Tag Archives: ocean

The Summit

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Because of the time and because we were thirsty and hungry at this point, we skipped  some of the scenic turn offs after the Bubble Rock adventure and just headed for the summit. I can’t say we made a Bee line because the road was still quite twisty as it wound around the mountain.

The views were amazing. It’s easy to see why this is a National park.

Finally turning the last corner we saw the parking area for the summit of Cadillac Mountain. It  really is a “bald” summit. There’s no tree cover to speak of,  just a cap of rocks.

The snack bar had some ice cream and snack foods like nuts and power bars and some local treats like blueberry candy but no real food. Not even hot dogs.  It did have restrooms however and that was almost as much of a priority at this point as food.

I bought a fruit drink and a water  and met JR at the car. We took out the cooler and found a rock to sit on while we had out “makeshift” lunch. My left over french toast was coming in handy. It wasn’t bad cold.

Properly refreshed we wandered over the rocks taking in the magnificent views of Frenchman’s Bay.

With virtually no shade, staying on the summit for the rest of the day in the hot sun wasn’t an option. We decided to move on and return for a sunset visit.

When we planned the trip I said I wanted to see the lighthouses. JR said they were all in the park. Now he spread a map out and only one lighthouse showed up. So with JR navigating and me driving we set off back down the mountain the see if we could find this one lighthouse.

Pretty soon we had crossed out of the park and were passing through little towns and rural fields. Eventually we reached Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse.

We were able to walk right down to it but didn’t see any paths or trails around it. Since I have been back I have learned that there is a trail to the rocks below.  The pictures I had seen of this light were all taken from out to sea. If I ever get back to that area again I will have to look into that.

Having found the lighthouse we could put a “mission accomplished ” stamp on that part of the trip.

Time to head back to the motel and grab a quick shower before we headed out for dinner.

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Look very, very close…

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Can you see it? Look very close. I thought it was dust on the lens but once I put it on the “Big screen” of the computer I saw a row-boat! It’ so tiny that I didn’t even see it when I was taking the picture. I could have enlarged it for you but I just want to see how many followers can find it in the original photo.. 🙂

Checked in and Ready to Explore

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Now that I was settled in my lovely room in the Ashley House it was time to explore. I stopped in the Pastry shoppe and bought a decadent chocolate frosted brownie. I sampled it right away but saved half for later. I figured I’d need a treat after I finished my little jaunt.

As I started up the alley I ran into the tour guide again. He was looking for me. He wanted to be sure that I had found Ashley House and gotten checked in OK. I thought that was really nice of him. We chatted for a few minutes and then I headed on my way.

Everyone said it was an easy walk to the south lighthouse so with my camera around my neck, a spare lens in my bag and my tripod slung over my shoulder I set off to find the lighthouse.

I noticed that the street immediately began to go uphill but it was a gentle rise and I was merely meandering. I stopped in the parking lot of the restaurant “Fins” to take a picture of their parking spaces. I loved the idea of a series of fish stencils instead of plain old lines.

I made note of the statue in the little square and as I took my left around the  statue the incline became a bit steeper.

Halfway up the hill I spotted yellow iris’ and interesting lamps so stopped for a photo-op.

More flowers followed.

Then to my surprise I thought I saw a llama! Looking closer I could see there were several llamas and other exotic looking animals. I’d stumbled upon Abrams Animal Farm.

Apparently it’s a little petting zoo and the wool is used for yarns and fabrics.

Not too much further I reached what seemed to be the top of the hill and the road began to wind back down. Ahead of me I could hear the surf even before I saw it. This was one of my favorite spots. I climbed onto the guard rail and sat and watched the waves break on the beach.

 There were loads of flowers and their fragrance filled the afternoon air. It was still misty and overcast. It made me think of a rain forest rather than New England.

I could see that the road was going to start climbing again so I took some pictures and began the next leg of my trek. I thought I must be getting close because there were some bluffs right there.  ( Silly me).

As I trudged on I passed a beautiful church whose manicured grounds led right up to the edge of the bluff. It would be worth going to that church just for the view!

I was beginning to wonder how much farther I had to go because this was not turning into an easy walk…at least not for an overweight, 60 + female with a load of camera equipment.

