Travel Day!  Since the trip was to be a short one – only 2 hours –  we were in no real rush this morning.  We just sort of took our time getting up and getting moving.  We had packed a good deal of stuff the night before, the car was already on the tow bar, so there were just a few things left to do.  Once packed up we headed over to the dump station and emptied the tanks – no sewer where we were going.

By 10 am, we were on the road heading north.  Question, which route to take?  We had been warned to avoid Route 1 because of construction and instead take Route 191 along the coast.  Off we went and sure enough in due time we find the first construction zone.  Hey, it was just one lane for a few miles, so no big thing.  This isn’t that bad I thought so I’ll just stay on Route 1 the whole way.  Can you say big mistake.  Suddenly, in front of us was a sign Road Ends in 1 Mile.  That’s right, it ends, or better yet, the paved portion of it ended and we were on a dirt road that passed for Route 1.  No fun at all, let me tell you.  It was rough, rutted, and you could not go over 10 mph or you would lose all your teeth not to mention what might fall off of Graybeard.  Should have taken Route 191 along the coast.  Believe me, I will when I leave here.

So, we crawled our way north until the turn off for Route 189 which would take us to the RV park.  Ah, a paved road again.  So nice.  Then, there it was the sign we had been looking for Sunset Point RV Park.  Yippee!

Here is the office where you register.  Barbara went into register and sort of never came out – almost.  When she finally returned 45 minutes later she told me the camp manager took the time to go into great detail regarding everything to see in the area.  Nice.

This RV park claims to be the eastern most campground in the US.  That was one of the reasons we came here, just to say we had been as far east as one could go.  Another reason is we wanted to visit Campobello Island in Canada and, of course, have tea with Eleanor. 

Take a look at this aerial view of the park.  It is really just one big grass field

with parking slots for RV’s.  I really like it.  The sites are almost perfectly level and the view, if you get the right spot, is spectacular.  Yes, we got the right spot.  As we always say, Home is where we park it so here is home for the next week.

Here is the view we were talking about.  Johnson Bay right out the solarium window!

Of course, to get the fantastic view of Johnson Bay you need to park sort of backwards, hence my reference to this being the backwards RV park.  That means instead of backing into your spot, you drive in front first and run your water and electric under the RV

to the pedestal which is now at your front door.  It works only because there is no sewer hookup.

The other thing that is really different from where we were is that – as you can see in the picture above – there is no separation between you and your neighbor.  Want to borrow some sugar?  Just open your window, give a shout, reach out and you can grab it from the rig next to you!

Then there was the wind, oh boy was it blowing today.  Take a look at the flag that is flying straight out.

.

Then, there were the white caps.  Thankfully the wind is coming almost

straight on to Graybeard which is the best orientation for these conditions.

So, we’re home again for the time being.  The sun is slowing sinking in the west and reflecting off the water sparking like so many diamonds.  The tide is coming back in and all that dry land which was just down the hill from us is once again under water.  So beautiful and just out the front solarium window.  How neat is that.  We both thank our God everyday for the many blessings that we are enjoying day by day.

Now before we leave you a thought 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

Today we awoke to a rather chilly day for us but normal for this time of year here in Maine, that being the mid 40’s.  The sun was up at 4:45 am bright as could be and the sky was a bright blue with not a cloud in sight.  The start of a picture-perfect day.  We don’t have much planned for today other than some shopping and a chiropractic appointment. This is because we’ll be getting ready to move tomorrow.  We’re going further north to Lubec, Maine and hope also to spend some time sight-seeing on Campobello Island in Canada.

Time now to get caught up on our travels from yesterday.  Yesterday started out slow but once we got going, we got going and we covered a lot of territory.  High on our list of places to visit was a local attraction we had heard a lot about called Tidal Falls located at the Tidal Falls Preserve.

Tidal Falls is located on the Taunton River between Sullivan and Hancock.  Here the Taunton River flows through a narrow constricted channel as it rushes out to Frenchman Bay.  If you arrive here about 2 hours before dead low tide you are treated to a spectacular display of nature.  The water rushes and roars and cascades over the rocks in the channel.  Officials caution one and all not to attempt traversing these waters in a canoe or kayak unless you are very experienced.  Take a look at what we saw that day.

 

Here’s a picture of the two of us with the Falls in the background.

We came back later in the day when the water was coming back in at high tide and though the current was still swift the drama of earlier was gone.  Yet, one must never forget just under the surface of this swirling water lurks the rocks that are ever present at low tide.

