Rockland, Maine the little town that is making it big!
Breakfast at the LimeRock Inn was wonderful. Jazz music played as our hosts served us a fresh fruit cup, tomato basil quiche, and hot fresh croissants. PJ and Frank, the innkeepers, created a relaxed and informal atmosphere. Our time here in the beautiful, sunlit cottage room was too short and I hated to leave, but this is a great place to stay, especially since it is only a three block walking distance to the heart of town. No GPS unit needed here. I can't wait to come back.
On Main Street is the Project Puffin Visitor's Center. Project Puffin, started in 1973 to restore puffins to the coast of Maine, has been ongoing, but this center to heighten awareness of the puffins has only been opened for a few months. The puffin, a beautiful bird, was once abundant on the islands, along the rocky bouldered coast of Maine. Now there are 13 sea islands where dedicated researchers live in order to protect and study them for two months at a time. The Center offers, in addition to information and displays, a high tech video web cam to actually see the puffins in their natural habitat. It's a small facility, but contains a wealth of knowledge for both kids and adults alike.
Our next date was with Captain Jack on a lobster boat. We soon found out that Captain Jack is really the captain's seven year old blond-haired, handsome grandson. Captain Hale, his grandfather, is a real fisherman with fishing lines running through his blood. He has fished his whole life, and has been running these boat outings for the last five years. As he pulled up some of his 300 lobster traps, the older captain shared stories of his life, his fishing conquests and everything we wanted to know about lobsters. Don and I learned that if a lobster is not 3 1/4" long, he gets thrown back in. Every time a lobster got another chance, I secretly cheered. I didn't think Captain Hale would appreciate me rooting for the lobster. Also if a lobster is female and has eggs, she too gets a stay of execution. I had to hide my smile.
I never realized that lobsters grew out of their old shells and grew new ones. Then they actually will eat their old shell, which is full of protein. Up close we watched the captain pull up each trap one by one and I can now say, with certainty, that lobsters are the ugliest creatures to crawl around the ocean. Thank God they at least have the common decency to turn red when they are cooked.
On this boat trip we got to see much more than ugly lobsters. We passed an 1890 lighthouse, with a pathway that took 700,000 tons of granite and 15 years to build. We also watched small harbor seals swimming around the boats, but best of all, we got to pick a lobster and bring it to a nearby restaurant for them to cook for our lunch. For an extra fee, the Captain Jack has an arrangement with Catch of the Day on Main Street to cook the lobster you catch. This was definitely the freshest lobster I have ever had and by far the best. I felt a little badly that Leo the Lobster was happily patrolling the ocean floor only an hour before, but with one taste of him dipped in melted butter, I soon got over my guilt. Catch of the Day is an informal take out place with picnic tables, open only from May to October.
There are so many B&Bs in this area, and many people we met recommended the Berry Manor Inn, so we had to stop by for a quick tour. The owner/innkeeper, Cheryl Michaelsen was happy and proud to show us all she and her husband have done to this historic home in the last eight years. Berry Manor was built in 1898 by Charles Berry, a local merchant. He had money and was happy to show it in the details of this grand home, like the floors throughout, in all different woods, stains and patterns. The main rooms have the original pocket doors and the dining room contains the original carpet from 1899. Cheryl and her husband both have a deep respect and value for the history of this home. The original wallpaper has been preserved and framed for display in each room and the kitchen still contains the original flour and sugar bins.
Cheryl was quick to point out that this house is on The National Registry of Historic Places and is 4 Diamond Rated. Each room is artistically decorated and Cheryl could obviously have a second career as an interior decorator. Little details can be seen everywhere, from the well stocked libraries, to the thoughtfully placed book on each toilet. Though the 12 guest rooms are rich in history, they all boast the modern amenities like private baths, cable TVs and phones. This is definitely on my list of places to return to.
A cornerstone of this community is the Farnsworth Art Museum & Wyeth Center, located in the heart of town, right off Maine Street. This is a world class museum, featuring 10 galleries, the Wyeth Center and a Victorian house. Andrew Wyeth painted many paintings of Maine, mostly watercolors, and was a permanent presence here. The exhibit, Maine in America features many of his works, as well as his granddaughter's, Victoria. Another interesting exhibit here is the works of Winslow Homer- 21 watercolors and oils. In total, the museum houses 13,000 objects of art. For a little town, this is quite a collection.
On the grounds is the Farnsworth Homestead. Mr. Farnsworth was a wealthy homeowner from the area, who had the good luck to have 6 children, but the bad luck not to have any grandchildren to inherit his home and his money. When his sole surviving daughter Lucy died in 1935, the house and the fortune, 1.3 million, was bequeathed to the town and thus the beginning of the Farnsworth Art Museum came to grow in this small community.
Measuring lobsters on the Captain Jack
Again off the Main Street of town, we found the Captain Lindsey House, built in 1832. We checked in and were given a tour by the innkeeper Sandy. It's a fascinating building and one of the oldest in the area. We dropped off our luggage quickly, because we had a date with a windjammer, sailing at sunset.
The Jenny Norman, owned by Steve and Julie Rogers, has been sailing since 2003. This night was a picture perfect evening in Maine- the sky overhead was bright blue and the sun was still shining brightly, as we head off on our two hour tour. It was a wonderful way to spend an evening, with not a care in the world or a thought on our minds except the vastness of the ocean and the beauty of the land, as Captain Steve pointed out landmarks we passed.
Dinner tonight was at In Good Company, back on Main Street. This has been an entire day without having to use our GPS unit. Everything here seems to be a convenient stone's throw from Main Street. This cozy wine bar with about a dozen tables and a sitting area, opened in July 2004. The menu, featuring Nibbles, Salads and Specialties, is all prepared single handedly by the chef/owner Melody Wolferitz. The candle lit Bistro tables and low lighting add to the relaxed and informal atmosphere. I felt like we were dining in Melody's living room and she was cooking just for us. I enjoyed the most delicious BBQ pulled pork that melted in my mouth and Don finished off a pizza with duck, onions and eggplant on top. We shared a compote of fresh blueberries and raspberries in a light liqueur. I am determined to eat as many blueberries in Maine as humanly possible. Tomorrow is another day in Maine
