Lighthouse Tour of Maine 2012
Group photo in front of West Quoddy Lighthouse, the eastern most lighthouse in the U.S.
A close up of the group in front of West Quoddy Lighthouse
The welcome dinner is always a great place to meet new wickies and renew old tour friendships.
Despite an unexpected delay at the Canadian border we arrived in plenty of time to catch the ferry to Grand Manan Island
The bus boards the ferry for the 1 ½ hour trip to Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick.
Pea Point Lighthouse is located at the entrance to Blacks Harbor and provided our first lighthouse photo op.
While SW Wolf Island and Bliss Island were a distant view from the ferry, we got a great view of Swallowtail Lighthouse upon arrival to Grand Manan Island.
Our lodging for three nights at the Marathon Inn was interesting, quirky and down right fun!
Our second day began very early, especially for folks from the west coast who found themselves four time zones from home - but, the spectacular sunrise was worth it.
Despite the early hour, some folks were ready for our first boat trip of the tour.
It was chilly that first morning, but everyone came well prepared.
One of the distant lights we visited was Gannet Rock Lighthouse. Unfortunately, it has been pretty much abandoned which accounts for the fading black and white stripes. Rumor has it that when the last bulb burns out in the tower, it will go dark forever.
Machias Seal Island Lighthouse, home to thousands of Puffins earlier in the year was totally devoid of them when we arrived.
During our boat tour from Grand Manan we saw plenty of seals and a lone puffin. We also passed the basalt column cliffs near SW Head Lighthouse. The helicopter shown here was responsible later in the day for an unfortunate incident involving the tour leader's hat!
Each of the lunches on Grand Manan prepared by Jim and his crew at the Marathon Inn provided something different. Here Patrick, Dolores and Dorothy check out the day's offering.
The southern end of Grand Manan Island is known for its precipitous cliffs. Southwest Head Lighthouse was built atop one of these known as Gull Cliff.
Anita, Mary Lee, Bosley, Cyn, Norm & Sue began our second day on Grand Manan with a hike out to the Swallowtail Lighthouse.
The preservation group at Swallowtail Lighthouse is working hard to preserve the deteriorating light station. They have completed a lot of work on the keeper's house and are raising money to work on the lighthouse.
Dick, Art, Patrick and Delores pose in front of the Swallowtail Lighthouse.
Since our bus would not fit on the ferry to White Head Island, we walked on the ferry. Fortunately, we were able to borrow the school bus from the Marathon Inn.
We viewed the Grand Harbour (Ross Island) Lighthouse as we left the harbor - I am sure this one is on the list of "most endangered lighthouses!"
The walk to the lighthouse at Long Point turned out to be a bit further than the ¼ mile Jim had informed us and we ended up using the rocks for our picnic.
The Long Point lighthouse on White Head Island is very typical of a lot of Canadian lighthouses. It is a combination lighthouse and fog alarm building in the form of a one-story cement structure with a square tower rising from one of its corners.
After lunch while waiting for the bus to return, Bob decided to play king of the castle. No one was foolish enough to challenge him!
This mini group photo was taken while part of the group waited for the bus to return from its first trip back to the ferry.
Here come da bus - I think the da bus is stuck - Yep, the da bus is stuck - The USLHS Pushers feeling good after extracting da bus!
The Marathon Inn proved to be a great place to just hang out before and after dinner.
On the return trip from Grand Manan everyone just did their own thing, including tour mascot Bosley, who made sure he was ready for a shipboard emergency.
Our border crossing back into the U.S. involved rain and more forms!
Whitlock's Mill lighthouse marked the reemergence of tour guides Marcia and David.
The fact that the West Quoddy tower is not open to the public was sufficient reason to stand in line for a rare opportunity to climb to the top.
The West Quoddy Lighthouse has the distinction of being the eastern most lighthouse in the U.S. Do you know where the southernmost lighthouse is?
Marcia and David examine the third order lens in the West Quoddy lantern room.
Chuck and Sue pose in the West Quoddy cutout while Skip's sunglasses reflect the lighthouse tower.
The "sparkplug" Lubec Channel light was build at the Lubec Narrows in a channel that was dug between Campobello Island and the town of Lubec.
Delays and tides prohibited us from being able to walk out to East Quoddy Lighthouse, but the group was able to find some good photo vantage points from across the water.
East Quoddy or Head Harbour Lighthouse claims to be the most photographed lighthouse in the world. Not sure about that claim!
