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The Car is Ready to Go!

Jannie at Spinney's

On Saturday, August 25, 2012, we packed the car, and after a fine lunch at Spinney's and a final tour of Fort Popham, we headed back to Camden for our final week in Maine.  We reluctantly left Branch Haven and the Phippsburg area, filled with memories that will stay with us for years.

 





Spotless, As Usual!

Our plans for this week were to just take it easy, as we looked forward to Camden Windjammer Days, scheduled for Labor Day Weekend.  This annual event would bring the entire windjammer fleet (approximately 12 schooners) into Camden Harbor for a weekend of schooner related events and activities.  This particular Windjammer Weekend would be extra special, as the Schooner Mary Day's Captains Barry and Jen were planning a number of special events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Mary Day's launching in 1962.  While the condition of the Mary Day is always impeccable, this week her crew put some extra elbow grease into some last minute sprucing. 

Adding a little mystery to the Mary Day's birthday celebration was the promise of a big surprise to be revealed at her birthday party on Sunday, September 2, 2012.  The mystery, known simply as the Belle Project, was shrouded in secrecy, and the suspense level rose daily.

This week we learned that here is a lot of preparation required to ensure a successful event.  A lion's share of the preparation fell to our gracious hostess, Captain Jen.  Over the years, Captain Jen and Captain Barry, through their selfless hospitality and unbridled kindness, have made us feel part of the Schooner Mary Day's legacy.  So it was a no brainer, Jannie and I (but mostly Jannie) rolled up our sleeves and offered our services.  To commemorate the Mary Day's 50th, Captain Jen had planned to pour through the myriad of photographs and newspaper articles chronicling the Mary Day's colorful history.  Displays incorporating these photos and articles were put together each evening, into the wee hours of the morning.  Lights blazed into the night at the Mary Day's Global Headquarters.  Due to the intensity of these late night/early morning work sessions, no actual photographs of the project are known to exist.  You'll just have to use your imagination!

Of course, it wasn't just "all work and no play", for Jannie and I; after all we were still on vacation, weren't we?



Tess & Friends

While in Camden at the beginning of August, we learned, that as she has done in the past, Tess Gerritsen, Camden resident and New York Times Best Selling Author, would appear for a book signing of her latest Rizzoli and Isles mystery, "Last to Die".  Ms. Gerritsen traditionally begins her national book tours at Camden's Owl and Turtle Bookstore, and this year was no exception.  We have met Ms. Gerritsen several times over the years, and she has always been gracious and charming.  Needless to say, after a great diner at the Water Front Restaurant, Jannie and I headed over to the Owl and the Turtle for our latest date with Tess.  Tess did not disappoint; she is a gracious and charming lady, and really seems to enjoy these encounters with her fans.  We certainly enjoyed our encounter with Teas.







Lake Megunticook

Fernald's Neck

On Wednesday, we took some time to visit some of our favorite "area" haunts.  First on our list was the Fernald's Neck Preserve, a scenic peninsula on Lake Megunticook. Our hike took us through a dense forest and then along an elevated ridge overlooking the lake. 

  

Rockin' Jannie

 Before completing our trek, Jannie attempted to take a souvenir rock with her back to the car.  Fortunately she was unsuccessful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cellardoor Winery

 

Next on our agenda was the Cellardoor Winery in Lincolnville, just a few miles away.  For some reason, this seems to be one of Jannie's favorite spots. The winery's grounds are picture perfect as is the excellent wine tasting experience they provide.

 

 

Jannie, On Deck!

The Whale's Tooth

After yet another trip up to the summit of Mt. Battie, we ended the day with dinner at our favorite restaurant, the Whale's Tooth in Lincolnville Beach.  It was a perfect evening, so we dined on the deck looking out onto Penobscot Bay across to Islesboro.

 



The Heritage and the Victory Chimes

Friday was the start of Camden Windjammer Weekend.  This was arrival day, as the windjammer fleet made its way into Camden's Inner Harbor.  We too, made our way into Camden's Inner Harbor, and spent most of the day just roaming the Camden waterfront.

 

 

 







I Do!

Ready for the Tour

On Saturday, Camden Windjammer Weekend kicked off the morning in earnest.  Jannie and I spent the early part of the day aboard the Schooner Mary Day, helping to get her ready for the 2:00 PM public tour and 4:30 PM wedding, officiated by Captain Barry, in a jacket and tie, no less!

 

Getting Ready

We awoke Sunday to a rainy morning, and by the time Jannie and I made it to the Mary Day, the rain was really making itself known.  Today was to be a very special day for the Schooner Mary Day, and a gala birthday party was the order of the day in her honor.

Mary Day Memories

Captain Jen and members of the crew had already begun to set up the historical displays in the birthday tent.  Jen had also created three giant posters denoting Mary Day ownership since her launch in 1962.  Havilah Hawkins, and his sons Ron and Haddie, owned the Mary Day since her launch in 1962 until 1988, when Steve Cobb took over ownership. Captains Barry and Jen, Mary Day's present owners, purchased the Mary Day in 1998.

