October 2, 2011

Ophelia, We Are Not Amused

Thanks to Hurricane Ophelia, we have had rain for the last two days, and more is forecast.  Yesterday, it rained so hard at times that we just stayed inside.  We had planned to take a day off, but there would be no sitting outside and enjoying the weather.   We even discovered a leak inside the RV and cannot figure out where it’s coming from.  Thank goodness I had purchased a water snake for the purpose of absorbing any wayward water when we showered, but it has come in very handy for averting a flood inside the RV.

The weather wasn’t much better when we awoke this morning.  Luckily the rain subsided while we disconnected the hookups.  We had decided to leave Mount Desert Island and head down the coast.  We were going to stay in a hotel tonight so Tim could watch the football game.  Getting out of the rain would be an added benefit.

We stopped at an L.L. Bean Outlet in Ellsworth after we left the island.  A bit of shopping is always a good thing to do when it’s raining.  My, that town has changed since I was here last.  A Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, Home Depot and numerous new chains have popped up everywhere, and the traffic patterns have changed to handle the increased traffic.

I wanted to take the back roads around the Penobscot peninsula and see the charming towns of Blue Hill and Penobscot, and they were pretty, even in the rain.  My absolute favorite town, however, was Castine.  What a beautiful place – outstanding Federal and Greek Revival architecture, the Maine Maritime Academy and a harbor with seafood restaurants.

On the Square in Castine

Abbott School in Castine

Classic Architecture in Castine
Maine Maritime Academy

State of Maine, Maine Maritime Academy
At Bucksport, we crossed the Penobscot Narrows Bridge, a dramatic, cable-stayed bridge over the Penobscot River.  At the other side of the bridge was Fort Knox State Historic Site, and Tim pulled into the parking lot.  Fort Knox was the first and largest granite fort ever built in Maine.  Construction began in 1844 to protect the Penobscot River Valley from naval attack.  The fort saw limited military activity during the Civil War and Spanish-American War, but no enemy ships ever threatened the Penobscot.

Penobscot Narrows Bridge
Fort Knox State Historic Site
Fort Knox State Historic Site

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