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Maine Planning #70026 02/21/08 07:21 PM
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seagirt Offline OP
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I'm seriously considering a trip to Maine in late April. I have about four days, 22 April-25 April, to see as much as I can from Newburyport, MA to Bar Harbor. I have a plan figured out, but I figured I'd once again turn to those more experienced than I on the CF to see if I'm sensible or crazy.

I'm not trying to make this the "total experience" Maine trip. Instead, I want to take advantage of the off-season to visit the land-based and land-viewable lights without major traffic or fog. Then, my plan is to go again next May after the end of school, and finish up with plane and boat trips to see the offshore lights, followed by a jaunt to PEI. I'll make sacrifices knowing I'll be back soon.

I have a strict time frame, so I'm planning on ending at Bar Harbor. The lights between there and Lubec aren't visible from land, and the time needed to do Lubec/Campobello Island/Calais adds a day to the trip I don't have. I'll fill in that gap next year.

So...here's my plan. Let me know if I'm crazy. And, for reference, daylight should be ~5:30AM-7:30PM this time of year. Anywhere that I plan a viewing point is from the predominant areas mentioned in the books and websites.

Day 1: Tuesday 22 April 2008

Leave NJ around 5:30 AM. Newburyport MA lights (3), Portsmouth Harbor MA, Whaleback ME viewing point, Nubble, Goat Island VP, Wood Island VP, Cape Elizabeth lights (2), Portland Head, Spring Point Ledge, Portland Breakwater. Stay overnight in Portland, or perhaps somewhere along the way to Bath.

Day 2: Wednesday 23 April 2008

Leave lodging around 6AM. Squirrel Point, Doubling Point, DP Range, Pond/Seguin VP, Perkins Island VP, Hendricks Head, Cuckolds, Burnt Island VP, Ram Island VP, Pemaquid, Marshall Point, Owls Head, Rockland SW, Rockland Bwater, Indian Island VP, Curtis Island VP, stay overnight B&B in Searsport area.

Day 3: Thursday 24 April 2008

Leave around 8AM. Fort Point Light, Dyce Head Light, Pumpkin Island VP, Eagle Island VP, Deer Island Thorofare VP, Bass Harbor Head, Bear Island VP, Egg Rock VP, spend rest of day in Acadia NP/Bar Harbor, stay overnight Bar Harbor.

Day 4: Friday 25 April 2008

Leave around 5:30 AM. Winter Harbor VP, Prospect Harbor, head home for NJ. Arrive between 4-5 PM.

--------------------

So...am I sensible or crazy? The Streets and Trips says it'll work nicely, even with some large buffers built in at each stop, and some extra thinking for extreme lingering. But still, can I do it, or do I need to tinker around more?

Re: Maine Planning #70027 02/21/08 07:47 PM
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Dave H Offline
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Greg, the one thing I would be concerned about it putting in the number of long days you are looking at. You have probably put in long days with your folks, but it sounds like this will be you and only you on the trip. So, you have to do all the driving. Lots of stops to view lights will help you by forcing you to get out, stretch and get some fresh air. But, you need to take into consideration the strain of all that driving by yourself and have a backup plan in case you decide you need to stop for the day.

Re: Maine Planning #70028 02/21/08 10:40 PM
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fra02441 Offline
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I have friends who live in Maine so I went a LOT. Your trip is to much because of single lane roads that you think might take 1 hour and it is much longer. Some of the lights are really to far to get a good picture but most you have are ok. You might want to cut it down and look for a boat ride to see some.

Re: Maine Planning #70029 02/21/08 11:27 PM
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What kind of long lens do you have? Goat Island is really far and Pond & Sequin are also far. I think you are better off talking extra time at some of the ones like Nuble and Portland HEad,the ones you can walk up to. Then when you come back in May there are boat rides that do a lot of what are hard to see on land. Make sure you bring gloves You can always adjust your plans as you go, so have a plan 2 in case time gets away from you You will LOVE Maine and want to go back many times. I really am jealous and want to go back.

Re: Maine Planning #70030 02/22/08 12:51 AM
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Pemaquid is one that you can spend a lot of time exploring. Climbing down on the rocks to get the "right" picture is a must. Same goes for Bass Harbor Head.

On the Kennebec River lights - if you stay on the south side of the river you can see all the lights except for the range lights (can't remember, but you may be able to see the front one). Getting to the Doubling Point light is a ways back on the north side. You pass the DP range on the way, but you need to remember that this is CG housing and you should not go exploring there unless someone is home and you receive permission.

Can't remember which of the cameras I used to shoot Pond and Seguin from the fort at Popham Beach. (don't have that set of images handy to look at) Think I may have used both my Nikon with a 28-200 and the Panasonic which has a 12x optical zoom. And, don't forget there is an old LSS in Popham Beach which I believe is now a B&B.

