Playing hide & seek

A bridge, a bird, a ride...

Today was a day of driving, sandwiched with exploring and riding. The bird? While I was following my bicycle wheels down a road on Deer Isle, and big red-headed woodpecker flew by and landed on a tree. I put my foot down on the ground and reached for my camera, but that fabulous bird must have sensed me and flew off. Funny though, my ride was out-and-back, and as I approached that same spot on the way back, the woodpecker reappeared. It repeated the same behavior, disappearing as soon as I reached for my camera. (Luckily there was a bird book at my B&B so I was able to confirm my suspicion. It was a pileated woodpecker, and according to the book these birds can be 18 inches long. What a fabulous creature. There's not a picture in my camera, but there is one in my mind.

My first stop this morning was at the Penobscot Narrows Bridge. You might remember a picture of the unfinished structure in one of my journals from last year. I remember stopping, and starting to walk onto the still under construction bridge. I remember thinking better of wandering out there, and returning to my car. So when I saw that the bridge opened late last year and that it had an observatory in one of it's two towers, I knew that I needed to go back. It's a single-plane cable-stay bridge. Someone I was talking to today told me that two construction companies built the bridge, each starting on opposite sides of the river and meeting in the middle. It's a beautiful structure, and the ability to go up to the top of one of the two towers was a real treat. We were warned not to look down when the elevator doors opened. A glass wall is a short three-feet away when you stop out of the elevator. The view was great, but what I really found fascinating was looking down at the cable-stays of the bridge from my perch in the observatory. How high was I? 42 stories above the river. Yes, the glass walls made it OK, even with my somewhat wacky uncertain feelings about drop-offs.

I had to spend a little more time down below the bridge. At the other end of the park is the Fort Knox State Historic Site. After the American Revolution and the War of 1812, there apparently was still concern that the Penobscot River could be attacked again. Building started in 1844 and continued for 25 years. The fort was never completely finished, According to the brochure the area was used twice, but the troops "lived outside the main fort structure in large tents. No enemy ships ever appeared on the Penobscot or threatened its towns during these wars." The structure is well-preserved, and a good place for wandering for a bit. It was quite a contrast, seeing the brand new bridge standing right next to a well-preserved structure wearing over 150 years in its facade.

Ah, it's time to ride. But I still have a ways to drive before my bike will jump out of the car. I headed down heavily wooded roads in the general direction of Deer Isle. Sometimes I don't think there is a straight road in this state... I wandered and turned, and turned again. The trees gave way to open fields decorated with large rocks, and more large rocks. Eventually I reached the bridge to the island, apparently the twin of the old (now replaced) bridge at Penobscot Narrows. The Deer Isle bridge is under construction, changing a very narrow 2-lane bridge into a very narrow 1-lane bridge. I have to admit I'm glad that I wasn't riding across the bridge; I doubt that the cars would have appreciated my slow pace. I parked at the information center just south of the bridge, and walked in to talk to the volunteer manning the center. I wanted to pick up a map, and to check that the roads I planned to wander on. We talked about riding on the islands very narrow roads (which of course didn't bother me at all!), and then I headed out. I crossed a causeway, sunlight sparkling on the water on two sides of the road. Then the trees closed in once more, and I met that friendly woodpecker. I kept riding, occasionally seeing glimpses of water through the trees. I rolled up and down, up and down, eventually reaching a point with water on both sides of the road, sand, flowers still blooming. I turned back just short of the end of the road, wandered down another road, turned back again. I still find it amazing that a road ridden in two directions can sometimes seem to be two different roads.

Deer Isle. Hmm... I needed to head north (inland) and then east before heading south once more to find Bar Harbor on Mt. Desert Island. I picked up a hint at the information center, a way to avoid route 3 in Ellsworth. Sweet! Just after I rejoined Route 1 it crossed a river in the center of Ellsworth. I turned south on route 230, avoiding the more heavily traveled route 3 south. It was a funny direction day though. route 230 heads south, and rolls around a peninsula turning north for a bit before it hits route 3. I was told to take a turn to the east to skip the around the bottom of the peninsula piece of the road. Instead of the shortcut hitting route 3 directly, it rejoined 230. I guessed the direction, and turned left. Let's see, I was driving south on 230. I turned left to grab a shortcut then turned left again, and ended up on 230 south once more. How is that possible? I am now going north on 230 south. Luckily route 3 showed up quickly, before I decided I was really heading in the wrong direction (and I really wasn't..).

Heading south once more, I finally reached Bar Harbor, my home for the next four nights. Kerry & Donna are in Bar Harbor too, so we shared dinner and conversation once more.

Time to dream of tomorrow.... I plan to ride Park Loop Road at least once, maybe twice. And I plan to spend some time walking the rocky coastline, visiting the birds.