Day 28 – Magnificent Maine Coast

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Day 28 of a Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways

George’s House in Prouts Neck, Maine

After a breakfast of blueberry pancakes, courtesy of George, George and I took a 1.5 mile walk around the neck that led us over the rocks, along the beach, and on a boardwalk through a bird sanctuary.  The rocks we passed inspired Winslow Homer who owned a nearby home and studio in the late 1800’s to paint The Canon.  It is said that during high tide, the water sprays from the rocks like a canon, thus the name.

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Bailey Island

From Prouts Neck, I headed northeast along the coast of Maine to my first stop at Bailey Island to see the Pearl House. I crossed the Cribstone Bridge, supported by large granite blocks which are stacked in a checker board pattern so that the water may flow through the open spaces. The Pearl House was once the summer home of Harriett Beecher Stowe.  While I never found the Stowe house, I did see some stunning harbors and inlets.

Bath

After a visit to Bailey Island, I returned to Maine’s coastal highway where I stopped in Bath.  With good cell service, I tried geocaching.  The first cache turned out to be the last of a series of caches  and the second appeared to be down a steep embankment covered in trash near the railroad tracks.  As a result, I resolved to wait for a better time to add Maine to my list of states in which I’ve geocached.  While I wasn’t successful in geocaching, I enjoyed walking around Bath’s historic district while attempting to get a look at Bath Iron Works, a defense contractor that continues to build ships on the coast of Maine.

Fort Popham State Historic Site

From Bath, I headed south to Fort Popham, a pleasantly surprising historical site that lay on a peninsula jutting out to sea.  The Fort of the civil war era was built but never completed in 1861 to protect the ship building interests of Bath upriver.  The fort sat next to a short walking trail, fishing pier, and picnic site.  I really enjoyed the short time I spent at this fort before I returned to Highway 1.

Reid State Park

Continuing up the coast of Maine on Highway 1 to the next exit, I turned off at the next peninsula to reach Reid State Park.  At Reid State Park, trails wound by rocky shores, beaches, and marshes while rosehip grew abundantly nearby.  After a peaceful stroll through the park, I contemplated my next stops.

Lincoln County Courthouse

At this time of year, no state park campsites are open in Maine.  As a result, I needed to find a Walmart parking lot to rest for the night.  Along the coast of Maine, there are only two.  One near Rockland and the other near Ellsworth, over 50 and 100 miles away from my current location, respectively.  At 5 pm and a little over an hour away from my night’s “campsite”, I made two more quick stops:  one at the Lincoln County Courthouse in Wiscasset and the other at the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse.

As expected, the courthouse was closed, but it was right on the highway, so I just strolled around it.  My visit was short as I wanted to reach the lighthouse around sunset.  The views of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse on the coast of Maine did not disappoint.

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse

The sky of brilliant oranges served as a backdrop to the famous lighthouse which has functioned since 1827.  It was cool to see the daylight fade, and then watch the lighthouse illuminate.

Now dark, I skipped a few stops on the way to Rockland’s Walmart, but I will catch them on my return down the coast of Maine in a few days.  In the meantime, I’m headed northeast. ETB

Map of My Road Trip Across the USA

For a summary about my road trip across the USA, click HERE. For the interactive map, see the below link.

Other Articles About Maine You May Like

• Day 29 – Magnificent Maine Coast Part 2
• Day 30 – Mount Desert Island
• Day 31 – Magnificent Maine Coast Part 3

Shop

Check out the photographic note cards and key chains at my shop.  Each card has a travel story associated with it.  20% of proceeds are donated to charity.

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