Long Reach Cruises in Bath has cruises out the river in the summer that will give you good views of the lights. There is also a longer lighthouse lovers cruise. This is the boat I used for one of our cruises in 2006.

Also for the summer, Bar Harbor Whale Watch has a great lighthouse cruise that takes you to see some lights you don't normally see. A group of us took this cruise when we were in Maine and it was great. The historian on board was excellent and very informative.

In Portland, Eagle Island Tours has a harbor cruise for lighthouse viewing. Gives you a good shot at Portland Head, Ram Island Ledge and Spring Point. The captain never shuts up, but it was a good trip. Only took about an hour and a half.

Re: Maine Planning #70031 02/22/08 12:44 PM
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'spend rest of day in Acadia NP/Bar Harbor, stay overnight Bar Harbor.'

I spent 2 weeks there one summer! Don't underestimate it. Could be the most outrageous NP on the East Coast!


LONG ISLAND BOB
Re: Maine Planning #70032 02/22/08 01:07 PM
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I took the Whale-watcher Cruise out of Bar Harbor last summer. I highly recommend their lighthouse cruise We got to see many lights that cannot be seen by land. It was such a beautiful day that the trip itself was enjoyable
and the lighthouses were a bonus! The narrator
did a wonderful job and gave us many details and
history about the lights.


Kay
Re: Maine Planning #70033 02/22/08 02:11 PM
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Greg, I can tell you it's going to take a lot of discipline on your part to hit all those places quickly and keep moving to the next. They are all so beautiful, and there's so much to explore. You are going to want to record it all.

I think I could spend a good week just in Acadia.

Great plan...do as much of it as you can, and just keep coming back. You will want too.

Judy


Judy
Re: Maine Planning #70034 02/22/08 06:36 PM
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I went about the same time frame during the Spring of 2002. I was there for four days/five nights and only saw from Kennebunkport to Pemaquid Point. I took the cruise with the Casco Bay Lines in Portland in the afternooon/evening hours and it got real chilly out over the open water. Of course I had the family in tow, so there were other items on my agenda besides lighthouses. Lighthouses I visted were Portland Head, Rams Island Ledge (from afar),Cape Elizabeth Twins, Spring Point Ledge, Goat Island (from afar) and Pemaquid Point. Yes, you have to go down on the rocks below Pemaquid Point Lighthouse. I have a picture of me with my arms wrapped around my three year old daughter at the time looking out in the bay that is absolutely priceless. To get to Pemaquid it was of some distance from Hwy 1 and back on a single lane road. I hope to get back some day when I have more funds for travel and time.

Re: Maine Planning #70035 02/22/08 09:02 PM
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Alright...you've all convinced me to put a little less planning and a little more spontaneous into this trip. I'm modifying the plan to really focus on the land lights. I know I’m going back pretty, maybe even THIS summer if I want to and can wing it. But I want to take April as time to really get to spend time at the land-based lights…the ones that will be more of a tourist-trap in the summers. If I decide to do a summer trip, I’ll figure that out next. (Seeing as I am a second-semester senior and do nothing all day, I may well plan it now, before I even do the April trip.)

As thus, I'm thinking of these changes in the general plan:

-The Newburyport MA lights, as well as Portsmouth NH, are staying. The former are because I never got to them on my 2004 Mass. trip. And then why skip Portsmouth if I pass through? But I'm going to skip the closer viewing point for Whaleback on the Maine side, and settle for that from Fort Constitution in NH. Next time, I'll take a cruise out to the Isle of Shoals Light, and see it up-close from there.
-Goat Island and Wood Island are on the fence. There doesn't seem to be a cruise to see these, so I might just do the land thing. I have a 75-300mm telephoto lens that becomes 450mm when I put it on my D50, and they don’t look too far away from the photos I looked up on Flickr. Seeing them is nice...cutting them gives me more time at the Portland area lights. I think they’ll become very time-sensitive.
-On the Kennebec, I have to think hard. I want to go up to the DP Lights, including the Range, and would arrange to do so. Squirrel Point has a land-based trail to it, but there seem to be access issues that just got fixed. (http://www.timesrecord.com/WEBSITE/MAIN.nsf/0/E084FE7703FA802E052573F5005755C2?Opendocument). So we’ll see what happens here bureaucracy-wise. In some ways I’m thinking of skipping the south coast, since it’d just be a lot of telephoto. Instead, go for the north lights, walk up to them, and see them all from a boat trip in the summer (see below).
-In that vein, I’m also cutting Cuckolds, Ram Island, Burnt Island and Hendricks Head Lights from land. Next time I go, I’ll take the Long Reach cruise, and see those plus the Kennebec lights. I also save a LOT of driving time and gas money by doing this.
-Curtis and Indian Island are probably out. I’ll figure out how to see them, but that means more time at the land lights.
-I’m cutting the distant viewing points around Deer Isle. None are really great, and it’s just a lot of time.
-With all this, I now end up with almost a full day in Acadia NP. I figure that I’ll get a bit of a taster…and I can always come back.
-Winter Harbor and Prospect Harbor…not sure there. They may be cut if I want to spend more time on Mt. Desert Island and still need to get home. Shall see.

