I went on a long road trip last week to see a few places that I've never visited and some that I have. One of those places is known for great lobster...yes it's Maine and it's "wicked good" as they say here! We stayed overnight in Portland and were able to see a few sights and eat some delicious lobster.
One of the big attractions is the Portland Head Lighthouse. It's located at the entrance of the main shipping lane to Portland's Harbor. The lighthouse was finished in 1791 making it Maine's oldest.
I added a map to give a prospective of the area. Think if you were the Captain of a ship, navigating the waters before 1791 at night. What do you think your chances of getting the ship to safe passage would have been.
Portland Head Lighthouse is a picturesque lighthouse. Off to the right, you can see the beginning of Ram Island. I'm wondering why they called it Ram Island, could it be that many ships rammed the island?
Fact is, ships did hit the ledge many times, so many the government finally erected the Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse in 1905. It's pretty much abandoned now, but is on the National Register of Historical places.
How would you like to be the lighthouse keeper at Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse in 1905? They say that during big storms, waves crash into the lighthouse reaching over half its height.
The coast is rocky and interesting to look at. There are small beach areas tucked in between the rocks, very little sand and mostly hand size stones.
The gulls must have a good life here, you often see them lounging around on the rocks.
Here I am with the wifey. As you can see, she is looking down at something, probably a lobster headed in the direction of her toes. Anyway, after Maine we spent 2 days in Montreal, 2 days in Toronto, and 1 day in Columbus, Ohio.
One last thought from Portland Maine, "Wicked Good"