A happy ending

Goodbye Ullikana.

It's time to wend our way southwards on our journey home. We've got one more stopover tonight on Westport Island before driving back to Logan airport, Boston for a flight to Iceland and onward to Manchester.

On the drive here we had the exciting experience of climbing the world's highest bridge observatory at Penobscot. Actually we went up in a lift which took 57 seconds to reach the top, 420 feet above the river and gives wonderful 360 degree views from up there. Guess which one of us felt a little bit queasy when the lift opened onto those views.
By the Penobscot River is the famous Fort Knox Civil War-era fortress, which was never manned by soldiers, so is really nothing more than a folly, but a jolly impressive one all the same. The walls are very thick indeed and it bristles with gun emplacements looking out over the broad Penobscot estuary.

 It was built to protect the river valley against a possible future  British naval incursion. There was a Halloween Spectacular to be held there soon and I can just imagine how spooky that would be in the long dark underground passages and storehouses.

We stopped for snacks at the pretty seaside town of Camden before making our way onto Westport Island.

It was a relief to leave the busy bank holiday traffic and rejoin the tiny country roads winding our way down to the South East tip of the island and Squire Tarbox Inn a 250 year old homestead in a very remote part of coastal Maine.

 We walked through the wooded back garden to the private sea shore

with the intention of rowing around a bit to enjoy the afternoon sun and try to spot beaver and otter but the boat looked a bit leaky and it was getting cold so.............. back to the Inn for more food and drink. Our last decent meal before returning to the UK; except breakfast tomorrow of course, we will return with memories of eggs over easy, sunny side up, blueberry muffins, eggs benedict, sweet potato pancakes and turkey bacon!! and so many more. The only thing to look forward to back in the UK (only kidding) is a cup of decent coffee. American Coffee is like homeopathic coffee; start with a measure of decent coffee dilute it with hot water then dilute it again with hot water, and again until it doesn't taste like coffee any more but still looks the part and finally put it for hours in a thermos flask to make absolutely sure it tastes nothing like coffee. Coffee apart it has been a great holiday.

Acadian Paradise

If you should ever make a trip to New England, be sure to visit the Acadia National Park. This is where we spent the whole day today, and it is truly beautiful.
We might have availed ourselves of the two bicycles on offer at Ullikana Inn for the sole use of Inntravel customers, but most of you reading this blog will know that in the past, bicycles and I haven't had a very harmonious relationship. So.... we opted for the Island Explorer bus which drops off and picks up from various hiking places around the island.
Our first stop was Jordan Pond. We walked the three mile circuit and were swept away by the rugged beauty of the place. The photos speak for themselves.

We didn't actually see any beavers but we saw evidence of them

Later we hopped on the bus again and travelled to North East Harbor (which is actually in the south west of the island!). In the quiet harbour we saw luxurious yachts belonging to the rich and famous as well as smaller fishing boats. It was all very peaceful and relaxing. After a stroll down the main street we caught the bus once more this time heading for the wild gardens of Acadia. Not at their best at this time of year but interesting for one or two species

By this time  it was late afternoon and it was getting cold and darker so we didn't have time to explore any further on foot. We boarded the bus for one last time and took the loop road which showed us all the wonderful sights such as Sand Beach and Thunder Hole that we'll have to return to one day. At one point a couple of white tailed deer stood by the roadside and watched unconcernedly as the bus drove by.
The log fire in the lounge of Ullikana was very welcome when we got back around 5.30pm. (sunset is about 6 o'clock.). We've discovered that the hotel will be closing in two weeks for the winter and will re-open again in April. Lucky for us we made it before then.

For any birders reading this blog here is a full list of identified species, confirmed by our ornithologist buddy

Summary Oct 6 Number of Species 42 Number of Individuals 907 Number of Checklists 7 Total Number of Birds   (sample size) Species Name Oct 6 Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 2 (1) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 15 (1) American Black Duck x Mallard (hybrid) (Anas rubripes x platyrhynchos) 1 (1) Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) 5 (1) Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) 250 (1) Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata) 1 (1) Common Loon (Gavia immer) 6 (2) Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) 3 (2) Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 6 (1) Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1 (1) Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 1 (1) Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) 2 (2) Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 1 (1) Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) 11 (1) Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) 21 (1) Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 10 (2) Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 267 (5) Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) 1 (1) Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle) 1 (1) Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 1 (1) Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 3 (2) Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) 3 (1) Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) 1 (1) Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 6 (2) Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 8 (3) American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 16 (4) Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 5 (1) Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) 1 (1) Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 1 (1) Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 1 (1) American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 4 (3) Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) 1 (1) European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 40 (1) Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 4 (2) Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) 3 (1) Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 59 (3) Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) 4 (1) Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) 5 (1) Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 109 (5) Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) 2 (1) White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 20 (1) American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 5 (1)