I’m kicking up the Streets and Trips stop times to 45 minutes to an hour at all the major lights, and planning my end-of-day stops for about 2 hours before sunset for extra leeway. That seems to make timing more reasonable. Also, with the cutting of the offshore lights, I gained a lot of time and gas money. I’m seeing less lights now – about 28 instead of about 40 – but I think it’ll be much more meaningful a trip. And still kicks me over the 200 lifetime-lights mark.

So…here’s Version 2. Which can very easily become version 3, 4 or 5.

Day 1: Tuesday 22 April 2008

Leave NJ around 5:30 AM. Newburyport MA lights (3), Portsmouth Harbor NH, Nubble, (Goat Island VP, Wood Island VP), Cape Elizabeth lights, Portland Head, Spring Point Ledge, Portland Breakwater. Stay overnight in Portland, or perhaps somewhere along the way to Bath.

Day 2: Wednesday 23 April 2008

Leave lodging around 6AM. Squirrel Point, Doubling Point, DP Range, Pemaquid, Marshall Point, Owls Head, Rockland SW, Rockland Bwater, stay overnight B&B in Searsport area (I found one that looks really cool…and cheap!)

Day 3: Thursday 24 April 2008

Leave around 8AM. Fort Point Light, Dyce Head Light, Bass Harbor Head, Bear Island VP, Egg Rock VP, spend rest of day in Acadia NP/Bar Harbor (now starting around 10AM), stay overnight Bar Harbor.

Day 4: Friday 25 April 2008

Leave in the morning. Maybe Winter Harbor VP, Prospect Harbor, head home for NJ.

---------------------

A bit less crazy? A bit more fun? I don’t want to pare it down too much – I must keep in mind that I can always go back whenever I want. But I do want to get a nice lighthouses/time/cost balance too. But I can still be ruthless deleting stops in Streets and Trips.

Re: Maine Planning #70036 02/22/08 11:04 PM
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It sounds better . You will be able to see Whaleback in NH I would do Wood Island. Bring tripod, during the summer it will be hard to get a parking spot for this one. See if you can borrow a tele converter in case but I got a good picture with 300. Check into a plane around arcadia. I think someone here did it and you can get a lot of the lights that are hard to see. I think Tammy Wolf did it maybe 1 or 2 years ago. I dont think a lot of the boats are working in April. You can always go back to one on the way home. Or stop at some in Mass or Rhode Island.

Re: Maine Planning #70037 02/23/08 01:50 AM
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Stan and I did the plane trip last September. I gave Greg a lead on the Flights of Arcadia that I sent via CF's private message to him. We saw 24 lights in one full day of flying and 2 on another day while in Bar Harbor. They offer standard trips to see 7 or 8 lighthouses on an hour's flight. They worked with us in an effort to see as many lighthouses as possible using coordinates I supplied in advance of the trip. I recommend them to anyone in the Bar Harbor area wanting to photograph lighthouses.

Sandy

Re: Maine Planning #70038 02/23/08 02:01 PM
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Sandy
That sounds great can you email me the info on the plane. I was looking at it last night and my husband said "YOU are not going on any plane" I just looked at him with that what are you talking about look. biglaugh
Greg if you can afford it do it. It is a great experience I did it once in Michigan and loved it. It would solve a lot of your issues on the lights you cant get close to. The pictures are great from a plane.

Re: Maine Planning #70039 02/24/08 03:08 AM
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I'm seriously thinking about the flight idea. As mentioned, it seems hard to do any real Acadia NP experience in about 10 hours, so maybe I'll only visit it as it pertains to lighthouses.

They have a standard, 45 minute flight for $118 that sees "Winter Harbor (1856), Prospect Harbor (1850), Egg Rock (1875), Baker Island (1828), Bear Island (1839), Bass Harbor Head (1858), and the Blue Hill Bay Light (1857)." I'm thinking of using that as a basis for something a bit longer. I'd like to do a line up Downeast, depending on cost, etc. (My ceiling is probably about $350.)

