchasee?

Gotta run. So little time; so much to see; no time to be coasting...