Maine magazine August 2018 by Maine Magazine

August 2018

ISOLATED ESCAPE VISITING MAINE'S MOST REMOTE ISLAND COMMUNITY RUM PUNCHES AND PRESIDENTS ON PERKINS COVE

TEACHING HISTORY AT CAMPOBELLO

LAKES FOR SUMMERTIME BOATING 123 August 2018

Fine home builders, general contractors, and developers

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Across from Main Mall August 2018 1

l a p O ry e e r Ra iscov D Earrings F9583 $2,305.00

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Spectacular African Opals from new finds in Welo, Ethiopia

Color unlike anything you have ever seen. Color that sweeps and darts, vanishes and reappears. One moment it’s red, then orange, then violet and on to ghostly blues and spectral greens, apparitions of a longlost world, playing, dancing, cavorting across the surface. Colors dreaming within the gems. Look once, look twice, look a hundred times, always different. Carry one close to your heart, a pendant, a necklace, hold colors near the ear, and for dramatic moments of outreach, a bracelet or a ring too. No matter what we say, it can’t convey, no matter what we show in print and video, they don’t begin to explain. Visit us and see. Visit us and in two minutes you will see something you never knew existed, you couldn’t possibly have known. Your heart will know, you must have, must take one home with you… or two, or three. Everything is Early Welo, amazing values. Welo opals set in 22 karat yellow gold. We have the definitive collection of Welo opal in New England. Each gem is individually chosen, lovingly handcrafted. Adding new pieces weekly. $450.00 to $7,500.00

Over 100 pieces of Welo opal jewelry on display. This is a must see. Absolute Satisfaction Guaranteed on anything you purchase. Full 30-day refund.

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More on-line www.CrossJewelers.com/welo Open Monday - Friday 9:30am to 5:00pm 1-800-433-2988

Photo by Benjamin Williamson

We are HG

Joe: Architect & HG Conservation Land Trail Volunteer Pat: Writer & Maine Maritime Museum Corporate Relations Manager Jim: Nature Photographer & Midcoast Senior College President Highland Green Residents Highland Green is the Northeastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier 55+ Active Adult Community and has attracted hundreds of interesting people from 31 different U.S. states and counting.

7 Evergreen Circle, Topsham, Maine | 866-854-1200 / 207-725-4549 | HighlandGreenLifestyle.com

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T H E

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State 23 Media showcases the finest of Maine, brings inspiring content and uplifting stories to our readers, engages in ongoing community dialog and helps companies and organizations grow and contribute to Maineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beauty, prosperity and greatness.

To learn more visit themainemag.com/staff

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So You Can Live in Motion. She could run for hours listening to her favorite music. Between kids and work, a different type of marathon was definitely in the cards. At St. Mary’s Health System, a member of Covenant Health, we know you need expert Orthopedic care tailored to your specific bone and joint need to help you live in motion. • Total and Partial Joint Replacement • Arthroscopic Repair & Surgery

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CONTENTS

Anchor on Perkins Cove 054

For half a century, the family behind Barnacle Billyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s has been serving lobster rolls and rum punch to locals, presidents, and everyone in between by Karen Watterson | Photography by Nicole Wolf

A Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Summer Haven 062

Decades after its creation, Roosevelt Campobello International Park continues to teach and inspire by Philip Conkling | Photography by Nicole Wolf

Front Ocean 074

A sunbathed, beach-shack relaxing, sensory-underload weekend on Matinicus, 22 miles from the midcoast by Sandy Lang | Photography by Peter Frank Edwards

Gone Country 096

Fine arts, clever crafts, and DIY style converge in an old farmhouse outside Camden by Katy Kelleher | Photography by Erin Little

on the cover

A late-summer Saturday of bike rides and tree climbing on Matinicus Island. Photography by Peter Frank Edwards

on this page

A below-the-wing view of Matinicus from the seat of a Cessna, just before circling around to the oceanfront landing strip. Photography by Peter Frank Edwards

THERE + THEN 020 Going out, giving back: supporting nonprofits + local businesses in the vital work they do year-round NEW + NOTEWORTHY

031 What’s happening around the state

48 HOURS

034 Mount Desert Island; Blue Hill, Brooklin + Brooksville

by Joel Kuschke and Lamia Lazrak and Sean Thomas

A-LIST

050 Lakes for Boating

by Kate Gardner Photography by Peter Frank Edwards

EAT 090 North 43 Bistro

by Susan Axelrod Photography by Nicole Wolf

CAPTURE 120 Marina French

074

PUBLISHER’S NOTE 013 EDITOR’S NOTE 015 CONTRIBUTORS 017 EVENTS 028

MAINE SAILING ADVENTURES MAINE STATE PIER á PORTLAND, ME

Sandy Lang

PHOTOGRAPHERS |

Ted Axelrod, Matt Congdon, Matt Cosby, Dave Dostie, Kyle Dubay, Peter Frank Edwards, Erin Little, Sean Thomas, Nicole Wolf PUBLISHER & CEO | Andrea King DIRECTOR OF SALES | Jeffrey D’Amico ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGERS

Ryan Hammond, Peter Heinz, Tom Urban DIRECTOR OF FINANCE | Melissa Olander DIRECTOR OF MARKETING | Scott Wentzell DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & VISIBILITY

Shelbi Wassick OFFICE MANAGER | Casey Lovejoy GRAPHIC DESIGNER | Taylor Adams CIRCULATION | Sarah Lynn INTERN | Blair Best

MAINE HOME+DESIGN MAGAZINE

Danielle Devine, Joel Kuschke, Emma Simard OLD PORT MAGAZINE

Susan Axelrod, Sarah Prak STATE 23 MEDIA

Adam Japko, Sandy Spaulding Managing Partners

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Charter . Special Events . Day Sail Yoga Sail . Acoustic Sunset Sail . Wine Sail

(207) 749-9169 á MAINESAILINGADVENTURES.NET

Opinions expressed in articles or advertisements, unless otherwise noted, do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher, staff, or advisory board. Every effort has been made to ensure that all information presented in this issue is accurate, and neither Maine nor any of its staff is responsible for omissions or information that has been misrepresented to the magazine. Copyright © 2018, State 23 Media LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission, in writing, from the publisher. Printed in the U.S.A. themainemag.com

PUBLISHER'S NOTE Photography by Sean Thomas

Under the banner of State 23 Media, our magazines have new owners, and we have embarked on a new voyage that strengthens our focus on producing high-quality, engaging publications that showcase the best of Maine and Mainers. The owners include managing partners Adam Japko, founder and CEO of Esteem Media, which publishes New England Home and Atlanta Homes and Lifestyle, and Sandy Spaulding, a longtime Maine business leader. Moreover, we have made a strong commitment to be a model company that is a positive force in Maine—a company that will continually earn the respect and admiration of our staff, contributors, advertisers, and readers.

This spring, we learned of inappropriate behavior in the workplace that was far out of line with whom we wanted to be. I understand the disappointment and doubts these stories caused for our staff, readers, and advertisers. We apologize and are committed to fixing what led to these problems. We have taken actions— including putting in place policies and best practices to promote a corporate culture that is safe, transparent, and respectful, and where discrimination or harassment, in any form, will not be tolerated. I don’t expect that words alone will immediately reestablish your trust in our company. We plan to do even more, including actively listening and learning from those in our community.

proud of our extraordinarily talented and committed staff. There’s an old French proverb, Qui n’avance pas, recule, which roughly translates as “Who does not move forward, recedes.” Here’s to moving forward, ever the wiser, and producing outstanding magazines and superb events to serve you—our readers, customers, and partners—long into the future.

Andrea King Publisher & CEO aking@themainemag.com

I believe in this company, I am committed to our mission and values, and I am

August 2018 13

Maine crafted chandeliers with hand painted silk shades

www.LotenartLighting.com 207-589-3195 gallery and studio

Hinckley Introductions is a boutique agency, based in New England, that specializes in matchmaking singles 40 and up.

I look forward to helping you navigate your way to a great relationship!

Jill Hinckley www.hinckleyintroductions.com Connecting people on a personal and meaningful level.

EDITOR’S NOTE Photography by Sean Thomas

WE LOVE MAINE. We fill our work days creating Maine-centric media products—publishing magazines and guides, producing radio shows, managing social media sites, developing websites, filming videos, producing events—because of this simple tenet. Our staff have stayed here, come back here, or moved here because we love Maine’s rich history, its unique character, and the people who live here, and most important, because we believe in Maine’s potential. We simultaneously love the Maine we grew up in and fully embrace the reality that things change and evolve. And we bear witness to that happening here. We are cheerleaders for Maine as a place for people to live, stay, and thrive—a place for people from away to move to, a place for second homeowners to buy into, a place to raise children, a place to start and operate a business—as well as a place to visit and explore, a place to escape and heal. And, a place to be inspired. We cover Maine in a positive light. We intentionally leave the negativity and snark to other media outlets. There is a place for everything, and we honor that. But that place is not here. So if you love Maine, please turn to us with your reading eyes, your listening ears, your follows and your likes, your attendance, and your advertising and sponsorships. Explore what we believe is the best Maine has to offer, on the pages of our magazines and guides, through the airwaves, at events, and via social media.

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Maine is published twelve times each year by State 23 Media LLC Editorial and subscription information: phone 207.772.3373 | fax 888.836.6715 16 Middle Street | Suite 501 | Portland | Maine | 04101 Opinions expressed in articles or advertisements, unless otherwise noted, do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher, staff, or advisory board. Every effort has been made to ensure that all information presented in this issue is accurate, and neither Maine nor any of its staff is responsible for omissions or information that has been misrepresented to the magazine. Copyright © 2018, State 23 Media LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission, in writing, from the publisher. Printed in the U.S.A. themainemag.com

By the time I reached Geoff Katz last August, I had already spoken with three other Matinicus islanders in hopes of finding a place for a writer and photographer to stay while they visited for an upcoming story. With each call came another few names and phone numbers. I got Katz’s name from Laurie Webber, an artist who owns a graphic design business. Katz has owned two rustic cottages on Matinicus for nearly 40 years, and he rents them to summer and shoulderseason visitors. Before I spoke with Katz, I knew of the logistical challenges of visiting. There is no store on the island, which is home to a small year-round population. The writer and the photographer, Sandy Lang and Peter Frank Edwards, were going to be taking a Penobscot Island Air flight to the island because the state ferry only travels from Rockland to Matinicus four times a month in the summer. Katz warned me that this is not a normal vacation. “The island, it wouldn’t appeal to everybody, but people who like that—a little rough— are crazy for it,” he told me. It turned out Lang and Edwards were crazy for it. The pair crisscrossed the 720-acre island, mostly by foot, discovering sandy beaches,

planetarium-like starry views, and welcoming locals (“Front Ocean,” p. 074). This issue has other stories about escapes. At Roosevelt Campobello International Park, just over the bridge from Lubec, visitors will find natural beauty and history lessons. The park, established by the United States and Canada, preserves the summer retreat of Eleanor and Franklin Delano Roosevelt (“A President’s Summer Haven,” p. 062). Alissa and Jacob Hessler found relief from their lives in big cities when they moved to a 200-year-old farmhouse in Camden. The couple discovered that the rural location allowed them to prioritize life while still being creative in their work. (“Gone Country,” p. 096) Maine has no shortage of escapes. Whether it’s to an island or the country or somewhere in between, I hope you find yours this summer.

Paul Koenig Editor pkoenig@themainemag.com

August 2018 15

WE GIVE BACK.

