A Drive Along The Coast Of Maine

Did I mention that I love this state?  It was my last few days in town and I decided to make a trip up the coast.  Highway One is a beautiful drive and you can make it even more interesting if you veer off course and drive off on the smaller roads that take you to several of the little towns and tourist destinations in the state.  It's what I did when I came across Andy and his yard ship so you'll never know what you will find.

This drive took me to Boothbay harbor to walk around the area and be a tourist for a while.  I walked into a gallery and spoke with one of the artists in the gallery, John Vander.  He agreed for me to take his photograph while he told me about his current exhibit, "tourist season."  For more on this exhibit, click HERE.

After the brief stop, I continued back to the main highway and traveled North through Camden and saw many other quaint towns while observing clammers and fishermen until I hit the main destination, Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park.  It was one of the foggiest days I've ever seen so it wasn't the best day to visit if you wanted a clear view of the park.  It didn't matter to me, the park is beautiful.  Bar Harbor is another tourist destination and after traveling to Boothbay, I grew tired of the shops selling everything you can think of with the city name in the item.

I drove up the Northern California coast, Oregon Coast up until mid Washington.  This drive didn't disappoint.  The only advice I would give is to take your time.  Don't make it a day trip like I did.  Enjoy it and take at least a few days wandering around and seeing the sights in all their glory.

Portland Maine Mail Boat Ride And Tour

The last time I took a trip on a mail boat was years ago in Grenada.  I read an article about traveling this way and took the boat from Grenada to the islands of the Grenadines and up to St. Vincent.  The boats were old sailboats with duct tape holding the mast together and the rides weren't exactly the safest in the world.  When I heard that there was a mail boat in Portland, Maine I had to take a tour.

Instantly, it wasn't exactly like the trip I had before.  The boat was more of a ship and since it was a sunny day, it was packed with people.  Most of the people on board were tourists with a scattering of workers getting on from an island to go back home.

I love being on a boat.  At the beginning, I was excited to board and feel it move across the bay.  By the looks of it, it seemed many people were prepared for taking a three hour tour with snacks and drinks.  The captain and our tour guide was a woman which I found interesting.  What a fun job to drive a boat to different islands in Maine and being far enough away from tourists that you didn't have to talk to them.

It was the warmest and most beautiful day in Maine by far.  It felt like a hot summer day right in September.  It was a delight.  Throughout the stops, the boat delivered a trailer, mail packages, picked people up and dropped people off for three hours.

After the tour, I took a walk around downtown Portland.  This little city is a favorite by far.  It's so quaint with old brick roads, cute shops and interesting people scattered about.  If you've never been to Maine, I would recommend a visit.  I can almost guarantee that you will fall in love with the area.  I know I have.

Alison Turner Photography Website www.AlisonTurnerPhoto.com

As you might know, I have a list of goals for the year that I outlined on my 39 goals for my 39th year blog.  One that wasn't on the list but I made a goal for myself is to put my photographs on a site where you can view and easily purchase.  Goal completed! You can find this site by clicking HERE or by simply typing:

www.AlisonTurnerPhoto.com

Many of the photographs on the site are from this road trip the people I've come across during this trip.  I will be adding more as I go along and it will always be a work in progress but it's a nice way to be able to put everything in one place.

You can browse photographs by clicking on "galleries" from the top menu. If there is a photograph you like, click directly on the photo and from there, you will have options to buy prints once you click on the green "buy" button.  If you don't see that button, the image is not for sale.  There are also options to download images once you click on "buy."  Once you go through the steps, it will take you to an online check out and the printing is done through a photoshelter partner.  I've received feedback on the printing and to my delight, the quality is great!  If there are photographs on my blog that you would like to purchase, please let me know and I will put them on this site.

Max and I will get back to the travel blogging but wanted to let you know about a goal completed!  We look forward to sharing more of our adventures with you!

Red's Eats Lobster Roll

I found the best lobster roll...ever!  I don't go out to eat that often since I just eat what I have around to save money and I usually don't make it a point to visit tourist trap locations.  Each time I have driven by Red's Eats, the line is around the block.  It has to be good.

I attempted to wait in the line at one point and gave up.  The trick is to go when you are not starving and have some time to spare.  I went yesterday when it was raining so the line was only on the side of the building and not on the street so I was excited...it looked promising!

Once I stood in line, I timed how long it would take to get to the counter.  This time around, it was only 45 minutes.  It was well worth the wait.  The lobster rolls sell for $15 a pop and are stuffed with lobster meat (of course) and tenderly hugging the meat is a toasted piece of bread. There isn't any filler to mix with the meat like lettuce or mayo, it's just fresh cooked lobster.  They claim to have 1 1/2 lobsters in one roll and I am not going to dispute that claim.  It looked like that much to me!  No wonder there is a line each time I pass by.

On the way back through, it was around 5pm and there wasn't anyone in line.  I tried my best to feel hungry but I was still full from lunch.  The trick is to go there for dinner and not lunch if you don't want to wait.  All I know is that any lobster rolls from here on out will pale in comparison. If you drive on highway one and come across a little town called, Wiscasset, it's time to stop and get in line at Red's Eats.  You'll be glad you did.

