Our night at the Walmart in Mexico was an interesting one.  It appears it is a common destination for the truckers in the area.  Not to mention, the only place to park put us close to the traffic that was on Route 2.  Bottom line, not the quietest night nor was the parking lot the most level one we’ve stayed at but it was OK for just a night.  I seem to sleep through just about anything but Barbara on the other hand had a restless night.

We were on the road early with only about 3 hours to our new home for the next two weeks.  Route 2 was a different road than we are used to.  It took us through a number of small towns where the speed limit dropped to 25 mph, it took us through several construction zones, and there were sections where you would have thought you were on a roller coaster.  Not a really bad ride, but far different from the interstates that we usually travel.

In due time, we saw the sign for our new home for the next two weeks, Meadowcrest

Campground.  This is a very small park, about 20 sites in total, only 2 for transients and the rest are all seasonal.  We snagged what has to be the sweetest spot of the two that were open.  Here we are backed in, set up, and as the sign says Home is 

Where We Park It so this is home until July 6^th.   It is a hard packed gravel site, perfectly level, with plenty of shade from midday on.  The only downside, if you can call it that, there is absolutely no TV channels.  Oh well, time to dig out all our movies.  Here is a picture of the park in total with us off to the right.

Time to go back now to the end of our time in Maine.  We wanted to get the last stamp in this area that we knew we could get for Barbara’s National Passport Book (that would give us 12 of the 14 available).  Regarding Barbara’s National Passport Book, the only other stamp that we knew we could get was at the Saint Croix International Historic Site

which was south of Calais, Maine along Route 1.  We went to the visitor’s center

to get the stamp.  Then we started out along the path to lookout point

where you can actually see St Croix Island.  Though a visit to the island is not prohibited, it is discouraged.  In addition, you would need your own boat to get there.

Regarding the settlement at St Croix, this is what we learned.

In 1604, Pierre Dugua, sailed from Havre-de-Grace, France bound for North

America.  Samuel Champlain, map maker sailed with him in order to chronicle the expedition.  In June of that year, Dugua and his company sailed into Passamaquoddy Bay, and chose the small island of St Croix for their settlement.  Along the path to lookout

point there are displays and bronze sculptures that depict their arrival, the founding of the settlement, the hardships of the first winter and lessons learned. It begins with Strangers Off Shore.

Next is settling on the island.

Next, building the community.

Next, the harsh reality of the first winter.  Believing that the winter climate would be a mild one the settlers were not worried.  However, they were not aware of the arctic air flow from the north.  Soon the river froze, up heaving cakes of ice too treacherous to cross.  The settlers were trapped with dwindling supplies and no way to replenish them.  By spring nearly half of the men on the island had died.

Finally, an enduring legacy and lessons learned.

Our visit to the historical site finished, we started for home.  Along the way we discovered that we were in a manner of speaking half way to the North Pole

On the way home, we decided we would also stop at Reversing Falls Park which is a municipal park in Pembroke, Maine. It is located at Mahar Point, the northern point of a narrows separating Dennys Bay from Cobscook Bay in far eastern Maine.  To get there

we had to sort of go off roading for a bit.  Unfortunately, when we arrived at the park the tide was slack so we did not get to witness the fury of the falls.  But we did see testament

to just how treacherous these waters can be.  Above is a memorial erected by a mother who lost her son, Joseph Jones and his crew,  in these waters.  We learned later, after a bit of sleuthing, that in October 2009, the fishing vessel Bottom Basher sank with three men on board — boat owner Joseph Jones, 29, of Trescott, Daryl Cline, 41, of Machiasport and Norman Johnson, 57, of Cutler. Searchers found the body of Cline the day after the sinking and recovered the remains of Johnson in December 2009. Jones’ body has not been recovered, nor has his boat, the Bottom Basher.

So that brings our day to an end.  We’ve had a blast traveling along, singing our song, side by side.  We have a fantastic new home.  The camp owners are simply wonderful.  Our neighbors are great as well.  What more could one ask for.  Once again God has blessed us beyond measure and we are so grateful.  We have a number of places to visit and explore while we are here to include a tour of Ben and Jerry’s as well as the Cabot Cheese Factory.  We hope your day was just as great.  In closing, a thought for all of us to ponder:

As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries, let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and eventually some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

It was with a bit of reluctance but also with a good bit of expectation as to what we were going to find around the next corner that we said goodbye to Sunset Point RV Park in Lubec, Maine.  Indeed, it was time to live  out our motto which in part is to boldly go where we have not been before. However, we didn’t see any need to rush since, as always, we never plan to drive more than 3 hours and/or about 200 miles at a time.  Today that changed a bit out of necessity.

