Southport Maine October 2016

October brought our last visitors. Don and his son Aaron drove straight thru from Michigan to Maine for a couple of days then went back home. I used to work with Don on the railroad so it was no real surprise to me. He said he wanted to see the Atlantic Ocean and wiggle his toes in it, visit a light house and eat some fresh sea food.

Well we took them to a light house on the Atlantic Ocean, that covered two of his wishes. Then we went up to Rockland to another light house then to Archers on the Pier for some great sea food.

I'm glad to have been able to show them a little bit of Maine but he really needs to go back for a little longer because there is so much more to see. At least they were able to get up in the light tower before they closed for the day and Don was able to wiggle his toes in the Atlantic Ocean.

Our last big adventure in Maine was a boat tour of the five islands. No, I don't remember the names of the islands (no one said there would be a test) but we saw them. We also went up the Kennebunk River to Bath where  Bath Iron Works is located.  We were able to get a nice close up view of the second  of the new class of navy ships. This is the Zumwalt class.

This is a destroyer that is being built there. They build sections inside then move them outside and weld them together. Then they roll it into the dry dock which is front of the ship and float it.

We saw some great scenery well traveling on the river. There are several small fishing villages all along the river. Now days they are just a short drive apart but to think years back when travel was by horse or boat it was a day's trip.

The river has many twist and turns and because there were a few shipyards up river there are many light houses. The tide also affects the depth of the water even a ways up the river so it was and still is very important to stay in the main channel. They are not as tall as the light houses on the coast but they are just as important.

The fall colors were just starting to come into their own just before we left. To see some of the houses nestled back in the trees along the bank of the river makes you think about how great it would be to live there and sit and watch the ships and fishing boats travel up and down the river in the changing seasons.

On the way back to Boothbay Harbor we passed this lobster boat headed in to unload the days catch. You can see some of his lobster pots stacked on deck. Things are starting to wind down in the area..

On Sunday evening Steve and Suzanne took us all to dinner. This is Steve and Suzanne. They are the owners of the campground. It was great to be able to spend time in Maine. We want to thank them for giving us the opportunity to work in their park and enjoy Maine.

This is Mark and Georganne. They were also work campers and are from Colorado.
Below is Fred and Robin. Also work campers and they are from New Hampshire.
One of the great things about doing this is the great people we meet. Thanks to both couples for making us feel at home.

Here is Holly smiling even though it was rainy and windy and overcast. She was smiling because we are ready to head home and see all the family and grand kids. We will miss Maine and had a great time. But wait...for those of you who have been following us for six years and for those just joining us, this blog is called "Marv and Holly On The Road".  So stop back next month and join us on our newest adventure and join us in our travels. Hope to see you all then.

Southport Maine September 2016

Well, September brought more nice weather and another visitor. My sister Nancy flew in and spent a week with us. We had a chance to show her a little of Maine and enjoy some of the sights we've been enjoying for months.  Of course we took her out to Pemaquid Point and the Atlantic Ocean was putting on a show for us with a high tide and some nice waves breaking over the rocks.

We were able to enjoy a beautiful day in the sunshine and see a beautiful part of Maine.

This is the lighthouse that is on the back of the Maine quarter. We think that this is one of the places that represent what Maine is; a beautiful lighthouse on the rocky coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

We also went to one of the few sandy beaches in Maine. Most of the coast line is very rocky and steep.  After one of our long days, Ruby thought Nancy needed a little love so she took it upon herself to provide it. Such a sweet & thoughtful pup!

Of course, when in Maine you need to eat fresh lobster. We got her a nice one right here in the park and I didn't cook it so it must of been good because she ate it all. Well most of it...she didn't eat the shell or the green stuff. Later we had a fantastic fire and had a chance to sit around and talk and relax.

After Nancy went home Holly and I went out to Pemaquid Point with  Ruby and Brutus for a picnic. Ruby and Brutus love going for rides and getting out for day trips. We had a nice lunch, sat and read our books and just enjoyed the sun and ocean.

