When we are not traveling around the country, our RV is parked on Chokoloskee Island, in southern Florida and on the Gulf of Mexico. We are surrounded by a subtropical saltwater wilderness of mangrove forest islands and sandy beaches littered with shells and hurricane tree debris. The highest elevation is sea level.
If ever there was an opposite coastline to ours it is Maine’s where we spent about a week after leaving Canada. My introduction to Maine’s coast began near Lubec, the eastern most community in the United States. Located on a peninsula overlooking a harbor that borders Canada, Lubec reminded us of Chokoloskee Island because of its end-of-the-road remoteness and having a history of smugglers and swindlers. Now a days, Lubec attracts visitors who want a Maine lobster meal and enjoy the beauty of Maine’s coastline and its waters.
Aside from Lubec itself, there are a couple of good reasons to stay here a few days. On the tip of America’s easternmost peninsula is Quoddy Head State Park where you can hike along a rugged and bold coast with fewer crowds than the popular Acadia National Park to its south. Shortly after sunrise, we drove to the West Quoddy Head Lighthouse in thick fog hoping it would subside for our hike along the cliffs. The fog lifted some, but enough remained to impose a familiar dark mood to Maine’s enigmatic coastline, inspiration for the likes of Stephen King.
Tides at Quoddy Head are among the most dramatic in Maine. 
Tides rise and fall 16 feet every 6 hours here. 
On the Bay of Fundy, Quoddy Head has a unique position where high tide does not have enough time to leave the bay before the next high tide. 
This results in extremely high water levels where the two tides meet. 
A pocket beach, a sheltered cove where small rocks accumulate.
We enjoyed a hike through a forested wetland and were treated unexpectedly to a coastal plateau bog (a heath) containing sub-artic and artic plants rarely seen south of Canada including the carnivorous pitcher plant. The beauty of this place is exquisite, and one where I could spend many hours photographing. See for yourself!
The other reason to stay in Lubec is nearby Campobello Island on the Bay of Fundy. But don’t forget your passport as the island is in Canada. We drove there to visit the Roosevelt Campobello International Park, one that is co-owned and managed by Canada and the United States. The Roosevelt’s seaside cottage began with young Franklin’s parents and is where he enjoyed spending his summers as a young boy learning to sail. Later, it became the summer resort for President Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor and their children (she gave birth to one of them there). But as you take a guided tour of the home and walk the grounds, it is really Eleanor’s life that comes to the forefront. In fact, a daily event is ‘Eleanor’s Tea’ where you can hear the First Lady’s story including her life of public service and activism before, during and after her husband’s presidency.
In the 1880s, the Franklins purchased land and built the cottage. 
Franklin, his mother, Eleanor and their children and dog. 
A tour guide describes this room in the cottage. Note the signature hat on the table. 
Supposedly, one of the children was born in this room. 
A view from the cottage. 
A picture window view from the Hubbard Cottage, also within the park.
After a few days, we parted ways with our friends Lorraine and Spencer and moved on to a campground near Bangor. From there, we visited Acadia National Park, a first for me. Lucky for us, our friends Kathy and Joel had parked their RV at a campground on Hadley’s Point on Mt Desert Island and offered to give us a guided tour of the park. Having guided many paddling trips in the park, they know the area well.
I was excited to finally visit Acadia NP (Vivian had been a couple times before) despite being forewarned of its summer crowds. As far as national parks go, Vivian and I are wilderness spoiled in south Florida. Surrounded by Everglades National Park, we have access to a hundred miles of undeveloped coastline so wild that a noticeable change in scenery comes only from the tides and weather. I’ve experienced many days of paddling and camping in the park and can count on one hand the number of people encountered. Truly, it is a place where you can hide for as long as you wish – a place where isolation can easily be chosen.
Not so in Acadia National Park, although our friend Joel who has paddled all over Maine’s coast assured us that the national park does have remote areas where there are no crowds. We would not see those places on this trip, but we did get to see some of Joel and Kathy’s favorite places and the views from atop Cadillac Mountain.
Our short time in Maine marked the end of our tour of the seacoast that began in Quebec two months earlier. At last, we begin our travels toward the Midwest beginning with a visit to the highest peak in the Northeastern United States. But before we move on, here’s a few more from Maine.
And if you haven’t yet, check out our stories from the Canadian Maritimes
Changing Views From Our RV 
Wow. It’s hard to tell because your hand is in the way, but from your first picture, are there any states in the Northeast that you haven’t been to yet??? Asking for a friend 🤣🤣🤣
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