At State 23 Media our mission is to make a substantial and unique contribution to supporting Maine’s nonprofit community statewide, regionally, and at the town level. We believe that the work Maine’s nonprofit organizations do, individually and collectively, makes our lives better and Maine a better place to live. With limited budgets, Maine’s nonprofits need help boosting awareness of their specific causes and raising the funds they need. We have established long-term relationships with over 120 nonprofits and community-based organizations. We give to these organizations by providing, free of charge, services ranging from advertising to graphic design, brand development, marketing advice, online announcements, and social media engagement. We often include nonprofit organizations in our editorial coverage through feature articles and/or recaps of their events. You’ll find the latter in our “There + Then,” “Turnout,” and “Gather” sections. WE ARE PROUD OF OUR AFFILIATION WITH THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS:

THE ACADIA LIVE EDGE TABLE

From Chilton Furniture. Made in Maine. Shown with Musician’s Chairs from Tappan Chairs.

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w w w.c h i l to n s .co m • 8 6 6 - 8 8 3 -3 3 6 6 F R E E P O R T 2 07- 8 6 5 - 4 3 0 8 • S C A R B O R O U G H 2 0 7- 8 8 3 -3 3 6 6

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CONTRIBUTORS

PHILIP CONKLING consults with a variety of for-profit and nonprofit clients in environmental and energy sectors. For the past six years, he has also served as an alternate commissioner of the Roosevelt Campobello International Park, which he wrote about for this issue. “A PRESIDENT'S SUMMER HAVEN,” p. 062

KATY KELLEHER is a writer, editor, and Telling Room teacher. Her first book, Handcrafted Maine, is all about the creative people (builders, bakers, weavers, and painters) who make the Pine Tree State so special. She loves meeting artists and DIY-ers of all stripes. In this issue, she travels to Camden to visit the quirky, cool house of Alissa and Jacob Hessler of Hessler Creative. “GONE COUNTRY,” p. 096

ERIN LITTLE is an interior and portrait photographer

Creative director JOEL KUSCHKE is a Maine native currently living in Portland. He studied art and design in New York and has spent the past ten years working in graphic design and printing. On weekends. he loves to escape to the more remote corners of Maine to enjoy its woods and waters. 48 HOURS, p. 034

based in Maine. For this issue, she traveled to Alissa and Jacob Hessler’s home nestled in the beautiful hills of Camden, where she made fast friends with the wonderful owners. “GONE COUNTRY,” p. 096

August 2018 17

THE BIKE COP IN THE GREATER WEIGHT OF EVIDENCE JAMES H.K. BRUNER

MAINE HAS A NEW HERO!

James H.K. Bruner

THE BIKE COP in

The Greater Weight of Evidence

In 1977, Digger’s summer job as the Port’s bike cop was to be routine: parking tickets for the tourists. But murder, helicopter drug busts, and race incited protests have a way of complicating things... “I

LOVE JAMIE BRUNER’S BIKE COP SERIES. IT’S AUTHENTIC MAINE. ANYONE WHO HAS WORKED A SUMMER JOB IN A

TOURIST TOWN WILL LOVE BEING TRANSPORTED BACK IN THIS EXCITING THRILLER. DIGGER IS A DOLL!” - D O R O B U S H KO C H , NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

CLARION REVIEW

AWARDS “IRRESISTIBLE”

“BRUNER TAKES US TO THE PLACES WE HAVE BEEN IN OUR LIVES BUT HIJACKS US INTO A PLOT THAT IS OUT OF THIS WORLD. A BOOK FOR ANYONE WHO LONGS TO SPEND SUMMERS AT THE SEASHORE.” - K AT H Y O S T R A N D E R R O B E R T S , AUTHOR, REALTOR, KENNEBUNK HISTORIAN

From the kitchen to the dining room. Susan Axelrod, a former restaurateur and now Food Editor, writes about one of her great passions: amazing meals. @eatmaine + themainemag.com

Bolster, Snow & Co. | Portland

236 MAIN STREET YA R M O U T H , M A I N E

207.847.0411

B R I C K YA R D H O L L O W.C O M

THERE + THEN

THEY SAY IT’S GREAT TO HAVE FRIENDS WITH SAIL BOATS.

Photography by Matt Congdon

3RD ANNUAL RUN OF THE ROYAL CORPORATE CANOE CHALLENGE

A canoe race to benefit Yarmouth’s Royal River Conservation Trust In May the third annual Run of the Royal Corporate Canoe Challenge raised thousands of dollars to support the work of the Royal River Conservation Trust (RRCT). Each year employee teams from dozens of local companies compete in this flat-water canoe relay race in Yarmouth. The RRCT has plans to acquire and improve public paddling access points and shoreline habitat up and down the river in its tributaries and headwater ponds and on Casco Bay. 01

MEET YOUR NEW BEST FRIENDS. “While many companies approach this as an employee teambuilding event, the real magic of the race comes when employees bring kids of any age to join on one of the relay legs. It’s great fun to get more people of all ages and all backgrounds onto the river to see first-hand our conservation work.” —Alan Stearns, executive director of the Royal River Conservation Trust 04

Private charters. Day sails. Multi-day sails with a private chef. Casco Bay. And you.

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Calendar Islands Sailing Co. sailcascobay.com 207 318 3025

01 Melissa Olander, director of finance at State 23 Media; Erik Olander, therapist; Jeffrey D’Amico, director of sales at State 23 Media; and Scott Wentzell, director of marketing at State 23 Media 02 Harry Nelson, vice president of aquatic markets at Fluid Imaging Technologies 03 Chris Mills, manufacturing engineer at Fluid Imaging Technologies, and Maggie Burns, project manager and hydrologist at FB Environmental 04 Michelle Levesque-Lajoie and Scott Wentzell 05 Christopher Mills (front), retail at L.L.Bean, and Chris Corey (back), creative department at L.L.Bean 06 Scott Dugas, owner of Scott Dugas Trucking and Excavating; Tom Marjerison, attorney at Norman, Hanson, and DeTroy; and Dan Edwards, Milk 07 A child looks at the canoes used in the race.

maine | themainemag.com

SERVING THE SHEEPSCOT VALLEY SINCE 1894 Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway Museum REBUILDING MAINE HISTORY RIDE EXPLORE RELIVE HISTORY! Ride our trains to hiking trails, a picnic grove, exhibits, events & more.

SUMMER 2018 EVENTS Ice Cream Socials: July 7 & August 25 Evening Concerts: July 28, August 25, September 8 Annual Picnic: August 11 & 12

F A B U L O U S S O C K S F O R E V E RYO N E !

Current schedules & event information at wwfry.org or 207-882-4193 97 Cross Road, Alna, Maine

207.805.1348

JULY 18 - AUG 4 AUG 8 - AUG 25 207-725-8769

MSMT.ORG

BRUNSWICK, ME

THERE + THEN Photography by Matt Congdon

MAINE MINERAL + GEM MUSEUM MINERALOGICAL HERITAGE AWARDS

A ceremony to honor those who have supported Maine’s mineral community Maine Mineral and Gem Museum honored 2018 Maine Mineralogical Heritage Awardees Mary Groves and Irving “Dudy” Groves at this year’s New England Mineral Conference in Newry. Mary Groves is well known for her hospitality in her role as hostess at the Poland Mining Camps in Poland. Dudy, who died in 2005, spent over 40 years in the mountains of Maine mining at places such as Mount Apatite and Mount Mica.

For the perfect beginning

TIMELESS GIFTS PERSONAL SERVICE REGISTER IN-STORE AND ONLINE TABLETOP FLATWARE GLASSWARE KITCHENWARES LINENS HOME GOODS

“It’s easy to see that Mary and Dudy did so much more than build a camp—they also created a community. Poland Mining Camps remains a place for mineral enthusiasts to gather in a place that feels like home.”

Outstanding personal service since 1911 • Shipping nationwide 135 Main Street • Northeast Harbor, Maine • (800) 673-3754

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—Barbra Barrett, executive director of Maine Mineral and Gem Museum

Est. 1907® FINE JEWELRY & SPECIALTY GIFTS

Just beyond the Perkins Cove draw bridge. 116-2 PERKINS COVE RD I OGUNQUIT, ME 207.646.5368 thewhistlingoyster.net

01 Minerals on display at the event. 02 Jessica Siraco, executive director of Friends of Evergreen, and Dr. Skip Simmons, professor of mineralogy at University of New Orleans 03 Barbra Barrett, director of Maine Mineral and Gem Museum 04 Frank Perham, historian and pegmatite miner, and Chad Waning 05 Doug Bowen, New England Mineral Association; Woody Thompson, geologist and mineral dealer; and Mary Freeman, Maine Mineral and Gem Museum trustee 06 Jeff Swanger, CEO of Oceanview Mines, and Troy Hatch, Galaxy Gems Brazil 07 Myles Felch, staff geologist at Maine Mineral and Gem Museum

maine | themainemag.com

The Goose Rocks Wave Ring

THIS IS SO MAINE. Find yours at...

WE DELIVER. Subscribe 207 772 3373 themainemag.com/subscribe

Located in the heart of downtown Camden

28 Dock Square, Kennebunkport, ME 207.967.0100 | Coastaljewelers.com

PLANTED IN 1983

If you love Maine, you will love

FEATURING MAINE WOODWORKERS, POTTERS & JEWELERS AND

MUCH MORE !

800-236-0440 31 Main St. (Route 1) Camden, Maine store@onceatree.net

Open Year Round

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THERE + THEN Photography by Matt Congdon

PARTY WITH A PURPOSE

An evening to support Maine children battling cancer The Rotary Club of Portland Sunrise hosted the 20th annual Party with a Purpose in support of Maine Children’s Cancer Program (MCCP) at DiMillo’s on the Water. The fundraising event included silent and live auctions and food and beverages, all in support of children battling cancer in Maine. Over $45,000 was raised to provide local children with access to the best cancer treatments available, to support clinical research opportunities that are improving survival rates, and to fund psychosocial services for the entire family. 01

Join the Farnsworth [Collective]! A dynamic group of art lovers and makers in the heart of Rockland, Maine. farnsworthmuseum.org/collective

“It’s amazing to see how much enthusiasm, emotion, and generosity flows through this event, even after 20 years. The gripping words of Sarah Littlefield, the mother of an MCCP patient, really set the tone for the night. It was by far the most successful event yet.” —Steve DiMillo, Jr., banquet manager at DiMillo’s on the Water

THIS IS SO MAINE. WE DELIVER. Subscribe 207 772 3373 themainemag.com/subscribe

01 Louisa Munk, research assistant at Maine Public Health Institute, and Neala Broadrick, writer 02 Steve DiMillo, manager of DiMillo’s on the Water, and Kristi McKinnon 03 Renee Hanley, outbound channel marketing manager at WEX, and Jason Hanley, vice president of sales operations at WEX 04 Dave Parsons, the Rotary Club of Portland Sunrise, and Ann Lee Hussey, the Rotary Club of Portland Sunrise 05 Sam Heck, president of the Rotary Club of Portland Sunrise; Ashton HunterSildve, philanthropy coordinator at MCCP; Sue MacArthur, vice president at Strategic Talent Management; and Sydney Walsh 06 Shannon Cole and Sarah Littlefield, mother of an MCCP patient

maine | themainemag.com

August 2018 25

FROM THE RIGGING TO THE RUNWAY A FASHION SHOW IN BOOTHBAY THAT USES MARINE MATERIALS TO MAKE CREATIVE DESIGNS BY KATE GARDNER // PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE DOSTIE

maine | themainemag.com

he Fishin’ for Fashion Show, part of the annual Boothbay Harbor Festival, showcases pieces of clothing made from upcycled fishing gear. The pieces are designed and modeled by local students and shop owners, and all ticket sales benefit Boothbay Region High School’s Project Graduation. The fifth annual Fishin’ for Fashion Show will take place September 8 at 2–4 p.m. at Ocean Point Marina. Tickets include access to the East Side Vibe Vendor Market and Music Festival.

DANA PAOLILLO founder and director of Fishin’ For Fashion

Q. A.

How does this event highlight Boothbay Harbor’s community? It’s just a different way to showcase our vendors in town. We didn’t want to do a regular fashion show, so we added a twist. Since we’re a marine and fishing community, that was our twist. We’re a huge boating community. We like to showcase our heritage in unique ways and kind of give it a different spin. At the same time, we’re showcasing local stores and their products. It’s such a unique, fun way to show off our peninsula.

