After our sail on Penobscot bay, we did a bit of souvenir shopping for the offspring, had lunch, and now had the afternoon to explore. I have been fascinated by lighthouses and their history for a long time now, and there are many on the coast of Maine, so of course we must see at least one before leaving.
In Rockland, where we visited the lighthouse museum, there is also the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse. It stands out in Rockland Harbor and as the name implies, is on a breakwater. A very long breakwater, which you must walk if you intend to see the lighthouse up close.
The breakwater is 7/8 of a mile long, which, when I type it here, does not sound like very much. When you are actually trying to walk along it however, the reality is much different. Normal walking (the kind where you just stroll along without a thought) is a bit difficult as the rocks used to build the breakwater have just big enough spaces between them, that you must continually watch where you are stepping to avoid any twisted ankles or such.
It may be that my difficulties were just a symptom of my having short legs, as Rob did not seem to be having quite the same trouble. At any rate, it took much longer to get there than going the same distance on smooth ground. I think this lady was having the same trouble walking as I.
The walk was well worth it, as the views of the harbor, both from the breakwater and from the top of the light were beautiful. It was another gorgeous fall day, lots of sailboats out, Owl's Head Light Station in the distance, and the lobster trap buoys decorating the water.
The lighthouse is mostly unfinished inside, although a lot of restoration work has been done. You can walk up to the light via an outside stair, and to the second floor inside. Their winters must be brutal as this plaque makes vividly clear.
There were a lot of boats in the harbor besides the sailboats. I watched to see who would win as this ferry and sailboat looked to be converging on the same point. No collision took place as the ferry asserted it's right-of-way, and the sailboat kept itself in check. So you see, size does count in some situations! And this fishing boat, with one of the crew unconcernedly resting on the stern, speeding past in the late afternoon. Must have been a rough day.
After traversing the breakwater again back to shore, we headed up the street to our car and just happened to spot a wedding taking place in a back yard. And I couldn't resist one last photo of another of the beautiful cedar shake houses that are so prevalent here.
We had our last lobster dinner of the trip in the Landings Restaurant, where you can eat outside right on the water. In the morning we start the trip back home, but on the way we will stop off in Massachusetts to see two friends, fellow curtainladies, for lunch.
