July 27-28                       Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Our scheduled seven o’clock departure was delayed by fog and light rain.  It was almost       eight-thirty before we determined visibility was adequate to leave.  Linda and Phil came over to wish us well and say good-bye.  With their help and that of Micah and Miller, we pulled away from the dock and bade farewell to Southwest Harbor.

After emerging from Western Way Passage into the open sea, the fog began to envelop us.  Our radar, which had seemed to be working perfectly when checked before our departure, failed to identify objects about us.  Visibility was very poor and we were forced to constantly visually monitor the sea to be sure we wouldn’t hit another boat.  We could rely on our GPS to keep us on course but it was disconcerting to cruise for miles and miles with very limited visibility.

Our journey to Boothbay Harbor took six hours; all but the final two hours were in fog.  We were greatly relieved when it lifted before we went through the narrow passage to Linkin Bay, leading to the charming small town of Boothbay Harbor.  BBH, the common acronym for this lovely site, is a popular summer resort with many inns, bed and breakfasts, shops, and galleries.  Much larger than Southwest Harbor, it focuses on tourism and there is little evidence of its past history of shipbuilding and fishing.

We chose Boothbay Harbor Marina because of its excellent downtown location.  We were docked immediately behind the decks of two popular restaurants.  After we took a short walk, we decided to return to the boat and watch the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in London. The decks were filled with people and there was a cacophony of sound (some may call it music) diminished only when we shut all the doors and turned on the A/C.  Fortunately, we could not hear it when we retired but the bass vibrations were evident until after midnight.

Saturday was a good day to explore Boothbay Harbor and we took walks down its streets and visited many of the shops.  We found new pillows for the chairs on the aft deck, adding considerable color to our favorite dining area.  A brief trolley ride gave us an opportunity to visit the opposite shore of the harbor and see more of the inns and homes that line the main street.  The Catholic Church, a magnificent white wooden structure topped with a tall Gothic steeple, is prominently situated on a small hill and easily dominates the harbor scene.

Whale watching cruises are very popular at Boothbay Harbor.  We watched the large boats fill with tourists for three hour tours out to sea..  Since we had cruised more than three miles off-shore and had seen only porpoises, we were dubious that whales would be sighted.  We learned later that this is an excellent time for seeing whales but one must go more than twenty miles    off-shore to their feeding grounds.  It must be a thrilling sight to see them.

                      

July 24-26      Southwest Harbor, Maine

We were eager to finish work on the boat and repair on the dinghy motor.  Troy, Joe, and Rob from Ellis Boat Company were diligent in trying to meet the deadline we had stated so we could leave on July 27.  We were grateful to Troy for determining the problem with the ice maker and making it work at last.  In addition, he replaced a macerator motor (not a very pleasant job) and installed our new water pump so we had on-board water when at sea.  Rob was the painter who methodically sanded and re-painted the exterior door frames.  Joe was the skilled craftsman who constructed the beautiful new teak covering for the bow pulpit. .  The anchor chain apparently had been engaged at some point without being disconnected.  This caused severe strain on the bow pulpit, making it split and become weakened.  This may have occurred before we bought the boat and the damage gradually had become apparent.  Instead of fiberglassing the bow pulpit after the repair, David suggested putting teak on it.  We were very pleased with the finished work.

The dinghy motor was a difficult project since the fuel remaining in the tank over the winter had become “gunk” and the filter and carburetor were damaged.  It was an expensive repair and we were unhappy it had been necessary.  We contacted Seaport Marina and were granted a small credit for work that had not been performed as charged on their invoice.  On Thursday, we finally were able to take a cruise of the harbor in our dinghy.  The motor started well but some sputtering ensued before it finally began to run smoothly.  We will use it more frequently to fully clear all the contamination.  On our dinghy cruise,  David pointed out a large home with a façade very different from others.  It was built by a resident from The Netherlands and the exterior looks as if it were transported from Amsterdam. 