How do students and other participants utilize different objects and tools in their creations?

They take recycled or new marine material and make things you couldn’t even imagine. They make really unique things out of netting, hooks, traps, and lures. They’ve used scientific pieces in their outfits as well. Attendees can talk to the designers after, touch the material, and find out how they were made. Some people want to buy the pieces, but they don’t fit everyone. We now have designers include a bag, and we auction them off after and they do very well. The designs are phenomenal, and it gets bigger each year.

Q. A.

Aside from this being a fundraiser, what do students take away from this event? We have about 15 kids help out with this event. In Boothbay, there are kids in every grade attached to local fishermen or other members of the fishing community, or to Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. We take this as an opportunity to show our students that they can also go into fashion or the arts. They can go into a creative field. When you come to the show, it’s honestly amazing to see the creativity of changing pieces of the fishing industry into something so creative and cool. The outfits are works of art.

August 2018 27

E VE N T S | A U G U ST

Never out of Style.

8.1–8.5

MAINE LOBSTER FESTIVAL Various times Rockland Harbor Park 1 Pleasant St. | Rockland mainelobsterfestival.com

8.2

FIRST THURSDAY ART OPENING FEATURING DAVID MOSER + MATTHEW RUSS 5 p.m.–7 p.m. Portland Art Gallery 154 Middle St. | Portland artcollectormaine.com

8.4

TD BEACH TO BEACON 10K 8 a.m. Fort Williams Park 1000 Shore Rd. | Cape Elizabeth beach2beacon.org

8.7–8.12

TOPSHAM FAIR Various times Topsham Fairgrounds 54 Elm St. | Topsham topshamfair.net

8.12

SWIMRUN CASCO BAY ISLANDS 6 a.m. Portland usa-swimrun.com

8.13

SUSAN CURTIS FOUNDATION GOLF TOURNAMENT Susan Curtis Foundation 11 a.m.–6:30 p.m. The Woodlands Club 39 Woods Rd. | Falmouth susancurtisfoundation.org

8.17–8.18

LIFE HAPPENS OUTSIDE FESTIVAL

abacusgallery.com

Teens to Trails Various times L.L.Bean Discovery Park 18 Morse St. | Freeport lifehappensoutside.org

8.17–8.19

26TH ANNUAL GREAT FALLS BALLOON FESTIVAL

CRAFT . HOME . JEWELRY Since 1971 | Boothbay Harbor Freeport Kennebunkport Ogunquit Portland 800.206.2166 |

Various times 30 Oxford St. | Lewiston greatfallsballoonfestival.org 28

maine | themainemag.com

leading the way in educating and inspiring visual artists and storytellers for more than 45 years

We offer over 100 photography workshops for students of all levels - from beginners to master level classes. FOUNDATIONS • B&W DARKROOM & ALTERNATIVE PROCESS • DIGITAL WORKFLOW • STUDIO & LIGHTING • PORTRAITURE • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT • FINE ART • DOCUMENTARY & PHOTOJOURNALISM • MULTIMEDIA • NATURE, LANDSCAPE & TRAVEL

Not your grandfather’s log cabin. Katahdin Cedar Log Homes offers so much more than your standard log home kits. Are you dreaming of a soaring great room that holds the eye? A walkout basement for additional our plans or one of your own, our design team can make your dream a reality. Once your home is designed we’ll bring it to life with our Northern White Cedar and keep it snug with our Energy Envelope System. This ensures your solid cedar log home won’t only be beautiful, but also energy

maine | themainemag.com

NEW + NOTEWORTHY glass, woodwork and oddities

Lifeflight of Maine and remote-access project manager Jonathan “JR” Roebuck have received Helicopter Association International’s 2018 Salute to Excellence Airbus Helicopters Golden Hour Award. Lifeflight provides emergency medical transport all over Maine. Roebuck is being recognized for creating over 120 remote-access landing zones to allow Lifeflight helicopters to reach patients more easily.

Sea Bags has opened its first retail store in Rockland. The new location is the 16th for the company, which makes bags and accessories from recycled sails. The store, located at 371 Main Street, sells all of the Sea Bags designs as well as regional designs specific to Rockland and will be open year-round.

F ro m t h e Be a u t i f u l t o th e B i za r r e U n i q ue C r e ati o n s Un us ua l G i f ts Photography by Fred Field

Eric C. Brown has been named the interim president of the University of Maine at Farmington. The University of Maine System Board of Trustees unanimously made the appointment for the one-year term starting July 1. Brown has been the provost and vice president for academic affairs at the university since December 2016. The former president, Kate Foster, left the position after six years to serve as the president of the College of New Jersey.

kh arrisbsh o p

Kharris B

by Kate Gardner

IDEXX Laboratories made this year’s Fortune 1000 list of the largest publicly traded companies for the first time. The Westbrook-based company, which produces veterinary diagnostic testing equipment, software, and other products, is the only Maine company on the list and is ranked 961st. IDEXX had $1.97 billion in revenue in 2017.

E xt rao rd i n a ry C r a f ts m a n s h i p OPEN FRI + SAT 12-6 OR BY CH AN CE | AP P T: 207.210.2875 229 WATER ST R EET | B AT H , MAINE REN Y’S PARKIN G LOT, LEFT SIDE OF RAMP WAY T O FR ONT ST.

Cranberry Isla t a nd e Gr GENERAL STORE

Photography by Griggs Photography

Portland law firm Bernstein Shur has expanded its parental leave policy to 16 weeks of paid leave. New parents are also able to take an additional 12 weeks of unpaid leave. The policy applies to parents of any gender and includes new births, adoptions, and foster care placements. Artist Robert Indiana passed away May 19 on Vinalhaven at age 89. Originally from the Midwest, Indiana spent his later years in Vinalhaven. The artist was best known for his iconic LOVE sculpture as well as other pop art sculptures. On the shore of Great Cranberry Island offering a little bit of everything. Visit by private boat or local ferry! 1 2 C R A N B E R RY R D C R A N B E R RY I S L E S , M A I N E 207.244.0622 C R A N B E R RYG E N E R A L August 2018 31

Labor Day Weekend August 31st-September 2nd

Live Music | Cocktail Competition | On The Waterfront

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MOUNT DESERT ISLAND

in 48 Hours

JOEL KUSCHKE CREATIVE DIRECTOR 01

Maine’s largest island is a wonderland of diverse ecology where large green spruce and pine trees litter the rocky shores and stop just short of plunging into the sea. In the summer months MDI sees millions of tourists each year, many drawn here by Acadia National Park.

FRIDAY EVENING

Home-base haven My friend, Registered Maine Guide Tom Belluscio, and I arrive at our home base for the weekend, Ullikana Inn. This stunning inn in downtown Bar Harbor overlooks Frenchman Bay. Owners Eddie and Judy Hemmingsen purchased the cottage in 2017 and have made extensive renovations in preparation for the 2018 season. On Main Street we stop in at Maine’s oldest bookstore, Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shop, where I ﬁnd a book about MDI history, and Tom thumbs through

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a local bird guide. We head out in search of our dinner destination, Havana. Upon entering I recognize a face wreathed by a long white beard—it’s local bartending legend Mark “Duffy” Dyer. He mixes us a pair of caipirinhas, the national cocktail of Brazil. We order an incredible smoked provolone cheese, grilled with bread, pickled onions, and chimichurri, and follow it up with entrees of haddock and paella. Owner Michael Boland stops by our table and offers some insider tips for our weekend itinerary. We reluctantly pass up on Havana’s dessert offerings, opting instead to backtrack to Ben and Bill’s Chocolate Emporium for ice cream. The sweet smells can be picked up from a block away. The interior is a kaleidoscope of mismatched stainedglass lamps and candy jars from ﬂoor to ceiling, and features an enormous ice cream cooler. With cones in hand we stumble upon a hole-in-the-wall bar called The

Barnacle. Low yellow lights illuminate a copper bar and an extensive row of taps. We make conversation with a pair of hikers and our bartender, Trevor, reliving old stories of past camping trips and planning for tomorrow.

SATURDAY MORNING

47,000 acres of paradise We’re up for an early breakfast of coffee, yogurt, and eggs at the Ullikana, then we head straight to Acadia National Park. We stop in at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center to pick up a park pass and a map, then hop on the Park Loop Road. This 27-mile stretch of winding scenery takes visitors to many of Acadia’s

48 HOURS 02

01 The Bubbles, overlooking Jordan Pond. 02 A dory floats in the emerald green waters of Northeast Harbor. 03 Bass Harbor Head Light. 04 Looking out from a seaside cave. 05 Ice cream at Ben and Bill’s Chocolate Emporium. 06 Whiskey on the rocks at the Barnacle. 07 Taking in the beauty of the MDI landscape. 08 Sandwiches for lunch at the Lompoc Cafe. most breathtaking spots. I’m amazed at the natural diversity of the island, as the ecology changes mile after mile, and each new bend in the road is more beautiful than the last. We pull off the loop at Jordan Pond, where we have planned a hike. The most striking feature here is the Bubbles, a pair of twin mountains that dominate the vista with their striking symmetry reﬂected in the crystal-clear waters of the pond. We hike over to the Jordan Pond Gate Lodge, an elaborately built carriage house. It was built in 1931 by John D.

Rockefeller and later given to Acadia along with the 45mile system of carriage roads he helped develop.

AFTERNOON

Low tide and lobster We leave the loop road to explore the long, busy waterfront of Northeast Harbor. On the main drag we stop for lunch at the Colonel’s Restaurant and

Bakery. We embrace the spirit of this fishing village by ordering fish chowder, lobster rolls, and pints of local beer. We make our way back to the loop and follow it to our next stop: Sand Beach. This beach is something straight out of a dream. Tall rocky cliffs serve as dramatic bookends to a small, pristine patch of flat sand. Dead ahead and perfectly centered is an island that juts up out of the ocean. We spend some time hiking around the rocky cliffs and head off the beaten path a bit to explore a massive sea cave accessible only at low tide. August 2018 35

48 HOURS

01 Pristine Sand Beach. 02 The waterfront of Southwest Harbor. 03 The courtyard at the Ullikana. 04 Sunset on Cadillac Mountain.

EVENING

Sunset and suds We have dinner plans at the Lompoc Cafe in Bar Harbor. We settle in at a table halfway between the indoor and outdoor dining areas, taking shelter under the shade an old timber-frame roof. The buds are just starting to blossom on several fruit trees and a large maple in the center of the space. Some guests are playing bocce while others make conversation with the bartender inside. We order a few pints of Marsh Island Brewing’s Pulp Truck IPA, a New England–style IPA. I decide on a savory banh mi sandwich, and Tom opts for the “Bang Bang” chicken sandwich. After another round of Pulp Trucks, we make our way back into Acadia, this time to the highest point on the North Atlantic coast. Cadillac Mountain is a quintessential part of the MDI experience. Feeling pretty satisfied with our morning hike, and seeing that the sun is already hanging low in the sky, we decide the car will be the best way to reach this summit. We work our way up the endlessly winding road, rewarded by incredible vistas along the various rocky outcroppings. We spend an hour walking around the summit, gazing out at the vibrant blue Atlantic dotted with emerald green islands. Other parts of the panoramic view reveal the surrounding valleys with their various hilly pockets of ponds and lakes. For a good part of the year, Cadillac’s summit is the first place to view the sunrise in the United States, but tonight, we’re here for the sunset. We find a patch of rocks on the mountain’s western slopes to settle in and wait for the show. The sky rapidly erupts with fire as the sun fades away behind the horizon, leaving a lingering pink glow to take in as we descend.

