During the middle of July, we took a trip to Maine. We try to go there every so often as we have some good friends who retired in Maine, and we all get together for a good time.
Before meeting them, we made a stop to see the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse and Park. It was lovely there, and the lighthouse is situated on majestic rocky ledges on the Maine coast in Bristol.
This is a favorite spot for artists and photographers, as the views are breathtaking. This is usually a spectacular spot to not only see the lighthouse and the view, but also sit for a while on the benches that are in the park and take in the surroundings.
It was somewhat foggy that day, but we could still take in the various sites, and it was so relaxing.
This lighthouse was selected by Maine residents to represent their state on the quarter in 2003. The lighthouse is 39 feet tall and commands a dramatic view of Johns Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The light was automated in 1934, and later the fog bell, which hung on the bell house, was removed.
After viewing the lighthouse and park, we went to a fisherman’s museum, which was adjacent to the lighthouse. Inside, we saw the navigation room that had an exhibit with the lens formerly at Baker Island Light, on loan from the U.S. Coast Guard. This is a Fresnel lens built in France.
Also seen were a bronze buoy bell and iron chain, a four-valve mechanism from a whistle buoy, and a Lyle gun for shooting a lifeline to ships in distress. You also can see a chart of the coast of Maine used by fishermen and all coast traffic, along with pictures of all the lighthouses on the coast with numbers showing their location on the chart.
We then went on to the Fish House, which is the work area of the lobsterman. Here you will see tools and gears on workbenches, and lobster pot buoys that are hanging on the walls. The gallery consists of working half-models of fish boats, and more photographs showing aspects of the industry in bygone days. Almost all exhibits have been donated by fishermen and their families.
From here, we saw some more sites like a working alpaca farm. The alpacas were out in full force, and they looked so docile. I honestly didn’t get to find out firsthand, as I was quite intrigued by the gift shop and items that were made from alpaca. They were so soft.
On to a big department store called Big Al’s Super Values, and they had items that we haven’t seen for quite some time. It was a delight just to browse through the store. It actually brought back pleasant memories.
We went on a cruise and got to see the sights from the water. It was so relaxing, and the two hours just flew right by. After the boat ride, we did view several more lighthouses, and each one was different than the other. Each one had a distinctive quality about it.
While we were going home to Connecticut, we did make a stop at Scarborough, Maine, to see Lenny at Len and Libby Chocolates. This place houses the world’s only life-size chocolate moose. I had to see it to believe it, and the ad was so true. There was Len, but they also had Libby, also life-size. Yes, it was a chocolate Maine black bear and her two cubs.
We just had to see this, as we couldn’t picture it. It was almost unbelievable.
Our last stop on this trip was to visit the Hebert Candy Mansion located in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. This is a sweet adventure for the entire family. They had every type of candy available for sale. There were all kinds of handcrafted chocolates.
One thing was different, and that was an ice cream buffet that we just had to try out. It was sure worth it. Yummy!
By Helene Rubenstein
Published August 20, 2014
