It is our last day for touring around Maine before my wife and I return to Los Angeles through Logan Airport in Boston. And we still had so much to see. So up early and breakfast in Bar Harbor and on the road.
Schoodic Point Park
First stop was Schoodic Point about 4 miles away from Acadia as the crow flies but about an hour away by car. Schoodic Point is on a peninsula about 4 miles from Mt. Desert but there is no direct route there so you have to drive off the island and take Maine 1 north to the turn off for Winter Harbor. You travel down this lovely peninsula to the Schoodic Point Park. It is actually part of Acadia National Park, but much less crowded or visited. The views are amazing and the air actually smells clean – that is hard to describe, but it was the freshest air I have ever smelled. Just smelled pure.
This is a great place to picnic weather permitting and just look at the wave crashing on this rocky granite coast full of tidal pools and amazing rock formations.
Wild Blueberry Land
Second stop was further up Maine 1 at Columbus Falls, Wild Blueberry Land. It is an iconic place to stop according to all the websites – Google, TripAdvisor, and others. Maybe back in the day – but when we dropped by other than some fun photos, the place is pretty run down. Inside you can watch a baker make all the blueberry goodies that they sell right in front of you, there was no stock in the cases and the coffee was out. There is a putt-putt course outside – old and overgrown but still works. Hopefully, later in the season, there is more going on!
It is worth the stop just for the photos.
West Quoddy Head Lighthouse
Third stop and really the entire reason for the trip up Maine 1 was to get to West Quoddy Head Lighthouse. The most photographed lighthouse on the Eastern seaboard and one of the most iconic images of Maine. It is located in Lubec, ME, and is the eastern most point of the US before entering Canada.
When you arrive you immediately notice how lonely it is there. Nothing out this way except the lighthouse. The lighthouse is iconic and worth the trip. The photos we took are amazing. There is also a mile-long nature walk in the woods surrounding the lighthouse featuring deep, old woods that offer glimpses of rocky cliffs and bluffs high above the crashing waves below. It is a bit of a drive to get to this famous lighthouse, but well worth your time.
Night in Bangor
Back in the car and now looking for places to stay – not much out in this part of Maine in terms of housing. Some quaint B&B’s but also some of them looked a little sketchy. So we decided to head for Bangor in the late summer light and find a good hotel.
I do have to tell you this little tale as we drove north on Maine 1 toward the lighthouse. It was a beautiful summer day. Bright and clear. We passed through several small towns and in each town we saw no one on the streets. No one walking, working in the yard, or driving. All the lawns in these little towns were perfect. Grass cut, hedges trimmed and no trash anywhere, but no people. It started to remind you of Stephen King’s famous book, Salem’s Lot about a town of vampires. Soon we came up with images of vampires late at night mowing their lawns and working in the yard by moonlight.
We found a nice hotel in Bangor and had then dinner at a wonderful place called McLaughlin’s at the Marina. A two-story place with great views of the Penobscot River and boats coming in after a day on the water. Food and service A+.
Stephen King’s House
Final stop in Maine – Stephen King’s house. Lovely Victorian home in Bangor perfect for the Master of Horror with its spiderweb front gate. The house is really easy to find – it has its own Google map location. Do not go in please. It is a private home, but there are literally thousands of photos online from drive-byes.
Than down to Boston and home. A really wonderful adventure covering all the things I love – theatre, travel, and adventure.
About the Author –
James Carey is an avid world traveler, blogger, writer and award-winning theater and film director based in Atlanta GA. He writes about travel worldwide, entertainment, and lifestyles. You can find out more about him at his personal websites listed below.
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