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SUNDAY MORNING

Rocky shores and barbecue We’re up early again, so we take a stroll through Bar Harbor to 2 Cats Restaurant for breakfast. At a table in the sunshine, we enjoy a hearty meal of blueberry pancakes, bacon, and eggs Benedict. We drive over to the western side of the island to explore Southwest Harbor. This town has a long stretch of operational fishing and lobstering boats. We eventually make our way to Bass Harbor Head Light. A parking lot leads to a steep set of wooden stairs that wind down the cliffside. I feel a bit like I’m in a treehouse with my bird’s-eye view of the rocky shores below. Once at the bottom, we scramble out over the rocks a bit to get the best view of the lighthouse, which is tucked into a pocket of large spruce trees. Its bright white paint is striking beneath the clear blue sky. We came for the lighthouse, but we stay for the coastline. The rocks here are unique to this section of MDI: bulbous, sprawling, and almost pink in color. We scramble around to find some high ground where we can rest and take in the view. Our last stop on the way out of town is Mainely Meat BBQ at Atlantic Brewing Company’s tasting room. We find a sunny patio seat and enjoy a final round of beers with ribs, pulled pork, and live music. With nourished bellies and minds, we head back toward Portland feeling refreshed and looking forward to our next journey to Mount Desert Island.

FOR NEXT TRIP LODGING BALANCE ROCK INN IVY MANOR INN WEST STREET HOTEL DINING ISLESFORD DOCK THE BURNING TREE RED SKY ACTIVITIES ACADIA AIR TOURS EGG ROCK LIGHT ASTICOU AZALEA GARDEN SHOPPING MOUNT DESERT ISLAND ICE CREAM SAWYER’S MARKET BAR HARBOR TEA COMPANY ANNUAL EVENTS JUNE: ART IN THE PARK SEPTEMBER: ACADIA NIGHT SKY FESTIVAL OCTOBER: MOUNT DESERT ISLAND MARATHON

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BLUE HILL, BROOKLIN + BROOKSVILLE in 48 Hours LAMIA LAZRAK VIDEO PRODUCER SEAN THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHER 01

The Blue Hill peninsula is home to a warm and welcoming community that offers visitors a taste of small-town hospitality on the coast of Maine.

FRIDAY EVENING

Checking in and getting settled We make our way through Blue Hill’s downtown to the Barncastle Hotel for a late-night check-in after the three-hour drive from Portland. Upon our arrival we ﬁnd our room key and a kind note from the owner, Loralie Robbins, welcoming us to Blue Hill and wishing us a good stay. We make our way upstairs to settle for the night in the Turret Room, a spacious room with a ﬁreplace.

SATURDAY MORNING

Views, breakfast, reading

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Sean wakes up before sunrise to photograph the harbor. While the overcast weather has other plans, the soft light of daybreak breaks out the grandeur of Blue Hill Mountain. After the day starts to considerably brighten, we head over to the Blue Hill Co-op for breakfast. Baskets hang from hooks on the deck, and locals head in and out with coffees in hand. We make our way to the deli counter to order some of the co-op’s well-known breakfast sandwiches: bacon, egg, and red pepper on sourdough and a lox bagel with lemon, a hard-boiled egg, and a mug of coffee. Lamia ﬁnds some freshly cut orange tulips to brighten the overcast morning, and we discuss the photography that adorns the walls of the co-op’s dining area, frames captured by a local documentary photographer. Next we visit the winter farmers’ market held in a greenhouse at Mainescape Garden Shop. Inside, we are completely overtaken by the scents, sounds, and

images of a bustling farmers’ market and vendors selling everything from bread, pastries, and sandwiches to seasonal vegetables and tulips in vibrant spring colors. Lamia heads over to the crepe stand for a homemade Nutella and banana crepe only to ﬁnd that it is run by Loralie from the Barncastle Hotel and Restaurant with her chef, Tim Gunderson.

AFTERNOON

Pottery and exploration On a drive around the area, we spot a pottery shop, Rackliffe Pottery, where Margaret and Dennis Rackliffe have been spinning, firing, and glazing clay for decades. They make custom pieces and source their clay from the earth on their family farm. We introduce ourselves, and Dennis takes us through the process of creating the finished pieces, from the clay pit to the drying table to the wheels to the kiln to, finally, the glaze.

48 HOURS 02

01 A lobster roll and fried fish from the Fish Net. 02 A game of rummy and a beer flight at Strong Brewing Company. 03 Al Strong, the head brewer and co-owner at Strong Brewing. 04 A soft-serve swirl cone with rainbow sprinkles from the Fish Net. 05 The Barncastle Hotel facade. 06 Tim Gunderson of the Barncastle Restaurant powders a housemade Nutella banana crepe at the winter farmers’ market. 07 Chocolate from Black Dinah Chocolatiers. 08 Bottled wares at the Brooklin Candy Company. 09 Empanada at the Barncastle Restaurant. We drive south to Brooklin in search of the E.B. White House and Brooklin Boat Yard. En route we come across Brooklin Candy Company. Owner Blossom Kravitz moved to Brooklin from Brooklyn, New York, a few years prior to converting the ﬁrst level of her home into her business’s storefront and cafe. Blossom also utilizes the space for a monthly dinner party for which she creates a multicourse menu for between 10 and 20 people. Lamia buys some of her

irresistible raspberry truffles on the way out. Author E.B. White’s connection to the Blue Hill region is one of the few things we knew about the area before our trip. Following a tip from Blossom we visit Friend Memorial Public Library and ﬁnd a collection of White’s work, including a signed book written out to the library. We continue our drive through Brooklin before reaching Brooklin Boat

Yard. We take in the serene views looking out at Eggemoggin Reach, then go back to the inn by way of Brooksville. At Barncastle’s bar, we reenergize with some snacks and drinks before dinner. Tim ﬁxes us some Old Fashioneds, and we order spicy meatballs and empanadas for appetizers.

August 2018 43

01 A kiln at Rackliffe Pottery. 02 A bacon, egg, and red pepper breakfast sandwich at the Blue Hill Co-op.

LIVE WITH THE TIDES

EVENING

Fresh and local dinner With the light fading fast and the skies finally showing some blue, we head over to Arborvine Restaurant for dinner. Sitting at an intimate, cozy table by a window, we start with a refreshing halfdozen Bagaduce River oysters and a summer salad with strawberries, walnuts, and goat cheese. For our main, we order the tournedos Bordelaise on a dollop of Seal Cove Farm chevre. We finish with a raspberry sorbet and a glass of sambuca (with the necessary coffee beans for luck). On our way back we pick up a bottle of wine, and when we arrive we discover Tim has already gotten the fireplace in our room going.

SUNDAY MORNING

Light breakfast and a casual hike The weather is still overcast, but a lack of sun isn’t going to stop our plans. We make our way downstairs for a perfect light breakfast with croissants, cereal, coffee, and orange juice. We drive to a trailhead for Blue Hill Mountain and begin our ascent. A quick 30-minute hike later, we reach the summit. Although the hike was short, the view of Blue Hill Bay and the downtown is spectacular. While we catch our breath, we witness a cast of hawks ﬂying around the mountain in search of prey.

AFTERNOON

Lunch, beer, rummy, and chocolate Buoy Floor Lamp $695 + Channel Marker End Table $450

We take some downtime before lunch to chat with Loralie and the hotel staff about the area, then we head to The Fish Net on Main Street in Blue Hill. With an ice cream counter and picnic tables outside and cozy booths inside, it is a perfect lunch spot. We dive in to stuffed clams, then a lobster roll, fried haddock, and fries. To top it off, we grab a kiddiesized soft-serve swirl cone with rainbow sprinkles.

Designed + Built in Portland, Maine

We head to nearby Sedgwick, home of Strong Brewing Company. Five years ago Al and Mia Strong began brewing beer in their basement, and they have since converted the space into

D S O C F.C O M

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a brewery and tasting room producing several year-round beers and a few seasonal varieties. A few games of rummy and great conversations about beer complete the experience. We go back to Blue Hill for chocolate and espresso at Black Dinah Chocolatiers. The storefront shares a space with a ﬂorist and a few shop cats that make the atmosphere perfect on this overcast day. We discuss all the people we met and the places we visited despite the rainy weather. We collect our notes and leave town, looking forward to the next time we ﬁnd ourselves on the Blue Hill peninsula.

FOR NEXT TRIP LODGING BLUE HILL INN THE FARMHOUSE INN PENTAGOET INN DINING DEEPWATER BREWING CO. EL EL FRIJOLES THE HARBOR HOUSE ACTIVITIES JONATHAN FISHER HOUSE JUD HARTMANN GALLERY THE ACTIVITY SHOP SHOPPING BLUE HILL BOOKS BLUE HILL WINE SHOP THE BARNACLE ANNUAL EVENTS J ULY: STONINGTON LOBSTER BOAT RACES AUGUST: EGGEMOGGIN REACH REGATTA AUGUST + SEPTEMBER: THE BLUE HILL FAIR

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Grandmother Grandmother all Penobscots Grandmotherofof ofall allPenobscots Penobscots “ “She had very sharp, keen eye “ She Shehad hada aavery verysharp, sharp,keen keeneye eye and and peculiar way blackening her anda aapeculiar peculiarway wayofof ofblackening blackeningher her face face like thundercloud when anything facelike likea aathundercloud thundercloudwhen whenanything anything displeased displeased her. Her face would change displeasedher. her.Her Herface facewould wouldchange change color color entirely and her eye would look like colorentirely entirelyand andher hereye eyewould wouldlook looklike like thunder thunder and lightening. She knew everything thunderand andlightening. lightening.She Sheknew kneweverything everything that that was going on and was keener than knife.” thatwas wasgoing goingon onand andwas waskeener keenerthan thana aaknife.” knife.”

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Photo Photo Credit: Credit: Frank Frank Netto Netto Photo Credit: Frank Netto

A-LIST by Kate Gardner Photography by Peter Frank Edwards

LAKES FOR BOATING Maine may be known for its coastline, but the state is also home to more than 6,000 lakes. Explore the inland waters by boat and take in as much of the scenery as possible. Sebago Lake

With 105 miles of coastline, Sebago Lake, the second largest lake in the state, has plenty of wide-open space for boating. It has two public boat launches and numerous sandbars and beaches to relax on.

Cobbosseecontee Lake

Among anglers, Cobbosseecontee is regarded as one of the best places for smallmouth and largemouth bass. While out on the water, be sure to boat by Ladies Delight Light, the only inland lighthouse in the state.

West Grand Lake

Although the shores of West Grand Lake are rocky, there is one public boat launch. Located in downeast Maine, the 14,000-acre lake is known for its landlocked salmon.

Moosehead Lake

Maine’s largest lake at 74,000 acres, Moosehead offers boaters plenty of places to discover. Stop at one of the lake’s many islands within the lake to camp overnight.

Rangeley Lake

Located in western Maine, Rangeley Lake is 6,300 acres of sparkling, clear water to explore by boat. Boaters can stop at the state park on the lake’s shore to go hiking or dock their boats there for overnight camping.

Great Pond

One of the seven Belgrade Lakes in central Maine, Great Pond is ideal for boating. It has a large marina, a yacht club, and dock-and-dine restaurants.

Echo Lake

Mount Desert Island’s Echo Lake is a great place to cool off while exploring Acadia National Park. Take the boat out for a view of the surrounding mountains and stop for a swim in the lake's 75-degree water.

Opposite: Boaters head out for a ride around Sebago Lake. August 2018 51

We know the state of Maine.

WHERE TO GO WHAT TO DO WHERE TO SHOP WHERE TO EAT

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Need advice? Ask the experts.

Stonington, Photo by Peter Frank Edwards

e’ve been covering the state of Maine for years now and have gotten to know the people and places that make it such an incredibly exciting place to live and explore. We know how you can turn each moment you spend here into a lasting memory. When you’re ready to get out and about, ask for our expertise. We’ll point you in the right direction.