 

The official party began at around 11:00 AM as the rain continued to fall.  Captain Barry opened the festivities sharing some of his experiences since he and Captain Jen had assumed ownership.  Captain Barry noted members of the Gamage family, relatives of Harvey Gamage of South Bristol, Maine, who had built the Mary Day for Havilah Hawkins in 1962.



Ron and Haddie Hawkins were next called to the podium, and they too shared memories of their father and their years aboard the Mary Day.

 

Steve Cobb was also in attendance, and he too added his own memories.  Finally Captain Barry called on yours truly to come up and say a few words on behalf of the more than 20,000 passengers who have sailed on the Mary Day since its launch.  With shaking knees, I made my way forward, and hopefully did not embarrass myself, nor the Mary Day.  In retrospect I must admit that it was a great honor to be a part, albeit small, of this historic event.

 

Surprise!

The formal part of the birthday party was followed by refreshments and, of course, birthday cake, and then the unveiling of the Belle Project.  To the drone of a bagpipe, played on deck by another frequent passenger, a drape covering the transom was ceremoniously removed, revealing a magnificently carved, gold leafed eagle.  To say the least it was extremely moving.





Admiral Jannie

Jannie and I were scheduled to help with Sunday's public tour, but since their were ample crew aboard, we were given the afternoon off. A highlight  of Windjammer Weekend was the visit of the U.S. Navy Guided Missile Cruiser, USS Normandy. Because of her size, 567 feet, the Normandy had anchored in open water near Curtis Island.  Since were not needed on the Mary Day we were able to take a tour of the war ship.  After going through a security check point we were ferried out to the Normandy.  Once on board we were split into smaller groups, and given an in depth tour of the boat.  This was a bonus that neither Jannie nor I had expected.



That evening we again dined at the Water Front Restaurant, then returned to the Mary Day to view the fireworks display, that had been postponed from its original date on Friday.  This was a great end to Camden Windjammer Days, and in a way to our fabulous vacation in the beautiful State of Maine.

 

Jannie and I stayed around for Labor Day, leaving for home on Tuesday, hoping to avoid the Labor Day traffic.  We divided the travel day in half, spending the night in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, and finally returning home on Wednesday.

 

Well, this finally ends our initial "On the Road With Curt and Jan" blog.  Thanks for taking this trip with us, if anyone actually did.  If you are still out there, please drop us a line and let us know your thoughts. 

 

Celebrating Jannie's 70th

Branch Haven

This week(August 18th - August 25th) was a really big week for Jannie: her children and grandchildren, 6,457 in number I believe, made the trip to Maine for a formal celebration of Jannie's birthday, which actually occurred back in April.  Earlier this year, knowing Jannie's love for Maine, they rented a small run down shack in Small Point Harbor, on the Phippsburg Peninsula, and on Saturday, August 2012 Jannie and I rendezvoused with the Campell and Lutolf Clans at Branch Haven, as the shack is called, on Saturday, August 2012..

Branch Haven's Lower Level Driveway

Coming from Vienna, we, of course, arrived at Branch Haven first and had a chance to check it out.  Not too shabby, was our assessment.  The house was situated on a body of water referred to as "The Branch", which is apart of Casco Bay.  There were two levels of parking, the upper level, which was the recommended parking area for the house, and the lower level, adjacent to the house, and not for the faint of heart.  Of course, we chose the latter.

Shortly after our arrival, Clan Lutolf, parking on the upper level, made their way down the steps to the house, followed shortly thereafter by the Clan Campbell,also opting to park on the upper level.

Giant Puddle of Water

To our dismay, there was a giant puddle of water directly in front of the house.  The kids lost no time in putting that puddle to good use.







After we all settled in, unloading the cars, getting our room assignments.and generally just starting to relax, we motored down the road, a piece, to have dinner at The Lobster House in Phippsburg.  The hostess was great, and she was able to seat our group of 12 at two adjacent tables.  Unfortunately the hostess was the high point of the evening.  Service was non-existent as we were forced to wait forever for our food to be delivered to our tables.  If we would have known just how bad the food was going to be, we would have beseech ed our server to take even longer.  What a great disappointment!

However, as the week progressed we realized that that was to be our only disappointment.  There were so many things to do at Branch Haven, swimming in the puddle, kayaking and snorkeling right off of our lower level driveway in The Branch,or just lounging on our deck.

Lobster Receiving Station

The scenery was spectacular, and adding a real touch of Maine we had a Lobster Receiving Station, located on the adjacent Hermit Island, directly across from the house.  Some of the Campbells and Lutolf's did however comment that they could hear the lobster boats heading out in the mornings.  I guess, having spent so much time in Maine, we hardly noticed the sounds.

Popham Beach State Park

On Sunday, our fun began in earnest.  Where else would a contingent from New Jersey go?  Why to the beach, of course!  In this case, we headed over to Popham Beach State Park, a few miles away, and within a few minutes we found ourselves at home; the "Jersey Shore" had come to Maine.


After our day at the beach, we took an incredible chance, we opted to eat out again.  This time, however, our experience couldn't have been more rewarding.  Spinney's Oceanfront Restaurant, in Phippsburg, was everything the Lobster House wasn't.  Service was great, and the food, delicious.