As is our normal practice everything was packed away, slides in, jacks up and tanks dumped and we were on the road by 10 am.  The plan was to head to a Walmart in Augusta, Maine.  We would spend the night there and then make our way to Meadowcrest Campground in Vermont.  Each segment of the trip was only supposed to take 3 to 4 hours.  Notice I said supposed to.

First item of business, was getting out of Lubec.  Route 189 in front of the park is a really nice road.  But then you come to Route 1 going south.  Can you say dirt road, two segments each, both about 1 mile long.  Then, after you are through with that, it’s potholes and washboard for about an 1 hour.  Thankfully, it does finally become a decent road.

As to what went wrong.  We got to the Walmart in Augusta in about 4 hours, taking into account stops for fuel and food.  Remember I said that each segment of this trip, meaning from Lubec to Meadowcrest was supposed to take about 3 to 4 hours each?  Once we got settled in at the Walmart, Barbara punched Meadowcrest into the GPS and said something like wow we have a long trip tomorrow, almost 6 hours.  What?

Let’s try Google maps.  OK, about 4 hours.  Let’s tray Waze, OK about 4 hours.  Let’s try our phones, OK 4 hours.  What’s with the GPS?  Long story short we still had a lot of daylight left so we decided to head a few hours further west in order to make tomorrow’s trip the 4 hours it was supposed to be.  That, my friends, is how we ended up in Mexico at another Walmart.  Tomorrow, all the map programs finally agree the trip should take no more than the 4 hours we were expecting.  Sweet.

That was the extent of our day.  We were once again blessed with an absolutely beautiful day for travel.  Clear blue skies, none of the rain nor storms from the day before, and abundant sunshine.   Traffic was light and we only hit two construction zones on Route 2 heading toward Mexico.  The day could not have been better.  We trust your day was just as great.  If not, why not, remember you cannot control what life brings your way, but never forget, how you react and act is your decision.  In closing, a thought for each of us to ponder:

As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries, let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and eventually some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

So, today began early, like 5 am, Marti had to go out in the rain and lots of wind.  Nothing unexpected since this system was predicted last night.    A perfect day to just stay under the covers and keep warm and ignore what was going on outside.  That basically is what we did.  Yes, we did eventually got up but that was only because we both got a bit hungry!

Time now to get caught up on what we’ve been doing the last several days.  So  let me share with you our trip to Wreaths Across America in Columbia Falls, Maine.

This is a picture of the entrance hall as you first walk in.  The picture at the end of the hall is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

Our guide through the museum was Nancy pictured here with Barbara beside an

example of a Veteran Remembrance Tree. (more about this later)

Here is what we learned and saw during our time at the museum.  Wreaths Across American began with Morill Worcester who as a 12 year old paper boy for the Bangor Daily News won a trip to Washington, DC.  His first trip to the nation’s capital was one he would never forget.  More to the point his visit to Arlington National Cemetery

made an especially indelible impression on him. This experience followed him throughout his life and successful career as the owner of Worcester Wreath Company.  He never forgot that his good fortune was due, in large part, to the values of this nation and the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

In 1992, Worcester Wreath found themselves with a surplus of wreaths nearing the end of the holiday season. Remembering his boyhood experience at Arlington Cemetary, Worcester realized he had an opportunity to honor our country’s veterans. With the aid of Maine Senator Olympia Snowe, arrangements were made for the wreaths to be placed at Arlington in one of the older sections of the cemetery that had been receiving fewer visitors with each passing year.  The annual tribute went on quietly for several years

until 2005, when a photo of the stones at Arlington, adorned with wreaths and covered in snow, circulated around the internet. Suddenly, the project received national attention. Thousands of requests poured in from all over the country from people wanting to help with Arlington, to emulate the Arlington project at their National and State cemeteries, or to simply share their stories and thank Morrill Worcester for honoring our nation’s heroes.

The annual trip to Arlington and the groups of volunteers eager to participate in Worcester’s simple wreath-laying event grew each year until it became clear the desire to remember and honor our country’s fallen heroes was bigger than Arlington, and bigger than this one company.

In 2007, the Worcester family, along with veterans, and other groups and individuals who had helped with their annual veteran’s wreath ceremony in Arlington, formed Wreaths Across America (WAA), a non-profit 501-(c)(3) organization, to continue and expand this effort, and support other groups around the country who wanted to do the same.

In 2014, WAA and its national network of volunteers laid over 700,000 memorial wreaths at 1,000 locations in the United States and beyond, including ceremonies at the Pearl Harbor Memorial, as well as Bunker Hill, Valley Forge and the sites of the September 11 tragedies. This was accomplished with help from 2,047 fundraising groups, corporate contributions, and donations of trucking, shipping, and thousands of helping hands. The organization’s goal of covering Arlington National Cemetery was met in 2014 with the placement of 226,525 wreaths.  The wreath-laying continues today held annually on the second Saturday of December.

