June 16-19                      Southwest Harbor, Maine

Friday was a day of preparation for our guests, Katrina and John Little from Fort Worth.  Their visit provided the motivation to be more diligent in cleaning the boat.  Miller began work in the compressor and engine areas to clean, organize, and prepare to paint the floors.  Every boat captain takes particular pride in showing off a pristine engine area.  David has not had that joy for quite some time as back problems have prevented him from doing the arduous work required.  Miller can do it faster and better.

Katrina and John arrived about 7:00 PM on Saturday as the marina was being enveloped in fog.  Our usual source for lobster was not available but we were able to acquire four large ones from a local lobster pound.  Miller cooked them in sea water on the dock and we were spared the smell within the boat.  Corn on the cob and blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream completed a quintessential Maine dinner.

Fog continued to cover the area but finally lifted enough for us to leave the boat and enjoy a tour of Mount Desert Island.  As John is the proud owner of a 1931 Model A Ford sedan, we made a visit to the Seal Cove Antique Auto Museum.  This amazing collection of mostly restored and very valuable automobiles from America and Europe is one of the largest in the United States.  Located in a remote village on the island, it is lovingly staffed by volunteers and is a wonderful surprise for antique automobile fans.

We made a brief journey to Northeast Harbor to see the magnificent homes dotting the hills of that enclave for the rich and famous.  Martha Stewart and some of the Rockefeller family are among its residents.

Thula Gardens, high above the beautiful cove at Northeast Harbor, was easily accessible by car and the weather cleared for our visit to this incredibly beautiful place.  Replete with huge rhododendron bushes laden with blooms of pink, magenta, and white and surrounded by ancient beech, cedar, and oak trees the garden is a  visual delight.  Begun as a private garden by an avid horticulturalist and conservationist, the grounds have expanded and improved through the years but remain intimate and accessible.  The lovely cedar cabin, once the home of the founder, contains many original furnishings, including two large zinc sinks, a wood burning cooking stove, and a large collection of the family’s blue patterned china.

We enjoyed a late lunch at the Jordan Pond Restaurant.  The renowned view from the terrace unfortunately was obscured by fog.  The vegetable stew was delicious but the highlight was the popovers and strawberry jam that accompanied them.   The restaurant is family-friendly, casual and extremely popular with visitors and residents.

We followed the scenic roads to Bar Harbor and easily found the B and B where John and Katrina had become engaged almost l7 years ago.  It has remained a lovely, stately mansion offering gracious hospitality to its guests.  Bar Harbor has a number of these B and B’s or inns which formerly were privately owned homes during the town’s “Golden Age.”  A steel band concert on the beautiful lawn overlooking the harbor brought a large crowd of Father’s Day celebrants to enjoy the music and the ambiance. 

After dinner on the boat of fresh halibut with capers, we enjoyed conversation with our interesting and delightful guests.  John and Katrina, wearing their The Bottom Line embroidered caps, left on Monday morning to continue their vacation trip to Quebec City and Montreal.  We missed them immediately.