In and Out – Along Part of Maine’s Coastline

Continuing with our August New England adventure…one more day exploring the rugged and scenic Maine coastline…

This time we followed along ME Hwy. 73 to ME Hwy. 131 on the St. George Peninsula out to Port Clyde, then back on Hwy. 73 to Rockland.  Along the way we photographed this tidal estuary at low tide.

I had to stop to take photos of this home in its dramatic setting along the coast!  Situated on pilings to protect it against storms, the home sits on a slender rocky spit with water on both sides.  I took the second photo looking along the little spit/peninsula toward the home.

We passed through Tenants Harbor Maine without stopping.  Laurie did take this photo of yet another New England general store.  From the photos I found at https://www.lindabeansperfectmaine.com/stores/tenants-harbor-general-store/, it would have been a good place to stop.  This store is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TenantsHarborGeneralStore/. 

The large boat at the dock is the Elizabeth Ann.  Year around the Elizabeth Ann or the Laura B transports passengers and mail south from Port Clyde to Monhegan Island.  The approximately 12 mile trip is 55 minutes one-way.  The 65 foot long Elizabeth Ann was launched in 1995.  She provides seating in a heated glassed in cabin, on the covered stern and on the upper sightseeing deck. 

The Monhegan Boat Company has been in business since 1914.  It serves this popular tourist destination year around.  The permanent population on Monhegan Island is about 70 but for years it’s been a summer refuge for artists.  Among the many well-known artists who’ve spent summers here were Frederick Waugh, George Bellows, Edward Hopper (one of our favorites!), Rockwell Kent and Jamie Wyeth.

To learn more about trips to Monhegan Island or the various sightseeing cruises offered by the Monhegan Boat Company, you can check out their website at https://monheganboat.com/.  

Laurie took this photo of these small boats nestled together in the inner harbor at Port Clyde.  I do I like the composition…

Port Clyde is the southernmost village on the St. George peninsula.  Back in the 1800s, the village was a busy port featuring granite quarries, tidal mills for lumber milling, shipbuilding and fish canning.  The harbor was originally known as ‘Herring Gut’.  Herring fishing was huge in Maine until the rivers were damned and the stocks of herring were depleted.

This is the Seaside Inn and its right in the heart of Port Clyde.  This very attractive 1850s former sea captain’s home overlooks the harbor and Muscongus Bay.  The Inn offers 12 guestrooms, with 7 of them having ensuite bathrooms.  To learn more, go to their website at https://www.lindabeansperfectmaine.com/lodging/seaside-inn/.

This handsome building is the Port Clyde General Store.  It caters to tourists and boaters offering small harbor services, dining and provisioning.  This is the kind of store that Laurie and I love because it has a bit of everything and it has charm!

Not only is the store fun to browse, it’s colorful and appealing too!  Customers can buy anything from coffee to pastries, cheeses to fruit and hand cut meats to lobsters and fish…plus beer, wine and hard liquors.  There are plenty of touristy items to check out too!

How fresh are the lobsters?  Can’t get much fresher than these!   Great use for an old bathtub too!

The snack bar/deli offers pizza, hot entrees, breakfast sandwiches, salads, smoothies, etc. as well as a locally famous lobster roll.  For more information regarding the Port Clyde General Store, just go to https://www.lindabeansperfectmaine.com/stores/port-clyde-general-store/.

After perusing the merchandise in the Port Clyde General Store, we were hungry.  Fortunately, the Dip Net Restaurant, offering wharf side dining, is right off the back of the General Store.  Diners can enjoy their meals while watching the harbor.  The Monhegan Ferry docks in plain view as well.   

The Dip Net offers both indoor and outdoor bars and table service…but it is a seasonal operation.  They specialize in lobster and other seafood delicacies.  We just wanted a snack so we each ordered an adult beverage (mine was a Shipyard Summer Ale) and we shared this beautiful order of Mussels. ($14.00)

You can find out more about the Dip Net Restaurant on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheDipNetRestaurant/.

I had to have at least one photo showing a seaside shanty with stacks of lobster traps alongside.

Notes:

·         The Wyeth family, with its 3 generations of famous artists, has owned a summer home in Port Clyde since the early 1920s.  Andrew Wyeth’s widow owns 2 islands just off the coast.

·         Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts purchased a home on Hupper Island, a 250 private island just across from Port Clyde.  Justice Roberts and his wife bought it from “This Old House” star, Steve Thomas.  Thomas still owns a barn and house nearby the Chief Justice’s home.   

This is the Laura B, the other boat in the Monhegan Boat Company’s fleet.  Built back in 1943, this 65 foot long boat is rigged as a heavy-duty work boat.  She delivers freight to Monhegan Island all year around…  

Originally the Laura B was designated as a U.S. Army T-57 (tender).  She spent World War II in the Pacific where she served as a patrol boat carrying troops and supplies.  She was equipped with two 50-caliber machine guns on deck.  In 1946, the Laura B was brought to Maine, spending several years transporting lobsters to Boston and Maine.  She’s had her current job for over 50 years now…

The Marshall Point Light Station is located near Port Clyde.  It was established in 1832 to assist vessels entering and leaving the harbor.  The original lighthouse tower was replaced with this current one in 1857.  The lighthouse itself is 31 feet tall, constructed with brick on a granite base.

The original keeper’s house was destroyed by lightning in 1895 and the Colonial Revival house in the photo was built to replace it.  An oil house and bell tower was added in 1898.  The bell was replaced with a fog horn in 1969.  The Keeper’s House houses a museum. 

FYI…The lighthouse is the one that Tom Hanks ran to in the 1994 film Forrest Gump.  To find out more about the Marshall Point Light Station and Keeper’s House, go to http://www.marshallpoint.org/. 

I just like these old style boats so much better than the new ones.  I guess that dates me some…

I took this photo of the Elizabeth Ann headed out to Mohegan Island or else taking tourists on one of Monhegan Boat Company’s scenic trips…

This dragon and knight (slayer) are poised for battle outside the St. George Maine fire department and town office.  Made mostly of rusted steel, these two combatants have been locked in battle since 2005. 

Another harbor view along the way back toward Rockland…

I like this view as well… That large sailboat centers the photo.

Laurie took this photo of the East Wind Inn in Tenants Harbor Maine.  This large inn also features the Quarry Tavern and the Wan-E-Set Restaurant.  

The Inn was originally a 1800's sail loft, part of a working boatyard.  Some town meetings and the village’s first Masonic gatherings were held here.  In the 1920's it was converted to an inn…the Wan-e-set…where tourists from Boston, arriving by steamer would spend long summer stays.  It was closed for a time, then reopened and expanded.  To learn more about the East Wind Inn, go to https://www.eastwindinn.com/.

…just another photo Laurie took along our drive that I really liked.

We ended our drive along the St. George Peninsula overlooking Rockland Maine’s downtown and harbor.  We hope that you enjoyed the drive…

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave and Laurie