A Visit to the Pemaquid Lighthouse

July 17, 2016

A very colorful shed we found on the way to lunch, before continuing to the lighthouse

This is the first laughing gull I've seen in Maine

The last adventure we had in the Boothbay area was to visit the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse. This is Maine's premier lighthouse and is the one on the Maine quarter. It has existed since 1827 but has been rebuilt three times, the last time in 1857. It is located in Bristol,

The lighthouse and the keeper's quarters

If you walk to the right around the building, you see this entry and porch

This is the drawing used to render the Maine quarter

We arrived on the site and found we had to pay $2.00 each to tour it and that we only had twenty minutes to climb the stair to the little walkway around the light. This is a relatively low and small light house and only 5 people fit into the walkway. I stood in line to go up while Christina started touring the grounds. I loved the views going up the spiral staircase and from the walkway. But I missed getting to visit the Fisherman's Museum or the Pemaquid Art Gallery. But all that is available for the price we paid.

A closer view of the lighthouse - a fishing museum is to the right

A view looking up the steps

A view through a window in the lighthouse

A very close view of the light showing interesting reflections

View from the top of the lighthouse, but still inside glass

Looking down on some of the thirty stairs

I loved the HUGE hairy rose hips on the wild roses

While we waited our turns to go up into the lighthouse, the docent kept us entertained with stories, including one about a whale that swam beside a ship, then swam away and then came back three times, until the ship followed her to where two baby whales were trapped in fishing nets. The crew cut them loose and then the entire whale family followed them back to the dock. The captain was arrested for destroying fishing equipment, then fined one dollar.

When you see this church, you know to stop for great ice cream - the ice cream store is across from the church

I'm getting this blog ready to post from Dartmouth, across the bay from Halifax. I just got back from walking ten miles with two of my daughters as we enjoyed downtown Halifax today in the MOST gorgeous weather.  And yesterday, Kris and I drove several hours from Moncton, then picked up Karen at the airport and we got situated at our apartment - the upstairs in a house.