Quoddy Head State Park

On Saturday, July 31, 2021, we ventured out to find yet another lighthouse -- and we were not disappointed.  We got to visit the Quoddy Head Light: 

West Quoddy Head, in Quoddy Head State Park, Lubec, Maine, where the lighthouse is located, is the easternmost point of the contiguous United States. In 1808 a lighthouse was constructed at the site to guide ships through the Quoddy Narrows. The current tower, with distinctive red-and-white stripes, was constructed in 1858 and is an active aid to navigation. The 3rd order Fresnel lens is the only 3rd order and one of only eight Fresnel lenses still in use on the Maine Coast.  The light station was added to the National Register of Historic Places as West Quoddy Head Light Station on July 4, 1980.

The light is closed to tours, so we could only admire it from outside.  However, this was only the beginning of our visit.  We had a chance to do a five mile hike along the cliff in Quoddy Head State Park, and back through the woods to one of few peat bogs in the U.S.

We had just begun our hike when David spotted a whale breaching out at the shoreline:

The views were magnificent, and reminded us of some of the most scenic stops we made on Cape Breton in 2018:

We took an opportunity to walk out onto High Ledge and take in the Atlantic Ocean view:

The trail was pretty wet from recent rains, and, although there were sections that offered basic boardwalks, we still squished through the wet, soft forest duff:

We've only seen cutie-pies like this a few times in our hiking travels.  Indian pipe has no chlorophyll so it can’t make its own food. Instead it feeds off the roots of a fungus. Because it lacks chlorophyll it doesn’t need light to grow. Native Americans used the sap for medicinal purposes, which most likely explains the common name of Indian pipe. Each stalk holds one nodding flower. Indian pipes are related to blueberries and rhododendrons.

Back to our regularly scheduled scenery:

We eventually arrived at Jones Beach, our destination for lunch, where we picked out a large boulder for a seat:

After lunch, we did a little beachcombing.  In addition to sea glass and some interesting little stones (not to mention other photos), we ran across this little fellow who, unfortunately, was no longer among the living:

The inland route back to Quoddy Head was, surprisingly, not as wet as the cliff route, but it had its share of sections where we needed the boardwalks:

Near the head, the park has an unusual coastal plateau bog (also known as a heath) with sub-arctic and arctic plants rarely seen south of Canada. Shrubs predominate, particularly black crowberry, baked appleberry and Labrador tea, along with carnivorous plants such as pitcher plants and sundew. Carrying Place Cove Bog, a peat bog, is a National Natural Landmark. 

The bog also features numerous pitcher plants. Foraging, flying, or crawling insects such as flies are attracted to a cavity formed by the cupped leaf, often by visual lures and nectar. The rim of the pitcher is slippery when moistened by condensation or nectar, causing insects to fall into the trap. Pitcher plants may also contain waxy scales or other mechanisms that prevent insects from climbing out. The small bodies of liquid contained within the pitcher traps are called phytotelmata. They drown the insect, whose body is gradually dissolved. This may occur by bacterial action (the bacteria being washed into the pitcher by rainfall), or by enzymes secreted by the plant itself. Some pitcher plants contain insect larvae which feed on trapped prey, excreting nutriets that the plant absorbs.

As Kathy will tell you, David cannot do a hike without spotting and photographing unique fungi.  This hike was no exception:

Having finished our hike and visit to Quoddy Head, we drove the short way into nearby Lubec, where we spotted the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Bridge to Campobellos Island, which is within the borders of Canada.  We had crossed that bridge in 2018 to visit the Campobello site when we drove down through Calais and Lubec from a campground where we were staying in New Brunswick.

After a quick pint in the beer garden at Lubec Brewing, we stopped at the other best destination in Lubec -- "Ice Cream With a Smile" -- and enjoyed a creamy, cold treat before our drive back to Eastport!