Fort Knox State Historic Site

After taking photos of the bridge, I walked over to Fort Knox.  The Fort was named after Major General Henry Knox, America's first Secretary of War and Commander of the Artillery during the American Revolution.  General Knox lived in Maine during the final years of his life.  America's other Fort Knox, in Kentucky, was also named after him.
Construction began in 1844, in response to lingering tension between the United States and Great Britain after the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.  The site was chosen because of its proximity to the narrow channel, through which all enemy ships traveling upriver would have to pass.  The fort saw two periods of military activity: between 20 and 54 troops were garrisoned here during the Civil War, and 575 troops from Connecticut lived in tents outside the fort during the Spanish-American War.



"B" Battery



View from the roof

Casemates, where cannons are housed

10 inch Rodman Cannon

Fort Knox had hot shot furnaces that heated cannonballs so hot that
when the balls hit wooden ships, the ships were set on fire.

Officers' Quarters

 This is the point in my self guided tour that things got a little interesting.  The weather was my idea of perfect; rainy off and on (keeping the crowds at bay).  I only saw one couple, at the end of the tour.  After checking out the officers' quarters, I kept going through doorways, and more doorways.

 

 

 I thought things were interesting, and took a lot of photos.  Little did I know, things were about to get even more interesting.  I entered Two-Step Alley, an underground tunnel spanning the length of the entire Fort.  Oh, and by the way, there were no lights.  I felt like a bat, with my eyes adjusting to the dark space.  I made the correct assumption that there were two steps, then you walk a few steps, then two more steps, and so on and so on.  It definitely did not feel like a dosey doe.  On the contrary, it was quite eerie, being in the cold, damp dark with water dripping, echoing in front of and behind me.  I was glad for the tiny windows that let in just a little light.

Entrance to Two-Step Alley

   

The way I came

The way I'm going

 

Looking straight up at a skylight made from brick

 

Casemates (the arcs are where the cannons would swivel)
 

I was pleasantly surprised by my visit to Fort Knox.  I expected a few good photo opportunities, but nothing like the experience I had.  To be able to walk around, by myself, on a dreary day, and explore above ground and underground.. priceless!  I visited the gift shop, and the gal there said they turn the whole Fort into a haunted house in October, complete with cobwebs and fog machine!  I think that would be just too much for me, but then again, I did just survive a free falling elevator at Disneyland a few weeks ago.

Penobscot Narrows Observatory

Monday, I took advantage of a break in the rain to do a little sightseeing.  I visited the Fort Knox State Historic Site, and the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory in Bucksport, Maine.

 

 

Penobscot Narrows Bridge

The bridge is a 2,120 feet long cable-styled bridge over the Penobscot River.  Opened in 2006, it replaced the Waldo-Hancock Bridge, which was built in 1931.  The bridge has two obelisk towers, one of which (the left) has an elevator (the fastest in Maine) to the top with an observatory.  This is the tallest public bridge-observatory in the world.  The ride to the top takes one minute.  You then proceed to walk up three additional flights of stairs.  The 360 degree view is 420 feet up.  Can you say "butterflies in my tummy"?



Bucksport, Maine (view from observatory)

View of the Penobscot River from the observatory

 

 

 

 You can see the Waldo-Hancock Bridge to the left.

 

 

Boy, was I glad to be back on solid ground again!  I couldn't believe I was just all the way up there!

 

Northport

Northport, Maine is a small Oceanside town (village might be more appropriate).  There is a small grocery, an ice cream stand, and I think that's about it.  Belfast is a short drive to the North, and Camden is a short drive to the South.  Ben and Emily showed me a section of Northport with rows of houses that are all small and close together.  They all form a U around a small park and the harbor.



Northport Harbor

 

Boat on sand at low tide



The drive through Northport is quite enjoyable.

Belfast Boats

Saturday, Ben and Emily picked me up for lunch in Belfast.  There was a sort of boat show going on, with a big tug boat that can do 360 degree rotations around and around. 



Tug Boat

 

My favorite boat was the Wanderbird, a ship that does tours of all sorts.  Arctic expeditions, Fall foliage, lighthouses, all kinds of fun stuff (Hint, Hint, Erica).

 

Wanderbird

 

Private guest quarters are quite cozy

Flowers add a nice touch

 

Bunk beds are another option


 

 

 

 

View from below

 

For lunch, we went to the Dockside Restaurant, and sat outside, where it was barely warm enough to be comfortable.  I had my first lobster roll, which I must say, was delicious.

 

Lobster Roll: lobster over lettuce on a hoagie.

 

 

 

Venturing out

I went for a drive while the dogs were at the groomer this week.  Maine has State Parks all over the place, and I ventured to find Fort Point State Park.  It was a nice drive, about a half hour.  Unfortunately, I arrived to find the entrance closed.  Having done research beforehand, I was confused.  A quick check on the cellphone told me that Memorial Day Weekend was opening weekend for the season (not sure how I missed that small detail).  I wasn't too disappointed, however.  I got a chance to take some pictures of the area, and made a mental note of where I want to return for more pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

I had my first lunch in Belfast, choosing Rollie's Bar and Grill.  I had baked scallops, and a local brew called "lobster ale". 

The meal did not disappoint, and was more than I could finish:

 

 

 

The dogs did fine at the groomer, and seemed to have grown two inches (or maybe they were holding their heads up higher, knowing they looked fresh and clean). 

They were playful as ever when we got back home.

 

 

 

 

 

Settling In

It has certainly been relaxing to settle in and get my bearings.  The saying goes "If you don't like the weather in Maine, wait five minutes."  I've certainly seen evidence of this; fog and rain on the first day, followed by sunshine then wind then calm then wind on another. 

The steps leading down to the beach.

 

This morning was clear and sunny, with a beautiful sunrise coming though the trees:

Natasha and Stitch are quite the pair.  Natasha enjoys playing with her new brother, but she also enjoys her time up on the bed where he can't reach her.  They both seem to tolerate me.

Fog

Lazy morning in Maine.  Perfect weather to enjoy a cup of coffee.  

The fog gives quite an impression.

The fog horn of a ship passing by:

http://youtu.be/AzHKmRs9MaM