By Charlotte Byus
I know I am a broken record when it comes to Maine, but it is beautiful in the summer. We are staying in the town of Homer, just outside of Bangor and everything on the water is a 1-1/2 hour to 2 hour drive. I must say Gertrude (GPS) has never sent us the same way twice. I think she knows we will turn her OFF if we ever figure our way around. Bath is a beautiful town known for hundred of years for ship building, 1770 until present. Bath Iron Works is still building commercial ships and Navy ships such as the Zumwalt. This is the Navy’s most technologically advanced ship and it looks it too.

Down the same street is the Maine Maritime Museum, a must see. Part of the museum is the Percy & Small Shipyard. They were able to save many of the original buildings of this company, such as, Mould Loft, Blacksmith Shop and Mill Building. You could almost hear and see the workings of old. One of the ships they built was the Wyoming, the largest six-mast schooner ever built. They have a full scale sculpture of the ship.

As we toured the grounds, RR noticed that the museum tour ship was getting ready to head out on a tour. The ship is named Merrymeeting after the Bay it travels. Off we go to find out about what and where, then off I go back up the hill to purchase tickets! Are we dressed for this adventure – of course not. Oh Well! The tour is four hours and you will see 10 lighthouses. As we are starting the tour, high tide has just peaked and the trip out to sea was very smooth. We will see beautiful homes, boats, and Boothbay Harbor. On our tour is a swing bridge that opens every 30 minutes upon request. At 6 pm our captain requested the bridge be opened only to learn the bridge had a problem and could not open. WELL, that meant we needed to go back the way we came. Now the tide is rushing out to sea. When I say rushing, I mean that – the tide change is a 13 to 14 foot change. We travel Merrymeeting Bay which is where two major rivers with separate watersheds converge at their mouths and when the tide is going out that is a really fun ride.

We arrived back at the museum about 7 pm and headed back to Bangor. Up here, daybreak is before 5:30 and sunset is just after 7pm. The only problem with this is two old night-blind people heading down unknown roads, not interstates. Once again, my job was to watch for moose and bears. What am I going to do when I see one, let’s face it – it will be too late. I did see a dead porcupine.

Unbelievable great day!
[9-5-2016]