August 12-22 Southwest
Harbor, Maine
The finish on the teak railings starboard and port and the bow pulpit
had become discolored. We knew the best
person for the restoration job was our friend Miller. He had the time and needed the work so we
quickly made a deal. Miller has the
attention span of a child with ADHD but he has amazing skills and
knowledge. With a small heat gun, he
methodically melted the old varnish, scraped the wood clean, sanded and began
applying new varnish. Soon the teak
resembled fine furniture. The job will
take several weeks as he plans to apply ten coats of varnish. Again, we suspect we have become his “retirement
plan.”
Beal’s Lobster Pier is located near the
marina and is a popular destination for seafood lovers. Fishermen unload their catches at the docks
and within hours the cooked results are on the plates of hundreds of
diners. With boating friends, we joined
the long line outside and moved quickly into the cavernous space that comprises
this rustic facility. Diners can select
their own lobsters or crabs which are then placed in net bags and steamed. Service is quick and efficient. We marveled at the ease and skill of the
many workers who served the diners. Many
other lobster pots are in the area but Beal’s
is considered the best.
Stephanie and Joe were scheduled to arrive on August 15. After a delay at DFW, they missed the last
flight from Boston to Bar Harbor. They
quickly rented a car and made the journey to Southwest Harbor in four
hours. It was almost midnight when they
arrived. We admired their tenacity and
determination in making such an effort and were delighted to see them.
The following day we returned the rental car to Bar Harbor Airport, drove
through the throngs of tourists in Bar Harbor, had a great lunch at The Lighthouse Inn in Seal Harbor and went
up the gorgeous winding road past carefully managed woods and moss-covered rocks
to the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden.
I knew Joe, Stephanie and David would enjoy this exceptionally beautiful
place.
The gardens were planned to be at
their best in August and we were not disappointed.
Lilies, zinnias, dahlias, larkspur, and many other plants were in full
and spectacular bloom. Privately owned since
its creation in the 1920-1930’s, it had been maintained despite the demolition
of the Rockefeller 100 room mansion in 1960.
David Rockefeller left the garden and adjacent properties to the Mount
Desert Land and Garden Preserve. Two years ago, it was opened to the public on
a very limited basis. With walking
sticks, David joined us on the trek up the hillside to the terrace overlooking
the harbor, its islands and the ocean beyond.
It was a sunny day and we had great visibility.
We returned to Northeast Harbor to peruse the shops and have refreshment
before going to the auction preview of items from the Rockefeller estates. Another example of the philanthropy of David
Rockefeller, the auction proceeds would benefit local charities. Some beautiful furniture, Lalique crystal,
English prints, woven rugs, personal possessions, and many, many items typical
of estate sales were interesting more for their provenance than for their
value. It was reported the sale on the
following day was very successful as bidders were cognizant they were
benefiting charitable causes as well as acquiring memorabilia from one of
America’s most prominent families.
We had a “delayed” welcoming dinner of lobster, corn, potatoes and
blueberry pie on the aft deck. They were
properly appreciative of my pie made from fresh blueberries and served with
vanilla ice cream.
The following day, we left early for a journey into northern Maine and
across the international bridge to Campobello Island. Armed with our passports, we quickly entered
Canada and immediately saw the large red and green home of Eleanor and Franklin
Roosevelt. As we waited to join a guided tour, we chose to have lunch in the
charming café in the Prince Cottage on the estate. The fish chowder and chicken salad were
exceptionally delicious and we enjoyed the expansive view of the bay.
The Roosevelt cottage was one of sixteen on the island before World War
I. Residents were mostly wealthy folks
from New York and Boston who joined residents of several large and luxurious
hotels in parties, dances and sporting activities. Franklin went there every summer for
thirty-eight years until he contracted polio and was crippled. The house is large and comfortable with
spacious rooms for the family of five children who traveled with tutors,
assistants and servants. The property is
maintained jointly by the governments of Canada and the United States.
Our trip to Canada was on two lane roads and we passed numerous small farms
and charming homes. Many residences were
surrounded by beautiful gardens of blooming flowers and the lush green of lawns
and forests. We drove through blueberry
country and saw the reddish tint of the barrens which had been harvested only a
week before.
As our guests had not been to the Seal Cove Auto Museum, we planned
another excursion to that interesting place.
Our boating friends from Boston, Jill and Jerry joined us. The amazing display of mostly early twentieth
century automobiles was educational as well as fascinating. Many manufacturers were not known by any of
us and their luxurious designs had not been seen. We enjoyed a late lunch at Seafood Ketch in Bass Harbor—always a
favorite.
We were delighted to receive pictures from Kennedy and Winn as they began
their school years. Kennedy will be a
senior at Baylor University and Winn starts kindergarten at Fort Worth Country
Day.
Stephanie and David enjoyed puzzles and Joe and I walked the dock to admire boats. A new addition to the marina was a 110' sailboat with three crests on the bow and a flag designating it as a vessel of the Royal Yacht Squadron. Google revealed that the RYS is the most exclusive yacht club in the world. Prince Philip and King Juan Carlos are members. One afternoon we saw a crew member in navy cotton suit with a bow tie. A black limo and liveried driver met the yacht's guests. We were impressed.
We were pleased to have Stephanie and Joe with us on Monday evening as
we celebrated our sixty-fourth wedding anniversary. We returned to Havana in Bar Harbor for this special occasion. It was fun to contrast the setting and dinner
with that from years past and to remember the people and events of that day. Miller brought wine and flowers, Jill and
Jerry gave us a lovely card and Stephanie and Joe generously paid for dinner at
Havana. We were spoiled and we loved it! Early the following morning, we reluctantly bade farewell to Joe and Stephanie.