Here at the Falls is where we met Debbie shown here with Barbara.  Debbie

is a retired hair dresser, a proud grandmother of a 1 year old granddaughter who lives here in Maine, and has two sons who proudly served their country.  She shared with us that when one son finished his service, her other son was just beginning his tour of duty.   She is also part of a new church start and was quick to invite us to her church, an invitation we would have been more than happy to accept except for the fact that we will not be in the area next Sunday.  It was a real treat to spend some time with her and we’re so thankful that God brought us together.

Once we left here, we headed now to Acadia National Park and the Park Loop Road.  The 27-mile Park Loop Road connects Acadia’s lakes, mountains, and seashore – yes

seashore.  We wanted to collect more stamps for Barbara’s National Passport Book and we wanted to make a stop at Acadia’s seashore which is known as Sand Beach.  That indeed became our first stop.

Sand Beach, is nestled in a small inlet between the granite mountains and rocky shores of Mount Desert Island. This gorgeous beach is one of the most popular places on the island.  When we arrived, it was packed with cars not only in the parking lot but all along the road.  Regarding the beach itself, thousands of years of pounding surf created a beach that is largely comprised of shell fragments. I can tell you from personal

experience that the sand is very, very fine.  As for the water, the ocean temperature rarely exceeds 55 degrees in the summer and right now they are saying the temperature is in the mid 40’s.  For the last several days warnings have been issued regarding the dangers of swimming in such cold water.  Of course, I had to find out for myself how cold it really was so down to the water’s edge I went.  Yes, it is cold!

While here we met two more of God’s beautiful people, Ben and Sarah (hope I’m spelling your name correctly).  Both are retired college professors.  Get this, they sailed here from

Florida on their own sailboat like the one in this picture.

They are now temporarily moored in Southwest Harbor.  I mean how exciting is that!  This is not the first time they’ve ranged afar on their boat.  They have made several trips to the Bahamas and elsewhere.  They are mulling over perhaps staying here for the winter.  I wish them well but this is not where I would choose to spend my winter.  It was really wonderful speaking with them and listening to their story.  Another encounter and experience we will remember for a long time.

Leaving Sand Beach we now headed to the gift shop at Thunder Hole to collect yet another stamp for Barbara’s National Passport Book.

 

Finished here we continued on to Otter Point.  This is the wall that runs the length of the point.

And this is what it is like at Otter Point looking out over the water.

Words and pictures simply cannot do true justice to the beauty of this area.  The coastline is absolutely spectacular, all along the Park Loop Road the scenery is so

breathtaking.  Barbara and I both agree that this area is so clean, clear, and pristine.  To date we’ve not witnessed anything like it and we know we will never forget it.

One stamp down, two more to get today.  We would now leave the National Park Loop Road and make our way to Blackwoods Campground.

Again, not our cup of tea since this is off the grid camping, absolutely no hookups.  Yet it is also a popular stop.  This and Seawall were the first two campgrounds in Acadia and they were built by the Civilian Conservation Corp during the Great Depression.

Time to move on.  We motored on into Bar Harbor for the last stamp that we would be able to collect.  This last stamp was at the Park Ranger Station in Bar Harbor.

There are a total of 14 stamps for Acadia National Park.  We were able to collect a total of 10, two others are on islands that are not yet open for the tourist season, and two more are north of Lubic. So I believe we did a decent job to date of collecting what could be had.

One more task while in Bar Harbor and that was to find the last sculpture that we would be able to get during our time here.  It took some sleuthing but we eventually found it tucked away in a little park on a side road.  This Sculpture is called is called Tension and

was created by artist Songul Telek from Turkey  The artist described his work in this way:  My sculpture consists of two different structures. While moving in opposite directions they create a tension and being together they stay in balance.

So our time here is quickly coming to an end.  Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 12^th we move north where we hope to do some sightseeing on Campobello Island in Canada. 

Before closing out for the night I have to give a special word of thanks to Brock Mattson of Mattson Active Chiropractic .  When I first had problems with my back Barbara made numerous calls to chiropractors in the area.  Once they discovered we were vagabonds living full time in an RV, it was one excuse after another as to why they would not be able to see me.  Not Brock.   An appointment was made, two others after that, insurance information was taken, and treatment was begun.  Never, ever any pressure for payment up front just genuine concern for my welfare.  Yes, he has helped tremendously, I’m feeling 90% better and I’ll take that and give thanks to God for this caring healer and a man of deep Christian faith.  Barbara and I will both remember him and his genuine interest in me, first and foremost as a person.

