We have been rambling through some very gorgeous country, for several days. We departed north Maine, said goodbye to Mt. Katahdin, and came south to Bangor and US 2, then headed west on the old US 2 route. Traveling across Maine, we passed through some great Moose country but were not fortunate to see one. We did see a car that crashed into a Moose last night and the car AND Moose lost. Western Maine, with it’s ski-resort mountains, numerous lakes, forests, and endless outdoor activities, is a sharp contrast to Maine’s jagged, rocky Atlantic coast. “Overdosing on stunning scenery”!
We found a campsite just east of the New Hampshire line and south of the Appalachian Trail.

Crossing into New Hampshire, we followed the route through the White Mountains and valleys, crossing the White Mountain National Forest, past Mount Washington (New Hampshire’s highest) and numerous white-water rivers and streams. We can easily see why New Hampshire is the “Granite State” because outcroppings of granite are abundant.

Navigating Vermont, traversing the Green Mountains, we had some great views of old farms, forests, and towns, and many of the rivers and streams supported old mills that once activated water-powered manufacturing machinery. It’s spring in the Green Mountains and they are definitely “emerald green“. At West Danville, we took Vermont 15 through some awesome country and found a campsite at Morrisville, on the Lamoille River, just north of Mt. Mansfield (highest point in Vermont).
We crossed Lake Champlain, just south of the Canadian border and entered New York at Rouses Point. In New York, we followed US 11 between the St. Lawrence Seaway on the north and the Adirondack Mountains in the south. We enjoyed the great views, small towns, and numerous farms along the US 11 route. At Watertown, we traveled west to Lake Ontario and a campsite at Sackets Harbor. Sackets Harbor is a scenic, historical area, home to an early 1800’s Navy port and ship building yard. Zebulon Pike, after his expedition in the Pikes Peak area of the old Louisiana Purchase, was killed in action in the 1812 Battle of York” and is buried at Sackets Harbor.

Some photos from our trip in to New Brunswick.  Above, the first photo is of a moose in harness!  We saw this posted on the wall of a farm shop where we stopped to buy potatoes (they are a big crop here).  Look closely, its a big moose!  Then we stopped at the Potato Museum, the flowers are Bob, Margie and Wayne.  Then we went to see a replica of Noah's Ark.  It is a school now with classrooms and lecture rooms inside.  Then a landscape photo of New Brunswick.  The barns, silos and farm houses are so beautiful.

Today, we left Bar Harbor and headed up to Bangor, where we followed the east bank of the Penobscot River (longest river in Maine) to it’s headwaters, in Aroostook county. Aroostook county (larger than Connecticut and Rhode Island combined) is the largest US county east of the Mississippi and the northernmost county of Maine, with lots of forests and water. The Acadian culture, native American Maliseet Band of the Algonquian, potatoes,  7000 miles of flowing water, and wind power, are all important elements of the county.
We could clearly see Mount Katahdin, highest mountain in Maine, and the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. (We worked Amicalola Falls State Park in northeast Georgia, last Fall, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, so we were glad to see this end too)!

Pictures along the way..

