The Cranberry Islands

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Some pictures as we made our way to the Cranberry Islands.

                          Small car ferry                                   LT at the helm nearing Mt. Desert Island

                                                        Bass Harbor Light House

                                    Coming into Northeastern Bay (west of Cranberry Island)

Our last post said that there are two islands, but in fact, the Cranberry Islands are made up of 5 small islands (and they do have cranberry bogs on the two largest).  They are located south of Mt. Desert Island. 

We got a FREE, yes free, mooring ball.  We didn’t realize that it came with a price, however.  Little Cranberry harbor hosts a fleet of lobster boats.  In fact, the lobster co-op is located on one of the docks.  They start VERY early in the morning (like 4:00) and the engines on the boats are VERY noisy and they go through the mooring field VERY fast which throws up a big wake.  So, we spent two very rolly nights there.  We would have left after one day but the fog rolled in so we stuck it out.  It was really a very pretty place and the view across the water of Mt. Desert Island was breathtaking.

 

The town docks of Islesboro on Little Cranberry           The Lobster Co-Op

So the lobstermen and women sell their lobsters to the co-op for about $3.00 per pound and the co-op sells them to the restaurants for probably double that, and the restaurant we went to right next to the co-op charged $26 for a 1 1/2 lb lobster with french fries!!  We got the burgers, after a mussels in wine/garlic sauce appetizer …!                       This house was built in the 1850’s and sold 3 years ago for $3 million!

                              Dingy Dock                                              View of Rickshaw from the dock

 

           Isleford Dock Restaurant                     Rick and Lynnie’s reflection waiting for a table

The restaurant staff pulling lobsters from the live well for someone’s table

                   We saw several of these ferries taking trucks back and forth to the island

While we were waiting for the fog to lift, we went into the little town because they were having their annual carnival.  It was mostly for little kids but we had fun wandering around and seeing the sights.

                                             The gardens in Maine are just lovely

                                                   Funny bean garden                               Isleford Post Office and Market

 

                                                                        The carnival

 

 

 

  The fog kept rolling in and out all day, it would be clear as a bell one minute then socked in another minute

 

       We think this is a goat or sheep skull!                                           Local color

This house was converted from a boat house.  There are numerous boat houses in Maine where boats are kept for the winter.   This was the first that we saw made into living quarters.

There were many small ferries who brought people over to the island.  One of the reasons is that they would come for the view of Mt. Desert Island.  It was just gorgeous.

Mt. Desert Island and Acadia National Park is where we are headed to next!  Can’t wait.