Lisa & Bob at The Eastern End of the US

Lisa & Bob, Traveling Adventurers, decided (well, I decided and Bob decided he'd come along) to see the puffins at Machias Seal Island, off Jonesport, Maine. Jonesport, if you look at the above map of Maine, is on the coast just to the left of the "claw" at the easternmost point of the state. The island under the "D" in "Downeast" is Mount Desert Island, i.e. Acadia and Bar Harbor.

After a deal of research, I found that the perfect time to see the puffins was late July - early August, after the chicks had hatched but before they'd all left for sea. You see, puffins live in the water. They mate in the water, only return to land to lay the egg and tend to the chick. The first time the chick emerges from his or her puffin hole, it pops into the water and off they all go.

So July it was. Saturday, July 18th, to be exact. While looking at a map to figure out how to get up there, I discovered that a spot nearby was marked "Biggest Whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere". And so the adventure was planned. Gotta love the Internet, which revealed countless other wonders of the area!

Friday
Driving up to Maine

Saturday
Oodles of puffins, plus Quoddy Head and Reversing Waterfalls

Sunday
Acadia National Park and hiking

Bird List

So what do I think? I think I wish I could just teleport above Bar Harbour. Get past all that touristy stuff and on to the *real* Maine. Of quiet, of deer and doe, of circling sea birds. Spinning whirlpools and green meadows and grey rocks. It was *so* much like County Cork, Ireland - rugged coastlines, quiet roads. I liked it very much. I suppose if it turns out the northern tip of Maine is really the northernmost point in the continental US, we'll probably be back!!

Lisa's Travelogue page