We took a couple of days and went to Cape Cod Massachusetts to visit the Corp of Engineers visitor center at the Cape Cod Canal.  The canal is part of the inland passageway. The visitor center is very nice and has some great displays including a Corp Of Engineer patrol boat that  was used on the canal. The canal is used by many different types of boats from recreational boaters to large ocean-going vessels. While we were there we saw this Coast Guard cutter go through the canal.

Well that's all for September. Our time here is getting shorter and we'll be heading home for a little while and then on to new adventures in  Arizona. So, just like this lobster, I'm all done... see you next month.

Southport Maine August 2016

It seems that Maine is a very popular state. It turns out that Holly's cousin Carol lives in Delaware and their Aunt Lorrie, who lives in Washington, thought that Carol and Holly should get together after 50 plus years.  Well after a few phone calls and texts it all came together. That is Carol and Holly on the right and Rick and Carol below. We took them out to Pemaquid Point to the light house and the prison store in Thomaston (remember I warned everyone if you visit, those are two places we guarantee you will see). We all had a great time.

We  went on a whale watching cruise. The weather was sunny and warm but very windy and  rough on the way out. We went out about 12 miles and started to see water spouts all around us. You can see the water spouts in the pictures and the backs of a couple whales. That's all you really see just before they dive back down to feed. It was great to see that many whales. We have been on whale watching trips before and have never seen this many at one time. After about an hour we headed back in. The trip in was much smoother because we were going with the wind and tide.

After getting back into shore we all went out to dinner and had some great clam chowder and filet of whale burgers. No not really, the chowder wasn't that great!

It was also the weekend for the Lobster Festival  in Rockland which is about an hour from Boothbay Harbor. We had rain storms all the way up but it let up when we got there. The rain chased a lot of people away so the crowds were way down. We walked around and visited the many vendor tents then went down to the food tent. Holly, Carol and Rick went for the lobster and I went for the scallops.

It decided to produce another downpour while we were having dinner but stopped about the time we were finished. Then Mother Nature provided us with a beautiful rainbow to help end our day. It was great to meet Carol and Rick. We all had a great time and I think Holly and Carol had a great time talking about family and what they have been up to all these years.

Holly and I went to the Owls Head Transportation Museum. Talk about trains, planes and automobiles...they have them all. Plus trucks and motorcycles. It was a very nice museum and they were getting ready for a car auction the upcoming weekend.  This is a 1908 Stanley K. What a great two-seater convertible.

This is one of the many motorbikes on display. They had several from very early to the newer style bikes.

This is a diorama with a steam engine and a cut away of a caboose. They did a very nice job and all the details were great.

This is another Stanley and I just love the details on it from all of the brass accents and pin striping. Just don't make them like that anymore.

This is a 1930 Bentley Speed Six. What a car, I think the hood is as long as the rest of the car.

This is one of the original travel trailers. It had kerosene lights, a water bucket and even a wood burning stove. Boy, talk about luxury.

This is a popcorn wagon.If we had this we could make some money in our travels.That is if Holly didn't eat all the profits.

Here is Holly trying to see if she would like driving a 1925 Ford Beach Wagon. What could be better then going to the beach in one of these.

The tide here at the park runs between 9 and 12 feet from low to high and it takes around 6 hours  to go from high tide to low and another 6 to go from low to high. These two pictures are of the pier and float here at the park

These pictures are of the point here.  The first is high tide and the second is a shot farther from the point showing how much the water level changes in 6 hours.

Well that's all for this month. This is my wine bottle holder. I refer to him as Captain Wine. I found him a pottery shop in the area. As soon as I saw him he spoke to me. He said "hey swabby,  take me home and we will have a drink or two together". So between Captain Wine and Captain Morgan I'll sit back watch the tide run in and out and enjoy Maine and the good life with my best friend (that's Holly not the captains). Stop back next month and see who also showed up here in Maine to visit. I suppose I can let you all know where we are headed for the winter. We are headed to Distant Drum RV Park in Camp Verde Arizona. Now don't get crazy, I know we say we don't go back to the same place twice but that's the key. It's the same state but a whole different area. We will be up around Sedona which is an area we wanted to get to but didn't get the chance while we were there last winter. That's it. The Captain is calling so I need to go. See ya'll next month.