US-Canada 2024-4: New England

June 4-9, 2024

     In early June, we left Marilyn's friends' in Holland MA to begin the last leg of our trip before heading to Canada. Our destination was Blue Hill, Maine, where Tim, a long-time friend of Doug's, lives. But we were in no hurry and wished to enjoy the New England coast. 

Stonington Harbor, Deer Island, Maine

   Our first stop was Gloucester MA, located on Gloucester Harbor and one of several towns and communities on Cape Ann.

Lobster pots—Gloucester is a working port, home to numerous seafood companies, both fresh & frozen.

Gloucester is on the water, with a working harbor and coastline all around. On a previous trip, we stayed at the Crow's Nest, the bar frequented by the fishermen whose story is told by Sebastien Junger in his 1997 book The Perfect Storm.

Crow's Nest, Gloucester MA.

Thinking the cast "visited" the Crow's Nest meant they'd there, Marilyn decided we should, too, and requested the room George Clooney had stayed in. The response was a hearty laugh. But we did stay there.

To say our room above the Crow's Nest bar was basic is an overstatement. 

To say Gloucester has its share of large homes....

...& enormous homes is an understatement.

It's too hot & dry at home for rhododendrons.

The drive along the Cape Ann shoreline is lovely.

Gloucester.

Cape Ann.

Home in Rockport, another Cape Ann town. We would see colorful front doors & trim throughout our time in New England & Eastern Canada.

Peach & sage trim.

The view coming around a bend: kayaks ready to launch—so tempting!

The sight reminded us of the kayaks we see in Los Osos on  California's Central Coast.

Another estate.

    From Gloucester, we worked our way north, staying as close to the coast as possible. Doug's way to stay on the Atlantic coast is to turn east (right) until you hit water then turn north (left) and repeat until you reach your destination. 

Merrimack River, Salisbury MA.

Salisbury MA, a beach town.

We begin to see the proximity to Canada. 

    New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine all border on Québec. Maine borders on New Brunswick, as well. All of Canada is officially billingual, French-English. Québec of course is a French-speaking province, but as we learned on a previous trip, much of New Brunswick is also French-speaking.

Hampton Beach NH.

Gulf of Maine—Great Boars Head NH.

Seawall to protect the town from ocean surges.

North Beach looking toward Hampton NH.

Little Boars Head NH.

Rye NH.

Rye North Beach seawall.

From Rye North Beach.

 New Castle Island NH.

Portsmouth NH.

    We boondocked in Portsmouth on a street by a small lake, another iOverlander app find. 

Bridge from Portsmouth NH to Kittery ME.

Bragdon Island ME.

Bragdon Island.

Cape Neddick River.

Cape Neddick.

Cape Neddick.

Ogunquit ME.

Public Way 5, Wells Beach.

Marilyn walking on Kennebunk Beach.

We made the requisite stop in Freeport at the LL Bean store.

Doug got lost in the LL Bean kayak store. He kept trying to figure how he could get his dream kayak, an Eddyline (blue) above), in the van to take home with us. Gotta dream...

Another wonderful rainstorm. Bowdoinham ME.

Kennebec River.

Belfast Bay.

Penobscott Narrows Bridge.

  The Penobscott Narrows Bridge is a work of engineering and art.

Beautiful rock work along road to Penobscott Narrows Bridge.

Penobsctott Narrows Bridge.

Penobsctott Narrows Bridge.

    We arrived at Tim's house early evening June 5. Tim lived with Doug for a year in the early '80s, and Doug is known to speak of him as his first son. It was a joy to get to spend some time just talking with this amazing gent. Hearing that Tim had just recently retired, Doug said something about it being just a few years ago, yea, only 45-plus, that Tim had lived with him. Life is good.  

Tim & Doug.

 

Tim's dogs were quite forlorn at not being let in yet to greet us. Of course the ubiquitous lupine Marilyn had tried to get pictures of along the way was rampant in Tim's yard, also. 

At a Blue Hill restaurant, we eventually had to concede to the rain & go inside for dinner.

 

Tim's house. We slept in the van—our home away from home.

    Marilyn still wasn't feeling great so stayed back when Doug went exploring the next day. June at home was already hot, but in Maine it was chilly, foggy, and rainy—wonderful.

Crossing to Little Deer Isle.

Crossing Mill Pond to Deer Isle.

Collection of Citroën 2CV in Deer Isle.

    The French Citroën Deux Cheveaux, "Two Horses," was designed to carry a basket of eggs across a ploughed field without breaking any, just as a horse-drawn wagon would do. The original vehicles had fold-down windows and a rollback fabric roof. In Stewart BC one year we met a couple who had traveled from the southern tip of South America in their 2CV Camionette like the yellow and blue ones in the photo.

    Doug took Marilyn to Deer Isle the next day, retracing his outing of the day before.

Crossing to Deer Isle.

Side yard lobster.

Lobster pots.

In many places, road work can only be done in the summer. Where we live, it's year-round.

    Stonington is a lovely Deer Island town on the water.

44 North Coffee, Stonington.

    In another small world story, a barista at 44 North Coffee had worked the previous two years in our neck of the woods at Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park with the son of good friends.

Doug on the dock, Stonington.

Video Doug was taking in photo above.

Lobster buoy decor.

More lupine.

Enticing garden path.

Lobster fleet, Stonington. 

Stonington.

    Late one afternoon Tim took us to Castine, another nearby coastal town. 

Maine Maritime Academy, Castine.

Castine harbor in late afternoon fog.

Surveying the boats.

Tim & Doug heading to Danny Murphy's in Castine for dinner.

    On June 7, we departed Tim's for Acadia National Park next to Bar Harbor. 

Acadia National Park. Awings provide extra space, even in the rain, so long as it isn't windy.

Parking meters in Bar Harbor are tricky, with different hours permitted on different streets & even on opposite sides of the street, but we managed to avoid a ticket.

 

Peonies remind Marilyn of her family's home in Pennsylvania. Allium.

 

When the growing season is short, any spot will do for flowers.

Bar Harbor.

Lobster boat.

Lobster boat.

Four-masted schooner that was in port.

Kayakers.

Acadia National Park.

Agamont Park, Bar Harbor.

Bright umbrellas break the gray day.

     On June 9, it was time to board the CAT ferry for Nova Scotia.

Entering the ferry terminal area, 6/9 1:40 pm.

Boarding the ferry.

Leaving Bar Harbor, 6/9 2:30 pm.

A pilot steers the ferry out through the islands until it is safely out of the harbor then returns to the pilot boat, turning the ferry over to its driver.

If the tide is out, the ferry cannot go into harbor & passengers are shuttled to shore.

    We settled in for the 4-1/2 hour trip across the Gulf of Maine. Due to rain and fog, there was no view. Due to choppy waters, many people slept.

Marilyn was one of the few up & about, while Doug slept. Yes, the Naval Aviator admits to a wee bit of motion sickness. What to say?   

Arriving in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, 7:30 PM Atlantic Standard Time.

    We thought we'd spend 4 or 5 days in Nova Scotia. As you'll read in our posts of our time there, we spent 17 days and still left reluctantly, talking of returning even as we left.