On our last full day in Maine, we had time for one last visit to a local museum. Today it was the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland. The beautiful little museum was chock full of lighthouse artifacts, as well as a huge amount of Coast Guard memorabilia. This is due to the fact that lighthouses and other aids to navigation are maintained by the Coast Guard, as well as the museum's founder being a former Coast Guard warrant officer. So we spent the afternoon learning about 1st order Fresnel lenses, fog horns, and various other navigational aids. It was a fittingly nostalgic wrap-up to our trip.
After the museum, we drove across town to view an actual lighthouse, the Rockland Breakwater Light. We've actually seen this lighthouse from the water during a windjammer cruise several years ago. But today we saw it from the land - at a distance. It's permitted to walk out to the house, but it's at the end of a mile long breakwater made of uneven and rugged granite blocks, and we weren't up to the treacherous hike. We had to content ourselves with a distant view from shore.
Late lunch at the Waterworks restaurant in Rockland, and then home. In the evening, we began the packing process for our departure and journey home tomorrow.
 |
| Fresnel lenses focus light to a powerful beam |
 |
| A second order Fresnel lens, bigger than a person |
 |
| Rockland Breakwater light, from shore |
 |
| Waterworks Reuben |
 |
| Waterworks steak salad |
No comments:
Post a Comment