I worked a pretty intense week so that I could get out early on Friday, pick up Sue at her place at 2:00pm, and then drive north to Maine's Pemaquid region for the weekend.

It was a marvelous time, the weather couldn't have been better, and I got to just totally unwind and relax. We're going to have to do this again because our original intent of sailing on the Sarah Meade out of Muscongus Harbor didn't happen because of engine problems. But we ended up doing some things that we probably otherwise would not have, so it all worked out. And... we have a grand excuse to go back!

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07/16/10 - Friday
The drive up was lengthened by what we found out was an "up there" known traffic jam-up trying to get through the town of Wiscasset. What a pain in the ass that was. So, if you're ever heading north or south on Rt. 1, find a way around that area or be sure you bring emergency rations and a bucket to pee in....

We got up to the Sea Acres Motel & Cottages around 5:00pm and took a walk down to their dock and just sat and unwound for a little while before heading back up to our cottage.

We changed up and headed off to dinner at the beautiful Bradley Inn, a casual drive down Rt 130 to the tip of the Pemaquid peninsula close to the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse.

A shot from Sea Acres Cottage 2 toward the road. You can see the above ground pool in the middle of the picture just to the left of the covered sitting area.

Down at the Sea Acres dock. The fog had rolled in pretty heavy late Friday afternoon.

Sue overlooking the river.

Sue took this shot through the fog of a farm house across the river.

Sue's all decked out and ready for dinner!

So am I!

Dinner at The Bradley Inn.

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07/17/10 - Saturday
Saturday morning we did a quick stop at the King Row Market in Round Pond on our way to Muscongus Harbor. We were hoping to catch a sail on the Sarah Meade with Sail Muscongus, but Randy came ashore to give us the bad news that the engine injectors had water in them. He was off to get a new part and when he got back, I suggested that Sue and I go out to the boat with him so if he got it fixed we'd be ready to throw off the hook, and if he couldn't fix it I'd get to fulfill a life's dream of at least sitting on a Friendship Sloop.

Well, after a valiant effort, Randy declared the engine dead at least for the weekend, so he brought us back to shore. Since Round Pond was just south of Muscongus Harbor, we took a drive down to Round Pond Harbor to get the lay of the land for where the Anchor Inn Restaurant was as that was where I had made dinner reservations.

As we made the left turn toward the harbor, I saw the Granite Hall Store that Randy had said we just had to stop in and check out. The place is unbelievable. You'd just have to see it yourself to understand just what the description of it really means: "Historic country store with penny candy, fudge, cards, books, toys, house wares, imported woolens, and Gifford ice cream." Yeah, you'd just have to check it out for yourself; we bought all sorts of neat stuff and then headed off to the harbor to find the restaurant, which really is not hard to find. But it was an adventure; an 'Explore', as Winnie-The-Pooh would put it.

As I was driving out of the harbor past the Granite Hall Store, the Round Pond Art Gallery caught my eye and I asked Sue if she'd like to stop. It was an amazing experience to meet Sheila. Her husband, Anthony, was busy constructing an addition to the gallery, but as we came to discover: these folks have been all over the world and their story fascinated us as Shiela not only showed us around the gallery, but also took us on a tour of her gardens. Sue went crazy with the camera and I had to edit down for some 30 or so pictures to just a few. But the experience of meeting them was a high-light of the trip.

After leaving there, I drove over to New Harbor where we had lunch at The Contented Sole. After lunch, we wandered through the Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site museum and then Fort William Henry where we climbed up to the top and Sue got some spectacular pictures of the bay. We finished off the day with a cooling swim in the Sea Acres pool.

Dinner was at the beautiful Anchor Inn Restaurant on Round Pond Harbor. When we got there, we were early for our reservations and the sun was just spectacular against the boats in the harbor. Sue commented that the Sarah Meade up must look unbelievable swinging on its mooring. Yeah! Get in the vehicle!