Mary Lee, doing her Sacajawea impression, points out the various obstacles facing one who ventures to the lighthouse at low tide.
FDR's Campobello summer cottage gave us a brief respite from hunting down lighthouses.
A trip through the FDR's summer cottage was like a trip back in time.
Our last stop on Campobello Island was a windy one at the Mulholland Light.
One last time we crossed back into the U.S. and one last time we filled out the same forms! In the foreground is one of the many fishing weirs we encountered on the trip.
After a long day of returning from Canada, dinner on you own found this group at the Water Street Tavern in Lubec.
The town of Cutler is like a post card for small Maine towns - you almost expected to see Jessica Fletcher (Murder She Wrote) riding her bike through town.
Getting to the island where the Little River Lighthouse is located required some of us to climb down into a lobster boat.
A small skiff provided transportation for some of the group to the Little River Lighthouse.
After arriving on the island, there was a nice, but slippery boardwalk to lead us to the Little River Lighthouse.
The Little River Lighthouse is one of the growing number of lighthouses that has been converted into a vacation rental.
On our return to Cutler, we were provided a different view of the Little River Lighthouse from the water.
Our first dinner in Bar Harbor was a "non lobster" meal at the Bar Harbor Regency.
While the Maine state fruit is the wild blueberry, there are enough blackberries to brew a unique blackberry beer shown here with a large blackberry floating in it - at least I think that is what it was!
Our first lighthouse cruise out of Bar Harbor was aboard a very comfortable boat, the Friendship V.
The Bar Harbor Whale Watch cruise narrator was friendly and informative in addition to having a good sense of humor.
Seabirds abandoned Egg Rock after the lighthouse was built, but returned with a vengeance when the lighthouse was automated. To prevent birds from landing on the solar collectors they are equipped with bird repelling spikes.
Petite Manan lighthouse sits on a low, rocky island about 14 miles from Bar Harbor. The word "Manan" apparently comes from a Micmac Indian word meaning "island out to sea."
Moosepeak Lighthouse was built on the east point of Mistake Island, about five miles from Jonesport. In 1982 a military team blew up the keeper's house as an exercise. Unfortunately, instead of imploding, timbers flew outward, breaking panes in the lighthouse lantern and damaging the helicopter pad.
Joyce, Anita & Carol pose with the Moosepeak Lighthouse in the background.
In 1947, the Coast Guard destroyed all of the dwellings, the fog signal building, the oil house, and the boathouse and landing ramps, leaving the Nash Island tower standing alone.
The Narraguagus Lighthouse sits on Pond Island and is often referred to by that name, which can be confused with the other Pond Island Lighthouse in Maine located on the western side of the entrance to the Kennebec River.
The combined efforts of the Coast Guard, ALF and NELL have resulted in the restoration and preservation of the Prospect Harbor Light. Today, the keeper's dwelling is owned by the Navy and the tower is owned by the Coast Guard, who has leased it to the ALF.
The privately owned Winter Harbor Lighthouse is located on Mark Island near the entrance to Frenchman Bay on the west side of the Schoodic Peninsula.
It just wouldn't be right to leave Maine without having a lobster dinner. Here the group fought to crack those lobsters at Stewman's Lobster Pound.
Due to the rough seas, our second cruise out of Bar Harbor resulted in an altered itinerary that added a nice tour of Acadia from the water as well as a couple more lighthouses.
We thought the bagpipe players was there for us, but it turned out that he was there to greet the passengers from one of the many cruise ships that stop in Bar Harbor in the fall for leaf peeping.
Without landing on the island, the only portion of the Baker Island Lighthouse that is visible is the lantern room.
The Historic Life Saving Station on Little Cranberry Island is a fully modernized five bedroom, two bath former rescue building with a four story tower and 360 degree views.
Originally part of Massachusetts, Bear Island and its lighthouse now guard the entrance to Mount Desert Harbor, Maine.
Great Duck Island was one of the bonus lights we saw on our second day cruise out of Bar Harbor.
Contrasting eras are depicted by a four masted schooner and a cruise ship both moored in Bar Harbor.
A trip up to the top of Cadillac Mountain made for a nice ending to the Bar Harbor and Acadia NP tour.
At the farewell dinner, Cyn & Norm won a stay at the Point No Point vacation rental, Mary Lee played her Vanna White role, Skip was surprised by Myrna with a birthday card signed by all and we applauded John, our coach driver, as he accepted our collective gratuity.
