Maine 2021
Friday 9/3- We loaned my car to J&G so we took a Lyft to the airport. I was stunned at the circuitous route the Lyft algorithm gave the driver for getting us to the airport. It got us there within say 5 minutes of going my way would have but lots of twists and turns.
When we got to Boston, we rented a Camry to drive to Portland Me (Fore's Marina). We made two or three laps around Logan and spilled a little coffee but we got on the road. The Maps directions took us through town (not sure what town) before bringing us to I 93. There was a lot of commercial traffic as well as Labor Day weekend traffic and many red strips on Maps.
Maps told us we were at our destination but we were pointed up a hill with no gate or water in sight. After a few more laps we figured it out and found the boat.
Saturday 9/4- Calm seas, mild temperatures. I took a walk toward the area in Portland where everyone puts their kayaks, paddle boards, and rowing shells in the water. Because of my pplantar fasciitis I am good for 15 minutes out and 15 minutes back. C still has her 4 month, 6.2 mile a day streak going. We made a scenic cruise north to Orr's Cove, which is just east of the Harpswell Peninsula, off Quahog Bay, generally opposite Freeport to the west and just south of Brunswick, home of Bowdoin College.
In the afternoon we dropped C off in the tiny town (one restaurant closed) and I went paddle boarding on the boat's new inflatable board. I really like this board for stability and weight (much lighter than a hard board, and ok to bump into things). We went looking for seals and found a school of mackerel and a Blue Angels airshow going on right over our heads.
That night the mackerel came up to the lights on the boat. I left my Tenkara in the water with a whitish clouser on it and found one hooked on it late at night. The fish had twisted the line into 1000 kinks. I got all that out, freed the fish and decided to drag the line behind the boat when underway in the morning to straighten the kinks out.
Sunday 9/5- Same weather, high 60s, mid 70s. Well, my idea would have worked except somehow the little fish broke an interior part of the Tenkara. As I was letting the line out into the wake, the last three parts of the telescoping rod sailed off into the sea along with all the kinked line. End of fishing with the Tenkara for the trip and nothing to show for my Maine fishing license purchase. On the way back to Portland we made a stop at a small commuter island (Peaks). C and I rented bikes and took the circle route around the island.
Not too many shops, lots of ferry visitors due to Labor Day weekend. I would bet now it is back to the base of folks who actually live there. (When back in Portland I checked the ferry terminal in the morning and there wasn't any traffic coming in from peaks so I bet now that the population is lower than I thought earlier and mostly second homes.)
Back to Portland (DeMillo's Marina), which had big crowds of tourists, masked and unmasked, and seems to be a sort of foodie and microbrew kind of place. On a little walk in town we saw a place with a line out the door that specialized in Potato doughnuts, a place called Cheese Louise where grilled cheese was the thing, and a place called 3$Deweys. The crew stocked up on brew from Shipyard Brewery.
DeMillo's is a restaurant in addition to a marina. There was a small boat sinking in the marina when Connie was walking. I guess it was the rainfall and a failed bilge pump. The restaurant part of DeMillo's is on a retired big ferry boat. I looked up the history and the boat used to be in service as a ferry between Norfolk and Hampton from 1950 -1958. I may have been a passenger on it back in those days.
Monday, 9/6, Labor Day- C and I decided to make a field trip to Freeport, LLBean, and the other outlet stores there. We took Lyft with a driver who had moved up to Maine from Galveston TX so his wife could take a job at Bath Shipyard. He said technically they are homeless because they are living with a sister in a hotel. He said they have lost $900 in prepayments on various apartments they haven't succeeded in getting. LLBean was too much of a success in terms of purchases (not sure how we get them home). When we were ready there were no Lyfts or Ubers available so we waited a long time for a Somali (lots of folks from Somalia in Maine, especially Lewiston) drove up from Portland to pick us up and take us back. On the way back our driver at one time was going 83 and at another time it was raining cats and dogs.
We were expecting Cliff and Diane to come in from Pittsburgh in time for dinner but they had many delays on their plane and did not arrive until about 8 pm.