Although Maine measures about 230 miles from top to bottom, it has a coastline of more than 3500 miles with thousands of islands and peninsulas.  Some of the islands are privately owned and have been in the same families for hundreds of years.  Family ties to land in Maine are very strong.  We were told that when Acadia National Park was formed, many owners were forced to sell their ancestral land and the animosity still lingers almost a hundred years later.  Since the action was taken under a Democratic administration,  this part of Maine remains staunchly Republican.

To thank Phil and Linda for the many things they had done to make us welcome, we invited them for dinner at a local restaurant.  Fiddler’s Green, a casually up-scale local favorite, was the perfect place to enjoy a delicious meal of freshly caught seafood and organically produced vegetables.  It was quiet, the service was excellent, and we enjoyed having an opportunity to learn more about Phil and Linda.  Both led interesting lives before their marriage more than thirty years ago and, through the ensuing years, continued to have amazing adventures and achieve significant accomplishments.  In an earlier boat, they completed the difficult Circle Cruise, up the East Coast, through the Eire Canal and Great Lakes, and finally returning to the Gulf of Mexico.  Both have traveled extensively throughout the world and are knowledgeable of the history and cultures of many countries.  To our amazement, we learned that several years ago, Phil emulated the famous flight of Charles Lindbergh by flying alone from the United States to Paris, France in a single engine plane!  With extra fuel tanks installed all around him, he was literally flying a bomb! 

Miller, a tall, lanky, handsome dockhand finally had the opportunity to wash our boat.  He had planned to do so earlier but the work was delayed by the painting project. The boat is always rinsed after every day of cruising, but it was in need of a good wash with soap and a brush.  I happily relinquished this labor-intensive task to Miller.

 Miller came to the United States years ago from Dominique and speaks English with a beautiful accent influenced by his French heritage.  He comes each  year to Southwest Harbor from his home in Rhode Island.  He quickly became friends with David and was always there to assist him in any way.  We became quite fond of him and were impressed with his willingness to work.

Our final dinner in Southwest Harbor was (WHAT ELSE?) lobsters served with lemon butter and corn on the cob.  The lobsters were again delivered by Micah, the dockmaster, who acquired them from a returning boat.  The lobsterman refused payment for four 1 ½ pound lobsters!  We probably shall never again have such a delicious lobster feast (until our return next year to Southwest Harbor!).

July 21-23                       Southwest Harbor, Maine

At a dock party on Saturday night (where guests were served two lobsters each), we were told  one of the highlights of Mount Desert Island is Thuya Gardens.  Sunday was our last day to have the car so we planned a picnic lunch and left early to tour the Northeast Harbor area and make a visit to Thuya Gardens.

Northeast Harbor Marina is in a large open area surrounded by hills dotted with lovely homes and rugged granite cliffs.  The beautiful water was filled with a variety of large and small boats, including the red-hulled sailboat belonging to one of the members of the Bass family of Fort Worth.  All the buildings surrounding the harbor are painted or shingled in gray with white trim and the entire area has a pristine, nautical appearance.

The small village of Northeast Harbor has a downtown comprised mostly of white wooden two-story buildings for three short blocks.  The up-scale quality of the village is easily discerned by the wonderful antique shops and The Kimball Shop, an exquisite store filled with kitchenware, housewares, accessories, and expensive china and crystal.  I was awed when I looked at  magnificent Herend-Rothchild dinner plates priced at $450.00 each.  I had seen a similar pattern by H-R several months ago in Neiman’s that cost $250.00 each and had considered that price to be exorbitant.  In retrospect, they seemed cheap!

Shortly after leaving Northeast Harbor, we discovered the roadside entrance to Thuya Gardens, which requires a quarter-mile uphill hike that is described as being “moderately challenging.”  I opted to take the hike to the gardens.  David made the trip in the car and met me at the top of the hill.  The hike follows an excellent trail winding back and forth through rock-terraces.  There are frequent rough-hewn covered shelters where one can sit and look out over the harbor.  The views are wonderful.  The hike provides an opportunity to admire the many species of trees and the ground covered in ferns and moss.  It was a strenuous effort but I was very glad that I had taken the hike.