Anyone have any tips for shooting from a plane? How quickly do you pass over the light? Would I need my telephoto lens (75-300mm) or my regular zoom (18-135)? Do I have times to fire off maybe 50 shots per light, with different perspectives and such? What's it like in the plane -- I've only ridden in a single-engine once, and it was in the backseat in turbulent air before I got over my fear of flying. I still have a bit of trouble with banking, but usually I alleviate it by focusing on the view out the window, and trying to pick out the lighthouses in New York Harbor flying out of EWR.

I'm thinking this could be a great way to see some of the offshore lights, and I can do it now, instead of having to wait for a boat trip. I'll probably have to fly out some time, might as well do it now.

Re: Maine Planning #70040 02/24/08 01:25 PM
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Greg,

How quickly do you pass over the light? Would I need my telephoto lens (75-300mm) or my regular zoom (18-135)? Pilot asks you if you've had enough time going around each light. You dictate the number of times he circles. Stan never uses a telephoto lens; only uses whatever the camera has. The camera he used on this flight was a Sony Cyber-shot. The information on the box is:
8.1 megapixels, 15x optical zoom, recommended exposure index = iso3200. If you want more information than that, let me know and I'll have Stan respond.

Do I have times to fire off maybe 50 shots per light, with different perspectives and such? Yes, as much time as you need and it's important to just keep taking shots--you never know until you get back and display them how good any one or more actually are.

What's it like in the plane? I have a fear of heights, but what the hey! I'm only going around once and I'd better make the best of it. First time up (Florida Keys about three years ago) got me "used to" flying in the back seat. Stan sits up front, opens the window, and hangs outside the plane and just keeps snapping pictures. We're about 1,000' above the water and once you get over the initial shock of hanging out the plane's window, it's a piece of cake.

First time up was in a cropduster with a pilot who makes his money off-season taking people sky diving. We talked him into trying to find lighthouses and it worked beautifully.

Flights of Acadia uses their planes only for sightseeing and the plane was a bit larger and roomier.

Fran,

Will email you later today. Tell your hubby not to worry--pilot very "into" safety and plane very well-equipped. Plug "Scenic Flights of Acadia" into your search engine for their site information. I'll send you the pilot's contact information.

Sandy

Re: Maine Planning #70041 02/24/08 06:26 PM
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Greg, things to think about:

Be sure plane is a high wing one. Seems the Cessna 171 is used often, and these are high wing.

Use a moderate telephoto. I might be inclined to go with your 75-300. Pilot can generally only drop to 500 feet, I believe, so you should be OK with this. Gives you a little leeway to be able to shoot from further away and crop down if need be. The pilot can also fly higher if you need to get more image into your viewfinder.

With that said, shoot at higher resolution so you can crop down and still have a good image.

Use a BIG and FAST memory card. If you have a spare, put it in your shirt pocket, not your pants pocket. The fast card lets you set your camera to "auto rip" and burn off a series of pictures as you fly over or past a light.

While you want to compose your pictures, I am a believer that shooting a burst of images will help offset the potential for a wing dip or catching the wheel in one image. Thus the "auto rip". Sometimes the best approach is to just put the camera out the window, point it towards the light and trust autofocus.... you'd be surpprised at how well some of the pictures will turn out. Do be sure the camera is securely tethered to you if you stick it out the window.

It should go without saying to be sure your battery is fully charged. With the battery life DSLRs enjoy today, it can be easy to forget to charge the battery. Do charge it the night before your flight.

While in some planes you might be able to change lenses, don't plan on being able to do so. When you get to the airport be ready to get out of the car, go over details with the pilot, and have your camera ready to go. You should have your pilot show you the route he plans to fly, even if you have previously discussed it with them. Make a pit stop before you get in the plane..... Do ask the pilot whether or not they think you might need a jacket or sweatshirt on, and how long they are projecting the flight to be. You will get into a routine after your first light or two and will do fine. As you travel from light to light, check to see how you are doing on card capacity - change them out if you need to, but do be careful. Personally, I don't waste time trying to review images I have taken other than to take a quick look to be sure I was successful. I like to enjoy the flight and the view you should have.

Have fun!

Re: Maine Planning #70042 02/25/08 12:33 PM
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I used my Nikon 70-300 VR with extreme III card It was sunny out and I had it at ISO 400 at first then changed it back to ISO 100 which I think was better. Dave has a good idea about keep it on auto if you are not sure about doing manual. Email Tammy Wolf she does a lot of ariel flights maybe she can give you tips. Havent seen her posting in a while. Have 2 batteries probably wont need to change but check it any way on the way to the next light. There are good sales on 4gb cards I just bought a SD 4GB at Adorama for$49.95 with a $30.00 rebate.http://www.adorama.com/IDSSD4GE3.html Bring a cloth for cleaning the lens in case. If you have a polerizer bring it.

