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Published: August 31st 2012
Parallel Parking
Sennebec Lake Campground - Appleton MEWhen I initially planned my advance north along the Maine coastline, the distance between stops made the Camden/Rockland area a logical stopover point. I learned that my cousin’s wife grew up in nearby Union ME and that they usually visited sometime during July and/or August. I penciled in my dates but, when I learned Rockland would be hosting “The 65
th Maine Lobster Festival” during my “tentative” visit, the dates became etched in ink! It turned out the arrival of a new grandchild in Alabama altered their Maine visitation plans for 2012, but who needs to have your cousin watching as a seafarin’ neophyte learns how to disassemble a whole lobster anyway! It also turned out that the campground I selected was very close to Union and was one they knew well.
The spot I was given at Sennebec Lake Campground in Appleton ME on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 was lakeside and, diametrically opposite of my last RV park, had phenomenal views of the lake right outside my door (and window). The site did, however, provide a new experience for me – I have never had a site where I needed to parallel park the Pilgrim! The fete would have been
A View For My Conservative Friends
Sennebec Lake Campground - Appleton ME easier had it not been for a culvert pipe crossing under the road exactly where I needed to cut my wheel to perform the backing maneuver. It took several attempts to get off the road far enough to allow space for deployment of the slideout, to have the trailer alignment mostly straight and to leave adequate room for my neighbors both front and rear; but, the perseverance was worth every bit of the effort!
The campground entrance is on a state highway, but the campground is about a quarter mile back from the road and down a hill such that road noise is virtually non-existent. Although I did venture out for a couple of familiarization drives, the weather forecaster and I decided that I should spend most of Wednesday and Thursday absorbing the tranquility and tending to some housekeeping chores. Friday found me in Rockland at the Maine Lighthouse Museum. The museum happens to be right next to Harbor Park where the lobster festival is held and also serves as the volunteer center. More about the volunteers later.
The Maine Lighthouse Museum, as the name implies, focuses on the lighthouses and associated history relevant to the state but
And A View For My Liberal Friends
Sennebec Lake Campground - Appleton ME much of what can be learned is applicable to lighthouses in general. The artifacts on display, obviously, transcend state boundaries as well. The various types and functions of lighted navigational aids - lighthouses, light ships, beacons, and lighted bouys - and the two main types of lighthouses - seacoast lights and harbor or bay lights - are described. Various lanterns and lenses as well as sounding devices used in foggy conditions are on display. Day markers, the paint scheme on lighthouse exteriors, are explained. Stories of women light keepers are related as well as information about light station boat houses and the role of light stations in life-saving efforts.
Many other interesting historical and human interest accounts are provided via placards scattered throughout the museum. For example, the story of Stephen Pleasonton, who was in charge of all lighthouses from 1820 to 1852, is told. As a clerk during the War of 1812, Pleasonton carried out instructions from Secretary of State James Monroe via courier. Monroe had observed the British advancing toward Washington DC and instructed Pleasonton to remove and hide important documents from the Capitol before the advancing British troops arrived. As Pleasonton was carrying out his orders,
Automated Fog Bell Striking Machines
Maine Lighthouse Museum - Rockland ME a vehement objection to the removal of the documents was made by Secretary of War John Armstrong, Jr. who shouted, "The British would never burn or destroy the nation's capitol!" History would have it that the British, indeed, did burn the building; but Pleasonton saved, among many others, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. This museum is fantastic and is worthy of a couple of hours for even the most casual of observers. The collection is diverse, extensive, skillfully presented and well-documented.
Even though the five-day lobster festival had begun on Wednesday, I hadn’t really appreciated the magnitude of the event until my visit to the lighthouse museum on Friday. There were several volunteer organizers in a conference room near the entrance and a steady stream of volunteers reporting for scheduled shifts. Volunteers were issued an easily recognizable colored tee shirt and seemed to number in the dozens anywhere I looked in the downtown area. During my orientation drive on Wednesday, I could see that the midway was sizeable; and I knew the USS San Antonio was in port for the festival and tours of the ship would be available. There were two stages;
The Theme Of The Parade Was… Lobster!
65th Maine Lobster Festival Parade - Rockland ME and live music at one, the other or both was offered almost continuously.