At the top of the hill is Thuya Lodge, a two-story brick and wooden structure completed in 1916 by Joseph H. Curtis, a Boston civil engineer and landscape architect.  Mr. Curtis and his family were among the first permanent summer settlers of the area.  He had purchased many acres of land and was an early conservationist.  The terraced hill and the lodge were done by his design and under his supervision.  Upon his death, the property and a generous endowment were left to the people of Hancock County and are now managed under a trust with free admission for visitors.

Inside the lodge, we met an excellent guide who made us feel as if we were guests in her home.  Furnishings are original with the Curtis family and are amazingly intact, including china, crystal, kitchenware, books, and games.  The large soapstone sink in the kitchen remains in perfect condition as are the icebox and wood-burning stone. Also on display was an ice hook for carrying blocks of ice and a card that would have been displayed in a window to let the ice man know to stop his wagon and deliver ice.  We had not seen these items in many, many years. Although the three bedrooms upstairs have been converted to libraries for botanical research, one can easily discern the spaciousness and comfort that were afforded the family.

After visiting the lodge, we visited the wonderful gardens behind the lodge.  Following the traditional design of an English garden, there were long rectangular beds filled with a multitude of flowers.  As these were in Maine, they were nestled among granite outcroppings and forest plants and trees.  We were too late for the blooming of the giant rhododendrons but we were greeted with a profusion of colorful dahlias, daisies, daylilies, hollyhocks, and hydrangeas of many varieties and hues. Although the garden is smaller than most public gardens, it is exceptionally well-planned and elegant.

We were amazed to see a dawn redwood tree amidst all the spruces, firs, cedars, and other trees in the garden.  The label stated the tree was a rare specimen of redwood that had previously been known only from fossil remains found in Arizona.  In 1946, it was re-discovered in a remote area of China and brought again to the United States by Harvard botanists.  The one in Thuya Gardens had once been a cherished plant on a Bar Harbor estate.  Although the dawn redwood tree is about the same age as the neighboring trees, it is considerably taller and appears to be thriving in the northeast area.

We enjoy entertaining on the boat and invited Linda and Phil to join us on Monday evening for dinner.  We served my favorite recipe for Classic Crab Imperial with oven-browned new potatoes and a combination of zucchini, tomatoes, and onions. From the bakery kitchen on the hill, we had freshly baked bread and a delicious pie of strawberries and rhubarb.

Before dawn on Tuesday, we had a great thunderstorm that rumbled for an hour.  The rain and fog continued sporadically through the morning hours.  It was a good day for reading.  When the sun finally came out, David abandoned me and my book to visit the facilities of Hinckley Yachts, a legendary prestigious boatbuilding firm, which has been a mainstay of the economy for many years in Southwest Harbor. Today we had two other boats in the marina flying Texas flags!

That evening we went with the Hardbergers to the Acadia Repertory Theater.  The production was Almost, Maine, comprised of a series of vignettes about love in Maine.  It was filled with quirky humor and we laughed and laughed.  The actors were excellent.  The play was held in the Somesville Masonic Lodge building and the rustic interior and spare furnishings were in sharp contrast with the palatial structures of the Masonic Lodges we’ve seen in Texas.

                      

        

July 16-20                  Southwest Harbor, Maine

The days seem to pass too quickly.  We are perfectly content to stay on the boat, walk on the dock, read, work, and enjoy the incredible Maine ambiance.  Several guys from Ellis Boat Company are working to complete projects that David had planned to do but cannot due to his limited mobility.  He was frustrated by having this work unfinished.  He can’t do the work but he loves to supervise!

On Tuesday, Linda and I took the Island Express bus into Bar Harbor.  There are many buses who run seven routes around the island and all are free due to the generosity of  L.L. Bean  On our trip we visited several campgrounds in Acadia Park and I could see the wonderful accommodations made for campers, hikers, and bikers.  There were many people in the park but it seemed to be well-organized without crowding.

Bar Harbor was a different scene from my earlier visit.  There were no cruise ships in the harbor and we were not overwhelmed by tourists.  Linda and I love to visit book stores so we headed for Sherman’s, the oldest bookstore in Maine.  I found a great new puzzle.  We had lunch at the lovely Bar Harbor Inn overlooking the small beach and the beautiful harbor filled with small boats.  My steamed clams were horrible—filled with sand and overcooked.  I should have sent them back and ordered something else but was not in the mood for a confrontation.  

