Summer Trip Tik Day #10

The Cabbage Island Clambake was recommended to Gene by a court reporter in Punta Gorda who has been going to these clambakes since she was a little girl. Departing from Boothbay Harbor (about an hour south of our rental cottage), the "Argo" takes the scenic route to Cabbage Island in Linekin Bay. To be honest, some of our group was debating going, as the trip was far, the dogs would be home, and the cost was over $52 each. Let me tell you, it was worth the trouble.

When we arrived at the island, we were greeted by more than a few teens in matching navy t-shirts donning the clambake logo, along with two gentlemen who both teased me about my Yankees hat. Hannah had no problem passing by the fellows in her Red Sox hat. We came upon a lodge-type building with a wrap porch that was scattered with picnic tables and surrounded by beautiful perennials. An older lady greeted us at the porch and told us to find a picnic table anywhere inside or outside around the island. I would later come to find out she was Bennie Alice, the grandmother, the 2 men were her sons, and many of the young workers her grandchildren.

The island was charming with picturesque views every which way. Badminton, horseshoes, and  volleyballs were strewn about for casual play. We noticed a large house and a couple smaller cottages, notedly the owners'. Bennie told us to roam about but to sit at the sound of the first bell for the chowder, then again at the second bell for the dinner. I spoke to her at length in the tiny gift shop, and learned about her son, who bought the island about 20 years ago. The business is family run, and she boasted how her sons started from scratch and created their own success. She lives in one of the cottages, the one with the porch she told me. The large house was her son who owned the land, the other house her other son, who runs the business with him. The original owner of the clambakes was Mrs. Leavitt, who had run it for 20 years before selling it to a man who wasn't as successful. According to Bennie, her son went down to Florida to visit Mrs. Leavitt, who gave him all the original recipes. They still do it just as she did, except for the blueberry cake which they altered a bit to accommodate larger pans. 

After telling me her name and that she was supposed to be a boy named Benjamin, Bennie Alice promised to remember my name - which admittedly she did, addressing me by it more than a couple times throughout the day. The meal itself was unbelievable. A bowl of chowda, two one pound lobsters, a pile of steamers, corn cob, baked potato, hard boiled egg, and an onion - all steamed on seaweed by water's edge, fueled by wood chopped in front of us by a couple hearty fellows. The teens were the servers, bringing chowder and iced tea to the tables. After supper, fifteen minutes of Badminton was all we could muster after consuming what seemed to be a week's worth.

It was a heartwarming day filled with sunshine, friendly people, sweet seafood, moist cake, bright flowers, green lawns, and the rocky coast. On the cruise home, we pondered the additional weight being cargoed by the 120 very full guests. For anyone lucky enough to be on the coast of Maine during the 11 weeks of the clambake, I would highly recommend spending the day with the Moore family.

Summer Trip Tik Day #9

Today I awoke with the decision to do something before 1 pm (LOL). So over coffee, I announced I would be heading to Rockland to visit the Farnsworth Museum before the kayaks we ordered arrived. Anne Marie, Taryn and Gene took the bait, while Dan and Hannah stayed back for some daddy-daughter time. The Farnsworth is a lovely museum, and includes a number of buildings. The main museum houses Andrew Wyeth's work, along with other American painters. Julia's House has children's work, the large white church-like building is reserved for N.C. (Andrew's father) and James Wyeth (his son), who is a Monhegan Island resident. The Farnsworth's home is part of the 2 block wide compound, recognized as one of the finest Victorian era residences on the East coast (all original). 

I was most taken with Andrew Wyeth's work (always been a fan of Christina's World), liking his tempera over the watercolors. I felt a sense of connection, mostly because much of the work was painted in Cushing, Maine. Taryn and I are on a hunt for an antique sign that says the town name.

When the kayaks arrived, we returned to the cottage and quickly took a leisurely row out around a small island before the fog rolled in. My first ever saltwater row. The water is choppy and cold, but the view point of the coast is worthy to be put on canvas for sure. Before dinner of burgers on the grill, I sat in the lawn to draw the boat house, water, and all the wild flowers and rocks that frame the coast. A perfect ending to a great Sunday.