Bar Harbor must be a subdivision of heaven! It’s so beautiful, quiet, relaxing, and picturesque, invoking all the peace and serenity of a special spiritual place. Today, we started in Bar Harbor, then Acadia National Park, followed by an early dinner.
At Bar Harbor, the low tide ebbed at 10 am, exposing the narrow sand bar on the north side of the harbor, that connects the two islands, and gives Bar Harbor it’s name. You can walk across the exposed bar to the other island but you better get back to Bar Harbor before the tide starts to flow or you‘ll find yourself awash in the foamy brine. (Or you can wait until the next low tide)
At Acadia National Park, we spent several hours on Cadillac Mountain, providing a panoramic view of the ocean, islands, bays, and glacial ponds below. From the mountain, one can view the first light of day as it illuminates the USA. (If you go at sunrise!) Next, we went to the Wild Gardens of Acadia on the north side of the park. This is an excellent display of Acadia’s native plants and trees.
Finally, we went to Down East Lobster Pound, for an early dinner. Well, I’m done with lobster! The waterman was a young lady, so I guess it was a waterwoman or waterperson. Anyway, after explaining that I wanted something special, she took me to a pound that held around 40, 4-5 pound lobsters. I chose one that was almost five pounds and had claws as large as my hands. The lobster seemed angry at me but he was no problem to catch. She said that it was about 20 years old and I felt a little remorseful about choosing it, but after 17 minutes, it was on my table. Terry and our friends had stone crabs and they watched as I methodically savored the sweet, savory crustacean. (I did share a little) It was too large for the traditional lobstah crakah tool, so they brought out the reserve mallet (the mallet was a block of wood, funny-tls). It was a delicious dinner and a special treat but that’s the end of lobster for me, because I’ve now had the best!
Tomorrow the beautiful weather turns to cold and rain, so it’s WalMart and laundry mat time!
Bob
Photos below:  Having lunch at a Bar Harbor restaurant with our new friends, Wayne and Margie.  They are from Texas.  We met them at Bull Run campground outside of Washington DC and have traveling together off and on since then.  Then there is a photo of us at the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia NP.  Next is one of eating lobster and stone crabs at a local Lobster Pound.  It was an experience I always pictured in my mind of eating lobster in Maine.  Also, 30 years ago on our honeymoon we ate stone crab in Miami.  Finally, beautiful yellow Lady slipper orchids in the Wild Gardens of Acadia in the national park.

Tonight, we  have a campsite on the Atlantic Coast at Ogunquit, Maine. Now that we’ve arrived in Maine, I have achieved a milestone in my life; I have lived., worked, and/or traveled in all 50 of these United States, and I love every state. This is a great country that we have and we are fortunate to have it.
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Out last three days have been around the Freeport area. We hiked a trail out in the Durham hills, an area dominated by hardwoods, with some white pine. Maine is the “Pine State” but the down east area is mostly hardwood.
We spent most of a day in Freeport. LL Bean takes up a block and has every item that Bean offers, with a spectacular presentation. What a store!
We enjoyed our daytrip to Bath on the Kennebec, Wiscasset, and Boothbay Harbor.
Bath is an old shipbuilding port and Iron Works town, with striking 19th century architecture. During WW II, Bath launched a new Navy ship every 17 days.
Wiscasset is a quaint port for fishing, shipbuilding, and lumber. We see lots of Civil War monuments in Maine. Wiscasset has a monument to their 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, for their commended service at the Battle of Gettysburg.
Boothbay Harbor was an interesting community with the Aquarium and the Botanical Garden. Here we saw a fourteen-pound lobster, along with other Maine marine creatures, at the Maine State Aquarium. Two tides a day here can vary 50-60 feet, between mean-low and mean-high. Tomorrow, we head on up the Gulf of Maine. toward Bar Harbor.(that's Baa Harba!)
 Below is Plymouth Rock.  They can't prove its THE rock but one thing is for sure, it was here when the pilgrims landed.  It was carried there by a glacier.  The next photo is a replica of the Mayflower.  Its a beautiful ship.  Then the 14 pound lobster at the Maine State Aquarium which was shaking in its boots when Bob looked at it.  Finally the beautiful Maine coast on a gorgeous day.  Just like the all the pamphlets promise.

Well, we couldn’t wait, so we had Maine lobsters, in Massachusetts, with our new friends. Now, we’ll just have to have more lobsters in Maine. Life is hard!
It’s raining in New England and the temp was 46 degrees this morning. Very nice sleeping weather after all that lobster last night. We depart this morning to travel up the Maine coast, along Highway 1. The Atlantic Intracostal Waterway ends at New York harbor, therefore we’ll pick-up the “Great Loop” route at the Erie Canal.
bob