Escapees July-August 2023

EMILY AND MARK FAGAN #99408 traveled full-time by RV and sailboat for 13 years and now enjoy RVing part-time. Emily has written over 200 articles for various RV and sailing magazines, and the Fagans’ photography has appeared on magazine covers, in commercial wall calendars and even in museums! Follow their blog at roadslesstraveled.us. The rocky shoreline, small harbors and coves, and the many boats bobbing at anchor gave us a taste of what the quiet New England seaside life is like, not just today but the way it probably was 50 or more years ago, too. We found the entire experience was a delightful and refreshing change of pace. Byway follows the shoreline around this peninsula, making for a wonderful day trip. Our favorite part was the 16-mile stretch between Winter Harbor and Prospect Harbor where the air was fi lled with the pungent aroma of balsam fi r. The quaint harbors sheltered colorful lobster boats and stacks of lobster traps. While we were gazing at the lighthouse on the far shore of Prospect Harbor, an 82-year-old lobsterman wearing tall galoshes came up the dock from his boat and began chatting with us. He’d gone on his fi rst fi shing trip with his grandpa out to the Grand Banks offshore at age nine. He still happily plied his trade every day, and his buoyant step and the twinkle in his eye conveyed his love of the sea and his work. Lubec—Easternmost Town in America Another highlight in our downeast Maine adventure was the town of Lubec which is located further east than any other town in America. It’s a small village that embraces a tiny harbor and has a colorful main street. Nearby is the wonderful red and white candy-striped West Quoddy Head Lighthouse. Of course, “easternmost” in America is not the furthest east on the continent! A short bridge took us to to Campobello, a pretty Canadian island (a passport is required). Not to be outdone by the lighthouse builders in Lubec, the East Quoddy Head Lighthouse on Campobello Island marks the dangers of the craggy shore with a brilliant red cross emblazoned on the front. We loved our travels in Downeast Maine.

If YouGo Acadia National Park: WWW.NPS.GOV/ACAD/INDEX.HTM Beal & Bunker Ferry: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BEALANDBUNKER RVParks There are many options for RV parking near Acadia National Park and further downcast. Here are a few: Bar Harbor area RV Parks: Bar Harbor Oceanside KOA: KOA.COM/CAMPGROUNDS/BAR-HAR BOR-OCEANSIDE Hadley’s Point Campground: WWW.HADLEYSPOINT.COM Narrows Too Camping Resort: WWW.RVONTHEGO.COM/MAINE/ NARROWS-TOO-CAMPING-RESORT Wild Acadia Camping Resort: WILDACADIA.COM Lubec area RV Parks: Sunset Point RV Park: WWW.SUNSETPOINTRVPARK.COM Seaview Campground & Cottages: EASTPORTMAINE.COM Further References Bar Harbor Maine: WWW.VISITBARHARBOR.COM Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse WWW.NPS.GOV/ACAD/PLANYOURVISIT/ BASS-HARBOR-HEAD-LIGHT-STATION.HTM Schoodic National Scenic Byway SCHOODICBYWAY.ORG Lubec Maine: WWW.VISITLUBECMAINE.COM Maps NPS Map of Acadia National Park: WWW.NPS.GOV/ACAD/PLANYOURVISIT/ MAPS.HTM Google Maps—Places mentioned: GOO.GL/MAPS/YCZH4QJZXWVSHQNK8

A peaceful sunset in Lubec, Maine.

teachers, workers, tourists and cargo year round in all but the most severe blizzard conditions! We got off the boat with the kids and wandered around Islesford on foot. An art gallery, Islesford Artists, beckoned, and we admired the work of local artists on the walls. Upstairs, on the second fl oor of the gallery, we learned that we were standing in a room that was once fi lledwith fi shing tackle, lobster traps and buoys that had been used by a sixth generation lobsterman and his forebears! Back on the boat, we were surprised when two men began loading the boat with exotic drums. It turned out that the Islesford students had just fi nisheda segment on West African Music, and the teacher was taking all the drums he’d borrowed back to the mainland to return them to his musician friend! Schoodic National Scenic Byway Most of Acadia National Park is on Mt. Desert Island, but a small part of it fi lls the next peninsula on the coast 41 miles away by car. The Schoodic National Scenic

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July/August 2023 ESCAPEES Magazine