Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial weekend brought us kids and grandkids from Ipswich to review our house search and to camp in Rockport with us and enjoy some of the grand Maine landscapes, like the one at the left.
They arrived Saturday morning, and in the afternoon, they saw the two place we had picked as potential house purchases, both in Rockland. We decided on the ranch, and wrot an offer Saturday afternoon. By Monday afternoon, we withdrew the contract, as we couldn't get together on a price.

On Sunday, we caught the 11:15 ferry from Rockland to Vinalhaven Island, one or 4 or 5 islands in Penobscot bay that is supported by ferry service. We chose that one because we heard you could walk into town from the ferry landing and have lunch. The ferry ride was about an hour and 15 minutes, and along the way, you get to see the prototypical Maine coast: rocky, lots of pines and firs, shore birds, and million dollar homes set on the rocky cliffs.


Once we landed on the island, we got directions, and walked into town, finding all but one of the restaurants closed. But one was open, and we had lunch there. Vinalhaven seem to be a vacaqtion and fishing community. Commercially, as with nearly all the fishing in New England, it appears to be struggling. The census population is listed at about 1200.


We made the mistake of not bringing a stroller or backpack for Amelia, and the walk into town was about 1/2 mile, but everybody got there OK. After lunch, while Maria, Consuelo, Paul and Liam went over to look at the real estate listings in an office window, Alemia and I sat in front of the restaurant and counted the cars going by. I think we got up to 4 in about 10 minutes.

The return trip gave me great opportunities to catch some pictures of the Rockland breakwater lighthouse. This light, built around 1902, is accessible by walking on the breakwater from the parking lot near Samoset Resort. It's about 8/10 of a mile long. It serves as the iconic image of Rockland on their signs posted at the city limits.

On Monday, Paul and the grandkids and I went to the Owls Head Transportation museum. They have a wonderful collection of antique cars and airplanes, all beautifully restored and polised for presentation. Many of them are unusual, like the Scarab and the Cricket prototype autos, and Milliken's home built airplane, which flew, at least once.

Here Liam and Amelia are posing in front of an award winning 1955 T-Bird which just happened to be parked in the parking lot.

After the museum, we stopped at the Owls Head lighthouse, and walked up to look at the light close up. Our timing was excellent, as while we were walking back to the car, the foghorn started droning across the bay. I'm sure we would have been deafened if we were still at the light when that happened.