Here are some fun facts:
Lobsters can live to be 100 years old. They can grow to be four feet long and weigh
40 pounds. A live lobster is either
green, yellow or bright blue. There are
400 calories in a pound of lobster meat and 1325 calories in a 1 lb.
ribeye. In colonial days, lobsters were
so plentiful that they were harvested to feed the poor. (In fact, the last time we were out here on a
cruise, the tour guide told us that when she was little, she and the other kids
were so sick of lobster sandwiches that they would trade them to other kids for
peanut butter and jelly.) We have been
here for two days and so far, I have done my part to keep the lobster
population in check.
We are at the Edgewater (Edge-wah-tuh), which sits at the water’s edge, oddly. It’s a 2-bedroom apartment, a very nice change from some of our rooms that were slightly bigger than the bed. The grassy dunes separate the hotel from the beach and the Atlantic Ocean. Joseph’s by the Sea Restaurant is about 25 steps from our door and they serve whole lob-stahs. I was hesitant about that because I am clueless what to do with a whole lobster and I haven’t worn a bib since I was in a high chair. The kind waitress, Madison, suggested I try the, “lazy man’s lobster,” the meat of a whole lobster that has been cracked, cleaned and piled high next to the dish of drawn butter. Well! Bring it!
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| On the beach beyond the dunes at Old Orchard Beach. |
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| View at Joseph's by the Sea |
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| On the boardwalk. The Edgewater is behind Rob's left shoulder with the blue and white awnings. |
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| Lazy man's lobster and green beans! |
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| Looking out to sea from the deck at the hotel. |
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| Still a bit warm on the deck! |
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| Our two-bedroom. Ahh, stretch out! |
This area was occupied by native tribes since before recorded time. European pilgrims settled here in 1657 led by Thomas Rogers who established big apple orchards on his homestead. After a particularly vicious Indian attack, he and his family abandoned their obliterated homestead and fled. The apple orchard remained for another 150 years but the area evolved into the fishing, lumber and agriculture industries. Today, Old Orchard Beach is a community of motels, hotels, restaurants, amusement parks and junk shops indistinguishable from any other touristy beach town.
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| Surf's up on Saco Bay. |
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| Cape Elizabeth is way out there behind Rob. |
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| Freezing cold, Baby! |
Our hotel is centrally located on Saco Bay. The bay is semicircular, protected on the north and south ends by curved fingers of land, capes, where lighthouses stand sentry to guide sailors. We drove up to Two Lights on Cape Elizabeth, the northern cape. There, the line forms at The Lobster Shack where you may step up to the counter to order your choice of seafood; clams, lobster, shrimp, scallops or crab prepared many different ways. When they call your number, you pick up the order and carry it to the picnic tables that sit high on the rocky bluff near the ocean (or sit inside if you can get a table in the tiny all-glass room). We got lucky and found a table indoors. The native polar bears in shorts and flip-flops sit out at the picnic tables while I could swear that, with the wind, the chill factor justified a parka.
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| One of the lights at Two Lights on Cape Elizabeth. |
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| You may sit at these picnic tables in the wind and cold, if you wish. |
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| Just rocky shore here - no beach. And COLD! |
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| Even the bushes have to get into the act. |
We had not been to Portland, ME, yet. While the area was occupied by native American tribes for thousands of years, Europeans first settled there in 1633 and called it Falmouth. Later in about 1775, when the colonists threw their support behind the American revolutionaries, it pissed the British off and they bombarded the town into smithereens. By 1786, it was rebuilt and renamed Portland. During WWII, it was a major naval shipbuilding center for the Atlantic Fleet but today, it’s a shipping port. Parts of the city are old, quaint red brick buildings but from what we saw in our short visit, it’s just like all the others. Big, tall, crowded, windy, congested and crazy. The goal was lunch at Luke’s Lobster on the Wharf and luckily there were seats at the bar on the top floor looking out to the sea. Bring money. It was freezing cold and windy on the harbor but even still, people were milling about and going for Sunday afternoon cruises. Rob spent part of his time studying the lobster pots, being the seasoned fisherman that he is, now. I don’t know how those things work or how the lobsters get in but the good news is they can’t get out.
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| Question: Who cleans it?! |
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| How they build boardwalks out here. "Close enough." - Mediocrates |
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| On the boardwalk at the Portland marina. |
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| Luke's Lobster on the Wharf |
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| The brave lobster trapper examines the gear! |
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| Here's how they do it, Krauser! |
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| Lobster boat and the floats to help find the pots (those long orange thingys). |
The drive up and down the coastal road along the bay is scenic and lined with beautiful homes. It is freezing cold and the waves are crashing but the natives stroll barefoot wearing wetsuits and carrying surfboards. Warnings of gale-force winds and dangerous riptides do not deter them. Just since we got here, many establishments have shut down for the season. Most of the employees leave town and go back home to other jobs for six months or take their next couple semesters of school. This is the last night at The Shack where we had early dinner. Courtney, a lifelong native and lobster-cleaning veteran, helped me do this. The Lord sayeth, “Thou shalt eateth more lobsters.” “OK Great Dude! Thy will be done!”
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| Yikes! |
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| Somebody help me! YUM! |
Next stops: BOS, DTW, LAS and 1640. That's all for now, friends! With love from Lindy and Rob