Small Beach

On Monday, we decided to try something different, we packed our cars, and headed to the beach!  Branch Haven is a member of the Small Point Association, and as renters we were permitted to use the private Small Beach.  Small Beach is adjacent to, you guessed it, Big Beach.  Mainers are really creative in the names they give to their points of interest.  Again, a great time was had by all.

Later that evening a new guest arrived from New Jersey, a member of Clan Dattoli, Jannie's son.



Morse Mountain Trail

Tuesday morning, everyone sort of set out in different direction, with Jannie and I opting to explore Morse Mountain, a great hiking trail just a few miles from Branch Haven.  It is not a long hike, and the round trip is approximately 3 miles in length.  Despite its brevity its its entire length is quite spectacular.  Morse Mountain is about midway, and in the beginning we encountered terrain not unlike terrain we encountered during some of Ocean County Park's northern Jersey hikes.

Sprague River

Once atop Morse Mountain, we could look down on the Sprague River as it made its way through the wetlands on its march to the sea.

Jannie at Big Beach

 Completing the first half of our hike we reached the shores of Casco Bay.  Popham Beach State Park had been reminiscent of the Jersey Shore, Big Beach, yes another beach, was spacious and devoid of people, that is, until the busload of young people showed up.  Oh well, we enjoyed it for a while.

Paddling Clans

Flat Point Beach

Later in the day, the Clans Campbell, Dattoli and Lutolf in their rented kayaks, and Jannie and I in our Carolinas, set out upon the waters of the Branch and Casco Bay.  After about thirty minutes of paddling, the Jersey Folks spotted an incredible geographic feature; you guessed it, a beach!  Actually this really was a find, as sandy beaches in Maine are not all that common.

Follow Me!

The kids especially had a great time at the beach.  The water is exceptionally clear, and although cool by Jersey standards, they spent a lot of time in the water.  We, the adults, of course, sort of  stuck to the shoreline.   Time really flies in Maine, and soon it was time to return to Branch Haven.  Jannie volunteered to lead the group back.  As you can see, she is a born leader; everyone fell in neatly behind her.

What Took You So Long?

 Having superior kayaking skills, I arrived at Branch Haven several hours later, and received a warm reception, from my fellow paddlers.

Wow, a Birthday Scoop of Ice Cream!

For dinner, we returned to Spinney's Oceanfront Restaurant, at which time the group surprised Jannie with a birthday scoop of ice cream.  Although breathless, Jannie was still able to extinguish the token candle.




Fort Popham

After dinner, and the less than spectacular gala, we walked next door, and took an abbreviated tour of Fort Popham, built in 1861.  Fort Popham is one of several forts constructed along Maine's rocky coastline.

On Wednesday, we sort of chilled throughout the morning.  Obviously everyone enjoyed the kayak trip on Tuesday, so we did it again.  Back to the beach!  This paddle was as great as the first.  In the evening a more formal party was held commemorating Jannie's birthday.  This time she got to blow out the candles on a real cake.




Schooner Mary Day

Thursday, was the day of our great pilgrimage to Camden, no not Camden, New Jersey, Camden, Maine. Jannie's family has heard of talk of our voyagers on the Schooner Mary Day, and today, they would see first hand, just what all the fuss has been about. 

Maiden Cliffs

After taking the gang on a guided tour of the Schooner, we drove over to Barret's Cove on Lake Megunticook.  Clan Lutolf chose to go for a swim, while Jannie and I led Clan Campbell on a hike up the Maiden Cliffs.  At the top of Maiden Cliffs, we visited the giant steel cross that commemorates the death of Lenora French, a young girl who in around 1864 had fallen from the cliffs in a failed attempt to retrieve her hat.  From this spot we were also afforded a birds eye view of Lake Megunticook.




Afterwards the Clans regrouped and we drove back into Camden for dinner at the Water Front Restaurant and finally that evening making our way back to Branch Haven..

Again, on Friday, our last full day at Branch Haven, everyone gain scattered to do their own things.  Jannie and I took the opportunity to again paddle out onto Casco Bay.  Maine is a paddler's paradise, and we could see why.  Prior to our return to Branch Haven we paddled along the shoreline of Hermit Island, then reluctantly made our way home.

Saturday morning saw the Clans Campbell and Lutolf  pack up their cars and head back to New Jersey.  Hopefully they had as great a time as we had.  Thank you all!

Fort Popham

Spinney's Oceanfront Restaurant

Since Jannie and I were only heading back up the coast to Camden we took our time packing.  We then left Branch Haven.  But before heading to Camden we returned for one last time to Spinney's Oceanfront Restaurant and had lunch.  We also took the opportunity to again tour Fort Popham, then on to Camden.

Just a note, obviously time has moved faster than this blogger, and Jannie and I arrived safely home on Tuesday, September 5th.  However, the good Lord willing and the creeks don't rise, I will put together one final blog from this year's trip to Maine.  This blog will focus on our last week in Camden and Appleton.  Hopefully, you'll tune in for the final chapter.