Calais, ME via lots of “Down East” Maine coastland

Lubec, Maine

It has been raining through most of Maine, though it has also been sunny every day for at least part of the time. We moved on this morning toward Calais, Maine, and drove through some very small towns (read: a couple of houses and a mechanic...or several shuttered businesses and an excavating company...that kind of thing). Anyway, Calais (or callus, as the locals pronounce it) is a picturesque little town perched on the very edge of the St. Croix river overlooking St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada just across the water. We stopped at the visitor's center to get the scoop on some nearby sites and were glad to happen across a group making a traditional birch bark canoe in the style of the Passamaquoddy Tribe using only hand tools. Wow. Looks like a lot of work, but how cool! 

We walked The Ed and Charlie along the a footpath that was formerly a railroad bed right next to the river.

Next we drove south to the 45 degree latitude marker...a red granite stone that says “This Stone Marks Latitude 45 North, Halfway From the Equator To The Pole. – 1896”. Nothing else here but a great little trail leading off into the woods...too bad we didn't have our hiking boots on.

Next we motored on to Lubec, the easternmost city in the U.S., and enjoyed a snack and brew (Black Bear Bluesberry Ale – like a Belgian ale with a hint of blueberry flavor and smell – yum!) at Water Street Tavern and Inn. We walked around the tiny downtown of Lubec, a town just across the entrance of Cobscook Bay from Roosevelt Campobello Int'l Park in Canada. Lubec was decorated in all its finery for their bicentennial celebration.

Reversing Falls Park

On our way back to Calais and the RV, we looked for Reversing Falls Park near Pembroke, a town of only 879 people. Let's just say that Mainers must have a sense of humor with their signage...or complete lack of it. By sheer luck and happenstance, we drove down a very long road, then turned down another, then turned down a very long gravel road, drove some more and then walked down a little dirt path to the edge of the point and finally found Reversing Falls “Park”. Not a sign to be seen until the last turn. (Ha! We found it anyway...better luck next time, Mainers.) The park is so named because of the tidal forces in Cobscook Bay around the two points formed near Leighton Neck. The tide comes in at such a force that the water rushes inland over rocks and jetties and fills the bay. At low tide, the water rushes out just as quickly and whirlpools, mini geysers and large waves form in the opposite direction. The tide changes by 8 meters here every six hours! Very cool!

With so much sight-seeing, we were forced to detour for blueberry ice cream cones at the Polar Treat, a little ice cream stand just east of absolutely nothing. It's interesting and a little surprising how remote this area really is. There are just beautiful views and lots of pine and birch trees and not much else. Gorgeous part of the state...for sure.

Lastly, Ken pulled off at a lookout point for Whitlocks Mill Lighthouse, though the light was fading too fast for us to walk over to it. We watched the sun set over the St. Croix River and Passamaquoddy Bay from this little lookout...wow. What a great day!