The Maine Attraction

Today was a fine day with a warm southerly breeze. Michael Good, from  Down East Nature Tours was our bird expert and naturalist for today. He turned up at the inn bright and early and we set off with one other couple, in his six-seater vehicle with appropriate license plate.

Even before we'd left the hotel car park, we heard a mewing which turned out to be the call of a cat bird sitting in a tree just above our heads. We would definitely have mistaken it for a cat but for our guide. Fortunately, we were each provided with a set of binoculars and Michael took us first inland and proved to be the most knowledgeable chap, spotting birds, setting up and focusing his telescope even before we'd begun to look in the right direction!  We went off road and into some lovely woods which have self-seeded since a devastating fire in 1947 which destroyed most of Mount Desert Isle.

This area was full of yellow-bellied warblers darting in and out of the dense undergrowth; impossible to catch on camera. Next we moved on to Mount Desert Isle High School's septic pond which turned out to be an excellent site for all kinds of exotic-sounding birds such as yellow-bellied sapsuckers, as well as blue jays, chickadees and a host of others birds the names of which I've already forgotten.

Next we explored Michael's own 60 hectare 'garden' which was a haven for wildlife such as this garter snake

and many kinds of fungi.

Next stop was at the coast where we spotted loons, sandpipers, gulls of many types and seals.

At another stopping off place we saw great blue herons, but the piece de resistance was the sighting of a bald eagle soaring above us just as we were driving back to our hotel. In all, Michael recorded over forty different species of bird, all of them new to us. It was a thrilling experience - five hours of sheer pleasure thanks to Michael.

After lunch we explored the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, a very modern, airy building given over to exhibitions and information on Maine's Native American heritage. We saw how the Wabanaki people have preserved traditions in exquisite basketry and wood carving (beautiful examples on display in the shop but very expensive to buy and too delicate to bring home in a suitcase anyway).
We finished off the day with haddock and fries at the Thirsty Whale on a busy Saturday night in Bar harbor on Columbus Day holiday weekend.

Another Day, Another State

Waahey! We got sunshine and blue skies today and a very comfortable 71 degrees F (quite warm) so we did get to see the mountain tops after all.

We struggled to get going this morning after the preceding evening of fine dining and a personal wine tasting session lead by Jim Cooper a master of wine and the hotel owner. I knew a lot about Californian whites and reds last night, but I have forgotten it all this morning!
Setting off from Jackson in New Hampshire the visibility was poor as we were in the clouds, but we climbed eastwards and suddenly there they were..........   blue sky and the sun! We pulled over and took some pics, queueing with other leaf peepers to get the best shots of the moon high above the mountain peaks and the swirling mists down in the valleys behind us.

We continued East descending from the White Mountains into the forests of Maine on roads congested with Logging Artics and slowed by many road works.  My perception is that the road workers operate an equal opportunities scheme, they employ both sexes, but the men do the digging and the girls hold the stop/go signs; they also smile at motorists and the whole system works well. We wound slowly along a valley beside river Kennebec and stopped in a town called Skowhegan, perched precariously on a monstrous weir.

By mid afternoon we had arrived at Bar Harbor on the coast and checked into the Ullikana Hotel between Main Street and the coastal path.

See our room right at the top?

 We have a room under the gables with our own balcony (and fire escape) facing the harbour. Yet another classy hotel, with sophisticated decor and fun touches.

Proud Pere and his Princesses in the garden fountain

Elderly residents in the foyer

Inntravel has come up trumps again!
This evening after a stroll around the harbour and along the coastal path

 we came upon the Real Pizza Cinerama, where we watched a film, Hope Springs, starring Meryl  Streep and Tommy Lee Jones, it is worth watching if you are middle aged or above but probably lost on the young. We watched...........  while eating pizza and drinking beer/wine and there was an intermission to top up half way through the film! We could have chosen to recline on a sofa nearer the front of the auditorium but preferred a bench to control the 14" pizza while cutting it into mouth sized bites without incident. The darkness of the cinema hides many a solidified blob of mozzarella I think!