Linda is a trained librarian and an experienced art historian.  She was a museum curator for many years and now is employed by the Tobin Foundation, which has contributed some outstanding art works to the McNay Museum in San Antonio.  She was instrumental in establishing a very successful community gardens movement and continues to be active in the cultural scene of San Antonio.  As a testament to her self-determination, she daily walks more than three miles. 

Since David cannot walk well without pain, we decided to keep the car over the weekend and visit some of the beautiful areas nearby.  A two-hour trip to Camden was delightful.  We traveled State Highway 1, which follows the coastline.  It is a good road but has only two lanes.  Fortunately, we did not encounter traffic and the drive was very pleasant. Most of the journey was through thick woods of pines, fir, spruce, cedars, maples, other trees.  Lovely woodland ferns lined the roadways (the same ferns we buy exorbitant prices for at home) with occasional profusions of multicolored day lilies.

We were amazed to encounter the incredible Penobscot Narrows Bridge near Bucksport.  It was not designed by Santiago Calatrava but is definitely inspired by his futuristic creations. Over two thousand feet in length, the height of the cable structure is awesome and dominates the landscape.  It is significantly more impressive and beautiful than the new bridge over the Trinity River in Dallas.

Camden is one of Maine’s favorite destinations.  The shops are upscale, the town is charming, and the many bed and breakfasts and inns are beautiful.  We loved walking the streets, doing a little shopping (for more puzzles), and having lunch at Cappy’s Chowder House, a local favorite.  Camden has many lovely homes surrounded by lush lawns and gardens of ferns, hydrangeas with white blooms as large as dinner plates, hostas the size of small bushes, daisies, and daylilies.  The largest church building is the magnificent Chestnut Street Baptist Church, a white wooden structure on a hill with many beautiful stained glass windows.  The equally beautiful Episcopal church reflects English influence in its Gothic architecture of gray granite.

On the route from Southwest Harbor to Bar Harbor, one must travel through the postcard beautiful village of Somesville, the oldest community on Mount Desert Island.  The road passes the Acadia Community Theater, which showcases local performers and productions, the lovely white wooden church, where pies are sold on Wednesdays, and a small park with an arched bridge over the pond leading to the local historical museum.  All about are traditional white wooden homes with dark green or black shutters surrounded by gorgeous gardens.  The village overlooks tranquil Somes Cove, a shallow area favored by small sailboats.  Flowers are everywhere and motorists are frequently seen stopping for picture taking.    

We returned to Southwest Harbor to find we had been joined by some huge new yachts.  Our favorite was a 75’ Hatteras with a double stair to the swim platform.  We had seen it more than a month ago in Mystic.  It is a gorgeous boat but I convinced David it was not for us as it  would require a crew.  Another neighbor was a 143’ yacht that had cruised in Europe before coming to America. 

        

July 15                  Southwest Harbor, Maine

On Sunday, we began an intensive search for David’s wallet.  We were certain it was in the boat or in the car.  It was not found in either.  This was becoming scary.  The wallet contained no money but it was packed with credit cards.  He would need his driver’s license to board a plane and it was also in the wallet.  Calls to places we visited the day before were not successful.  David returned to town to make his own personal search of those sites.  This was also unsuccessful.  Finally, he decided to check at the local police station.  To his great surprise, his wallet had been turned in by someone who found it after the parade on the previous day.  It apparently had fallen from his pocket while we sat in front of the local deli.

At four o’clock, we were delighted to witness on the dock across from us a lovely wedding.  All the guests and participants were dressed in navy and white and the ceremony was held on the aft deck of the boat owned by the couple being married.  She was dressed in a beautiful long dress of deep navy and he had a navy blazer and white slacks.  We were later told they had been together for more than thirty years but “the time was never right to marry” until now.  About twenty people attended the wedding but many others arrived for the reception held in a white tent on the main dock of the marina. 

