Exploring the coast of Maine

Our aim for the next 4 days is to meander down the coast of Maine, heading off Highway 1 as much as possible and visiting some of the coastal fishing villages that rarely get to see Australians riding a BMW motorcycle.

Having travelled further south last night than planned, we returned back up Highway 1 to the town of Whiting and took road 189 to the town of Lubec - the most easterly town in mainland USA - before making our way to the most easterly point on the mainland, the West Quoddy lighthouse.

Why, you may well ask (as we did), is the most easterly point in the USA called the WEST Quoddy lighthouse?

The answer is that there is an East Quoddy lighthouse - in Canada - and to the east of here.

At the lighthouse we met a couple travelling in luxury on a Honda Goldwing, with a trailer to carry "her" things, according to the male rider. From the lighthouse our GPS took us on a back country road as we headed to Cutler. This turned out to be a picturesque (with a capital "P") fishing village.

The road from Cutler took us back into Machias, where we stayed last night. We stopped for lunch at the same diner where we purchased last night's dinner. From there we rode to Roque Bluffs. Here Wanda went for a paddle in the ocean and found the water very cold. All the the children were enjoying the soft, light  grey sand, using rocks and shells but no-one was in the water.

All the the children were enjoying the soft, light grey sand, using rocks and shells but no-one was in the water.

At the end of the road was a pier that we walked out on. Here we met Kathie and Bob from Florida. We chatted while they waited for a boat to take them on a trip out to an island off the coast.

Returning briefly to Highway 1 we soon turned off again towards Jonesport, another beautiful fishing village where we stopped for drinks. From here a bridge took us on a short side trip across to Beal Island where the main industry seems to be catching lobsters - judging from all the traps on the wharves. Instead of a huge wooden bear, there was a huge wooden crab claw in one garden and a crab cutout over a door.

We continued via South Addison. This eventually took us back to Highway 1, before we headed off again to Winter Harbor.

By this stage we had come quite a distance and were feeling tired, so we returned to Highway 1 and rode to Ellsworth, gateway to Arcadia National Park, the second most visited National Park in the US. We found a motel at a reasonable price and after cleaning up, walked to Helen's restaurant for dinner. We had decided to splurge out, so the only choice for dinner was boiled lobster. There was also raspberry pie with real whipped cream.

When we returned to the motel there were half a dozen bikers all milling around one Harley Davidson, trying to release the catch that allows the sissy bar to fold forward. I tried to help but to no avail.

In the end the others gave up and went to dinner. We told them about "Helen's" restaurant and they were happy enough to head that way when I assured them it had beer.