Maine 2022 Part Two: Bar Harbor Sunset

 

The LED moose above Geddy's, Bar Harbor, ME

19 June 2022

29 May 2022

Global Beverage, in Ellsworth, closes at 5:00. Having taken Route 1, the slower, scenic coastal route, from Camden, we arrive around 4:30. I'm looking for my favorite sour beer, Allagash's Coolship Red. They have all of two bottles. It's seasonal, and whenever I'm up here I'm either too early or too late. There are two other Coolship bottles, not Red, but "Resurgam." I buy them too, hoping they'll live up to the Coolship name.

By the time we check into our room at the Bar Harbor Inn, it's 6:00. First things first: go to the balcony, take a picture of the Porcupine Islands, and look for balcony spiders.

A group of kayakers paddles by, Burnt Porcupine Island behind them.

I don't see any webs between the glass slats. This makes me sad. 

We'd scheduled a geological history tour on the Margaret Todd for tomorrow morning, but it's been canceled. None of the boat ramps are in. They usually are by now. Her first sail won't be until June 4, which is the day we're leaving, and there won't be a Rock Talk that day. 

Jack has moved our reservation at McKay's to 8:45 p.m. so that we (well, I) can watch the sunset at 8:10. It's high tide; the sand bar is well underwater. We walk to the pier instead. The view is fine from here, but there are always people to photograph around. It's easier to get around them on the sand bar. I find a spot along the railing. Jack stands back and waits patiently.

I like to focus on clouds at sunset.

Only the tip of the Bar Island sand bar is above water now.

I try to get artsy by shooting through the railing.

Now the clouds reflect pink on the water:

I take a few pictures of the northern sky:

It's getting a little too dark now. One more picture.

We walk back up the hill on Main Street to the other side of town. On our way, I make sure to pay homage to the Geddy's rooftop moose:

The advantage to coming up here so early in the season is that it's less crowded than the rest of the summer, Memorial Day weekend notwithstanding. By having dinner so late, we avoid the crowds and can get a table outside. The disadvantage to being here so early in the season is that a lot of the restaurants are still getting up to speed with their summer staff, and there might not be everything on the menu that the menu says is on the menu. Tonight they're out of their homememade pretzels. Rats. 

Allagash Coolship is on the list, though, and I'm ready for the deep red beer so sour it takes me an hour to drink it. Think Sour Patch Kids without the sugar. Think Granny Smith apples and sour cherries. It doesn't taste like beer, which is why I like it. So when our server pours from a bottle of Coolship and it comes out yellow, I'm confused. The label says "Coolship Resurgam." Well, at least I get to try the thing I bought sight unseen this afternoon. It turns out to be pretty good. I can't finish the whole thing. The server corks it up and puts it in a paper bag for us. 

There's time enough to get ice cream at CJ's too. 

I have a mental checklist when I'm up here. I have to do all the things. Sour beer and sunsets are among them.

Balcony spiders are on the list too. I unpack my lantern and the Nikon DSLR, which I'm now calling the Spider Cam, and go out to check.  I find two webs. That's better than zero. The inhabitants are tiny, and in positions that I give up on because all I can get is an overexposed blob. I console myself with a couple of tangle-web weavers on the wall instead.

A couple sitting on the next balcony over sees me taking pictures. I'm getting ready to explain myself when the woman says, "Spiders?"

"Yes!" Her partner makes a face. He hates them. She loves them. We get to talking, and pretty soon we're on to spotted lanternflies, which they don't have up in New York City. Yet. I show her a photo so that she knows what to squash if she ever does see one. 

Tomorrow, Memorial Day, a lot of the vacationers will drive home. The weather looks to be perfect. I'm going to ride my bike up Cadillac Mountain.

I set my alarm for 4:25, dawn.