There were, however, no activities on the festival grounds (other than lobster eating) that really piqued my interest until the blindfold rowboat races on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, there were other area events that were more appealing on Saturday and drew me away from that event. Saturday, it turned out, would be a very busy day. I got an early start in the morning to a) capitalize on a blueberry pancake breakfast and b) to get a good parking spot for “The Big Parade.” As I passed through one residential part of town about 8 AM, locals already were toting lawn chairs to a favorite vantage point for a parade that was not to begin for two hours. I correctly speculated that this parade would be a big deal. It seemed that a goodly number of folks had developed the same park, eat, observe modus operandi as I, and the line for pancakes was long but progressed surprisingly fast. The breakfast was an “all you can eat” affair; and, rather than having to re-enter the serving line, the servers seemed to be issuing out whatever the patrons
I Wonder If She Pulled Traps Before The Parade
65th Maine Lobster Festival Parade - Rockland ME wanted.
With my stomach happy, I made my way to the parade route and found a good vantage point. The parade exceeded my expectations for a small community event and lasted about an hour and a half. If you can’t guess the theme of the parade, well – WAKE UP AND PAY ATTENTION! A flatbed trailer-sized lobster got things started along with Virginia Oliver who, at age 92, is Maine's oldest working lobster lady. There were numerous elements from the Shriners in several differently themed units. One unit depicted lobster boats, another miniature Model Ts, a railroad train, a mini bikes performance team and NASCAR race cars. Accompanying the NASCAR group was a couple of wreckers which proved to be quite prophetic (like, maybe this has happened before) when a car engine quit and had to be towed to the end of the parade route.
At least eight different fire departments were represented and numerous custom vehicles promoting area businesses were on hand. The 2012 Sea Goddess got a throne on a float while the other 17 Sea Princesses got rides in convertibles. Pirates had to walk while motorcycle and classic car clubs rode. One biker babe was
One Of The Wright Brothers Checking Out The Next Fifty Years
“Wings and Wheels Spectacular” Owls Head Transportation Museum - Owls Head ME showcasing a bobble-hand. When I reciprocated, she pointed me out to her man and they roared with laughter. Of course, the downtown business district was near the end of the parade route. Interestingly, some floats (that “should have had candy”) apparently had distributed all the candy earlier and others (that apparently had been initially frugal and now had plenty in reserve) were distributing it in droves. LOL Feast or famine seemed to be the theme but the children ended up with their pockets full. It was a great parade. Congratulations to the organizers.
On the weekend of the lobster festival, the nearby Owls Head Transportation Museum in Owls Head ME was hosting its “Wings and Wheels Spectacular.” The annual event has grown since its inception in 1975 and, since Owls Head is only a fifteen minute drive away, compliments the Rockland festival. The car museum I visited at the Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich MA was nice and the link to the Norman Rockwell exhibit was unique, but this museum is unbelievable. Not only does it have an incredible mix of finely restored vintage cars, it contains almost every mode of non-rail transportation I can recollect from a
Let The Show Begin
“Wings and Wheels Spectacular” Owls Head Transportation Museum - Owls Head ME c. 1850 Concord (stage) Coach to a one-of-a-kind c. 2006 Moonbeam built by nearby Camden resident Jory Squibb.
Outside there were many street legal high performance cars as well as some classic cars on display by their proud owners. Several aircraft were on static display including a B-25, “Betty’s Dream.” The beginning of the airshow was a WWII-style “dogfight” produced by the Houston-based Texas Legends Flying Museum. Participating aircraft included a P-51D Mustang, B-25J bomber and a Japanese Zero. Kendal Simpson, in his Pitts Model 12, and Dan Marcotte from nearby Bakersfield, VT in his Ultimate 200 biplane each put on a great high-speed aerobatic show. The finale was an incredible performance by Jim Parker in an aerobatic Salto glider. The audience was mute and seemed spellbound as the air passing over the surfaces of the aircraft made varying whooshing noises. Unfortunately for many, the aerobatic show on Sunday was canceled due to fog. Luck accompanies me again!
Once the airshow concluded, I headed for the Owls Head Lighthouse in, you betchya, Owls Head ME. The lighthouse is on U.S. Coast Guard property, and it appears the gate usually is secured. The opening of the gate, apparently, was
Quite An Array Of Vessels
Owls Head Lighthouse - Owls Head ME what made the open house, because the lighthouse itself was locked tight. A kiosk near the gate describes various components of the light station, keeper's dwelling, oil house, boathouse and fog signal and includes both contemporary and vintage photos. An historical list of the lightkeepers is included. The lighthouse is short but sits high on a bluff overlooking the picturesque coastline, and the stairs leading to the lighthouse base will satisfy the needs of those wishing to climb the lighthouse for exercise. During my visit, the harbor was busy with a diverse collection of vessels. The open house was well worth the short drive from the transportation museum.