Time now to say goodnight to one and all.  Supper is waiting, a nice pork roast, and we have some packing to do.  Our time in this area has been fantastic and we are leaving with many cherished memories not only of sights seen, history discovered, but also encounters with some truly beautiful people.  In closing, let me leave you with this thought 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 was another day of travel and discovery.  We were out and about for a good 6 hours and covered another 100 plus miles.  We discovered the Tidal Falls Preserve, we met three of God’s beautiful people – Debbie here with Barbara – whose story we’ll share with everyone tomorrow.

Also Ben and Sarah.  In fact, Ben and Sarah said they would sent me an article on

themselves and their journey here to Maine on their sailboat.  I’m looking forward to sharing that with everyone hopefully tomorrow.

In addition, we collected some more stamps for Barbara’s National Passport Book, and found one more sculpture that was in Bar Harbor.  All in all it was another wonderful day of doing what we love to do best which is immersing ourselves in the culture and history of an area we are in.

That’s all to come yet, tomorrow night, I promise.  Oh, a couple of quick funnys.  Want to throw a server at a Maine roadside food stand for a loop?  Ask them for a chili dog .  Barbara did and they gave her that deer in the headlight look.  Then she really threw them a curve, Barb asked them to put sauerkraut on her hot dog.  The poor girl had no idea what she was talking about.  I guess we’re not in Jersey anymore.

However, for tonight we are going to go back a couple of days and cover a museum we discovered quite by accident.  Perhaps, you remember the other day we were at Franklin Memorial Park?

There was a display in the park that detailed the rise and fall of the granite industry in

 

Franklin and Sullivan County.  Well, I couldn’t let it rest at that I just had to know more about the industry as a whole. That in turn set me off on the road of discovery regarding the granite industry in Maine.  That road led us to the Maine Granite Museum

.

Once inside we found Steve Haynes who is the owner and curator of this museum and who possess a wealth of information regarding the granite industry in Maine.  He also stated that he himself went to work in a quarry at the very young age of  11.   He stated that the museum  houses hundreds of the tools used by the quarrymen, blacksmiths, stone cutters and stone carvers. To date on display are over 350 historic photos, company ledgers, books, Union badges and so much more related to the quarry industry in Maine.  He also shared with us that he has a barn full of blacksmith tools and equipment just waiting to be restored and displayed.  Below are a few pieces from that collection.

We discovered that granite quarrying began in Maine about 1830 and grew steadily until early in the 1900’s.  “Men from Scotland, Finland, Sweden…all came to America

to perform the cutting of the granite,” Haynes said. “These men believed they were building the pyramids of America.”  The quarrymen used skill and specialized tools to split the granite without shattering it, whether for a one-foot paver or a 50-foot column.

We learned, that at one time, there were a number of different quarry’s in the Mount Desert area.  Each quarry produced a different variety of granite, in color, grain and strength.  One such quarry was the Hall quarry.  Following is a model and a diorama of that quarry.

 

Maine granite was used for lighthouses, cemetery stones, paving blocks, curbstones, bridges, and monuments. Many large public buildings such as libraries, post offices, customs houses, and museums built at that time in the eastern US, including New York City, Washington, DC, and Chicago are also made of Maine granite.  The many rooms, walls and arches of Fort Knox were constructed of Maine granite in 1832. Maine granite was known across the U.S. and Europe for its strength, size and beauty.  Below is a picture of quarried blocks destined for a building somewhere in the east.

When you look at these blocks keep this in mind.  When a building was to be constructed specifications, blueprints, etc. were sent to the quarry indicating the size and shape of each individual block.  A team of masons would then work for about two weeks to shape each block into the required size and shape. Here are some pictures of the tools they usually used.

After they were finished with each block, it was then inspected and if it passed it was loaded onto a sloop for delivery to the construction site.   Being close to water gave Penobscot Bay’s granite industry an advantage. Shipping granite was cheaper and more efficient by schooner and sloop until the end of the nineteenth century, when improving rail service allowed other states to participate in the granite trade .

When the sloop reached its destination, the granite block was off loaded and inspected again.  If it failed to pass inspection at the dock, Steve told us, it was rejected and thrown into the ocean.  Steve then explained that many islands and coast lines in Maine changed shaped over time because over 65% of the granite blocks would ultimately be rejected and heaved into the ocean.