It was wierd the plan goes slow around the light and you have time to take so many shots its crazy. Check your histogram after the second shot to see if all is good and put your camera on multi frame and keep going. DO THE PLANE its great unless weather is bad.

Re: Maine Planning #70043 03/10/08 02:53 AM
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Alright...so as things are working out, I'm starting to finalise the plans. There's only one big loss.

The way scheduling HAS to work out, I'm going to have to cut my long-anticipated Downeast flight. Because of my parents' travel schedules the days immediately after my return, I need to build a bigger safety buffer in case something were to happen on the road. As thus, I'm going to zip through Acadia to Bass Harbor Head, up to Schoodic Head to see Winter Harbor, the Prospect Harbor and right home. Hopefully, I can be home around 12AM.

I really hate having to do this, especially after all the help I've gotten on the subject. But I have to make that turnaround at that time, and the several hours the flight would take was the easiest thing to cut. Of course, I'm planning to take it next time I'm in Maine, which will probably not be this summer, but who knows. I know that just going through a bit of Acadia NP will be a teasing taster, but it's a "necessary evil" to get to Bass Harbor Head.

The biggest benefit to this cut is that the estimated cost for the trip is now 33% less, so I have the funds easily available, as opposed to having to save more.

More to come as the plans are finalised. But the land-based lights still look to be all the same.

Re: Maine Planning #70044 10/23/08 08:41 PM
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Well...this plan ended up not working out last year. After having spent 8 days on QE2 and in London, then having my dad going on a trip immediately after and my mom back to work, my parents didn't want me to be so far without a "support" if need be. So Spring Break 2008 was spent at home, working and reveling over the transatlantic crossing that came before --- my life's dream to that point, so not that bad.

SO! We turn our sights to...SPRING BREAK 2009!!

To heck with Mexico or Lauderdale like every other college student. I have my sights trained on 45 north, and I'm convinced this third time's the charm. (April 2004 and 2008 failed.)

The plan is still somewhat the same as last year's detailed above. It is not comprehensive, but I want to experience both the lighthouses and gorgeous state. A flight is still planned, depending on finances. The goal? Campobello Island, though with a trip to Montreal two weeks ago, that's no longer for the express purpose of a Canadian passport stamp. Five days, maybe more if I need it. If I can experience the state better, I'll earn more money to pay for it.

I'm working on the itinerary over the next few days...plotting viewing points, timing, etc. Instead of posting it piecemeal here, I'm going to make it into a PDF and put it on my website. The biggest question I have is with timing, and that way, it's easiest to see it and comment on it.

So...to kick off Maine 2009 for now...should I be adding things from the Pategonia and LL Bean catalogs to my Christmas list? How cold DOES it get? I can deal with cold, but only if I'm prepared.

Discuss while I virtually move towards Rockland. smile

Re: Maine Planning #70045 10/23/08 10:37 PM
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Greg,

Keep this in mind-

Spring is a time where the temperatures start to rise and that brings Maine's fifth season, MUD season. Mud season can sometimes begin in March and last until May. The mud can get so deep on back roads that vehicles cannot travel the roads!

Dennis

Re: Maine Planning #70046 10/23/08 11:04 PM
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Is it too bad for a Range Rover with a lift and mud tires?

Edit: Looking at videos on YouTube. Yikes, but I think I could do it.

Re: Maine Planning #70047 10/24/08 04:09 PM
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I am looking to go to maine around the end of May also. I want to do lights from Bar Harbor and north. I am probably flying into Bangor Maine. I want to fly and do some boats also. I will probably do a week so let me know what you plan so I can take a look at your ideas. Might just steal them. Waiting to hear if my friend will join me.

Re: Maine Planning #70048 10/24/08 07:43 PM
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Greg, I have said it before - invest in Streets & Trips. Less than $30 at warehouse clubs. While far from perfect it is the best way I have found to lay out a trip. It is pretty good at figuring driving times and you can allot how ever much time you want at each stop. Really helpful for planning that route.

Re: Maine Planning #70049 10/25/08 09:41 AM
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I've been using S&T for over six years. Absolutely the best programme for this purpose. I'm using the 2007 version right now...have all the maps loaded on my laptop, and I have America (and Canada, and useless maps of the rest of the world) at my fingertips.

I'm of course using it to plan this trip, and I agree...there's no other way to plan. For timing on a time-intensive trip like lighthousing, it's a necessity.

Right now, it's looking like this is a 5-day trip. No stop, aside from a few roadside telephoto shots, is under a half hour. I want to really experience Maine, with the lighthouses being a catalyst for that. Time to poke around...get lost...find my way again...and then see an incredible light.

