July 16-22                Southwest Harbor, Maine    

      

Three days of fog finally ended and we had gorgeous Maine weather for the remainder of the week.  Naturally, we were eager to leave the boat.  We returned to XYZ Restaurant with Phil and Linda and enjoyed again their wonderful cuisine while discussing their plans to journey by boat to Nova Scotia.  Friends would join them later in the week and they planned to be gone for ten days.  We were invited to join them in our boat but decided we “had been there, done that” and were quite content being sloths in Southwest Harbor.

Stonington is a quiet village of quaint shops, small restaurants, and nineteenth and early twentieth century buildings and homes.  The beautiful harbor is dotted with large rocks which are dramatically revealed at low tide (more than 10 feet).  To reach Stonington, we drove again to Blue Hill and continued east.  At one point, we had a fabulous panoramic view of the sea, mountains, islands, and forests that make up the coast of Maine.  It was breathtaking but unfortunately my little camera could not capture it in all its majesty.

Stonington is “the lobster capital of Maine” and the bay is crowded with lobster boats.  Due to the significant tide, larger boats must moor out and use their dinghies to dock.  We had a great lunch at a lovely cafe with outdoor dining.  The lobster rolls were exceptionally good!  A nearby bookstore offered an eclectic selection with many titles by Maine authors.  I always look for books on sailing history that might appeal to Dave, an avid reader, but found none that had not already been added to his collection.  

With the great weather, we saw a marked increase in large boats coming into the marina.  The Huntress, a 180 feet yacht with a crew of ten came for five days.  At night, with all the lights blazing from its four decks, it looked like a giant hotel.  Other sleek, beautifully maintained boats arrived and we decided to get a closer view from our dinghy. 

A lovely evening cruise in the dinghy past the large boats in the marina, past the moored boats in the harbor, past the Coast Guard Station, and into Soames Sound, bordered by dense forests and stately homes, is a great way to spend time.  We took Pretzel with us and she soon adapted to the dinghy and was eagerly surveying the scene.  We did not see any seals (which populate the Sound) but we did see the 90 feet sailboat with a blue hull which belongs to Charles Butts of Corpus Christi and HEB food markets.  He is a long-time summer resident of the area.

Another trip to Ellsworth, ten miles from Southwest Harbor, was necessitated by the loss of my cell phone.  Intensive searching for five days had been unsuccessful and I was reconciled it was gone forever.  A trip to AT&T revealed the phone was insured (we had forgotten this) and could be replaced with a better model for a nominal deduction.  I would receive the phone in two days.  The following morning, I picked up a small cookbook on top of the microwave and there was my cell phone hidden underneath.   I will keep the new one and return the old one to the insurer.

Ellsworth is the location of Shinbashi, our favorite Asian restaurant.  Their spring rolls are wonderfully light and delicious and their pineapple fried rice is exceptionally good.   We seldom look at anything else on their extensive menu.  

Stephanie and Joe will come for a week in August and we are already planning places to go and things to do.  They are always wonderful guests and love coming to the boat and Maine.  The escape from horrendous Texas heat will surely be welcome.