Belfast, Maine

Note:  This is a "blast from the past" post as we work our way backwards to catch you up on our previous destinations. Please remember that we will not be doing any current postings for the next couple of months as we're visiting with family and friends in California. 

Visited September 19 - 21, 2020

By Marty

The second stop on our leaf peeper tour of New England was a short three night, two day, visit to Belfast, Maine. Our amazing lobster roll dinner on Friday night left us with enough lobster for Janell to create two artful and delicious lobster salads for lunch on our travel day from Old Orchard Beach. We stopped for fuel then drove to a nearby Cabella's parking lot to connect Little Red and prepare and enjoy our gourmet lunch. 

Belfast brought us only a smattering of Fall colors (we could tell they were coming soon though!) and we had a great visit with Janell's cousin Marla and her husband Mike.  Mike and Marla are from the Bay Area. They purchased a lovely second home (100+ years old!) in Belfast some years ago and spend about six months there each year (the nice six months, not the freezing cold six months!)

Lobster Salad a la Janell in Le Beastro!

Moorings Oceanfront RV Park located on Belfast Bay, an inlet of the much larger Penobscot Bay, which is itself an inlet of the Gulf of Maine.

If you're into tongue twister names I am happy to inform you that the Passagassawakeag River feeds Belfast Bay...

A small and simple RV park with a nice view of the bay from The Beast

We strolled to and along Belfast Bay adjacent to the RV park after arriving on Saturday.

On Sunday morning we woke up early to watch the sunrise from the exact same spot as the photo above this one. Notice anything different?  The water is missing?  Bingo!  On the Maine coast the tide rises and falls 8-11 feet twice each day! Sunrise happened to be at low tide on this day.  

 

The Bay of Fundy, located on the northeast end of the Gulf of Maine, is known for having the highest tidal range in the world of up to 50 feet!

 

Charming downtown Belfast

 Having a local IPA with dinner.  Hey, who's that lady in the mirror?  The Isley Brothers answer the question musically: 

Who's That Lady

On Sunday we took a drive to Camden Hills State Park, known for sweeping views of Penobscot Bay from the 800 foot summit of Mount Battie. 

Arriving at the state park we observed a most ingenious method for Covid protection during the payment of park entrance fees.

This observation tower at the summit was closed due to Covid.

But the spectacular views of Camden Harbor, Camden, and Penobscot Bay from the summit were not to be denied!

Camden Harbor

We grabbed lunch in Camden and strolled a bit. Camden is one of the most visited and charming towns along the coast of Maine.  I find that I am using the adjective "charming" a lot since arriving in New England...

A wide angle view of the harbor

Still in Camden. A charming New England town must have a charming New England church, right?

Next up from Camden was a one hour drive to visit Pemaquid Point Light on the tip of Pemaquid Neck. 

Pemaquid Light is beloved by Mainers (that really is what they call themselves; not Maineiacs or Mainliners.)  Pemaquid Light was chosen by popular vote of Maine residents to be featured on the Maine quarter. 

Here is an interesting fact about the Maine coast (courtesy of sunrisepoint.com):

Did you know that Maine has a longer coastline than California?

Although it may be hard to believe, it is true.  The general coastline of Maine only measures to be 228 miles, but the tide coastline (which includes all of the inlets and bays in Maine) measures to be 3,478 miles. There are only three other states that have a longer coastline than Maine: Alaska with 33,904 miles of coastline, Florida with 8,436 miles of coastline and Louisiana with 7,721 miles of coastline.

And... there are 65 lighthouses along the Maine coast, which is certainly a lot. However, a trivia question that most of us would answer incorrectly is "which State has the most lighthouses?"

The correct answer is Michigan with more than 115 lighthouses along the Great Lakes. Who'd a thunk it?

A view of the Light and keeper's house from the unique rock formation sloping to the sea below.

The Lightkeeper's house is now the Fishermen's Museum at Pemaquid. On display behind an acrylic panel (which explains the glare) is a very substantial lobster caught in the nearby waters. We recall being told that it weighed around 28 lbs.  That's a lot of lobster salad!

Belfast Harbor at dusk

You are looking at the USS Sequoia, the Presidential Yacht from 1931 to 1977.  It is now privately owned and was brought to Belfast in 2019 for a complete restoration, which has been delayed by the pandemic.  If this yacht could talk, the stories it would tell include:

Roosevelt hosted British Prime Minister Winston Churchill on the ship, where the two discussed ways to avoid war with Adolf Hitler’s Germany.

Kennedy celebrated his 46th birthday — his last one — on the Sequoia, accompanied by first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, friends and two orchestras.

Johnson was on the Sequoia when he pressured members of Congress to pass his landmark civil rights legislation and plotted his next moves in Vietnam.

And a melancholy Nixon played “God Bless America” on the yacht’s piano after he decided to resign the presidency.

 

To learn more about the Presidential Yacht read this:

Presidential Yacht USS Sequoia article

Belfast Harbor still at dusk