Early to bed as we are up with the lark tomorrow to do some serious bird watching on a guided tour, let's hope for a dry day.

Wet, wet, wet

Forgot to mention in the blog yesterday that we came through a town named Bethlehem, famous for the purity of its air and a mecca for hayfever sufferers before the days of antihistamines. We didn't stop, but miracle of miracles, Jim didn't sneeze once whist we were passing through!
This is the view we have through the window whilst having a comfort break in our present hotel, the Inn at Thornhill!

We decided after breakfast that whatever the weather, we needed to work off a few of the extra calories we've consumed since being in America. Consequently, we set off on a five and a half mile circular walk round Jackson in the kind of drizzle that wets you through. Some of the roads were steep and slippery when wet.

 We should have seen lots of mountains but just like yesterday, the mist completely enveloped the peaks and they were hidden from view. We did get some good photos of the river and Jackson Falls in full flow,

 but it was nice to reach the end of the walk by the town bakery where we had refreshing drinks and a shared slice of pumpkin pie. Next to the village green is a replica of wooden roller that used to be pulled around by six horses to flatten the snow in winter. This made the roads passable for use with sledges.

 The whole of the region is in full Halloween mode right now and so everywhere we go there are displays of pumpkin people and witches and ghouls. I can just imagine how over-the-top the residents of Salem, Massachusetts go at this time of year.

The wet weather continued into the afternoon so we visited a designer outlet south of Jackson but the shops are all separated by large car parks so you have to drive from one to the next. Walking seems to be discouraged wherever possible.
This evening we are looking forward to an American Wine Tasting organised by our hosts. The inn has been given a prestigious award by the Wine Spectator Magazine so it should be good. In our wine drinking experience so far there has been surprisingly very little American wine on offer in the places we've stayed, so we hope to remedy that tonight.

Green Mountains and White Mountains

Heavy rain, low cloud, poor light and detours due to road works, have hampered our style somewhat today. Reluctantly we left Crisanver House first thing this morning knowing we had a long journey ahead of us. We'll miss the fabulous meals cooked for us by Carole, and her husband Michael's homemade limoncello. (Must look up a recipe for that when we get home!) We also met some very interesting guests staying at the same time as us - a couple with a vineyard in California, a young German couple who gave us a web link to the rock band they were in, and another couple from Chicago, one half of which hailed from Oak Park where we had such a great visit with Victoria a few years ago.

Crisanver House

We had decided to make a detour  to Shelburne Museum on the way to our next stopover. It's situated in the north of Vermont, very close to Lake Champlain (120 miles long by 12 miles wide), which has its western shore in New York State. The museum has 39 exhibition buildings covering several acres but unfortunately we arrived in torrential rain

Not looking too happy with the weather

and we decided it would be foolhardy to walk around getting drenched so we pressed on with our journey travelling eastwards to New Hampshire. Still in Vermont we came across Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory and stopped here for a guided factory tour and some free ice cream sampling.

A happier looking Jim

We were impressed to hear that Ben and Jerry had paid 5$ for a correspondence course on making ice cream in 1977 and afterwards turned their knowledge into a hugely successful franchise. Milk for the ice cream comes from local cows and all ingredients are ethically sourced. For some Americans the factory seems like a place of pilgrimage.  I'm not a huge ice cream fan but the chocolate nougat and butterscotch flavours definitely get the thumbs up from me.
The White Mountain National Forest was beckoning though and we had many miles still to go to our destination. Moose warning signs pepper the highways and the roads twist and turn through spectacular scenery. The area is a haven for hikers, rock climbers, fishermen, bird watchers and skiers. It's a shame our view of the mountain tops was obscured by clouds but hopefully we'll see some better weather before we leave on Friday and get to see the Presidential Mountain Range including Mount Washington. Worthy of note though, even in the mist and rain, is the Crawford Notch Pass which has a 13 degree descent to the Notch floor.

 Silver Falls in Crawford Notch Pass

On arrival at the Inn at Thornhill, the owners told us not to leave any foodstuff in our car as there had been an incident of a bear breaking a guest's car windows to get at food that had been left inside!

As I said, this is great walking country, and the place where American poet Robert Frost spent his summers for 40 years. I hope we can do it some justice in the time we're here without any bear encounters though!