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O N PER KI NS COVE For half a century, the family behind Barnacle Billyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s has been serving lobster rolls and rum punch to locals, presidents, and everyone in between

by KAREN WATTERSON

Photography by NICOLE WOLF

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illiam “Tim” Tower is difficult to pin down for an interview. Twice a week he takes guests deep-sea fishing on the Bunny Clark, a 40-foot vessel named for his mother, which leaves Perkins Cove at 4 a.m. On the other days, he could be at his computer writing the daily online ship’s log and guest letter. Or he might be out on his bicycle, training for a long-distance charity ride. But most likely, Tim Tower is tending to guests at his family restaurant, Barnacle Billy’s. He holds doors open, offers fresh drinks, and stops by every table, every day, to say hello. The place is full all summer and early fall, overflowing with visitors, including many from out of state who have heard of this Ogunquit landmark, which has served lobster and more since 1961. Tower is the eldest son of the original Barnacle Billy, a nickname given to William “Billy” Tower, Jr., when he first opened the restaurant. We finally meet in late August. Tim’s sisters, Meg Tower and Cathy Koppstein, join us at a table in the dining room. While we talk, staff are hustling to get the place ready for what’s likely to be a hectic afternoon. The family story comes out fast, full of colorful detail, with every funny anecdote and fond remembrance circling back to their father, Billy. “The restaurant was a complete success right from the very beginning,” Tim tells me. “It was his baby,” Meg adds. Billy had no restaurant

experience, but he knew fish. He worked as a fisherman after serving in the U.S. Coast Guard. He was a helmsman on a tuna boat “because he never wanted to harpoon a fish,” says Tim. In 1961 Liam Perkins sold him a building on Perkins Cove. “He knew exactly what he wanted to do,” says Meg. “The cove was a sleepy little art village then—a dirt road with fishing shacks,” says Tim. “Barnacle Billy’s was one of the only restaurants around. The way it was set up and run, with a different menu—he was building something unique, not just a lobster pound.” “The difference was his kindness,” interjects Meg. “He went to every table to say hello. Now Timmy does it.” Tim Tower, like all the Tower children (they also have a brother named Courtland, Cathy’s twin), worked at the restaurant starting at a young age. Along with working at the restaurant, Tim fished for tuna, had his own lobster boat, and worked for an on-the-water scenic tour company. At age 18, now manager of the restaurant, he told his father he was leaving Maine to go to college. “I love Ogunquit, and I knew I’d always come back,” Tim says. Courtland took over, and when Tim did come back after college, he chose fishing over the family restaurant. After a few years of fishing, however, Tim realized it wasn’t going to provide enough for his family. “In 1995 my father took me for a ride in the station wagon,” Tim says. “He said, ‘I want you to keep the boat, but I want you to come back to the restaurant.’ We thought quite a bit alike. He liked me being here.”

Previous spread: Barnacle Billy’s overlooks Perkins Cove. This page: Brandon Moffett, a cook at Barnacle Billy’s, prepares a batch of steamers.

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The Barnacle Billy’s season opens in April and closes in late October. Fans of the restaurant mark their calendars for that first day, and even though winter’s grip has barely let go by then, it feels as celebratory as the first game of the new season at Fenway Park. The restaurant used to open only for dinner that first day, but each year the line got longer, snaking out the door. Now you can get a lobster roll as early as 11 a.m. In the height of summer, it’s all hands on deck for the family and staff, many of whom have worked here for more than a decade. “We have an 84 percent employee return rate,” says Meg. “There have been several marriages here among the staff, then their kids come back to work here.” For many, Barnacle Billy’s is tradition, and the Tower family is proud of the relationships they’ve formed. “We have a solid customer base built on the relationships my father made,” says Tim. “It’s not just about the food.” But it certainly helps to have heaping lobster rolls and lobster stew, steamers, and whole lobsters. The lobster roll is simple—light on the mayonnaise, with chips and a pickle on the side. You can round it out with an ear of corn or a side of special garlic bread. Barnacle Billy’s is an orderat-the-counter, paper-plate kind of place, where you can watch as your lobster is chosen from the tank. Most of the lobsters were pulled from the waters off Ogunquit or nearby. While you wait for your food, take a look at the photographs on the walls. There’s Tom Brady sitting next to former presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush. “We’ve had the whole Bush family here,” says Tim. “The reason they came was really my father.” Even Mikhail Gorbachev has visited Barnacle Billy’s. Tim Tower treats every guest the same. I watch as he carries a tray of food for an older couple as they find a table. “People come here maybe

Tim Tower, the general manager of Barnacle Billy’s, with his sisters, Meg Tower (left) and Cathy Koppstein, outside their family’s restaurant in Ogunquit. Opposite: A classic Maine lobster roll served with chips and a pickle.

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once or twice each summer, but they come every summer. Familiarity is big. We remember you.” Take a seat in the large dining room, or if it’s a warm enough day, head for the deck perched just above Perkins Cove. A server will come by soon to take your drink order. Do not hesitate to order the rum punch, inspired by Billy Tower’s trip to Saint Croix many years ago. You can ask for the ingredients, but no one will tell you. When I ask, Tim merely says, with a wink, “There’s more rum in it than there should be.” And always leave room for blueberry pie. If you’re looking for a larger menu and full service, it’s only steps away at Barnacle Billy’s Etc. The Towers bought the building next door in 1989 to open the sister restaurant. “Dad always wanted the

opportunity to do something a bit more,” says Tim. “He was also afraid someone else would buy that place and do something that didn’t fit in Perkins Cove. But what my father really wanted was the garden in between the two buildings.” Now the garden blooms brightly in high season, providing a colorful welcome to Perkins Cove. At Barnacle Billy’s Etc., the offerings extend far beyond lobster. Fried seafood is lightly battered using a recipe that remains unchanged since the first day. The center-cut charbroiled swordfish is excellent, as are the steaks. A Maine crabmeat salad is enormous, overflowing with fresh vegetables and seafood. All the lobster specialties are available as well, all served with the same warm hospitality as next door. Billy Tower passed away in July 2013. “He left the hospital to go home,” says Tim,

“but he wanted to come by here one more time to look at the gardens, the restaurant, everything he had built. He never took a day off.” Tower died later that day. His wife, Bunny, comes into the restaurant occasionally, “but it’s hard for her to be here without my father,” Tim says. “We’re all lucky to have worked for Dad,” says Cathy. Very little has changed since Barnacle Billy’s time, and that’s the way they want it, says Tim. The food remains largely the same, featuring the lobster roll people return for year after year, best enjoyed with a rum punch. And the personal touch feels familiar, honed through generations. “Timmy is the boss, because he’s the oldest and the most responsible,” says Meg. Every day Tim wears the same outfit: a white polo, white jeans, and white sneakers. “It’s the same thing my father wore,” says Tim. “Sometimes people call me Billy. I don’t correct them.”

From left: The rum punch at Barnacle Billy’s was inspired by Billy Tower’s trip to Saint Croix. Barnacle Billy’s dining room features nautical decor, such as nets and glass floats.

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Decades after its creation, Roosevelt Campobello International Park continues to teach and inspire

by Philip Conkling // Photography by Nicole Wolf

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IN 2012, after I had been nominated to serve as an alternate commissioner for the Roosevelt Campobello International Park Commission, I got a call from a White House lawyer who handles background checks for federal appointments. Before my nomination could be approved, I needed to disclose whether anything I had ever done, written, shared on Facebook, tweeted, or related to newspapers or other media would embarrass the president. Ever? That seemed like a high bar to clear, as a catalog of youthful indiscretions flashed through my mind. After several months of suspense, however, my appointment was approved, and I was excited to become part of an effort to introduce more Maine residents to one of the country’s most unusual and historic parks. The commissioners of the Roosevelt Campobello International Park oversee the world’s only international park, established and funded by two governments. On the Canadian side, a distinguished group of federal and provincial senators and New Brunswick’s top business leaders have served, and continue to do so. On the American side, the commissioners include two grandchildren of Eleanor and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Senator Angus King currently serves on the commission, among other notables who share an admiration for the mark the Roosevelts left on American life. A treaty between the United States and Canada established the Roosevelt Campo-

bello International Park in 1964, almost three-quarters of a century after the Roosevelt family first arrived on the Canadian island and began inviting their friends to join them. Shunning Newport and Bar Harbor as overly social, Franklin Roosevelt’s parents, James and Sara, went looking for a family retreat in 1891 to escape the heat and threat of disease in New York. A group of wealthy investors had established a hotel resort on Campobello Island, and the Roosevelts liked what they found there. Two years later they established a family-oriented compound on Campobello, which Sara referred to as “our beloved island.” For the first two decades of his life, Franklin Roosevelt spent all or part of nearly every summer on Campobello and brought his fifth cousin, Eleanor, there to meet his mother in 1905. Roosevelt Campobello International Park attracted 180,000 visitors in 2017, more than in any other year in the park’s history. Still, that number is a small fraction of the more than two million tourists who visit Acadia National Park, where visitors tend to end their journeys up the coast instead of venturing two hours farther northeast to Campobello. During the Gilded Age, when the titans of industry and the professionals who supported them were apt to carve out great slices of time to rusticate and renew themselves, it was not uncommon to travel to remote places like Campobello. Today, however, time seems to be split into smaller and smaller increments, no matter how deep one’s pockets, and a far-

Opposite: Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s trademark fedora hat and pipe are among the many family artifacts in the park’s Roosevelt Cottage.

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away location like Campobello sees fewer guests. During the long summers when Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt ensconced themselves on Campobello with their children, the big red house was the family’s common denominator. The Roosevelts’ island house was their refuge and a symbol of their pride and perseverance. Franklin’s self-esteem, many said, grew out of his nautical experiences handling small boats in Passamaquoddy Bay’s supremely challenging conditions. Franklin’s experiences with Passamaquoddy tribe

members informed his presidential policies on Native American affairs. At Hyde Park, servants and retainers surrounded the Roosevelt family, but on Campobello, they enjoyed easy contact with the islanders, not exactly as equals but with mutual respect, and Campobello islanders became friends and teachers. It was in the red house that Eleanor first had her own household independent of her mother-in-law, and learned how to balance child-rearing activities while also entertaining her husband’s political and military associates. Eleanor said Campobello’s fogs

comforted her as she was finding her own voice and independence during Franklin’s long absences, which threatened to devastate her. She took time to write and reflect, including drafting both volumes of her memoirs on Campobello. She became an early advocate for human rights, and with the New Brunswick leader John Peters Humphrey, she helped draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Finally, faced with her impending death, Eleanor journeyed to Campobello one last time in 1962 to connect with the island’s “mystic chords of memory,” to borrow a phrase of another great American, Abraham Lincoln.

The iconic Roosevelt Cottage anchors the historic core of Roosevelt Campobello International Park. Opposite, from top: Sugar Loaf Rock at Liberty Point, with the Bay of Fundy tide ripping by and Grand Manan on the horizon. The boardwalk into Eagle Hill Bog.

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Although the Roosevelt cottage left the family’s hands in 1952, President John Kennedy, at Eleanor Roosevelt’s suggestion, initiated a discussion with the Canadian government to acquire the property as a memorial to Franklin Roosevelt. The result was the 1964 treaty between the governments to establish the park “to honor the memory of Franklin Roosevelt and to serve as a legacy of friendship between two great nations,” according to the terms of the treaty. Campobello Island is the largest island in Passamaquoddy Bay, across from Maine’s seacoast village of Lubec. Passamaquoddy Bay is famous for its swirling tides, powerful whirlpools, razor-toothed ledges, and dungeon-thick fogs. As a young boy, Franklin Roosevelt was taken under the wing of Captain Eddie Lank of Campobello, who taught him small-boat handling and navigation skills that were a source of pride for the future president for the remainder of his life. After Franklin first showed symptoms of polio on Campobello in 1921, he returned to the island only three times. But each time, he did so at the helm of a vessel he piloted through the treacherous stretch of Lubec Narrows into Passamaquoddy Bay. He was especially proud of this accomplishment on the two occasions when the vessel was a U.S. naval warship.

of neighbors when they meet any of the park’s 24 interpretive guides. The guides, most of whom reside on Campobello, lead visitors on tours past brilliantly pastel flower gardens to the archetypal red-shingled Roosevelt Cottage, a short walk from the Visitor Centre. In the cottage, restored as closely as possible to its condition when Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt occupied it, visitors get glimpses of the family’s day-to-day life during the almost four decades of summers the Roosevelts spent there. Honoring the historical legacy of Franklin Roosevelt is becoming a steeper challenge as the Roosevelt era begins to dissolve into the mists of time. As Angus King recently put it, “What about the Roosevelts and the Depression is not what someone who is 35 and from Iowa may know about them.” There are fewer people who lived through the Great Depression or World War II, and more and more young families, who are not inherently familiar with its cultural and historical context, are visiting the park. Millennial visitors may be more interested in interactive media and the outdoors than in, say, FDR’s famous pipe and fedora.