Next, it was off to the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse back were the day’s activities had started in Rockland ME. As I was walking to the beginning of the breakwater, a young couple was reciting their wedding vows in a nearby grassy area. My cousin had told me of the lighthouse and had said that walking the breakwater was really cool under the light of a full moon. Followers of my blog might recall that I had walked the breakwater to two lighthouses in Provincetown MA. That walk was somewhat challenging in
A Successful Open House
Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse - Rockland ME the daylight and would have been an ankle-breaker with less light, but I waited for the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse jury to return with its own verdict. Although not as smooth as a pool table, this walk is exceptionally easy in the daylight and should be quite manageable under a full moon. Hmmm, might the moonlit breakwater be where he proposed?
The lighthouse itself is integrated into the keeper’s cottage and, being a warning to passing craft of the end point of the breakwater, is not very tall. It is quite unique. The only other lighthouse I can recall that was similarly constructed was the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse in Manteo NC; however, I could not get access to the light room of that structure. All the rooms of the keeper’s cottage were open and most had informational displays available. I must admit that I had arrived about twenty minutes before the scheduled end of the open house and didn’t spend a lot of time reading that material. I looked over the anchored USS San Antonio from a different angle and, on the return trip, congratulated the newlyweds who (presumably) were on the way to the lighthouse to toss the bouquet.
Quite An Operation
65th Maine Lobster Festival - Rockland ME Saturday was pretty busy – blueberry pancake breakfast, parade, air show and two lighthouses – but Sunday is the lobster festival.
I have no information about the 1
st Maine Lobster Festival, but I can assure you the 65th was phenomenal. I only attended on Sunday simply because most of the activities during the week fell victim to priority setting on my part. The laundry list of activities that were conducted includes a zillion children’s activities like touch tanks, face painting, craft sessions, a fun run and a roving festival entertainer on stilts as well as the carnival. Adult activities included the Sea Goddess Coronation, book signings, speed knitting, a 10K road race and the International Great Crate Race as well as the aforementioned blindfolded row boat races, tours of the USS San Antonio and live musical performances.
Essentially, I had to pick between the blindfolded row boat races on Saturday and the lobster crate race on Sunday or scratch the air show and the lighthouse tours. With the cancellation of the Sunday air show, it looks like I made a good choice – to a point. By noon Sunday, many food selections such as smoked scallops and lobster
The International Great Crate Race Course
65th Maine Lobster Festival - Rockland ME stew were sold out. Indeed, there were so many unique and interesting choices available that I decided to skip the traditional lobster dinner and partake of other seafood dishes I might not be able to find next week. Dining was more of an a la carte affair journeying from tent to tent and asking folks with intriguing-looking selections what they were eating and where they had bought it. Needless to say, I didn’t go home hungry!
The International Great Crate Race is conducted on a “course” of fifty floating wooden lobster crates strung together and secured to a dock on each end. Skill, balance and a lot of luck are key ingredients to success for most people. The contestants scamper across the length of the course, stop for a breather and return until they fall into the chilly Atlantic. One circuit, one hundred crates. The record of 4501 crates was set in 2008 and smashed the “long-standing” record of 3007 crates. This year, 12 year old Connor McGonagle of Owls Head removed luck from the traditional formula and ran for a total of 6000 crates before he called for a day! During his run (the event was scheduled to
A Very Successful Event
65th Maine Lobster Festival - Rockland ME end at 4 PM), officials called for an intermission so the wreath honoring mariners who have been lost at sea could be laid at the appointed time of 5 PM. Congratulations, Connor, and well-done. You were a joy to watch!
The Rockland area is my kind of place – blue collar all the way. There might not have been so much to see and do had my timing been different. I don’t know if the lobster festival, the air show and the lighthouse open houses were coincidental or planned. Somehow I have a gut feeling organizers know (or have come to learn) that independently none of the events merit a five-hour drive from Sometown, New England but that working together all events can benefit from an increase in attendance. I’ll have to wait and see, but you can bet that the timing of my next trip to New England is likely to center on the xx
th Maine Lobster Festival and that I’ll be there before Sunday to try those smoked scallops!
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