This is a picture of WAA entering Washington, DC last year.  The convoy from Maine to

National Cemetery has become known as the world’s largest veterans’ parade, stopping at schools, monuments, veterans’ homes and communities all along the way to remind people how important it is to remember, honor and teach.

Last year when the trucks entered Washington DC (pictured above) there were 70,000 volunteers waiting to help place the wreaths on the graves in Arlington Cemetery.

This year WAA has received 2 million orders for wreaths to be placed on veterans graves.

Going back now to the Veterans Remembrance Tree  it is described in this way.

We created the Veteran Remembrance Tree Program because we wanted to find a way to recognize veterans and their families in a more permanent way, explains Karen Worcester, Executive Director of WAA “This endless forest is a truly visual representation of our unwavering commitment to our mission to Remember, Honor and Teach and to recognize our veterans and families this year and for many years to come.”

Two other projects still in the works are a chapel that can be used for funeral services

for veterans.  And in addition, there are plans to build a Flag Pole of Freedom which will be a 1320 foot tall flag pole, the tallest ever built.

The flag pole will eventually house a museum at the base and two observation decks, one at 100 feet and the second at the top.  The flag to be used will be an acre in size and will be designed to be self-furling when the winds reach a certain speed.

At the museum there is also a separate display regarding the Vietnam War.

Some of the statistics of that war are absolutely staggering.

We came away from the museum having learned a lot and also deeply impressed by what WAA does each year.  Despite the ongoing controversy that surrounds the connection between WAA and the Worchester Wreath Company, I believe in the integrity of WAA and what they are doing and hope to be able to volunteer this December when the wreaths are placed at the Florida National Cemetery. 

OK, tonight being the last night we will be in Maine and able to get a fresh lobster dinner

I did just that.  I believe I finally have my fill of lobster and fish, at least for the foreseeable future!  But not for too long, oh no, no, no!

The rain continues to fall, the wind is blowing 15 to 20 mph right on the front, gusting even higher at times.  We are, however, snug as a bug in a rug.  Tomorrow promises to be a fine day for travel.  Time now to begin packing up and putting things in order for the road.  We bid you, therefore, good night.  In closing, a thought for each of us to ponder:

As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries, let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and eventually some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

Another beautiful day when we awoke today.  This being Sunday we were bound and determined to go to church.  We knew of a church just a few miles away, but we didn’t know what time worship was.  Well, isn’t that what the internet is for?  To discover such things.

I Googled Methodist Church Lubec but I could find no web site for the church.  I found a few articles that gave the name of their pastor, the size of the congregation (38 families), some of their activities, even some of the local causes they support.  But no time for worship.

So I Googled the location and zoomed in on the outside bulletin board which stated it this way:  Sunday Worship . . . .am.  That’s right just am, no time.  Ah, but wait I found a phone number for the church so at 8 am I dialed it thinking I would get a recording with the time of service.  Wrong again, I got someone out of bed who was very unhappy about being woken up.  Thus, in the end we never made it to worship.  I guess they are trying to keep their church to themselves.

OK, time now to have breakfast and then get on the road again.  Barbara whipped up a great steak and cheese omelet with a side of sausage to which I added a glass of juice and a cup of coffee.  She also had eggs and sausage and a cup of coffee.  Tummies full we now were ready to get on the road.  Just a little teaser, we went to Saint Croix International Park, and also went in search of the sculptures that we knew to be in this area.

Before we share with you today’s treasures, though, let’s finish up our time at Roosevelt Campobello International Park.  We’ve already covered the international bridge.  The two lighthouses we visited.  The Roosevelt cottage.  But we neglected to tell you, we also went off roading, so to speak in search of a sculpture which is one in a set of three that are placed here and in two other locations across America.

The three sculptures are called sunsweep.  One is in Washington, another in Minnesota, and the third is here on Campobello at Liberty Point. Thus, we made a trip to Liberty Point  in search of the sculpture.  Sad to say we never found it.  A first for us.  But we did find at Liberty Point what is referred to as frog rock

Come on now, use your imagination, surely you can see the resemblance to a frog?

Now to what was probably the most enlightening activity we participated in while at the park and that was the Tea with Eleanor which has become a favored tradition for visitors who visit the park.

There are two teas you can go to.  In the morning, which is free; or, you can pay to attend the afternoon session.  Knowing that the free tea in the morning was first come first serve, we arrived at the park early so we could get one of the 40 tickets that are issued for the morning tea.