Backing up a bit, getting the granite block out of the quarry required some pieces of special equipment.  One was a derrick.  The derrick had a boom made of a stout pole

with a secondary pole attached at the base that could be swung around and raised and lowered. It was the secondary pole that moved the stone.  To pick up large blocks of stone, quarriers used dog holes. Dog holes are small indentations on each end of the

block. A cable with hooks at the each end of a line was placed in the holes, the cable was drawn up tight and thus was able to lift the block.

At the museum, Steve is in the process of putting the finishing touches on a derrick that he rescued and restored over the past two years.  Here are the pieces that have just been refinished.

 

Here is a picture of the winch that will be used with the restored derrick.

This is where on the front lawn that it will finally be assembled and installed.  Some pieces are already in place.  Yes, it will actually be put to use hoisting granite blocks.

The other piece of equipment used to transport granite blocks was called a Galamander.

The galamander is a wagon-like conveyance, about 18 feet long and 6 feet wide. It has four wooden spoked wheels, the rear pair 6 feet in diameter and the front ones 4 feet. The wheels have iron hubs and the wearing surface is also finished in iron. The “frame” of the wagon is a single large wooden beam, to which the rear axle assembly and a front

swivel mount for the front axle are attached. A simple seat with a metal spring is fastened above the front axle, and a derrick consisting of a single tapered beam is

attached to a swivel mount above the rear axle. The derrick was used (in conjunction with a block and tackle) to raise slabs of stone onto and off the galamander. The wagon is braked by friction pads on the rear wheels which are activated by a lever controlled by the driver. The galamander would have been drawn by a team of horses or oxen. This one is only one of two that are still known to exist.

Steve informed us that the granite quarrying was all but finished by the early 1900’s but Rockefeller breathed new life into the industry for a few years when he started construction of the carriage roads and bridges in Acadia National Park.  Below are some pictures of the construction of the bridges.

In addition, in 1920, a new market opened, supplying street “pavers,” blocks of granite exported to New York, New Orleans and Philadelphia to pave their streets. Each city required a slightly different size paving stone depending on the size of their horses, mules, oxen and carts.

So, for a time many former quarry workers were once again gainfully employed.  However, Maine’s granite industry declined rapidly in the first half of the twentieth century because of technological improvements in structural steel and concrete, and the opening of new resources in other parts of the country. Thriving quarry towns became instant ghost towns.  There are still active quarrys in the state of Maine today but no longer in the numbers that it used to be.

Well, that’s it for today.  The day itself was another great one for us in so many ways.  As I stated in the beginning, we met three of God’s beautiful people whose stories we hope to share with you tomorrow.  We got out and about and discovered some really fantastic things like the Reversing Tidal Falls which were just spectacular; the story and pictures of which we will bring to you tomorrow as well.

Before we leave you 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

 

 

For the last several days our theme song has been When I’m stuck with a day
that’s gray, And lonely, I just stick out my chin and grin, and say, Oh, The sun’ll come out Tomorrow. So ya gotta hang on ‘Til tomorrow come what may. Tomorrow, tomorrow
I love ya tomorrow.  Tomorrow came today with a beautiful blue sky, a gentle wind, and a bright sunny sky.  Yippee!

No keeping us in today.  We had places to go, stamps to collect, new things to be discovered, and hopefully we’d meet some interesting people along the way.  Well, that’s exactly how the day turned out.  Since we were up early and really didn’t want to bother with breakfast, we made a quick pit stop at McDonalds.  Would have much preferred a local eatery but time wasn’t on our side.  So, we settled for second best.

First things first, we were off, of in search of more stamps for Barbara’s National Passport Book.  We had two stops in particular that we needed to make, that being the Thompson Island Visitor Center and the Seawall Campground both part of Acadia.

We got both stamps.  Seawall Campground is really not our kind of spot.  No hookups whatsoever.  But it is nevertheless a popular spot for many.  While there we met two very nice and very helpful park rangers.  We talked about the park for a few minutes, they helped us with some directions we needed and then we were back on the road.

We revisited the Seal Cove Auto Museum since today was designated Coffee and Steamers (as in Stanley Steamers) Day.  They were offering rides on the 1914 Stanley Steamer Mountain Wagon, if they could get it lit, and if it had brakes.   Both were in question.