Tuesday, 9/7- The SB proceeded to Camden. Once we got there we all went for a walk through the town. Cliff was looking for ice cream at a special little place one off the main street near the little garden bridge across the creek or river. In the first of many occurrences on this trip the shop was closed due to lack of labor. We all then split up. I went to a good t shirt shop to upgrade some of my tee shirts (Cliff told me he had just thrown out 40 tee shirts dating back years from various races and bike trips).
Then I went back to the boat to get my Tenkara which Dennis had tried to fix or at least get back into action. There is a Riverwalk in town and the previous mate Josh had caught fish on it a couple of years ago. The rod was too stiff without the flex part of the tip and the growth too close for any good casts. No luck. I think Covid may have doomed the Riverwalk for a while.
Wednesday, 9/8- From Camden we turned south toward Boothbay, a town we all knew well from last summer's rental. On the way we went to Monhegan Island, an artist colony with 68 permanent residents.. The other distinguishing thing about Monhegan is the trails. We went for a great 3 or 4 mile hike up and down on a couple of the trails. The going was very steep in places and there were lots of signs marking poison ivy. I saw some Spanish moss which was a big surprise this far north. I learned from the history of the island that Captain John visited in 1614 and commented on the strange fish pond on the island.
The passage to Boothbay was probably the roughest of the trip but not too bad. There was some swell from Hurricane Larry which was churning away out in the Atlantic.
In Boothbay we went for another hike into town (we stayed at Hodgson's Marina, a little off the main street due to the expected bad weather) to find Cliff some more ice cream. Again closed due to lack of labor. C and I saw our old rental from last summer but from afar and then had some fun at the Friends of the Library used bookstore- take whatever you want and leave any amount you want as a contribution to the library. I only got thru the outside part. Much more inside.
I probably should mention here that Jeff, the new chef is serving us wonderful "foodie tour" level meals, and that the evening activity for the last couple of nights has been card games that Cliff brought. The usual drill is that the other three are better at shuffling, better at dealing, better at counting cards that go by, and thus I get slaughtered each game. The games have names like Blind Hen and Stick 'em.
Thursday, 9/9- We were planning to go to Kennebunkport for two nights starting today but we were also expecting bad weather so we stayed in Boothbay. It was basically a do nothing day except we took up this new board game which Cliff found and C brought called Wingspan. It is supposed to be the most popular game now. J, R, C and I tried to play at home (40-70 minutes, 14 and up age wise) but we could not figure it out. It was perfect for a stay at home day. It took us about 4 hours but we completed the game, and with a few extra sessions reading more rules, we all agreed we would be willing to play it again.
Friday, 9/10- The rain cleared out overnight and we had a smooth cruise to KBP, vacation spot of the Bush family. They did not invite us for cocktails. The obligatory trip to town for ice cream yielded a consistent story- closed due to no labor. C and I found an interesting store called Resurrected which sold recycled, upcycled, and repurposed items. Got a little gift shopping done. At night we played another card game more dependent on luck than skill and I won. Breaking News!
Saturday, 9/11- Another pretty easy cruise from KBP to Gloucester after a very hairy turn around and exit from where we were docked in KBP. While three went to town via harbor launch, I went to the Ocean Alliance office where I learned about the whale research. They fly a drone over whales and collect the exhalations for analysis- sex, pregnant?, lactating, cortisol levels and more. The drone is called the Snotbot. Anne, Westley and the new baby Ella came for dinner and a visit. As they were leaving I caught a 25-30 inch striper on a 7 weight fly rod. No skill involved- he hooked himself.
Sunday, 9/12- From Gloucester to Boston. C&D left to go home after we all struggled to order an Uber. We went for a little walk around Charlestown and across the river. D&M came for dinner- shrimp risotto and bananas foster with cherries for dessert. Yum!
Monday, 9/13- Home tomorrow. Rainy day. Today we go to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum while Dennis refuels. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum via MTA.
6 Titians in one room on special display. The story of the theft in 1990 of the Rembrandts, Degas, and a couple of others is fascinating. Still unsolved and still a $10mm reward. We came back on the MTA also but it was school letting out time and very crowded. Hope the schools require Covid tests and vaccinations. Packing and early to bed for the flight in the morning.
Tuesday, 9/14- Uneventful trip home.
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