Passamaquoddy Bay is famous for its swirling tides, powerful whirlpools, razortoothed ledges, and dungeonthick fogs.

Perhaps because so many islanders have fond personal memories of Roosevelt family members, visitors experience the friendly interactions

One recent approach developed by the park’s staff to help visitors appreciate the Roosevelts’ domestic life is called Tea with Eleanor. A guide serves tea and cookies while describing Eleanor Roosevelt’s life on Campobello and her role as an early feminist and human rights campaigner. These interactive programs personalize Eleanor Roos-

On the park’s western side, Mulholland Point Lighthouse on the Canadian side of the Lubec Narrows marks the entrance to Passamaquoddy Bay.

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evelt’s contributions, not simply through the abundant artifacts but through lively exchanges with groups that sign up for the twice-daily events: one free tea and one paid tea. In 2017 over 7,500 visitors signed up for the teas. The park has recently appointed new leaders who are committed to helping visitors connect with its historic legacy. James Carr, who became the park’s superintendent in 2016, has an extensive background in financial management and education. In 2017 he hired Will Kernohan to lead an expansion and reinvigoration of the park’s interpretation programs. Kernohan comes to the park with an unusual combination of training in both theater and museum studies. He has encouraged guides to interact directly with visitors through theater techniques in what he describes as “fun tours.” “I’ll admit that the guides thought I was from Mars

when I first arrived,” Kernohan says. With encouragement from Kernohan, the guides now share their personal stories of living on Campobello and how they see that relating to Eleanor’s life. This might seem intimidating, but perhaps the guides recall something their subject is reported to have said: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Beyond the “historic core” of cottages clustered around the Visitor Centre, the commissioners and park staff are planning a major expansion of hiking and biking trails throughout the park’s largely undeveloped natural areas. The park’s 2,800 acres of natural areas, adjacent to the Herring Cove Provincial Park’s 1,200 acres of additional natural areas, represent an enormous untapped resource for adventure tourism experiences. Like his famous cousin, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin extolled the virtues

of a vigorous outdoor life. As a young man, Franklin Roosevelt enjoyed leading treks around the perimeter of Campobello, climbing rocky headlands, wading across tidal flats, and swimming across coves while observing the island’s abundant seabirds and wildlife. In the days before kayaking became a common sport, Franklin circumnavigated the nine-mile-long by three-mile-wide island by birch-bark canoe, stopping for lunch at Head Harbor on Campobello’s north end. Enabling greater access for visitors to the natural areas where Franklin Roosevelt once challenged himself is an ambitious and expensive undertaking. To lead this effort, Carr promoted Stephen Smart to a new position as the park’s operations manager. Smart, who is also the island’s mayor, knows the undeveloped portions of Campobello as well as anyone on the staff, having worked at the park for 24 years, beginning

Opposite, from top: In this 1932 photo, FDR reviews final returns with a jubilant James Farley and Louis Howe after Roosevelt’s first presidential election victory. The Roosevelt International Bridge, dedicated by Eleanor Roosevelt in 1962, connects Lubec with Campobello Island. This page: Otter Cove, where derelict boats are beached, is commonly referred to as the Boneyard by local fishermen. August 2018 69

with trail maintenance and carpentry work and gradually assuming greater responsibility for maintaining the park’s extensive infrastructure. For decades, the Bay of Fundy’s enormous tides have stymied trail crews’ efforts to provide access to the park’s beautiful southern shores with views of the bay entrance and across to the bold cliffs of Grand Manan Island. Low tide exposes hundreds of acres of productive mudflats that are difficult to cross on foot. But when the tides turn, seawater fingers its way far up into the large wetland areas of Upper and Lower Duck Ponds, often washing away sections of coastal trails built by staff and cutting off an ecologically rich part of the park. Carefully engineered trails will be required to provide access to these stunning natural areas.

Working with a team of consultants, Carr and Smart have come up with a plan to invest several million dollars over the next several years to build over 20 miles of hiking, biking, and multiuse trails. The park’s Visitor Centre at the northwest end of the park will be one hub of the expanded hiking and biking trails, creating new access along the western edge of the park, past the scenic promontory of Friar’s Head, which provides expansive views of Passamaquoddy Bay. The park has also recently acquired a building at its southern end, located where visitors arrive from the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Bridge. Dubbed the Adventure Centre, it will become a hub for the new multiuse trails along the southern edge of the park. Other strategically located trails will meander through lichen-clad spruced forests and cross streams, bogs, and coast-

al marches before linking up with existing trails and roads on the park’s eastern coastline. Unlike the young Franklin Roosevelt, visitors will be able to access Campobello’s natural wonders without having to wade, swim, or scale rocky headlands. It is difficult to think of another couple whose contributions to the history of both the United States and Canada can match those of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. They left an indelible imprint on the twentieth century’s economic, military, and political history, now extending into a new century. For us in Maine, this gem of a park enriches our understanding of this exceptional pair of leaders and the island that left a profound mark on their identities.

From left: James Carr, superintendent of Roosevelt Campobello International Park. The school room, where the children took morning lessons from a tutor handpicked by Eleanor Roosevelt.

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A sunbathed, beach-shack-relaxing, sensory-underload weekend on Matinicus, 22 miles from the midcoast by Sandy Lang // Photography by Peter Frank Edwards

inger the yellow retriever is pushing on my elbow from the backseat of the four-seater Cessna. Her nose is wet and cold, and we’ve just met. The friendly dog hopped onto this Penobscot Island Air plane with a man who’s also flying out to Matinicus Island today from the Knox County Regional Airport on the peninsula of Owls Head, just south of downtown Rockland. “She flies a lot,” the man tells me, “and she’ll nose you.” It’s almost startling how brief the flight feels. This is my first trip to Maine’s most remote inhabited island, some 22 miles offshore. A few pats of the dog’s head, a look down at the midcoast shoreline and the boats in the pale blue water below, and we’re already approaching the island’s landing strip, which is actually a multi-

purpose stretch for airplanes, cars, and pedestrians. The landing strip is also part of an unpaved cross island road. At one end, the runway meets the open ocean; at the other, it continues past a barn and apple trees. And on either side is grass, a line of island cars, and then trees and a trailhead. The airfield’s only building is no larger than a backyard shed. Once we roll to a stop, pilot Shawn Michaud helps photographer Peter Frank Edwards and me out with our bags, then boards the plane again for the return flight. The flight service is busy this weekend—we could hear radio calls coming through during the flight—and Michaud has passengers waiting for pickup on Vinalhaven next. While he turns the plane around and readies for takeoff, a waiting car picks up Ginger and her owner. After the sounds of both engines fade, there we are, just the two of us, out in the Gulf of Maine on the island of Matinicus.

Opposite: Our first view of Matinicus, its curving shoreline, and the airstrip where we’ll land. The isle is perched at the edge of Penobscot Bay and the open Atlantic Ocean.

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F I N D I N G M A R K E Y We called ahead to arrange for car pickup too, but learned that the woman who operates the taxi service is on the mainland for a few days. Peter Frank was offered the use of another island car. I overheard part of the phone conversation, and it went something like this: “You seem like a pretty good guy. How many people?” “Two.” “You got a lot of stuff ?” “No.” “Any animals?” “No.” “OK. I’m going to make you a deal. I’m gonna trust you. The keys are under the mat. You

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can drive the car to the cottage, leave your gear, and drive it back. Leave me ten dollars under the seat.” “OK.” “Any other questions?” “Yes, how far is it?” “About a mile.” The year-round population is about 74 people, and this is our first glimpse of the sharing systems and do-it-yourself mentality it takes be here. Matinicus is a 720-acre island, and there are only a couple of primary roads. How hard can it be to find a specific rental cottage near Markey’s Beach? We don’t see street

Opposite: Loading up for the 12-minute Cessna ride to Matinicus from the Knox County Regional Airport in Owls Head. This page: Lobster traps, buoys, and docks amid the Caribbean-bright colors of Matinicus Harbor.

signs, but the next person we meet is a woman in a truck who is kind enough to slow down to advise us to “turn left at the four corners” and “follow the road past Matinicus Harbor.” The cozy cove looks to be one of the truest fishing harbors I’ve ever seen—chock-full of moorings, lobster boats, bobbing skiffs, and docks trailing from the edges of rambling buildings with weathered shingles or painted in yellows, pinks, or greens. We park and walk along the largest pier to take in all of the maritime color and character for a few minutes. I hear music (a radio?) coming from one of the dock sheds across the water, and we watch a man in a plaid shirt row a skiff out to a fishing boat. Back at the car, I notice that my mobile phone has no reception, but I do have directions sent by the cottage owner when we booked the stay, which include instruc-

tions like “Take the Jeep trail up to the left slowly, nearly to the beach.” On first pass we accidentally overshoot the driveway and end up a couple hundred yards farther, where the road ends at a sandy curve with tall trees and a tumble of stones at one end and woods in the distance at the other. No one else is about. So, this is Markey’s Beach. All we have to do is back up to find the shingled house with a red roof that we’ve been looking for. I’m the first to push open the door and look around: there are windows along most of the ocean-facing wall, and beyond that, all I see is ocean. Peter Frank’s still walking up from the car, and I call back over my shoulder, “Hurry!”

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S H O R E E S S E N T I A L S Except for two rear bedrooms, the seasonal cottage is essentially one oceanfront room with a kitchen, dining area, sitting area, and a larger bedroom with a queen-sized bed. It’s outfitted with midcentury wooden furniture, a tabletop spotting scope, landline telephone, books, a radio, and original art on the walls. Nothing fancy here, but what more could you need? I notice an outhouse in the yard, and there’s a shower and an incinerator toilet in a separate room on the porch outside the rear door. That porch extends even farther toward the water’s edge and overlooks an arc of rocks that’s created a private little cove sheltering the shoreline. Looking northward, I can see the tumble of rocks that edge Markey’s Beach, just beyond a second rental cottage.

We unpack a few groceries and set out to return the car to the airstrip and continue island exploring. The June-to-August summer season is just past, and we’ve been noticing fewer people than flowers in bloom—including hydrangeas and verbena—and trees growing wildly with apples. In the pages of cottage guest info, I read that most of the island is not fenced and is open for walking along its many paths. From the airport, we follow a trail to Northeast Point and pick a couple of (knobby and tart) apples along the way. We see the recycling center, school, and a few lazily grazing cows near a bulletin board with a notice about fresh milk and eggs for sale. And we stop by the tiny island library where books are lent on the honor system.

Opposite: At a seasonal rental near Markey’s Beach, the waterfront side of the cottage is lined with windows. This page, from left: Cozy accomodations at our cottage. There's no TV, but the large windows give us plenty to view.

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From the front-ocean cottage on Matinicus, sometimes weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d watch a fishing boat or spot black guillemot seabirds. "Staring at a horizon like this is super balancing; it will make you healthier," says Cyndie Katz, who often paints on Matinicus.