Re: Maine Planning #70050 12/28/08 02:14 AM
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Alright…I FINALLY have some pretty good plans together for this trip. I’m going to take my time up the coast, enjoying both the lights and the scenery. The goal: Campobello Island. The timeframe: currently six nights, though I have a few days that I can tack on.

I have chosen a combo of lights that are “touchable,” as well as some telephoto shots. I have lots of time scheduled at the former, and a fair amount at the latter. I don’t want to just zip by all the lights, I want to experience Maine.

So, without Further Ado, here is Greg’s Lighthousing Plan (U/C = up-close, T = telephoto). Please excuse the notes-like format, as that is what they are – I just copied them from OneNote. If you can decipher them, any input on my viewing plans are welcome.

Keep in mind this trip is happening in March, so I can't really take any boat trips.

----------------------

DAY 1

Leave NJ/NYC 5AM
Newburyport Range Lights: View RR U/C, FR from parking lot behind RR
Plum Island Light: View U/C
Portsmouth Harbor: View from Fort Constitution
Whaleback: Viewable from Fort Constitution, better view from Ft Stark, best view from Ft Foster. 300mm should provide a good shot from all locations.
Nubble: Viewed from Sohier Park
Boon Island: Possibly visible from York waterfront on a clear day; distant. 300mm provides recognisable, photo.
Goat Island: Viewed from Cape Porpoise. 300mm provides relatively full frame of station.
Wood Island: Viewed from East Point Audubon Sanctuary in Biddeford Pool. 300mm should provide a tight shot.
Cape Elizabeth: Both lights along Two Lights Terrace/Beacon Ln in Cape Elizabeth. Also visible from Two Lights SP.
Portland Head: View U/C.
Ram Island Ledge: Visible from Portland Head.
Spring Point Ledge: View U/C.
Portland Breakwater: View U/C.

NIGHT 1: Portland. Currently looking at the Inn at St. John, though suggestions are welcome.

---

DAY 2

Revisit Portland lights if desired in early morning.
Pond Island: Viewed from Popham Beach SP. 300mm provides distant, but clear, shot.
Seguin Island: Viewed from Popham Beach SP.300mm provides distant, but clear, shot.
Perkins Island: Viewed from Parker Head (Kochel 341). 300mm should suffice.
Doubling Point: Viewed onsite.
Doubling Point Range: Viewed onsite. (USCG permission?)
Squirrel Point: Viewed onsite. Hike to light.
Hendricks Head: Visible from Five Islands (Kochel 346), nearby in West Southport.
Cuckolds: Distant view in Newagen. 300mm suffices for decent shot.
Burnt Island: Viewed from road to Spruce Point. Best vantage .7mi S of Roads End xroads. (Kochel 349)
Monhegan Island: SKIP.
Franklin Island: SKIP.
Ram Island: View from Ocean Point. 300mm should suffice.
Pemaquid Point: View U/C.
Marshall Point: View U/C.
Tenants Harbor: View distantly from Tenants Harbor. No photo evidence.
Whitehead: View from Sprucehead Island. 300mm should suffice. (Kochel 360)

NIGHT 2: East Wind Inn, Tenant’s Harbor. (Suggestions welcome.)

---

DAY 3
Rockland Harbor SW: View U/C. Status unclear.
Owls Head. View U/C.
Rockland Breakwater: View U/C. Walk 1mi Bwater.
Browns Head: View U/C on Vinalhaven Island. Ferry fare $63 total r/t for car, so may skip.
Heron Neck: SKIP.
Goose Rocks: SKIP.
Matinicus Rock: SKIP.
Two Bush Island: SKIP.
Indian Island: Visible distantly. 300mm should suffice. (Kochel 375)
Curtis Island: Viewed from onshore, Camden. 300mm should suffice.
Grindle Point: Take ferry to Isleboro, light is right next to landing. $8.50 R/T.
Fort Point: View U/C.
Dyce Head: View U/C.
Pumpkin Island: View across narrow channel. Mild telephoto will suffice.
Eagle Island: Viewed distantly from Deer Isle. (Kochel 381)
Deer Island Thorofare: Viewed from Stonington (Kochel 382)
Isle Au Haut: SKIP.
Egg Rock: Visible from shore, Cadillac Mountain. 300mm should suffice.
Mount Desert Rock: SKIP.
Bear Island: View distantly from Acadia NP loop road.
Baker Island: SKIP.
Bass Harbor Head: View U/C.
Burnt Coat Harbor: On Swans Island. $63 ferry. SKIP.
Great Duck Island: SKIP.
Blue Hill Bay: SKIP.