We left the festive scene to take a driving tour of the park with Phil and Linda, who know the area well.  They have come to Southwest Harbor for years and both have hiked extensively in the park.  Fog had unexpectedly arrived shortly before the wedding and remained thick in areas near the water.  Bright sunshine and clear skies were elsewhere.  In our drive, we alternated between the two.

 After going through the large park and the small communities bordering it, we ended at Bar Harbor.  Dinner was at a quaint restaurant featuring Brazilian cuisine.  My seafood dish of shrimp, mussels, and scallops was flavored with coconut milk.  Very good!  David had a Shepherd’s Pie made with fried eggplant—definitely not the traditional recipe but he enjoyed it.

July 14                                         Southwest Harbor, Maine

We awakened early to attend   the Flamingo Parade in downtown Southwest Harbor.  Flamingo displays were everywhere. Local residents told us the festival began years ago when Don Featherstone, the inventor of the pink flamingo lawn ornaments, acquired a home in Southwest Harbor.  He is well regarded by the local citizens and this festival was created as a means of benefitting local charities and celebrating small town involvement.

The original pink flamingoes were created in the 1950’s and were immediately adopted for cheap lawn ornaments by residents in Florida and other southern states.  The original molds were signed by Don Featherstone and had one flamingo with head raised and the other with head lowered. A pair sold recently for more than $20,000  (useful information for my estate sale friends). Southwest Harbor had many types of flamingoes displayed—plastic, painted ones on windows, Styrofoam ones, and motorized ones.  There were pink flamingo sunglasses and all sorts of headgear. 

The parade was a great display of local fire trucks, volunteers for many organizations, antique automobile clubs, and other business establishments.  Most people in the parade and in the crowd were wearing one or more pink articles of clothing.  Many children were riding the floats and throwing candy to the crowd.  Some floats celebrated the flamingo theme but all were focused on showing their support for local charities and organizations.  It was a beautiful show of America small town at its best.

The library was having a paperback sale and I left the parade to join the throngs perusing the boxes of books on display.  Within minutes, I had found some wonderful titles. The library is deceptively small from the exterior but when one enters, it is soon apparent a great deal of space exists beyond the original structure.    With a nautical theme throughout, the library appears to be well organized, spacious, and very inviting to readers of all ages

To benefit the local hospice, a party was held in a tent on the dock of our marina.  We bought tickets and were eager to participate in the event.  We had entertainment by a local band before a lobster, mussels, and corn dinner.  It was delicious.  Afterwards, we returned to the boat and watched from the bridge as the sun slowly set over the horizon. 

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July 12- 13                                  Southwest Harbor, Maine

Some large cracks had developed on the bow pulpit on either side of the anchor wench.  David contacted Ellis Boat Company and they again sent a workman.  Ellis Boat Company is located in Southwest Harbor and builds beautiful boats, mostly under 40’ in length.  Their production is slow due to the economy so they are now doing refitting for other boats.  We were pleased to find a source for trained, knowledgeable people to make some needed repairs.  David and Joe, the Ellis employee, soon determined a way to solve the problem and he immediately began to work.

We rented a car for a week to make it possible for us to visit an orthopedic specialist in Bar Harbor for David’s leg pain and give us an opportunity later to see the area, including the beautiful Acadia National Park.  Covering most of the island, Acadia is a biking, hiking, and camping destination for hundreds.  Most of the land was given for a park by John D. Rockefeller and others who once owned huge expanses of the property.  Miles of “carriage roads” with magnificent stone bridges were built by Rockefeller to facilitate travel through the park by carriages or horses.  Automobiles were not used at the time.  Today these roads are used by hikers, cyclists, and a few carriages.  In the winter they are a means for cross-country skiing.  We plan next week to take a tour through the park.

Maine lobstermen are having a difficult time due to plummeting wholesale prices because of Canadian imports.  The local newspapers are filled with stories detailing their plight.  We have several lobster boats in our marina and I stopped to converse with a little fellow who had just come in with his dad from a day running lobster pots.  He allowed me to take his picture.  He was quite happy for he had made $200 that day.  According to his dad, the State of Maine allows youngsters under a certain age to own ten traps.  That day his son had caught 69 lobsters—a very good catch.

