Maine here we come!

After a lot of discussion, Doug and I decided to make our way home under the great lakes.  So from 

New Brunswick we headed for Maine.  We don't know anything about Maine, except that they also boast to having the best tasting Lobster's.  We did find out that it is the Blueberry Capital of the world, and supply low bush blueberries all over the world.  Who knew?

This is the boarder crossing at St. Stephens NB.  The border agent did go into our trailer and the only thing that we had was 1 tomato, and 1 pepper that we could not cross with.  The rules seem to change every time you cross the boarder, but it was painless that was for sure.

When we first drove into Maine, and headed south we both felt that the people were having a hard time.  The housing was poor, neglected, and a lot of junk lying around their yards.  We heard a lot in the Maritimes from people, when they heard we were from Alberta, they would say "Oh you have a lot of our people working in Fort McMurray".  We are not sure if the people of Maine have some place like Fort McMurray where they can go and make some good money to help make ends meet?  It was a bit disturbing, until we kept going south into the "Tourist" area, and then the housing improved, the up keep of their yards, and over all the area was prospering. 

We have decided to spend at least 3 days on the coast of Maine and then say goodbye to the coast and start to head inland.  So what better place to spend the 3 days but at a Lobster Festival in Rockland, Maine.  We first heard about this festival when we went to the tourist information when we first crossed the boarder.  We phoned for camping but most places we full, as always they would answer

"It is the Lobster Festival you know".  We did manage to find a place on the water, and booked in for

3 nights.

We passed this store that sells all sorts of stuff made out of wood, that is made at the State Prison of Maine.  The prison is not far from where we are camped, it is a maximum state prison which housed over 900 inmates.  Well, you just have to go into such a store.  It was huge and full of hand made wooden pieces, from boats, cutting boards, toys, birdhouses etc.  We bought a light house for Sandy Lake.

Signs outside of the store - great place to shop LOL

Now, Doug does not like lobster, but I enjoy every last bite.  Before we came to the Maritimes, either one of us knew much about lobsters, but since we have learned a lot.  The lobster season runs from May and June in PEI and most of the Maritimes.  The season is now over, and will start up again sometime in August.  When you are driving around you see hundreds of lobster traps stacked on wharfs, and beside houses.  The reason the season does not last all summer long is because the water is getting warmer and lobsters shed their shell, much like a snake sheds their skin.  Who Knew?? There is also a difference between a rock bottom lobster, and a sand bottom lobster and depending who you talk to, theirs is the best.  For example, Maine lobstermen fish by zones, abide by trap limits, and haul their traps by hand.  Their traps are designed with biodegradable vents as well as special vents that allow young lobsters to escape.  Each lobster caught is measured with a special tool, and those that are too big or too small are tossed back.  Most lobsters that you get to eat are 1 pound to l1/4 pound.  They range in cost from $6.95 each cooked to $15.00 cooked.  We have seen blue lobsters (freak of nature), albino lobsters and huge lobsters weighing over 23 pounds.

This is a lobster bouy and under each one  is a lobster trap.  Some inlets you can see hundreds of these.  In Maine, we were told each buoy or fisherman is assigned a different colour, and only he can pull his colour out of the water, to else he would be fined.

At the festival they have a small town carnival, with rides, corn dogs, deep fried everything and of course a huge tent just for lobster and sea food!! Two lobsters for me please, one to eat now and the over to take back to the camper.  Doug found a meat pie to eat, but it was not as good as the ones in New Zealand.

small town carnival

During this 5 day festival, they boast that they cook up to 20,000 pounds of lobster.  The cooker that they use now was build in 2008 and is capable of cooking 1,600 pounds of lobster at one time.  They have quite a system going, they have 4 large baskets full of about 25 lobsters each,  they dunk into the boiling salt water until done.  Then they have a pulley system that lifts it out of the water and they then put the lobsters in larger crates to take to the huge tent to sell.  They are fresh and taste wonderful.

Here they are loading the lobsters into the blue grate to take to the eating tent.  They sell a meal that consists of corn on the cob, a dinner roll, butter and a full lobster for $15.00.

Now you  know as much about lobsters as we do.

We also ran across King Neptune and his court walking around.

Went to another light house.  Most of the light houses in Maine are black and white, while most of the light houses in the Maritimes are red and white.

You can't see it very well, but it says Lovers Lane with a arrow saying dead end

Just one of those funny signs we have come across in our travels.

We will be making our way home on Sat. as we have been gone for 11 weeks and it will take a bit to get home.  So far this trip is everything we have dreamed it would be, and we are busy crossing off items on our bucket list.

Feel free to e-mail us from time to time we would love to hear from you.

Take care, and play safe

Doug and Judy