Night 3: Aysgarth Station B&B, Bar Harbor. (Suggestions welcome.)

---

DAY 4
Explore Mt. Desert Island/Acadia NP. Possible trip to Isle Au Haut – I have a possible connection here. If so, possibly add an extra day in this area. Possible flight with Flights of Acadia, contingent on cost.
Night 4: Same Bar Harbor B&B.

---

DAY 5
Winter Harbor: View from Acadia NP Schoodic Peninsula unit. Telephoto.
Prospect Harbor: View distantly.
Petit Manan: View from 4mi R/T hike in Petit Manan NWR. Also possibly visible from Cadillac Mtn.
Moose Peak: Visible from Jonesport, distantly.
Narraguagus: SKIP.
Nash Island: SKIP.
Libby Island: SKIP.
Machias Seal: SKIP.
Little River: SKIP.
Lubec Channel: View from shore.
West Quoddy Head: View U/C.

Night 5: Lubec or area B&B. Hard to find ones open this time of year.

---

DAY 6
Possibly revisit WQH.
Mulholland: Visible from Lubec, or on Canadian side.
East Quoddy: View U/C. Check tides.
Whitlocks Mill: View U/C.

Night 6: On way home, stay someplace in Augusta-Boston I-95 corridor, dependent on stamina.

---

DAY 7

Arrive NJ.

-------------------------------------

Re: Maine Planning #70051 02/04/09 01:55 PM
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Super Wacko
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I have been checking on my planes t go in May. I an going 5-15 to 5-25. If you decide to go then maybe you can share a boat with us.I am also planing on doing most of the ferries. Keep us informed after you take your trip. Want to see pictures.

Re: Maine Planning #70052 02/28/09 08:27 PM
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Okay...the trip is but two weeks away. Reservations are made. Daily itineraries are fixed. I'm doing a final "pre-trip checkup" on the Rover before we head out on Saturday, 14 MARCH.

So...here's my day-to-day plans. You know the lights.

14: NYC-Portland.
15: Porland-Rockport (may backtrack to Rockland lights the next day, not many hotels in that area this time of year.)
16: Rockport-Bar Harbor.
17: Bar Harbor.
18: Bar Harbor-Lubec.
19: Lubec-Campobello Island-Somewhere along I-95.
20: To NJ.

I'm running through the trip one more time in Streets and Trips, getting all the GPS coordinates figured out so I can input them into the TomTom. As I search each light on Flickr again, I'm getting even more excited...and I'm already worrying that six days isn't enough time!

So...now that I have the plans made, let me know your "top tips." Any great photo spot at any light, any great place to eat, anything about the Maine coast and the lights.

I am so excited about this trip. I can't think of a better way for me to celebrate my tenth anniversary than to finally visit the "Holy Land" of all that is lighthouse.

Re: Maine Planning #70053 03/03/09 02:41 PM
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fra02441 Offline
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I thought you were going in April. I will be there the same time with a girlfriend of mine. Are you interested in trying to do one boat in Bar Harbor. It would be a 3 way split. We are leaving early Sunday on the 17th to Campbello Island and see all of those in one day and come back to Bar Harbor. Let me know if you are interested in a boat ride.
Fran

Re: Maine Planning #70054 03/03/09 04:03 PM
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Wait, you're in Maine 17 March? Or 17 April?

I'm definitely up for a boat trip, if you are. Check your email.

EDIT: Oh, never mind. I realised I wrote the wrong month in my post. I'm planning two big trips right now, this one to Maine in March and a 2.5 week trip to the UK in May. I keep on getting the months mixed up on both trips. And to confuse it more, I'm recycling the thread from an aborted trip in April 2008. But I'm going from 14-21 March 2009.

Re: Maine Planning #70055 03/03/09 05:09 PM
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Oh well. I expect pictures when you get back.

Re: Maine Planning #70056 03/04/09 01:32 AM
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Greg:

We did a nice (albeit rushed) trip with NJLHS back in June of 06. Betty Smith did the trip and we had a boat ride out of Port Clyde. The drawback there was that it was terribly foggy and we could barely see Marshall Point and two others that we could only barely pick out from the water lapping on the island. We turned around and went back to Port Clyde only when the captain thought he could make it back without runing over any lobstermen. When we walked out to Rockland Breakwater, we were more than half way out before we could see the light itself.

Ellie

Re: Maine Planning #70057 03/04/09 12:49 PM
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Dont forget to bring gloves and a very warm jacket, DVDs if you are bringing your lap top. I burn them to a dvd every night just in case. If you have a tripod try to bring it. Dont forget the snacks and drinks. Bring large zip locks to put ice in for the next day(double bag ice, they leak sometimes) to put in the cooler in case you cant refreeze the ice packs.