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S E A S I D E D I N N E R P A R T Y Surrounded by so much island solitude, when the house phone rings, at first I don’t recognize the sound. Cyndie Katz is on the line inviting us to a dinner party at the next cottage down the shoreline. (Both are owned by Cyndie and her husband, Geoff Katz.) Earlier we heard a saw buzzing and some hammering. We realize now that must have been Geoff who was making repairs in the warm sunshine before the late fall and wintertime ahead. We walk over with a few beers to share, and he greets us in a turtleneck, blue jeans, and bare feet—a bohemian sort. Over drinks, we learn that many of the portrait paintings and island scenes I’ve been looking at in our cottage were painted by Cyndie. The two other dinner guests are also artists: Kathleen Colton designs and sews silk velvet scarves, and Maury Colton is a painter. He’s been coming to the island since the 1980s and for years did plasterwork and painting in Manhattan, “from the Upper West Side to the Bowery.” (The next day we stop by the Coltons’ house and Maury’s painting studio, which is surrounded by a yard of blooming flowers and woods at the perimeter.) The day’s light is fading over the ocean while the six of us share a

dinner of lobster, homemade pizza, and warm applesauce made from island fruit. I have island questions to ask. Is that the diesel generator I hear by the harbor? Yes. Why do we keep seeing piles of lobster shells in the road? When crushed by passing cars, it’s a good way to build up the roadbed. And I’m curious about who else books the rentals, especially since there are no hotels on the island. Geoff recalls a few guests: the New York artist dressed in black with black suitcases and a black dog and the Kansas organist and his bride who visited for their honeymoon, “staying in their pajamas all day looking at the ocean.” (“They’d never seen it before.”) And he’s just booked an oncology nutritionist for a five-day stay, he reports. “She tells me she’s coming to write a book.” The Matinicus connection has been pivotal in their lives, they tell us. Along with fixing up and maintaining the island cottages, the Katz duo, who are from New Hampshire, have raised their family spending part of each year here. Their youngest daughter is now in her 20s, the same age as Geoff was when he first rambled around this island in summertime.

From left: Longtime cottage owner Geoff Katz stretches out for sunshine and conversation. In late summer and early fall, locals say they know the best island trees for good apples. Opposite: A picnic at South Sandy Beach at the end of a cross-island hike.

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Matinicus Island children playing outside on a Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;scrambling on sunny rocks, riding bicycles, climbing trees, and borrowing a passing vistorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s camera.

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O V E R T H E M O O N At 2:30 in the morning, I’m up and walking out onto the deck to look up at the sky. Waves are rolling in softly, and I am seeing a planetarium view. Better. The galaxy of stars over the dark ocean’s surface appears bigger and brighter than I’ve ever seen. Oh starry, full-moon night. I’m mesmerized, particularly by a twinkling bluish-red orb. I go in to look again through the spotting scope that’s on a stand at the dining table. Earlier we’d aimed it at the full moon rising. “It looks so close,” I’d said to Peter Frank. I could see every crater, study them and count them like never before. Over the next two days we soak up as much of Matinicus as we can, walking the main road that tracks the middle island like a spine. We sit for a picnic on

the horse-shaped South Sandy Beach. A plane flies directly overhead and lands on Ragged Island, also known as Criehaven, just across the water—a much smaller island with a summer colony but no yearround residents. We meet some island children who want to show us a treehouse they’ve built, and we stop by the former Tuckanuck Lodge, which the longtime innkeeper, Bill Hoadley, 80, still uses as his year-round home. He’s lived on other islands, including Nantucket and Peaks down near Portland, but Matinicus is where he’ll stay, he tells us. Already the eldest man on the island, spry, suntanned Hoadley, who once self-published a novel set on the island, titled Adonis, says he aims to match or exceed his great-grandfather’s final age of 99. His secret? Walking everywhere, and some ocean swimming, too.

Opposite, clockwise from top left: Sheep are just some of the farm animals on Matinicus along with dairy cows, horses, and chickens. As easy as ordering a pizza (and with a faster delivery) Clayton Philbrook, whose family has lived on Matinicus since the 1820s, brings lobsters to the cottage when we call. Matinicus Harbor from the air. This page: Geoff Katz inside one of cottage rentals of Matinicus Island Vacations. August 2018 87

The shells in the road have us thinking of lobster again. We call Clayton Philbrook from the phone list at the cottage to see about getting a couple of lobsters for dinner, and the lobsterman delivers them to our door in less than 15 minutes, with his dog, Yoda, tagging along. We prod him for some stories, too, and he seems happy to oblige. Philbrook’s family has been on the island since 1826, and he works 700 traps on his boat Samantha J. He says he also fishes for halibut in the spring to freeze for meals later. He remembers when the diesel generator that creates the island’s electricity was only on for part of each day, and during the downtime he found a love of reading, especially mysteries. “And I learned to row about the time I learned to ride a bicycle,” he tells us, extolling the virtues of wooden skiffs. Philbrook says he’ll build a new skiff some years “for something to do in the winter,” and because they’re reliable. “The oars always start.”

On our final night on the island, I wake often to watch the sky, and I jot details in my notebook so I can keep as much of the memory intact as possible. At 4:55 a.m. the light starts, horizon to horizon, and by 5:30 I see a bright star that I imagine could be Mars, followed by red-orange sunlight in a deep-hued stripe at the horizon, staining the water. By 6:15, a giant warm egg yolk of sun is just above the sprawling surface of the Atlantic. The cottage is still bathed in light when I have to pack up my notebook and everything else so we can walk back to the airstrip. Cyndi and Geoff Katz join us to wait and wave until the return flight takes off. As the island’s long, leaf-like shape becomes more distant and the seawater more wide, I’m already missing the warmth and glow of those morning sunbeams, and the gentle pace of oceanfront days on Matinicus.

One more view from Markey’s Beach on a relaxing weekend with time for big thoughts—pondering the giant size of the ocean and the cosmos—in one of Maine’s most remote places.

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lunch & dinner daily ∏ waterfront dining ∏ outdoor deck ∏ tavern

515 BASIN POINT | HARPSWELL MAINE | 207.833.6000 | DOLPHINMARINAANDRESTAURANT.COM August 2018 89

EAT by Susan Axelrod Photography by Nicole Wolf

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AT NORTH 43 BISTRO IN SOUTH PORTLAND, FIRST-RATE FOOD AND SERVICE MATCH AN ENVIABLE LOCATION

verlooking the busy pier and docks at Port Harbor Marine in South Portland, the streamlined, modern exterior of North 43 Bistro may surprise those expecting the buoys, anchors, and draped fishing nets that festoon so many waterside restaurants. Natural wood planking wraps the strikingly modern building, which has a flat roof that swoops upward toward the water like the prow of a boat. Walls of tall windows and spacious decks on two levels offer nearly every diner a view of Fort Gorges and the Casco Bay islands. Inside, the look is equally devoid of fuss, yet warm, with dark wood tables and chairs, amber-hued lighting, and an upholstered, high-backed banquette strewn with pillows in the main dining room. A

bright, high-ceilinged space on the second floor can be used for private parties or overflow dining. “We wanted it to be masculine and not too modern,” says chef Stephanie Brown, who opened the restaurant with business partner Laura Argitis in June 2017. “As great as it is here for three months out of the year, we have to think of the other nine months when the weather is not always pleasant, and we wanted it to feel good in here when it’s cold, rainy, or snowy outside.” Having first visited North 43 Bistro on a cold and gray Saturday in February, I can attest to the success of their vision. While snow swirled outside the large windows, the bar felt especially cozy and convivial—not at all like a seasonal restaurant in hibernation. On

this late-May Tuesday, the marina is filling with pleasure boats, and the outdoor furniture is in place on the decks, and will soon be the most coveted seats in the house. Until Columbus Day, North 43 Bistro serves lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. “No brunch,” says Argitis emphatically. “But we have bloody Marys and mimosas, and we might throw a breakfast sandwich on the lunch menu so people can still feel that brunchiness.” She and Brown laugh, which they do a lot. “Even sometimes when we shouldn’t,” says Brown with a wink. Trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Brown has done stints at the Ritz-Carlton and the Charles Hotel in Boston. Yet her current style is relaxed and informal, eschewing traditional starched

Opposite page: Many of chef Stephanie Brown’s dishes feature Asian flavors, such as this grilled sesame-ginger beef tenderloin with cabbage slaw and seared lo mein noodle cake. This page, from left: North 43 has decks on two levels that offer sweeping views of Casco Bay. The Spring Spritz is made with Aperol, blood orange puree, and prosecco. A lively and complex salad of Bibb lettuce, cashews, raspberries, and buttermilk–blue cheese vinaigrette. August 2018 91

chef jackets for black T-shirts that match the staff uniform. The open kitchen along the back wall of the dining room allows diners to see Brown in action—and allows her to stay on top of what’s happening at the tables, which she frequently visits. Having previously worked in both the front and back of the house, she is as comfortable interacting with diners as with her cooks. Both natives of Massachusetts, the two women met when they were restaurant neighbors of sorts: Argitis opened Falmouth Sea Grill (now Dockside Grill) in Falmouth in 1999, and Brown launched Seagrass in Yarmouth in 2005. They each sold their respective business in 2013, Brown going to work as executive chef at the Woodlands Club in Falmouth and Argitis focusing on Old Port Sea Grill in Portland, which she

“WHEN YOU CAN ARRIVE BY BOAT AND ENJOY A MEAL ON THE WATER, THAT’S JUST A HUGE OVERALL MAINE EXPERIENCE.”

still owns. The two remained friends, and when the opportunity arose to create a new restaurant together, they jumped. “When we were both on our own we would call and bounce ideas off each other,” says Argitis. “We’re on the same page about everything.” She handles the business side of things at North 43 Bistro, while Brown runs the kitchen and plans the menus, which change every four weeks. “I get bored, and I’m a firm believer that you can taste boredom,” Brown says. She describes her style as “American bistro-style cuisine with Asian, French, and Tuscan influences.” And the same line of thinking that drove design decisions also impacts the menu, which is not centered on the seafood dishes one might expect at a marina restaurant. “You can go get amazing clam chowder by boat or land—you don’t need me to make it,” Brown says.

Port Harbor Marine and Fort Gorges are seen through the large windows in the main dining room. Opposite page: The restaurant’s decor references its seaside location without being overtly nautical. An appetizer of seared sea scallops with citrus-ginger-jalapeno glaze.

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A few evenings later, I’m nestled into the banquette sipping an intensely gingery margarita and listening as the attentive server Jim Haines (a veteran of Shepherd’s Pie, Francine Bistro, and Five Fifty-Five, among others) explains that yes, the menu does change often, but there are always meat, fish, and vegetarian or vegan options. Tonight’s single-page list is a typically concise selection—five starters, three salads, and seven entrees—and the owners are diligent about keeping the restaurant’s website updated with current offerings. Fried calamari is a bellwether for me, and Brown’s is excellent: the crispy coating is almost tempura-like, and the squid is tender. The mussels, too, show the chef’s skill. Plump and sweet, they’re bathed

in a light basil and garlic–scented broth with soft chunks of tomato—an ideal dip for the toasted focaccia that accompanies the dish. Between courses, I ask Haines to recommend one of the wines by the glass, noting they are all the same price: $12. He offers a taste of Terredora Greco di Tufo, an aromatic Italian white that pairs perfectly with my fish, a generous slab of halibut topped with a pistachio-coriander crust and served on a bed of sautéed spinach and purple potato. It’s a wellseasoned, balanced combination, with the toasted nuts adding a welcome crunch. My companion is equally pleased with his rack of lamb. Coated with Spanish-spiced crumbs, the meaty, medium-rare chops are plated with asparagus, grilled potato, and a flavorful blend of roasted piquillo peppers and feta cheese—a satisfying dish

for a cool evening on the cusp of summer. The sun is setting as our plates are cleared, and a glow settles over the room. I can rarely resist a lemon tart, and pastry chef Karen Turner’s is pretty and very good— tart lemon custard in a buttery shortbread shell with crème anglaise, raspberry sorbet, and graham cracker crumbs. Of course, North 43 Bistro’s location makes it a popular destination for boaters, who can dock right in front of the restaurant. “The marina is incredibly accommodating to our clientele,” says Argitis, adding that it’s not uncommon for summer visitors to make the trip from Portland by private charter. “When you can arrive by boat and enjoy a meal on the water, that’s just a huge overall Maine experience.”