Dinner was with Phil, Linda, Jan, Phil’s sister from San Antonio who was visiting them for a few days, and Sue and Darrell, boating friends of the Hardbergers.  Sue and Darrell are retired attorneys from Michigan who live most of the year on their 2005 Ocean Alexander.  Together we traveled the short distance to Quietside and Thurston’s Lobster Pound, a local favorite.  Dining on boiled lobster and corn, we had a marvelous evening getting to better know each other.

On Friday we left early for Bar Harbor and David’s eight o’clock appointment with the doctor.  It was too soon for traffic and we made it there in twenty minutes, giving us time to tour the quiet downtown streets.  Bar Harbor had a disastrous fire in the early twentieth century which destroyed many of its buildings and homes but significant examples of the quaint architectural style of the previous century remain.  The large Grand Hotel on Main Street is a wonderful reminder of the years when people came for extended stays and relaxed in rockers on the porch or played croquet on the lawns. Colorful hydrangeas, daisies, lilies, and peonies were in profusion in beds, window boxes, baskets, and pots.  Even one alley way was lined in pots, each filled with an array of flowers. Small shops dominate the downtown streets and there is no hint of a national chain establishment. The city park overlooks the beautiful harbor where the cruise ships and small boats dock and presents another scene of postcard quality.

We drove slowly through some of the waterfront area which contains some of the remaining “summer cottages” built in the late nineteenth century by wealthy families.  Most are outstanding examples of New England architecture of the period with wide porches, gabled roofs, and shingled exteriors.  Some have been converted to bed and breakfasts or professional offices but their grand origins are still evident. Many had more than thirty rooms with a ballroom for lavish entertaining. Never approximating the palatial styles of the Newport “cottages,” the homes in Bar Harbor are nevertheless significant examples of the lifestyle of the rich and famous of the era.

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July 7-11                      Southwest Harbor, Maine

After brunch on the aft deck, we walked the dock to the parking lot to say farewell to Blake and Amanda.  The weather was perfect for their flight from Bar Harbor to Boston and then on to DFW.  I returned to the boat and began laundry and cleaning.  At 2:30 I stopped, had a light lunch and retired to the sofa with my book.  David had strict instructions to leave me there undisturbed. I was officially on vacation!

The lobster boats came into the dock after five o’clock and our dockmaster secured four lobsters for us.  These were even more beautiful than the ones we had bought in Beverly.  Each one was a minimum of two pounds with both claws intact.  Price was less than $20.00.

We boiled the lobsters and put them in the refrigerator to cool while we borrowed the marina courtesy car for a short trip into Southwest Harbor to the grocery store.  Sawyer’s Market is small and definitely upscale.  The wine section takes up half their space and they have an even larger space across the street dedicated to wine and cheeses.  Pates, mustards from France, New York deli items, and prime angus beef were available in abundance.  More ordinary items such as regular crackers and cereals were limited.  We bought fresh corn and returned to the boat for another New England lobster dinner.  Fantastic!  We could only eat one lobster each so we saved the others for a lobster salad the next day.

The cool weather, sunshine, and beautiful scenery tends to make one quite content to just sit and enjoy the ambiance.  We had to make ourselves set small goals in order to assure we were at least semi-productive.  David was delighted when Phil invited him on a dinghy cruise of the harbor.  In the next cove, they saw the 140' sailing yacht of Charles Butts, the HEB heir from Texas.

Dinner on Sunday was at a small Italian restaurant with the Hardbergers.  We enjoyed hearing Phil’s story of how he ran for and won the mayoral race in San Antonio eight years ago.  Although he won the initial race by a small margin, he handily won re-election several years later. He was too modest to tell us ( but others had done so) that he was one of the best mayors in recent San Antonio history and had contributed significantly to making the city financially sound and a major tourist destination.

We were delighted on Monday to have a man come to repair the icemaker and install the new water pump.  Within a few hours, he had both of them working and was able to complete a few other small chores for us.  Having not been used for some time, the water in the tank was stagnant and when pumped through the lines smelled like 100 rotten eggs.  Following advice we read on the internet, we spent hours flushing, filling, and re-flushing the 330 water tank until finally we deemed its output to be acceptable.