I did a banzai drive up to Muscongus Harbor, Sue jumped out and snapped a set of shots of the Sarah Meade, and then we beat it back to Round Pond, arriving 5 minutes before our reservation! We had a beautiful view of Round Pond from our table, and the finishing sunset was spectacular, as was the food!

On the dock waiting for Randy to get back from a mercy run to Napa Auto Parts to see if they have a new filter for the engine that he can try.

We asked Randy to take us out to the Sarah Meade just so we could sit on her, even if he couldn't get the engine fixed. This is a shot back toward the Muscongus Harbor docks.

The Sarah Meade on the hook in Muscongus Harbor.

Captain Randy doing his best to revive the engine. Too bad that it ended up having water in the injectors and he had to cancel the tour. But we'll be back....

We stopped at the Granite Hall Store in Round Pond on the way back from Muscongus Harbor.

Me taking a picture of Sue taking a pictue of the Granite Hall Market.

Sue had to beg Shelia to let her take this picture of her in front of her Round Pond Art Gallery where we wandered around for close to an hour.

Sue took this great shot through the window of the second story of the art gallery.

I just had to get this picture of Anthony's bio as he has done it all.

In Shiela's gardens.

In Shiela's gardens.

In Shiela's gardens.

In Shiela's gardens.

Looking out at the river from Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site.

Fort William Henry on the Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site.

Looking to the left from the top of Fort William Henry.

Looking to the right from the top of Fort William Henry.

A long shot toward New Harbor.

Back at Sea Acres after taking a swim. Here we are practicing the Fine Art of Southern Porch Sitting as taught to me by my brother, Alan.

The sun just starting to set over Round Pond. We were early for our dinner reservations at The Anchor Inn and had wandered down to the docks so Sue could take some pictures of the sun splashing across the moored boats. Just breath taking... And then, in a flash of inspiration, we zoomed up to Muscongus Harbor to catch the sunset there.

The Sarah Meade swining to her anchor in Muscongus Harbor as the sun drops toward the horizon.

We just got to our seats in The Anchor Inn as the sun was setting behind us and Sue got this great shot. She took another one just a few minutes later into the darkness, but this just captures it all.

And the best shot Sue got all weekend was this night picture of the Pemaquid Lighthouse. After dinner at The Anchor Inn, we drove down to Pemaquid point and stumbled around in the dark so Sue could get some shots. We didn't have her tripod with us, so probably not as 'professional' as someone might take, but then you wouldn't get the feeling of the whole place like she captured here.

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07/18/10 - Sunday

Sunday, we did a late morning brunch at The Sea Gull Shop in New Harbor and then spent a couple of hours wandering through the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse Park.

I even pushed the leg (a little too far it turns out) and climbed the circular staircase to the top of the Pemaquid Lighthouse. Now, that's a view worth coming back for! And the whole park is just a joy to wander around, down on the rocks and through the grounds.

We headed out about 2:00pm for the drive back, with directions given to us by our waitress at the Bradley Inn as to how to avoid the jam-up that was sure to be in Wiscasset. When we got home, we just dumped our stuff on the floor, and shot over to BGs Boathouse for dinner. Why not continue the vacation forward? We had a great table outside overlooking Chauncey Creek, sipped some wine, and had a lovely end of our Great Expore.

Sue took this amazing picture of the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse Sunday morning through the chain link fence at the Sea Gull Shop.

Another view of the lighthouse and care takers cottage.

Sue climbed down onto the rocks below the lighthouse to get this stunning shot.

From where she was down on the rocks, Sue got this great shot of the lighthouse.

My leg had had it after hiking up the stairs of the lighthouse, so I stayed up on the bluff while Sue wandered around on the rocks below.

Sue is just amazing in her eye for composition. This is a postcard shot like none other.

I suggested that Sue take this picture through the focal lens of the lighthouse. Pretty cool, actually.

A more 'traditional' shot from the top of the lighthouse. Can anyone spell 't-o-u-r-i-s-t'? Yeah, well just let 'em try to get a shot this good....

Is this guy happy, or what!

Perfect composition for one of the final shots of the day and trip. But we'll be back....