A few of my favorite things

 My favorite things on the Maine trip 

were a visit to the last active Shaker community in the US - 

Shaker Village at SabbathDay Lake

and the Coastal Maine Botanical Garden.

 

Both these sites made for a day of exquisite beauty and calmness.

I think I'll let the images speak mainly for themselves. 

I was surprised to hear that the community has consisted of 2 members for several years 

until this past April when a new member joined!

Previously a Catholic nun, she had become disenchanted with the 'patriarchy'

(seriously? you didn't recognize it before you went in?)

and she left the order and joined the community.

 

Hope for all their sake she does well. 

The Botanical Garden was spectacular.

St Louis has a world famous Botanical Garden 

but Maine's garden is just as beautifully planted,

more compact and therefore more accessible for those with mobility issues.

Lots os seating to rest, a fabulous gift shop -

'cause who doesn't love one of those? -

and a tram we took advantage of for the ride back

after spending time in the Meditation Garden.

There was a bonus by way of 5 woodland 'trolls'.

although we only saw 3.

SO much fun.

Fun to have them of different 'ages' -

and, of course, the 'baby' was in the Children's Garden,

along with other features that turned out to be my favorites.

This was like being at Giverny in France (which I have been)

without the crowds or expensive travel.

So charming.

And their gift shop featured the best T shirt motto EVER -

especially in these times. 

It was a spectacular day.

Lighthouses of Maine

 They've got it all:

all sizes and shapes.

This one, in West Quaddy, 

is located at the eastern most point in the United States;

it sees the first sunlight of the day for our country

and, if you look a bit more to the east, you can see Canada. 

 

Least favorite:

Owls Head Lighthouse 

 Most Favorite: 

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse 

And everything in between:

If you think they all started to look alike, you'd be right.

 

With the exception of the smallest one -

Marshall Point Lighthouse, 

which was used in the movie Forest Gump.

Remember when he was running across country_

and ended up here?

No, me either but that's what I'm told. 

 

Oh, and the most famouse lighthouse? In Acadia.

Here's the image that's iconic

What they don't tell is that to get that view,

you have to scramble over all those boulders at the base of the cliff -

a cliff hat drops precipitously into the sea.

Needless to say, with one knee replacement, pain in the other knee and my cane

scrambling was not in the cards.

I tried! Trust me;

but there were limits to what I could do.

THIS is the closest I got.

 And, beleive me, I was grateful I got that close.

I'm sure everyone there that day

was relieved when I got back on the trail! 

 

The lighthouses got to feel like 'coves' -

same basic elements that, in totality,

all look alike.