With tickets in hand, we could hardly wait to learn more about the personal life of Eleanor Roosevelt; the longest serving First Lady of the United States (12 years), first Chairperson of the United Nations Human Rights Commission, and perhaps the most quoted women in history.  Today, the tea is held at the Wells-Shober cottage on the Roosevelt estate.

The aroma of freshly baked cookies beckoned us to enter the charming tea room.

Smiling guides welcomed us to Eleanor’s morning tea party and we settled down to sip steaming Earl Grey Tea and hear poignant stories about Eleanor Roosevelt, her life and traditions on Campobello Island.  Tanya and Debbie,

our hostesses, enthusiastically brought Eleanor into clear focus, as they related stories shared by their family members who had worked at the Roosevelt estate since the early 1900’s. Tanya reminded us that today, just as it was in Eleanor’s day, rule number one at the tea party; no talk of politics allowed!

What we learned about Eleanor was a lot.  We took away the following:

• That her early years were punctuated by the tragic deaths of her mother, father and brother, and her strict upbringing by a domineering Grandmother
• that Eleanor’s kindness and genuine interest in the community of Campobello Island endeared her to the islanders.
• She was known to invite just about everyone she saw from one afternoon to the next for tea, so the staff never knew whether to bake cookies for 10 or 50.
• Debbie laughed as she told us how Eleanor ordered dresses from the Sears Catalog to wear while on Campobello Island, so she just might be wearing the same outfit as one of her guests.
• Ever the gracious hostess, Eleanor was far more interested in people’s ideas than in their attire or social status
• During her public life as the wife of FDR Eleanor redefined the role of First Lady of the United States. Being First Lady was largely a ceremonial role, but Eleanor changed all that by holding press conferences to which only women reporters were invited.
• While Franklin broadcast his fireside chats on the radio, Eleanor took to pen and paper, authoring 27 books and penning 7,300 My Daycolumns which were syndicated in newspapers across America.
• While it wasn’t always welcomed or popular, Eleanor advocated for women’s rights, racial equality and the elimination of segregation in America.
• She traveled to the Tuskegee Airbase to shine light on African-American military pilots. When told by the secret service that if she wanted to go flying they would provide an experienced pilot for her, she instead chose one of the African-American pilots and flew with him for over an hour!
• She visited the South Pacific as a moral-building tour, visiting thousands of wounded soldiers. She would then in turn contact the family members of the wounded she had visited to let them know of their condition
• After Franklin’s death, Harry Truman appointed Eleanor as the first United States Representative to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights where she successfully lobbied for the passage of the UN Declaration of Human Rights. When it was passed we learned that she was given a standing ovation by all delegates, a first in the history of the UN
• And this for all of us to take and hold on to, despite heartbreak, hardships and unexpected challenges, Eleanor grew to be one of the most respected women of her time. She did so by meeting challenges head on with courage and a can-do attitude
• One of her favorite sayings was

So that brings to an end our time at the park.  If you can, I urge you make the time to visit the park at least one time in your lifetime.  You will never regret doing so.  And don’t miss tea time with Eleanor.  That activity alone is worth the trip up here.

One more must see while in this area and that is Wreaths Across America

But this is much too important to try to squeeze in tonight.  So, we’ll cover it in tomorrow’s blog.

In closing though, we want to share with you a funny if we can.  Saturday we were on the road with the mission of finding the sculptures that were part of the Main Sculpture Trail in this area and, of course, visiting Wreaths Across America.  We got up early wanting to do as much as possible before it became too hot in the afternoon.  And we were doing just fine until . . . . until we ran into the Machias Shriners Day Parade

For those who may not be aware of the Shriners, they are a brotherhood of men committed to family, engaged in ongoing personal growth, and dedicated to providing care for children and families in need.

The parade was on Main Street, meaning Route 1, meaning the only route through town!  Oh well, remembering that usually the situation is the boss the only thing we could do was pull over and enjoy the parade.  Here it is for you to enjoy.   There were bands

The march of big furry creatures

They even had a Coast Guard boat, well in miniature form that is

Of course we also need a fishing boat

18 wheelers also in miniature

And just in case anyone needed road side assistance

Then, of course, we had to have some race cars

Big foot truck wise also got in the act

It was a delightful diversion for almost an hour.  Once it was over we were rolling again.  As to our discoveries, I hope to finish up tomorrow what we found.  I know, I said that last night.  Just hang in there with me.  Wreaths Across America is one you don’t want to miss.  That I promise with be tomorrow’s blog.  And more.

So our day is now done, the sun has gone down, the clouds are moving in and we are expecting a storm tonight.  We have had a really good time these last few days, days full of so many new discoveries, and, of course, we’ve done it together, hand in hand, traveling along singing our song.  Now in closing one more quote from Eleanor Roosevelt:

As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries, let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and eventually some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before