Duck on fresh water pond with ocean beyond

Just about the time I thought I should  pack it in and go back I saw a sign that pointed on up the road and read simply “Lighthouse”. So just as before I figured I must be close and continued to trudge on upward. Except for that short down hill section where I watched the breakers it had been all up hill!

I was now farther away from the water. There were large homes and fields. Well maintained stone walls separated the fields as I trudged along. As people drove by they all waved like they’d known me forever.

I rounded another corner and there ahead of me in a field on my right was a pheasant! I recognized it from pictures in outdoor magazines but I’d never seen one live and in the wild before. It’s a beautiful bird. I began to hustle on up the hill to try to get close enough for a picture without spooking it. The closer I got the deeper it went into the scrub and brush but it didn’t flush. I stopped and lifted the camera. In that moment I knew I was too out of breath to hold the camera still. The bird was fast disappearing from view. I felt my opportunity slipping away so I took a chance. The shot was pretty bad but it’s a record of the experience so here it is. Proof it was really a pheasant!

After that fiasco I plunked myself down on rock wall to consider my situation..keep going or turn back. It felt like I’d been walking forever and may I remind you it was all uphill. Fog was starting to roll in and I could hear a fog horn in the distance. I decided to keep going just a little longer.

Perseverance pays off! I reached the top of the hill and there it was! The Southeast Lighthouse.

 As I walked down the driveway I was greeted  by a black and white cat that seemed to say  “What took you so long? I’ve been waiting for you”.

On Impulse

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It wasn’t an impulse buy..you know those things that you pick up in the store that aren’t on your shopping list. They seem to be a good idea at the moment but then you get home and have  ‘buyer’s remorse”? No, it was nothing like that.

Rather it was a change of plans on impulse. It was a beautiful day, so nice it was hard to believe it was the middle of November. I was planning to take a drive to Newport, RI for the day to see what sights and scenes I could find for this space but when I saw how nice it was I got the urge to take a drive up to Maine. It’s a bit farther than Newport but still well within the “day trip” category.

I headed out a little after 10 am and gambled that the expressway through Boston would have cleared out by that time. Luckily I was right and I sailed though the former Big Dig with no hesitation!  

I had selected York, Maine as my destination, home of Nubble Light. It’s said that Nubble Light is one of the most often photographed light houses on the east coast but I just remember the area from my scuba diving days as being extremely pretty.

I pulled off the Highway into York shortly after noon. It had taken me a little more than 2 hours. As I drove through Boston it got really cloudy but here in Maine the sky was clear and a brilliant blue. So far I had remembered my way pretty well considering it’s been over 30 years since I’ve been here but now as I came off the highway my memory seemed to dissolve.

I had printed out directions before I left the house so after a quick check I found myself meandering from one small road to another. I passed alot of fields and some farm houses and then as I came around a corner I saw the sky stretch out before me. That’s when you know that even though you can’t see the ocean yet, it’s really just ahead. Sure enough, down into a little dip and then up to a stop sign and there was the Atlantic!

The beach stretched out before me and off in the distance was the light house gleaming a bright white in the mid day sun.

 I pointed the car along the beach road in the direction of the lighthouse. It looked like everything was closed up tight for the winter.

I found the turn off to Nubble Light. At the end was a fairly large parking area with the metered viewers. There is no access to the lighthouse itself. That sits on an island that is reached by a little cable car. The public is not welcome on the island. Trust me, you don’t need to be on the island to appreciate this quaint little lighthouse.

The parking lot was a busy place with visitors taking pictures with everything but the kitchen sink. It was easy to see how it got it’s reputation as the most photographed light. I decided to wait for sunset so headed back along the beach to see if I could find anyplace for lunch.

I was about to try to retace my steps to the main highway when I spotted a little restaurant that seemed to have a lot of cars in it’s lot. Not surprising being the only open place on the beach.

The Lobster Cove Restaurant looked small inside until I realized there was an upstairs too. The waitress told me to seat myself so of course I grabbed a tabe by the window so I could watch the ocean over my lunch of scallops and coleslaw…very excellent! The people that were coming in were from all over. I overheard one group telling the waitress they drove up from New Jersey, another couple was speaking french…probably Candians, bienvenue.

