We intentionally turned a short drive into a long one, at least time wise, as we drove from Millinocket to Seal Harbor, Maine. The drive was mostly east to Calais, Maine, through small towns and rural highways; Calais is on the border of the US and New Brunswick, Canada. We regretted not being able to cross the border to visit friends nearby in Canada, but the crossing is one-way from the US to Canada, and attempting to cross back in the US would impact our travel plans for September.
At Calais, we stopped at Saint Croix Island International Historic Site. The tide was out; it is not too far from the Bay of Fundy which has the largest tide in the world. Saint Croix Island was the beginning of a permanent European presence in northern North America. A French expedition led by Pierre Dugua spent a cruel winter there in 1604-1605. Iced in by freezing temperatures and cut off from fresh water and game, 35 of 79 men died. As spring arrived and native people traded game for bread, the health of those remaining improved. Although the expedition moved on by summer, the beginning of French presence in North America had begun.
From Calais, we followed the US/Canada border southward to the coast, and visited both towns claiming to be the easternmost cities in the US, Eastport and Cutler.
Located on the most eastern point of the continental United States, West Quoddy Head Lighthouse is a stunning spot to see the first rays of sun in the country. The lighthouse tower that stands today was built in 1858.
We then followed US Highway 1 down the coast, stopping occasionally at points of interest.
We arrived at our final New England destination on this trip, Seal Harbor, where we checked into our “suite”—and I use that term quite loosely!
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