Summer Trip Tik Day #8

On Saturday. after another gorgeous morning lounging over coffee on the scenic front patio, we took a drive to Mount Battie at Camden Hills State Park. It's a 5,700 acre park just north of downtown Camden. Boasting over 30 miles of scenic trails, the park began to take shape in the 1930's, when the federal government purchased land in 24 states to help farmers whose lands were not producing.

We first ascended the mountain by car, to the top of Mount Battie, which overlooks Camden Harbor. The panoramic scenery is awesome, and you are amazed by the number of islands that dot the horizon. We could see Acadia National Park in Bar Harbour from this vantage point. We chose a short hike along the shoreline, which took us to the edge of Penobscot Bay. When we climbed down the embankment, we spent some time finding rocks and shells, and throwing rocks into the sea. Then, eureka, Hannah found a piece of sea glass!

A good hike wouldn't be complete without the reward of a little ice cream and window shopping in Camden. Who am I kidding, I don't window shop! Rather, I was excited to discover a fab leather shop, with an incredible array of leather purses - messengers, backpacks, fanny packs, hobos, you name it. My quest for a small messenger style bag has been accomplished, along with a beaded pair of Minnetonka sandals. Taryn hit the mother load, with a 60% off Betsey Johnson bag.

We vowed to return for a whole day in Camden, for more consumption and touring of the beautiful surrounding homes. This town reminds me of a New England version of Tarrytown and Irvington. Paul was right, Camden is Naples and Rockland is Fort Myers.

Evening found us back on the patio, dining on grilled steak and corn cobs. Ahhhh, the life.

Summer Trip Tik Day #7

Daytime in Owls Head

Our 4th of July was the perfect attribute to the term lazy days of summer. We were enjoying the incredible weather by sitting around the front yard table and just relaxing with coffee, a magazine or book. By 1 pm we had pulled ourselves together enough to mosy over to the general store, as Martha promised the best haddock melt around for lunch today. (She told me an employee of the Samoset Resort claimed it was better than theirs.) We wove through some streets on our way to see other homes on the water. We later discussed our surprise at an oceanfront home selling for $325,000, and reasoned that the lack of four seasons was the reason it was so inexpensive (They say in Maine there are 2 seasons - winter and the 4th of July). When we arrived, the family was at the store, with Tom and his daughter Caroline manning the ice cream stand and Martha and son Josh in the kitchen. I didn't notice where the oldest was.

We chatted, ordered, chatted some more with other patrons, then took our picnic to the Owl's Head State Park, home of the Owl's Head Lighthouse. The scenery along the walk and at the top were incredible. After some time skipping rocks into the Atlantic at the beach at the bottom, we headed back to the cottage, where we spread out among the Adirondack chairs and lawn. All but I caught a cat nap. I was determined to finish my second book.

Evening in Thomaston

By 7 pm, we were at Athens, a Greek pizza place in the town of Thomaston, adjacent to the festival, live music and location of the 9 pm fireworks. We ate Greek salads and calzones, then walked around the parking lot of the high school, before finding a spot for our blankets on the school lawn. Thomaston was oddly eclectic to me, with historic houses and a beautiful school academy lined up along what seemed to be some low income apartments above store fronts; and a teen hall where dozens of teens were gathered on the street and hanging from second story windows. From my people watching, I saw everything ranging from townies to Kennedy's, body piercings to yacht club emblems. True Americana in every sense of the word. While we joked throughout the seemingly slow going fireworks, we were pleased with the great "finale." Pretty impressive for such a small town. It was our first July 4th fireworks in 60 degrees - it felt good, although Taryn was shivering. 

Hope you all had a patriotic 4th. Tomorrow, we hike Mount Battie in Camden. P.S. Martha, it was the best fish sandwich I've ever had.