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CLASSIC COMFORT FOODS

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GONE COUNTRY

FINE ARTS, CLEVER CRAFTS, AND DIY ST YLE CONVERGE IN AN OLD FARMHOUSE OUTSIDE CAMDEN

BY KAT Y KELLEHER // PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIN LIT TLE

For over 200 years, the large gray farmhouse on Howe Hill Road in Camden was in the Howe family. It dates back to the time when Camden was “divided into ten plots for ten families,” explains Jacob Hessler, one of the current owners of the once-abandoned farmhouse. Jacob’s mother was raised down the road from the Howe property, and he was raised on stories of Walter Howe and his bachelor brother, Oscar. Walter was an old-fashioned Mainer, the kind of man who dowsed for water, wore shirts made from grain bags, and kept a team of oxen for haying. Toward the end of his long and storied life, Walter went into assisted living, and the house fell into disrepair. “I remember it being this disheveled place,” Jacob says. “The walls were caving in.” Even so, the house had beautiful bones under its dilapidated exterior. It had a plain grace that transcends time and conditions, a simple kind of elegance that shows itself in form and lines, like a ruined Greek temple or a crumbled stone bridge. Fortunately, when Jacob moved in to the house in 2012 (followed months later by his then-girlfriend Alissa Morris [now Hessler],

who moved from Seattle), the groundwork for modern living had already been laid. A pair of architects had purchased the home in the 1990s and renovated it. They put in electricity and running water. They fixed the falling-in walls and repaired the roof. “All we really had to do was paint the walls,” Alissa says. “And get some furniture.” The painting was quick, but the furniture took a good deal longer to collect. (Their first piece was the “dog couch” donated to the couple by Jacob’s grandfather. “It really smelled like dogs,” Alissa says, deadpan.) When they first moved to Camden, the couple hadn’t been dating for long. They both came from cities—Jacob had been living in a “tiny one-bedroom in New York”—and since Alissa was also moving cross-country, she didn’t bring much with her. She was used to traveling light. She had spent the past year working for a cell phone company, traveling from Taipei to Seattle to New York to San Francisco. “When I met her, most of her week was spent in the air,” Jacob says. “But she could get stuff done in a way I had never seen before.”

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Moving to the country necessitated a slower pace and an overall lifestyle change. The couple started their own business, Hessler Creative, and Alissa began a journalism project called Urban Exodus, in which she interviewed various artistic types who had left major metropolitan areas for more rural environs. (Alissa has since published a book, Ditch the City and Go Country.) It took a while to build their creative portfolio and client roster. “In the early days of our business, we did some bartering for work,” Jacob reveals. They did design, branding, and websites for small farmers (“We traded design for cheese and yogurt from Copper Tail Farm,” Jacob says), for Pilates instructors (Crane Pilates) acupuncture specialists (Spring Tide Acupuncture), and for local restaurants, including Long Grain in Camden. “Bartering is amazing,” Alissa says. “It allows us to

work with people whose businesses we believe in, and everybody feels good about it.” This business practice also helped them become more connected to their local community—something that is vital if you want to thrive in a rural area. This creative, adaptive attitude also helped the Hesslers create a home that feels warm, inviting, and utterly theirs. There is art everywhere you look in their modernized farmhouse, and it runs the gamut from minimalist landscape photography to folksy crafts, reflecting the diverse tastes of Alissa and Jacob as well as their artistic output. (Jacob is a fine arts photographer and shows at Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland, and his dreamy pieces hang around the house.) “I’m much more handdrawn than Jacob,” Alissa says. “I like things that are

Previous spead: Jacob and Alissa Hessler left their urban lives to live together in the hills outside Camden. They are both photographers, and they work together on their branding business, Hessler Creative. They also teach fine art photography at Maine Media Workshops and College. This page: Alissa runs a website called Urban Exodus, where she documents the lives of people who have ditched the city for the country. She’s slowed down since moving to Maine, she says. (And her toddler, Haven, helps her chill out even more.) Opposite: The house had been renovated before the Hesslers moved in, but they did apply a fresh coat of paint.

Clockwise from top left: Some of Alissa’s crafts hang on the wall. The couple’s style is a merger of Alissa’s crafty impulses and Jacob’s more streamlined aesthetic. A funky vintage mint-green sink brightens up the bathroom.

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vintage and funky.” Jacob chimes in, “I’m more clean, minimalist, and Swiss influenced.” “That’s the house, in a way,” Alissa explains. “The super clean and cool stuff is all his. All the flowery touches are mine.” “I made these pillows,” she says, as she plumps a hand-printed gray pillow on the couch, “and the weird hangy things,” as she points to a whimsical, mobile-like creation that involves sticks and feathers tied together with colorful yarn. There’s a star on the wall made from branches that Alissa hammered together, and throughout the house are animal heads made

from garbage and papier-mâché. Not only does Alissa collect branches and boughs (“There was a point where we were totally drowning in sticks,” she jokes), but she also likes to take plastic that would otherwise end up in landfills and use it to create works of art. “I think there is potential in everything,” she says. “I love creating something that makes people smile out of the things that they would normally just throw out.” Although Jacob’s style is a bit more streamlined, he also belongs to the church of DIY. Together, they took sticks from Alissa’s hoard and created

Opposite: The homeowners’ bedroom is simple and calming, with a big, sturdy four-poster and sheepskin rugs. This page: Black chalkboard paint gives Haven a place to play in the kitchen, while white tile keeps it feeling clean and fresh.

The Hesslers have renovated the old barn on their property to serve as a photography studio and teaching space.

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a freestanding arch. This woodsy creation stretched above their heads as they said their vows, and now it frames the doorway of their barn, now a photography studio and teaching space. The Hesslers like to go antiquing, and their house is filled with items culled from flea markets and junk shops. “We found that kit clock at the Maine Antique Fair,” Jacob says, gesturing toward a big black grandfather-style timepiece that stands in the corner of their living room. It had been constructed from a clock-making kit, but I couldn’t tell. When they found it, Jacob says, “it was so ugly,” so he bought it for a song, took it home, and painted it with the same matte chalkboard paint they used on the kitchen walls. Someday, when their daughter, Haven, is a bit older, she’ll likely spend happy hours scribbling in multicolored chalk on this neutral backdrop.

Their house is in a bit of flux right now (having a baby will do that to you). Their glass coffee table is temporarily framed by pool noodles, placed there to protect the curious toddler from its sharp edges. It’s a clever little life hack, but Alissa says they’ll probably take them off before the photographer arrives. Haven’s influence can be found throughout the house. She’s made the couple more playful, they say. “Having Haven was the final thing that really made me realize that I have to prioritize living above work,” Alissa says as she cups her daughter’s head in her hand. “I think it’s still important to work, and do what you love with your work, but take a break. She’s a built-in break.” She smiles at Haven first, and then her husband. Here, in this simple gray farmhouse, behind walls painted white and black, they’ve found their place in the country.

Opposite: Jacob is a fine art photographer represented by Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland. This page: The Howe family owned the large gray farmhouse on Howe Hill Road for over 200 years. With their sprawling gardens and back-to-the-land mentality, Jacob and Alissa are continuing the Howes’ legacy while breathing new life into the graceful structure.

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he Story: The story begins in 2005 for the owners of Delvino’s, Anthony Jacovino & Tina DelSanto. Anthony went to The Lookout Pub (recently renamed The Front Street Pub) to visit his friend Katherine Loblein. The visit yielded an introduction to Katherine’s business partner, Tina DelSanto. As it turns out, Anthony and Tina were both looking for apartments… you guessed it! Tina and Anthony became apartment mates and friends and fell in love. Then comes the restaurant. Fast-forward a few years to The Lookout, again, where Tina meets Bruce Thomas, another bona fide Belfast Lover. It’s 2010, and Belfast is once again going through a transformation. Bruce had recently bought a building that he knew the couple was dying to put a restaurant in. Over many months of working with Bruce, Tina and Anthony opened Delvino’s Grill & Pasta House in June of 2010. THE FOOD: Delvino’s: Stepping through the doors you might think you are in New York or Boston but you’re actually in Delvino’s Grill and Pasta House in beautiful downtown Belfast. Delvino’s is the perfect date night, family gathering, relaxing, upscale location with creative food, located in the historical downtown within walking distance from the harbor. The restaurant is in a circa 1865 brick building. Delvino’s takes advantage of everything the community has to offer: lobster and mussels harvested from our harbor, as well as produce, meats and cheeses sourced locally which add flare to an eclectic Italian menu.

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One Summit Road, Northeast Harbor, ME 04662 info@KnowlesCo.com 207-276-3322

32 Underwood Rd Falmouth, ME MLS # 1339094 • Spacious 2012 home with 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths • First floor open concept complete with gourmet kitchen • Located on Falmouth Foreside with deeded right of way to the water • Second floor great room features beautiful cathedral ceilings and ocean views

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373 Castle Island Road | Belgrade | $1,585,000 LONG POND | 1334442

212 Sandy Cove Road | Belgrade | $895,000 LONG POND ISLAND | 1357434

371 Castle Island Road | Belgrade | $875,000 LONG POND | 1332993

353 Fire Road 61 | China | $789,000 CHINA LAKE | 1343161

148 Howland Hill Rd | Belgrade | $769.000 BREATHTAKING VIEWS | 1354088

54 Lake Ridge Drive | Sidney | $729,000 MESSALONSKEE LAKE | 1348788

232 Augusta Road | Rome | $679,000 LONG POND | 1355032

54 Horse Lake Ridge Sidney | $729,000 266 Point Drive Road || Belgrade | $675,000 MESSALONSKEE | 1348788 GREAT PONDLAKE | 1357260

169 Burton Woods Rd | Belgrade | $395,000 GREAT POND | 1356686

CAPTURE by Marina French

EVERY DAY WE COMB THROUGH OUR INSTAGRAM FEED TO FIND IMAGES FROM FOLLOWERS DOCUMENTING OUR STATE. WE SHARE A CAPTURE OF THE DAY @THEMAINEMAG, AND EACH MONTH IN MAINE MAGAZINE WE HIGHLIGHT ONE OF THOSE PHOTOS.

n the last day of May, I went for a sail on the schooner Olad out of Camden. I go out on this boat quite often because my partner is one of the mates. It was a beautiful day, but you never really know how the sailing will be until you’re out past the harbor. This particular time was special: perfect winds, clear skies, and great conversation. As we inched closer to the harbor, the wind slowed down, and we became quiet. All we could hear was the gentle rock of the boat, the light flapping of the sails, and the red buoy’s bell in the distance. I took out my camera and tried to capture how it felt to be in those few minutes of simplicity. I wanted to share with people how pure and magical the coast of Maine can be, especially at this time of year. I’ve left Maine from time to time, but always find myself coming back home to the midcoast. While I’m away, I crave the coastlines and sailing on this beautiful wooden boat. Maine is where I am my most creative self and where I feel inspired by nature. It’s family, it’s home, and it’s shaped exactly who I am.

Marina French is a 24-yearold landscape photographer who grew up in Rockport, where she lives today. You can follow her on Instagram @marina.french. 120

maine | themainemag.com

Maine, Music, and a Touch of Magic

Situated on stunning Lake Kezar in Lovell, Maine, Quisisana Resort is equal parts summer camp, music festival and gourmand’s fantasy. Your stay will be filled with exquisite meals, the scent of pine, and music from Bach to Broadway. QU I S I S A NA R E S O RT • 2 0 7 . 9 2 5 . 3 5 0 0 • Q R E S O RT. C O M