Well, I am settling in after an 8000 mile 19 state trek. I found the logistics of trying to write while dealing with the daily moving too much to take on. I certainly have enough stories to keep me going for a few weeks. Today I want to talk about stepping on the soil of the state of Maine for our 50th state in 41 years of travel together. Truly, I had never heard of Eastport before Holland American highlighted it as our next to last stop on our journey through the Maritime Islands of Canada, and then back to Boston.
We decided not to take an excursion but rather our own exploring. It was apparent as we walked down the pier into the small town that a festival was going on. Everyone in the town was dressed in pirate gear. The energy and joy in that community reminded me of what I loved about small town life. They could not have been more gracious to the 2000 plus cruisers coming into their home. They were very proud of the way this former thriving fishing community was reinventing themselves as a historical tourist destination.
This 38 day journey consisted of interstate cruising, and lots of two lane country roads, along with 2000 knots of the Atlantic. I prefer the rolling hills and miles and miles of farms, fruit stands, history markers and more woods than I ever imagined. The famous colors of New England had just started so I got a very small foreshadowing of the autumn that was coming.
One of the fun parts of exploring these port stops is looking for coffee shops, restaurants and the like. We stumbled into a packed fish house that was full of pirates and their ladies. We were taken into a back room that was full of women who were celebrating the retirement of one of them. We were seated next to them and soon they began to ask us if we were with the ship and what we thought of their town. We told them they completed our bucket list of all 50 states. They were all locals who had spent their lives living on the Atlantic coast. Their hospitality was very reassuring, they were actually glad to have us there and to share all about this community that once had 10 sardine factories. It was there they informed me they were NOT PIRATES, rather, they were WENCHES and proud of it. I asked them if I could take their picture and they were more than accommodating. (See Below).
I have been asked “What was your favorite part of the trip”? My answer—All of it. I was reminded again about the incredible abundance of North America. I was accompanied by my rollator wherever I went. What I find is that people are very kind and helpful. I appreciate help opening doors or lifting it up stairs. Smiles are a great and universal currency.
Next week I will tell you about the language barrier and my experience in Chinese Barber Shop in Montréal.
Onward and Upward,
Mark
Lyfting Me Up 