Lunch complete I drove back to Sohier Park. That’s the name of the park next to the lighthouse. As I mentioned the light house is on an Island. I think it’s called Cape Neddick. The whole area is lovely. There’s a huge building, probably an Inn sitting on another rocky point near the light house so I amused myself trying to cature the waves crashing on the rocks while I waited for the sun to go down.

The lighthouse is situated so that you are looking east. That put the setting sun behind me. I was hoping some clouds would roll in so that I might get some reflected sunset behind the light house but that was not to be today. I had to settle for a series of pictures of the changing light.

 In between I got some sunset shots by turning around and shooting to the west.

Finally as the last of the light was fading I turned my car toward home.

 The drive back was not as easy as the drive up. A Patriots Football game at the stadium in Foxboro, a Bruins Hockey game at the Garden in Boston and the early Thanksgiving Travelers clogged all of the road ways in and around Boston. My trip home was over 4 hours compared to the two it took me to get to Maine but it was definietly worth it.

Makapu’u Point

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With no place that we had to be, we relaxed a bit and slept in a little. ..Right… we were up at 8am! While we discussed what to do for the day, I suggested we go to Makapu’u Point Lighthouse. I had seen a Samantha Brown show on the Travel Channel where she said it was just a short, 5 minute hike from the road to fabulous ocean views. Sandy also likes lighthouses so it sounded like a nice way to start the day. I had also looked it up online and the articles there described it as a “moderate” hike.

We didn’t have any problem finding the turnoff and there was a large paved parking lot. The trail was also paved but closed to automobiles. We had hiking boots and some water but not a big supply. I was wearing a baseball cap but Sandy didn’t have a hat at all and no sunscreen. Now I want to go on record right here and now by saying that if your guide books say “bring water , a hat, good walking shoes and sunscreen“, follow their suggestions!

The trail immediately begins to climb so even though it’s paved, it quickly becomes a great aerobic workout. Of course even in 2007 both of us were on the wrong side of 50. In any case we really felt old when younger people began jogging by, one was even pushing a baby stroller and here we were sweating and huffing and puffing. When we met some of the runners returning before we made it to the top it became laughable!. They were very encouraging though and told us it would all be worth it.

PS. To Samantha Brown…it’s not 5 minutes, but more like an hour! The trail continued upward and then around a bend so we couldn’t see how much further we needed to go until we actually turned that corner. That might have been a good thing or we may have bailed out!

Once around the corner we started to get the breeze from the trade winds. There was also a spot to stop and rest, sitting on the stone wall. The views here were wonderful and there was the lighthouse. It’s a really cute lighthouse, all white with a red roof. It made a terrific picture with the deep blue of the ocean behind it. The area of the ocean we were looking over is part of the whale sanctuary. The whales arrive in November and stay until spring having their calves in the safety of these warm waters. Since we were there in October they hadn’t arrived yet but it was easy to imagine sitting there and watching the whales blow and breach.


After sitting for a bit we felt like we’d recovered and we could see the end of the trail and the lookout platforms. So with a deep breath we started the last bit of our climb and we made it!

As we explored the lookouts and platforms we found a marker that referred to a plane crash in World War II. On Easter Sunday – four months after Pearl Harbor-2 planes on routine patrol lost there way “in rain, clouds, and darkness”. One crashed here at Makapu’u Point the other at the Pali Lookout where we had visited earlier in the week. I searched the internet but did not find much information about these planes but I have placed a link at the bottom of this post in case anyone would like more information.

We took a lot of pictures because the views were everything we’d been promised. The small Island we could see from the lookout platform is called Rabbit Island. We could also see Sea Life Park which was our next stop for the afternoon. The views were certainly worth the climb.

Having thoroughly explored the top and having run out of water quite awhile ago, we wrapped up our visit and headed back down to the car. The journey down was much easier than the one going up!

In subsequent research I learned that the trail is 2.5 miles and 1 ½ – 2 hours for the round trip. The elevation is 600 ft. We certainly got our exercise that morning!
　
　
　

　
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