Unfortunately, they were never able to get it fired up.  I was able to talk with the

volunteer mechanics and they believe the jets that provide fuel for the main boiler had become gummed up again.  Darn, I was really hoping to get a ride in it.

They also had what I call the community car outside (remember they were working on it a couple of days ago because it had no compression on cylinder #1) but it too was not

going anywhere.  They were never able to get the issue with cylinder #1 sorted out so it was only running on three cylinders and thus not fit to take out for a ride either.  Oh, well, maybe another time.

No rides, so what to do while there?  Of course, take more pictures of the cars I missed the first time.  So here we go.  The first is a 1912 Crane which was considered the most expensive car in America.  A basic chassis went for a staggering $8,000!  It was built in small numbers until 1914.

This is 1912 Thomas, which simply could not compete with the mass produced Ford Model T, went out of business very quickly.

A 1909 Duryea

The 1886 Benz is recognized as the foundation of the automobile, the first self-propelled, four-stroke internal combustion engine powered, self-contained motor car.  It was the inventor’s wife, Bertha, who proved the worth of his invention.  She took their sons to visit her parents some fifty miles from their home.  The trip took her all day but her success brought her husband Karl’s car to the attention of the general public.

 

This time I was able to also get a picture of a display of early Indian Motorcycles.

 

Once finished at this museum, we were off in search of the Maine Granite Museum.  But there is much, too much to share regarding this museum so it will have to wait until tomorrow.

But we’re not finished yet.  On the way home, we decided to get a bite to eat.  We had heard about an eatery called Yu’s Take Out.

They had a big menu board out front.

Some interesting lawn decorations.

Regarding the food?  They had both Chinese takeout and their specialty which was lobster or crab meat rolls.  I decided it was time to try the latter.

Yes, the crab meat roll was delicious.  As good as lobster?  Maybe.  Each is different and each has a unique flavor.  I’d have one again in a heartbeat.

One more stop to make.  In Winter Harbor, there is an ice cream parlor we’ve had our eye on for some time called J.M. Gerrish.

They had an old-fashioned ice cream counter and an old-fashioned shake machine

They also sold Gifford’s Ice Cream.  Never heard of it?  Neither had I but I discovered it is as famous as Ben and Jerry’s here in Maine.

The story of Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream goes back to the 1800s, when an industrious young man named Nathaniel Main from Pawcatuck, Connecticut, started a home delivery milk and ice cream business from the back of his horse-drawn wagon. Fifteen years later, Nathaniel’s oldest son, Chester, got involved in the family business. Eventually, Chester’s daughter, Audrey, married her college sweetheart Randall Gifford and together they forged a splendid path that led to Skowhegan, Maine, and to the birth of Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream.

The family began creating small batches of creamy ice cream using Audrey’s parents’ recipes for strawberry, peach, wild blueberry, and coffee. The first seasonal ice cream stand was opened in Skowhegan, followed by another in Farmington. Eventually, Randall and Audrey sold the milk portion of the dairy business to Oakhurst Dairy. Their sons Roger and John took over the ice cream portion of the business and transformed the milk plant into a world-class ice cream factory.

Today, Gifford’s sells 1.7 million gallons of ice cream each year and serves more than one million cones each summer from five family owned and operated stands. The company offers 100 unique ice cream flavors, frozen yogurt, sherbet, and sorbet. The ice cream can be found in grocery stores, independent ice cream shops, colleges, universities and restaurants all the way from Maine to the Mid Atlantic, to the Mid-West and as far West as Nevada.

While eating our ice cream Sundays a steal at $6 for two we got to talking with the two

servers behind the counter.  Yes, they said, business is slow right now, but give it another two weeks and they will be serving about 300 customers a day!  June 15^th when the kids get out of school is, they stated, when things really begin to get crazy.  That will continue right through Labor Day.

We’re now at the end of our day.  A rather short one by our standards, only about 7 hours and just over 100 miles.  It was a full day, a day full of adventure, of new discoveries, of new places, and new acquaintances.  Barbara asked me on the way home, So have you finally had you fill of fish and lobster for the time being?  I guess so.  At least for the next day or two, OK, maybe three or four!  Once again it was our kind of day, traveling along, singing our song, side by side.  We hope you also had a chance to do something you’ve been wanting to do for some time.  If not, why not?  Get out and enjoy the life that God has given you, make the most of each day, make the time to live your dream.  Now in closing a thought for each of us:

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