Ralph And Dolly

If you live on an island, most likely you will know your neighbors.  It's a pretty tight knit community here and I was fortunate enough to meet my neighbors for the moment, Dolly and Ralph.  Today, Ralph came over to sit down and chat with me a while.  Once I told him that I've been taking pictures, he told me all about his days as a photographer.  I asked if I could come over to his home in a few hours to take his photograph and he smiled and said, "sure!"

When he was working, Ralph was the official photographer for the state of Maine, among other jobs as a photographer in his career.  He took photographs that were displayed on the state map at the time.  He photographed the governor and his family for each map as well as the local sights, activities, and food of Maine.

It was a pleasure listening to his stories on what equipment he used at the time, how he got his shots and all of the places he went being the official photographer of the state.  I couldn't help but have a smile on my face as I listened to his tales.  He and his wife, Dolly have lived in the same house on this island for forty years. They've been through all different weather conditions and couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

You can't help but fall in love with the people and sights of this town.  It will be hard to leave.

Gratitude

Max and I have been on the road since June.  We have been so fortunate to be able to do this trip and even more so with the help of so many people.  I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for their words of support and encouragement in your comments and notes to me.  I also wanted to give a special thank you to the generous people that have hosted me in their home and invited me over for a meal with their family...you know who you are.

At this moment, Max and I are in Maine.  We are extremely fortunate to be able to live on an island the past several days from the kindness of new friends, Adam and Susan.  I met these two in June at an Airstream rally and they are the lucky owners of the only Class C Airstream ever made.  Not one of a few...the ONLY one!  I was able to spend some time with them before they left on their journey and I have to say that they are two of the kindest, generous and most inspiring individuals I have been lucky enough to meet.

The fact is, you never know who you will meet in life that will cause you to change direction, think about the one you are in, make hard choices about what you need to do, and so on.  I have received emails from people who say that I have been an inspiration to help them create the life they always wanted.  I think we all know in our heads what we really need to do, but are afraid to make the changes necessary to accomplish a goal.  Sometimes, you hear words that you needed to hear in order to make the leap.  I know that's been the case for me in my life.  It's just a matter of making a choice and sticking with it.  It can be difficult but all that comes from listening to your inner voice will yield the greatest rewards.

Max and I are so grateful for you.

The Sights of Maine

I love Maine.  The past day, I drove around and took photographs of what I came across.  I have yet to have a lobster roll, but it's on my list of things to do while I am here.

This afternoon, I decided to take a dip in the water and was able to get in the ocean half way until Max decided to run off.  I am soaking up the time I have on this island and am doing a lot of nothing, which is a nice change of pace.

Captain Andy And His Yard Ship

Sometimes I make it a point to get lost.

Even when I am headed to a specific destination, I will turn another direction if the mood strikes or if the street looks interesting.  I think it's the surprise of the unknown that draws me to veer off course.  There are so many places to turn on the coast of Maine.  You can see something new everyday if you make a turn to the unknown.

Yesterday, I did just that.  I was bored of driving on the main road so I decided to change direction.  I didn't know where it would take me but I just wanted to see something different.  I drove by some absolutely beautiful homes and after a while, I came across a home with a shipwreck sitting right on the front porch.

At that moment, I knew I had to stop.  Not knowing what I was going to encounter, I saw a man standing there staring at the ship in the yard.  Of course he turned to me as anyone would with a stranger pulling up in their driveway.  I smiled and said hello and said some brilliant words that went something like, "that's a big ship in your yard." Well, duh anyone could see that but captain Andy was gracious enough to play along and say, "yes it is."  A Maine resident all his life, Andy and I then chatted about ships for a while and he was kind enough to allow me to take his photograph with his pride and joy.  He stood there and couldn't take his eyes off of her.  She was part of him.

I am glad I made the turn to the unexpected to meet Andy and his yard ship.

A Maine Pizza Party

There is something about the state of Maine.  From the moment you arrive, you know you're somewhere special.  The houses, the fresh air, the ocean, the people...all of it.

I was invited by Adam and Susan (more on them in an upcoming blog) to go to the annual pizza party hosted by Jane and Paul (shown here cooking) on an island in Maine.  The moment I arrived, I felt as if I walked into the pages of a magazine.  They live the Maine lifestyle as you see in the pages of Martha Stewart Living, Sunset, or any other fine entertaining, food or design magazine.  I was smitten.

They built a pizza oven in their yard from scratch and it got plenty of use over the course of the evening when Jane hand made over 50 pizzas while Paul cooked them in their perfect pizza oven.  I have to say that these pizza's were the best I've ever had.  The crust was thin and crispy and each pie was a masterpiece!  I couldn't name all that came out but some of my favorites were the shrimp pizza, pear, caramelized onion and to top it all off, it ended with the best s'more dessert pizza.

As I am writing this, the flavors are coming back to me and I want more!  I was in awe of how seemingly easy they made it look.  From the setting, people, food and drinks...I took a trip and lived the Maine lifestyle, if only for a moment.

Thank you to Paul and Jane for hosting such a lovely party and for all of the people I met throughout the course of the night.  I tried to put my camera down every now and then to socialize, but the setting was to die for so I couldn't help but snap away at what I saw.  Because of this evening, pizza will never be the same for me again.