We have an interesting neighbor in the marina who is a celebrity in the boating world.  Bruce Kessler is a retired television director who has circumnavigated the globe and made numerous voyages on the West and East Coasts of the United States.  His boat, The Spirit of Zopelote, is a 64’ Northern Marine trawler with a British Racing Green hull.  It was recently portrayed on the cover of Passageways Magazine which contained a long article about Kessler and his adventures.

Southwest Harbor celebrates Flamingo Festival this weekend with many events to benefit local charities.  Almost every home and business is festooned with pink plastic flamingoes. An icon of the tropics, the flamingo seems to be out of place in Maine but a local told me that lobsters were too commonplace for display.  We plan to attend the charity lobster bake on Saturday which will be held here in the marina.  

July 6                              Southwest Harbor, Maine

We waved good-bye to Blake and Amanda and promised to see them in five hours at Southwest Harbor.  We could not believe our good fortune as the weather was perfect.  We quickly exited Rockland Harbor and began again to dodge the lobster pots.  The scenery was spectacular as we cruised around the islands with their thick forests of tall trees and granite cliffs against the blue silhouettes of mountains in the distance.  We went through Western Way, a small passage between the ocean and Southwest Harbor.  Careful to avoid areas with submerged rocks, we had no difficulty and were delighted to realize our marina lay just ahead

Dysart’s Great Harbor Marina is a small facility but was highly recommended by our friends, Phil and Linda Hardberger.  We made reservations here in April to assure dockage.  The Hardberger’s boat, Aimless was tied up nearby and within a few moments after arrival, Phil was on board and soon was joined by Linda.  It was great to visit again with them and to introduce them to the kids.  We made plans to have dinner together on Sunday.

Blake and Amanda had experienced the chaos of Bar Harbor on their trip and were pleased to join us in the relative serenity of Southwest Harbor.  This was their last evening before departing for home.  We opted to dine onboard.  I made a pot of pasta with sausage, capers, and mushrooms in a spicy tomato sauce and a large tossed salad.  Blake and Amanda earlier had walked to the nearby kitchen of a small local bakery operation and returned with freshly made rosemary focaccia and a magnificent Maine blueberry pie.  We had a wonderful dinner on the aft deck looking out at the beautiful view and enjoying the cool, fresh air. The pie was an incredible creation of thickly packed blueberries in a sweetened flaky crust.  The blueberries were tiny and delicious.  We ate the entire pie. 

We loved having a week with Blake and Amanda on the boat and sharing with them some of the experiences we have in cruising.  They are delightful guests, always cooperative, pleasant, and helpful.  Both are generous and are constantly showering us with gifts.  They have great taste and we are always happy recipients of their largess.  We regret that future trips with them will probably be distant as the impending birth of their first child will preclude such travel for awhile.

July 5                            Rockland, Maine

Our voyage from Portland to Rockland was long—eight hours.  We were glad Amanda was not subjected to such a long cruise but we missed Blake’s assistance at the helm.  The sun was bright and the water was calm when we began the trip.  Weather predictions were indicative of no problems.  Several miles out of Portland Harbor, we began to weave through the lobster pots that were omnipresent.  Finally, we determined it was futile and maintained our course despite them.

Our cruise was marked with several changes in weather as we went from sunny, haze, fog, showers, and back to sunshine.  Wind was minimal and the water remained calm.  Trident Marina in Rockland is a new facility and we had easy dockage.  Blake and Amanda were there to greet us and help us secure the boat.  They had spent the day touring small towns enroute and shopping for items on the list we had given them. 

Having the advantage of a car meant I could visit the Farnsworth Art Museum in the limited time available before it closed.   The FAM is located in downtown Rockland in several beautifully renovated historical buildings.  Noted for its outstanding collection of artists who lived and/or worked in Maine, The FAM includes works by the Wyeth family, N.C., Andrew, and Jamie, as well as Alec Katz, Frederic Church, and to my delight, Will Barnett (we own several of his signed lithographs). The Wyeths’ paintings are showcased in a beautiful white wooden church topped with a magnificent steeple which towers over everything else in the downtown area.  The interior of the church has been converted into lovely galleries but the significant architectural features of the building, its tall narrow windows and impressive double staircase, have been maintained.

