October 1, 2017. Bar Harbor to Freeport.

October 1, 2017.  Bar Harbor to Freeport.  We pulled out of Red Dog Cabin and said goodbye to Hamilton Pond this morning.  Our destination was Freeport, ME.

Highway 1 runs along the Atlantic coast of Maine.  As a major thoroughfare, it has been replaced by Interstate 95.  So now, it winds through sleepy villages which depend on the sea for their existence.  Many were thriving half a century ago.  Now, Interstate 95 carries ideas, commerce and tourists to their destination at a much faster pace.  Still, the charm of the villages remains.  There are several white churches highlighted by steeples in every village.

Red's Eats began selling seafood from a truck in Wiscasset, ME, forty years ago.  Annie and I were watching the local news night before last and saw a story about Red's.  The descendants of Red were celebrating the 40th anniversary by giving away food.  The line was several blocks long.  Wiscasset is on Highway 1, so Annie and I decided to take the forgotten highway from Mount Desert Island to Freeport.

We passed over the Sheepscot River and the traffic on the highway slowed to a near standstill.  My GPS told me that Red's was two tenths of a mile ahead.  Cars were parked along both sides of the street and the line leading up to the food truck was trailing down the sidewalk.  I didn't count, but I'd estimate there were 40-50 people waiting to order.  I circled the block to search for a parking place.  My route took me back to Red's Eats.  The line was no smaller, so we drove on.

A few miles short of Freeport we happened upon the Taste of Maine Restaurant on the Kennebec River near Woolwich, ME.  The restaurant has been there for only 39 years.  But, the haddock sandwich was good.  Among the many decorations were four monkeys; see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil were easily recognized.  The fourth monkey was a mystery.

Freeport is the home of LL Bean.  We spent some time and money there.  The Bean store is an anchor for dozens of other stores, mostly outlet businesses.  Tonight, we are resting in Freeport.  Tomorrow, we will drive the 70 miles to spend the day and night at Portsmouth, NH, on the recommendation of the Thurmonds.

That's all for today.  Goodnight.