Re: Maine Planning #70058 03/04/09 03:29 PM
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Ear muffs, long johns, and hand warmers might be a good idea, too. smile

Judy


Judy
Re: Maine Planning #70059 03/04/09 04:39 PM
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Gloves - check.
Warm jacket(s) - check. (And all the same shade of green, so it matches!)
DVDs - good idea, and I might mail one home each night as well.
Tripod - hadn't thought of that, but since I have a lot of sunrises and sunsets planned, good idea.
Snacks and drinks...aah, the fun part! Food shopping this weekend...and good idea on the Ziplocks.
Ear muffs...don't own any, but have been thinking of getting a pair. They're very available at NYC newsstands, so maybe I'll pick up a a pair today.
Long johns...don't own any...have to figure that out. Same with hand warmers.

This weekend, it's all the prep. Top up the fluids in the car, pack extras, pack my bags, pack my cooler, pack my food bag. I'm planning on leaving at 5AM Saturday 14 May from Manhattan, to save the hour between NJ and NYC. So that means that I have to get everything ready this weekend.

Also thought of something...extra windshield wiper fluid...a lot. Coming back from the NELL trip in January, I used the washer a ton because of the salt. Some extra coolant...a quart or two of oil...some power steering fluid...and all the other things that British cars leak.

I'm almost done putting the notes together, so then this weekend I'll also plug all the coordinates into the GPS. I feel like I've done this trip virtually, via Google Earth, Streets and Trips, Flickr, and all the rest. Lighthousing 2.0, perhaps?

So much to think about...this is my largest lighthouse undertaking yet, and the first long roadtrip on my own. Anything else you can think of, no matter how mundane, let me know...I'm a bit spastic.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the help! smile

Re: Maine Planning #70060 03/04/09 04:55 PM
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Long johns ( merino wool is good) & hand warmers are readily available at LL Bean. The hand warmers are great & can be tucked in your gloves or shoes & last a good 10 hours.

It's still winter here. It was 3 degrees this morning, and only 27' right now with a brisk wind.

At least grab those ear muffs. That will help you stand still longer focusing on the shots you want to get.

Judy


Judy
Re: Maine Planning #70061 03/04/09 05:28 PM
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Going to put an order in for a pair of long johns and a Warden\'s Hat. Hand warmers are out of stock until 11 June 2009...but there's another brand on Amazon (40/$25).

I've got three layers for my upper body: a windproof Patagonia fleece, a down Patagonia jacket, and a long LL Bean parka. Plus a Gore-Tex raincoat. Figure long johns and jeans for the lower body. My gloves are windproof fleece, and my dad also has a pair of leather ski gloves he can lend me (though they aren't great for working the camera).

The biggest problem I see myself facing? A cold seat in the morning...the heaters don't work.

Re: Maine Planning #70062 03/04/09 05:47 PM
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Quote:
The biggest problem I see myself facing? A cold seat in the morning...the heaters don't work.
All the clothing layers will help you with that problem.

I have a hat very similar to the one you just ordered. It was purchased at Bean's in Freeport...but, made in Virginia. Go figure!

And for anybody who knows me and is also reading this thread and maybe wondering...YES, I'm making it fine through my first Maine winter. I have a wonderful and patient teacher. smile

Greg, you'll be fine. You've obviously planned this pretty good. I just hope you are not disappointed in that you may not get done all you've planned per day. "You can't get there from here" definitely applies in Maine.

Judy


Judy
Re: Maine Planning #70063 03/04/09 06:24 PM
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Quote:
Originally posted by Lighthouser:
Greg, you'll be fine. You've obviously planned this pretty good. I just hope you are not disappointed in that you may not get done all you've planned per day. "You can't get there from here" definitely applies in Maine.

Judy
Oh, I've planned this for five years...it's planned well. Looking back on the very first thoughts of a Maine trip in 2003, I was going to do these same lights in three days. I'm glad that all the prior trips didn't work out, so I can do it right.

I've tried to plan so that I'm in areas with "clusters" of lights each night. Thus, I can go and visit/revisit in the morning, if need be. And worst case, there's always a few distant viewing points that can be cut each day for a future cruise/flight.

I think it's going to be fine. Actually, I think it's going to be great.

Re: Maine Planning #70064 03/05/09 12:23 PM
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Bring a roll of paper towel and a box of tissues in the car. I am trying to remeber the last time I went to maine in the winter and wished I had!!!!!!!!!
If you are in the area of freeport (I think that is where LL Bean is)and it is night you should take a look. I think they are opened 24 hours.
Dont forget the snow brush and ice scraper.
I hope it gets a little warmer for you.


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