The summer exhibition at the FAM was paintings by Frank W. Benson, an early American Impressionist.  His works are highly reminiscent of Claude Monet in subject, style, and palette.  On display were numerous pictures of lovely women, beautiful children, and views of water and expanses of flowers.  Benson’s paintings demonstrated more intensive color and considerably more texture than Monet but both have a pleasing aesthetic quality that appeals to most viewers.  Unfamiliar with Benson’s work, I immediately became captivated by his skill. 

After a brief visit to the grocery store, we returned to the boat for a light dinner on board.  We attempted to teach Blake and Amanda how to play dominos but our efforts were not very successful.  Unfortunately, though we had spent years playing 42 with our good friends, Jack and Jan Redding, we had not played for more than twenty years and we had forgotten the rules.  We promised the kids we would try again when we return to Fort Worth.

July 3-4             Portland, Maine 

Morning brought an unwelcome discovery.  Our ladder had disappeared.  The brackets and screws had been dislodged and the entire ladder assembly was gone.  This was an expensive loss and a very inconvenient one.  Our electrical hookups were on the port side and now we would have to dock with access on the starboard side and the connections would have a limited reach. One more challenge!

While David did “ladder research” on the internet, Blake again took control of the helm and followed the course without incident to Portland Harbor.  We were delighted to see the magnificent Portland Head Lighthouse, sitting majestically above the cliff as we entered the beautiful harbor.  Our dockage was at DeMillo’s Marina located on Long Wharf in downtown Portland.  It was an easy walk from the boat to the hub of the dock and tourist area.

Downtown Portland is a myriad of charming and touristy shops in carefully restored and maintained older buildings.  The sidewalks are brick and some of the streets near the dock are cobblestoned.  Amanda and Blake are shoppers and they had no difficulty finding ways to deplete their wallets.

                                                                                                                                  

After a brief walk, we indulged in delicious frozen yogurt before hurrying back to the dock area for a trolley ride to see the city.  We had a great guide who was eager to share her knowledge and love for Portland.  We saw the historical area with its many nineteenth century and early twentieth century homes, the early settlement area, and the lighthouse that had greeted us as we turned into the harbor.  It is now a museum.  The views there were beautiful with the blue water sparkling in the sunlight below the granite cliffs.

I awakened early and departed on my bicycle for the Portland Art Museum located only about a mile away.  The museum is housed in a spectacular building designed by I. M. Pei and that is reason enough to visit there.  However, the collection is outstanding with magnificent paintings and sculptures by American artists from the eighteenth century to the present.  Several galleries displayed Impressionist paintings from major French artists.  The galleries are painted in a variety of muted yellows, oranges, purples, greens, and blues which is very pleasing and enhances the viewing experience

After visiting the museum, I rode my bike down the hill to the main street and Becky’s Diner, a popular local eatery recently featured on the popular television show Drive-Ins, Diners, and Dives.  David, Amanda, and Blake were waiting there for me and we enjoyed a delicious meal.  Although advertised as home cooking, the food was definitely not ordinary and presentation was outstanding.  David had walked the quarter of a mile to the restaurant and insisted on walking back.  He was tired and in some pain but the effort proved to us that he was improving.

The lovely weather ended several hours before the fireworks display was scheduled.  A strong storm with winds, lightening, and thunder interrupted the plans for a festive Fourth of July.  We were docked safely and had scrapped our plans to take the dinghy out to watch the fireworks.  We were glad we had done so when we saw the boats returning with drenched passengers.  We watched the televised fireworks display in New York and remembered how wonderful it was when we had been there last year.

Amanda had been fighting motion sickness since we had left Salem.  She experienced no difficulty in port but was immediately immobilized when we began to cruise.  She never complained but it was obvious she was experiencing considerable difficulty.  Blake wisely decided she had endured enough and rented a car to take them on land for the remainder of the trip.  They would join us in Rockland and Southwest Harbor.