The Maine Lights

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  Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Tuesday, August 11, 2009

If there is one thing (other than lobster) that defines Maine in my mind, it would have to be lighthouses, or simply lights as they are called here. I started to get a bit of a cold yesterday and I'm a little less than 100% today so we took it a little slower and focused the day on the nearby Portland Lights.

We started with a late breakfast at Becky's Diner on Hobson's Wharf. Becky's is one of those classic diners that belong in a place like this. Very local, very working class and really good. Our waitress was about 80 years old and sharp as a tack.

After we finished breakfast we headed just south of Portland to Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth. Fort Williams Park is a city park that is staffed mostly by volunteers. It is where the oldest American light is still operating. Portland Head Light is reputedly the most beautiful for it's classic arrangement and proportion. Construction on the light began in 1787 with a public grant of $750. The tower itself is built of rubble stone and the light, tower and buildings that were once the lightkeeper's house are all maintained by volunteers from the City of Cape Elizabeth. Impressive.

While we were there today, there were a group of men painting the house which is now a small museum describing the history of Portland Head Light and the lights up and down the Maine coast. 

We took a walk through park after visiting the museum and then drover further south to the Cape Elizabeth Light and the Lobster Shack. The Cape Elizabeth Light isn't open to visitors -- the light is still operating and the the keeper's house is privately owned so all you can do is look at it from a distance. We walked down on the little beach at the foot of the light and then sat down at the Lobster Shack for some lunch. Another lobster roll, clam chowder and some delicious onion rings.

As we drove out of Cape Elizabeth we passed by a working lobsterman's house and saw his lobster traps all stacked up. Thunder was, well, thundering and then the rain began to fall as we drove back to our hotel and we decided to take a late afternoon/early evening nap. 

I'm resolved to be healthy tomorrow and our plan is to head north to Blue Hill.  

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Fort Williams Park	Portland Light tower	Portland Head Light and house	Portland Head Light panorama
Stroll through the park	Cape Elizabeth Light	Lobster traps

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