The Lighthouse Crawl to Bar Harbor

Tuesday we set out on a "lighthouse crawl" that took us from Port Clyde to Bar Harbor! Let's get right to the rundown:

  • 31. Indian Island Light - this one was visible through binoculars from Rockport Marine Park. You could just barely see the lighthouse portion peaking up between the trees, but it still counts! As interesting in this little park was the old lime kilns that were once used to create, obviously, lime. A little railway, plus the harbor there, made for a perfect system for distribution.
  • 32. Curtis Island Light - We parked at a little pull-off in a residential neighborhood, where there was an overlook that got us pretty darn close to Curtis Island Light. It was established in 1838. Many of these lighthouses we saw today are at points all over Penobscot Bay, which is huge. Got a little better at my binocular/cellphone shots today!
  • 33. Grindle Point Light - We saw this one through binoculars too... from Lincolnville Beach. I first caught a glimpse of it from the ferry area (we could have gone out there, but that would have added 3 hours to our day), but then we found parking at a public beach and relocated it there. Hard to see much, but this was a square tower light.
  • 34. Fort Point Light - We were able to park right next to it and walk over. It's near where Fort Pownall was, and the area is now a state park. The light itself is under private ownership though. It's also a square tower. 
  • 35. Dice/Dyce Head Light - a private residence where they were having some sort of get-together, but I walked around and took photos anyway! They never saw me because I was on the backside of the lighthouse. Interesting because old paintings of this lighthouse show it with a hexagonal wooden surround... but it's actually always been stone. The wooden frame was added in 1858 and removed later.
  • 36. Pumpkin Island Light - On our way to this one, we came across a pull-out view that showed huge boulders that were left behind by the work of glaciers millions of years ago. We found a little spot to view this one where a local artist was plein air painting! I tried not to interrupt but also was surreptitiously looking at his work. Wonder who he was?
After we left Grindle Point, we stopped in Belfast for lunch and had our first-ever fiddlehead ferns. I've seen them on menus before, but never tried them. These were pickled and deep-fried... where can you go wrong?! 

Along the way to Dyce Head from Fort Point, we came across an impressive bridge across the Penobscot River, where there is an observatory built into the top of one of the towers. Impressive! 

We saw so many beautiful homes and views today and ended the day with a wonderful dinner at Copita in Northeast Harbor.

My improving binocular/cellphone skills... Curtis Island Light


The lime kilns



How have I never tried fiddleheads before? These were great!

The sister selfie at Fort Point Light

The Penobscot Narrows Observatory is at the top of the bridge tower on the left

Would love to be out here painting plein air alongside him!

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