NY, NE, NB, PE, & NS Day 3
NY, NE, NB, PE, & NS
Day 03 - October 14, 2011 - Friday - Drive US Route 1 Up The Coast to Machias, ME
Our alarm went off at 7:00 and we were up, showered, and packed for the road at 7:45. We joined Judy in her kitchen for muffins, fruit, and coffee.
Judy gave us her Maine Gazetteer so we could follow a short-cut back to Route 1 without getting lost. We thanked her for her magnificent hospitality and left Alna at 8:45 for sites up North!
The temperature was 62° with 96% humidity. It was dark and misting, but every once in a while we thought the sun might peek out. No such luck!
Our route took us through Damariscotta Mills, and then we picked up US Route 1 at Newcastle. I took photos of the lake; it was eerie to see the sky and the horizon as one color of gray.
We made a brief stop at the Belfast Water District to see the water churning over the falls and making electricity for the power plant. When we got to Belfast we took a short detour to the harbor.
Most stores are now closed as it is after Columbus Day. The dock hands were taking the boats out of the water and shrink wrapping them for winter storage.
The fog cleared a bit as we continued up the coast. At the mouth of the Penobscot River we stopped at the scenic overlook and the location of a disastrous Revolutionary War battle and the defeat of the Penobscot Expedition in 1779.
We crossed the new modern bridge over the River at Bucksport and continued east to Rockport and then north on the Acadian Highway. We made a brief stop to get gas at Ellsworth. While I pumped gas, ($3.51/gal) Gennie asked if there were any places still open for lunch.
Choosing Martha’s Diner was a great decision. When we heard that every one of the people who came in after us was greeted by their first names, we knew it is not a tourist snare.
We shared a bowl of the best clam chowder we have ever had! Gennie had a crab roll and I had an Italian sausage sandwich. Yummy!
As we drove north to Machias, our destination for the night, we made one last stop at Acadia National Park on the Schoodic Peninsula. There was a heavy mist as we took a few photos, climbed on the granite rock formations, and were sprayed by the huge waves.
On a day like today, there were not a lot of other people in the park, but we were able to get a feeling of the immensity of the ocean and the rugged seacoast of Maine.
The fog was so dense we could not see too far out to sea, but we were able to see the tall pines eking out nourishment from the cracks in the granite and the thick moss that covered the rocks and the trees, as well as carpeting the ground.
By the time we were leaving we were drenched in a giant downpour that followed us out of the park and back to Route #1.
We arrived at The Motor Inn at Machias at 3:15. We hung up our wet jackets, plugged in our computers, and caught up on messages.
Our room overlooks the Machias River and in front of the motel is the Middle River, all feeding into Machias Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
Gennie did an assignment for her Online Workshop and began to type the journal logging in the memories of Maine. I sorted and chose the photos for the website.
The clerk at the motel recommended several places for dinner. We chose the nearby Blue Bird Ranch Family Restaurant. It was still raining hard when we came back to the room and prepared for tomorrow’s journey into Canada and the Atlantic Provinces.
Accommodations: Machias Motor Inn
Comments
Are these with your new Canon 60D? They seem a significant step in quality. Very Nice!
Post a Comment!Great scenery and an interesting trip. Looking forward to your trip into Canada. Are you going on to Cape Breton Island? If so, I would recommend visiting Louisbourg.
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Acadia National Park
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