Because the day was so exceptional, we parked at the Ferry lot and walked into town. There we were welcomed to Bar Harbor's Museum in the Streets historic walking tour."This program features 26 placards and photographs throughout town. You can start at any point to explore our town's history, all by foot. You can also find our 20 newer panels added in 2019 on either side of town." It was a scavenger hunt of knowledge and we loved it.
The Village Perimeter portion of the walking tour touched on the past lives, estates, business interests and politics of many of the town's prominent summer residents. They had a profound effect on American industry, the formation of Acadia National Park, the town of Bar Harbor, The Jackson Laboratory, Kebo Valley Golf Course and other local treasures.Plaque #1 intrigued me. It reads, "Mary Roberts Rinehart first came to Bar Harbor in 1935 and bought Farview (now the Wonder View Inn) in 1937. She was a well known mystery writer. Her most popular book, Circular Staircase, sold over 800,000 copies. She wrote 60 novels including The Yellow Room, The Wall, and the Burned Chair, which featured Bar Harbor as a back drop. In 1947 her chef, who had been with her for 25 years, tried to murder her but his gun misfired twice. Minutes later a second attempt failed with a carving knife as the chauffeur and gardener disarmed him. The next morning word was received that he had hung himself in jail. The estate burned down in the Great Fire of '47. Mary Roberts Rinehart died of a final heart attack in 1958."
It destroyed 67 grand summer estates along "Millionaires' Row," 170 permanent year-round homes, five historic hotels, and parts of the Jackson Laboratory. Bar Harbor was changed by the fire. Most of the permanent residents rebuilt their homes, but many of the grand summer cottages were not replaced. In fact, many of the seasonal families never returned. The estates on Millionaires' Row have been replaced by motels that house the ever-increasing tourist population. But the fire alone cannot be blamed for ending the island’s once-grand "cottage era." The opulent lifestyle had already been suffering from the effects of the newly invented income tax and the Depression. The destructive flames merely provided a final blow.
Some of the gilded age was on display. WOW.We lucked out when we arrived at the Bar Island Trailhead. The 0.5-mile gravel land bridge is only exposed for about 1.5 hours before and 1.5 hours after low tide (roughly a 3-hour window total). We couldn't walk the entire way as the tide was coming in but what fun to experience a little of it.I had to go to Sherman's Bookstore, the oldest bookstore in Maine. Founded in 1886 by William Henry "Bill" Sherman as a printing press, stationery, and office supply shop in downtown. I couldn't leave without getting one of Mary Roberts Rinehart's books (the first Museum in the Streets plaque we read).
The Circular Staircase (1908) pioneered what became known as the "had I but known" school of mystery writing, which often feature female protagonists and narrators who foreshadow impending danger and plot developments by reflecting on what they might have done differently. Rinehart employed this formula in many of her later works, and it inspired dozens of subsequent stories. The novel was adapted for the screen twice: as a silent film in 1915, and for the television series Climax! in 1956. Its best known adaptation was as the play The Bat, which became a major Broadway hit and inspired a number of later works, including several adaptations of its own. I have never heard of her. I'm excited for this introduction.
I don't know what this guy was all about but he was willing to pose for a photo which made me quite happy. Now I really am in Maine.A must was a tour on the Lulu Lobster Boat. How could we resist, "Take a ride aboard our traditional, Downeast-style lobster boat, Lulu! Learn all about Maine lobsters and how we catch them. Keep an eye out for seals and other wildlife while taking in all the amazing sights that Bar Harbor has to offer."Our tour guide, Galen, was knowledgeable, thorough, and hysterical. We learned so much but the basic gist of it all is that "Fishermen bait rectangular wire-mesh traps with oily fish like herring or pogy. Traps are connected to a surface buoy by a weighted line and dropped to the seafloor in waters ranging from 15 to 1,000 feet deep. Lobsters smell the bait, crawl inside the trap through a netted funnel, and become contained."
Traps include escape vents and biodegradable panels so small lobsters can crawl out and lost gear does not continue to trap marine life.
We also had the opportunity to see an egger (also called a "berried lobster"), a female lobster that carries fertilized eggs on the underside of her tail. An egger can carry anywhere from tens of thousands up to over 100,000 eggs at a time, depending on her size. She broods them on her swimmerets for roughly 9 to 12 months after a 9-to-12-month internal development period. In fisheries like Maine's, keeping an egg-bearing female is strictly illegal. To protect them permanently—even if they are caught later when they aren't currently carrying eggs—lobstermen apply a small V-notch to a specific tail flipper. Really interesting.
We learned about the difficulties these fishermen endure. Not to mention that the regional lobster population has fallen by roughly 34%, since 2018, in key grounds off Maine and Massachusetts, driven by both fishing pressure and warming ocean temperature.
We were all allowed to show these lobsters a little love.The lobsters caught today were all thrown back but we were shown the entire process including banding. Claws are banded immediately after harvesting to prevent lobsters from injuring each other in crowded holding tanks and to protect handlers from powerful crushes. The stretched band is slipped over the closed claw and released so it fits tightly around the joint, keeping the claw shut. Experienced sternmen can band claws in a matter of seconds per lobster to minimize stress on the animal. Interestingly, lobsters are naturally aggressive and territorial. This step in the process prevents cannibalism. Without bands, they will fight and tear off each other's limbs in the boat's live well. Not pretty.
.jpg)
Back to back winter storms in January, 2024 combined to cause extensive damage along the entire Maine coast, including at a number of lighthouses. Egg Rock Light lost its seawall and suffered damage to the south and east sides of the lighthouse.Captain Zack went out of his way to introduce us to Ironbound Island, the largest island in Frenchman Bay. Roughly 3 miles long by 2 miles wide, it features rugged granite cliffs, caves, and pocket beaches. Interestingly, it has been privately owned by the Blaney family since the early 1900s, after artist Dwight Blaney bought it as a summer retreat. Painter John Singer Sargent created works like On the Verandah on the island. On the Verandah depicts Dwight Blaney, his wife Edith, and their daughters Elizabeth and Margaret at the house. Another guest of the Blaneys was John Leslie Breck (1860-99) His Cliffs, Ironbound Island looks just like a photograph. Breck, a friend of Monet, and part of the group of painters at Giverny, is considered to have been the first American Impressionist. I need to learn more about him! I wish I would have see Cliffs before taking this tour. I would have tried to photograph better what Breck had painted. You can somewhat tell how close his work came to reality by this image. Wow. By the end of the cruise, all the lobster boats were home.This was my Google review, "From the moment I spoke with Tammy on the phone, to the informative (and humorous) greeting by Galen, we knew our time on Lulu was going to be exceptional. Captain Zack was professional and made us feel safe while sharing Bar Harbor's beauty from its water. We had no idea what to expect from this tour. We left completely delighted, much more knowledgeable about the life of a fisherman, and thoroughly entertained. Galen and Zack make a great team. Galen's playfulness made it all that much more fun. What an unforgettable experience." ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Our last day in Bar Harbor made us realize just how magical Maine can be!
"Maine is a beautiful place
that I paradoxically want to hoard to myself
and share with everyone I meet."
-John Hodgman
.jpg)
.JPG)
Recent Comments