09/17 to 09/24 Searsport Shores Ocean Campground-Part One

  09/17 to 09/24

Searsport Shores Ocean Campground

Searsport, Maine

This long trip was broken up into two 4-hour drives. I spent five days at Spacious Skies - Seven Maples in Hancock, New Hampshire before driving another 4+ hours to Searsport, Maine.

Site S-11 was a back-in with 30-amp service and water; no sewer.

The sites in my section were spacious, quiet and not populated at all during my stay. The weekend saw traffic coming and going but to other parts of the campground...that had full hook-ups.

A seldom seen fellow had three tents set up across from me.

Behind one site was Maples Pond, a catch and release pond.

It was a quiet and relaxing stay that gave me time to complete a blog and prepare for the adventure in Maine that lie ahead.

After another 4+-hour journey, a stop at Hannaford's in Belfast, I entered Searsport, Maine and was greeted by a familiar landmark I've seen for the past nine years, a resident's humorous take on the mail we receive each day.

Searsport Shores Oceanfront Campground has been my destination for 4 of the last 10 years I've been coming to Maine. It's the most convenient coastal campground I can stay at and be within commuting distance to my cousin, John and wife, Barbara. Their summer cottage lies across Belfast Bay in Northport, an 11-mile, 20-minute drive. The other 5 years have been at another campground, Moorings, down the road. I went cross-country in 2017 and missed last year due to the timing of an eye procedure.

Once again, I begin a relaxing week overlooking Penobscot Bay and Sears Island toward the northeast.

This year I'm on Site 8 which along with other sites have been reconstructed after damaging storms battered coastline Maine in January. Each oceanfront site has its own deck, table and chairs. 

With North Islesboro in the distance, it's high tide. 

And, like Otis Redding, I enjoy "watching the tide roll away." Tides in Searsport generally follow a predictable pattern with two high and two low tides each day. The rebuilding of that rock buttress along the shoreline had to be a major expense for the owners.

The evening of my arrival, I tried to capture the fascinating celestial event; a full moon (the Harvest Moon) that was also a Super Moon and later that night a partial lunar eclipse, which from my location was unimpressive.

Moon rising over Sears Island, the largest undeveloped island in the continental United States, covering about 940 acres. Unlike many islands in Maine, Sears Island is accessible by a causeway built in the 1980s, allowing people to drive to the island from the mainland. Despite this accessibility, the island remains largely undeveloped.

The Bulk Carrier, Tanja slowly drifting past Sears Island to dock at port in Searsport. The 600' vessel is sailing under the flag of Liberia. I found this information on Marine Traffic, a fascinating site if you're into boating.

There's a lot of vessels out there to keep track of.

Moored and unloading for a few days.

Sprague Energy operates a terminal at the port that handles bulk commodities such as petroleum products, road salt, coal, and gypsum. There are large storage tanks for petroleum products and other liquids. These tanks are connected to marine berths, allowing direct offloading from ships. The port is equipped with conveyor belts and other systems for efficiently loading and unloading bulk materials like salt and gypsum.

On Wednesday, we traveled south along the beautiful and scenic, rocky Maine coast to Round Pond to have lunch and visit the The Granite Hall Store and the Pemaquid Light House.

The Granite Hall Store, located in the village of Round Pond, Maine, is a historic and charming general store that offers a glimpse into the past while serving the needs of both locals and visitors.

It was originally built in 1873 and has operated in various capacities throughout its history. It started as a general store

The original Granite Hall building burned down in 1922. It was rebuilt in 1929, and the store has been a fixture in the village ever since

One of the hallmarks of the Granite Hall Store is its nostalgic penny candy counter, where visitors can purchase traditional candies by weight. 

The store is family-owned and operated, adding to its small-town appeal. The current owners have made a point of maintaining the historic and community-centered atmosphere.

(Neglected to turn flash on for) Penny candy sold by the pound.

The setting out back just made you want sit back and enjoy the crisp fall day.

For lunch, John made reservations at The Contented Sole, an upscale restaurant offering a relaxed, casual dining experience with an emphasis on fresh local seafood.

Lobster Club ~ Sweet Pemaquid lobster, applewood smoked bacon, Sole slaw, piled high on toasted bread with fries.

Half went home for lunch the next day.

Our final stop for the day was Pemaquid Point Lighthouse Park. Owned by the Coast Guard, there is a suggested $1.00 per person donation for small groups to climb to the top. There, you can view the now automated light that can be seen for 14 miles in clear weather. The surrounding area is a park owned by the town of Bristol. Some shots of the area.

The construction of the lighthouse was authorized by President John Quincy Adams in 1826.

The lighthouse is equipped with a fourth-order Fresnel lens, installed in 1856. This type of lens, which uses concentric rings of glass to focus light into a powerful beam, was a technological breakthrough in lighthouse illumination during the 19th century and is still operational today.

The fourth-order Fresnel lens in use in the lighthouse.

The original Pemaquid Point Lighthouse was built in 1827, but the construction was poorly done using saltwater for the mortar, which caused the structure to deteriorate quickly. It was rebuilt in 1835 using higher-quality materials, and this is the structure that stands today.

See the wave that damaged the Bell House HERE It received a one-two punch on Wednesday, then the following Saturday in January.

Barbara in front of the now renovated Bell House. The sign on the door behind Barb reads:

The bell would have been lost in the January storm had it not been taken down due to the corroding beam that it hung from.

Here's what the STORM DID. Here's what we saw:

On the way home via Route 32 we drove along the coastal edge of The Rachel Carson Salt Pond Preserve.

 The 78-acre preserve, most of it on the west side of the road is a popular hiking area. Check out the site HERE.

At low tide, one can imagine what treasures lie in the tidal poots.

What a terrific location for that beautiful home. Rachel Carson as you know, is the well known environmentalist and author, whose book Silent Spring (video clip) raised public awareness of the effects of DDT on migratory songbirds, and of other environmental issues.

Driving me back to my campground, we must pass over the Passagassawakeag River. That sign has always been a double take for me and provided chuckles as I try to pronounce it for the remaining five miles. Listen Here. This view is looking east at low tide with Belfast Bay is in the distance.

Often referred to as "the Passy" by locals, the name is derived from the Penobscot language, meaning "a place for spearing sturgeon by torchlight." It reflects the region's historical connection to the indigenous Penobscot people and their use of the river for fishing. It flows for about 16 miles, starting from Goose Pond in Swanville, through the town of Belfast, before emptying into Penobscot Bay on the Atlantic coast. 

Home safe and sound, I thank John and Barb for the ride and the tour. To keep this post short, I'll end Part One of my stay here in Searsport, Maine. The memorable adventure will continue with Part Two. Stay tuned.

Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts." ~Rachel Carson.