Bangor - Sep 26, 2007 - Calais, Maine, United States

Sep 26, 2007 9:05 49511

Another beautiful day it is suppose to be 87 degrees today.

We are headed the rest of the way across Maine today on Highway 9 or otherwise knows as the "Airline". It is a former stagecoach track built to carry mail in the mid 1800's. Our destination is just outside of Calais (ca-luss) site of the eastern most golf course in the U.S.

We arrive at the Hilltop Campground at 12:15. This is a Passport America campground and we are on top of a ridge and can see the bay and Canada on the other side.

After setting up we head back towards Calais. This are is on the St. Croix River and had a tidal difference of up to 28 feet. We stop at one of the rest area and take pictures of the boat launch, boats in the water and the hotel on the point. At this time the water is only a little below the bushes and most of the walkway is in the water.

Next stop the St. Croix Island International Historic Site. This is the only International historic site under the National Park system. The island itself is off limits due to the fragile nature of the ecosystem. There is an interpretive park on both the U.S. and the Canada site. We visit the U.S. side today.

There are interpretative signs and bronze statues on a walkway to a pavilion that houses a replica of the original building in scale.

St. Croix began in 1604 when over 100 soldiers, gentlemen, and artisans arrived from France. The idea was to establish a European colony north of Florida. The settlement was on the island and they came to the mainland to hunt and garden.

These were not the first people here however as the ancestors of the current Passamaquoddy people had been here for thousands of years.

The leader of this group was Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons. He had pledged to found a permanent colony in return for control of the region's fur trade. He was aware that other settlements had failed so the expedition came well equipped with supplies and workers. The island was chosen, as it would be easier to defend. A palisade was built and cannons installed.

In late summer Dugua sent out a group, led by Samuel Champlain, to explore the coast of what is now Maine. He met the native peoples, produced detailed maps and gave names to many of the places such as Mount Desert Island. Bad weather and lack of food forced them to turn back in less than a month.

With the onset of winter the ice in the river made the crossing too treacherous and the French were trapped on the island. They had no fresh water or game and survived on preserved food, wine, and melted snow. Many became sick with scurvy and by spring 35 of the group were dead.

After that winder Dugua ordered the buildings dismantled and moved. They had learned a valuable lesson about North America. This time that chose a site on the mainland with a fresh water supply. They also built for winter weather in the north. The new colony Port Royal, located across the bay is what is now Canada, succeeded.

We drove into Calais and picked up brochures from the Welcome Center. On the way home we stopped at first rest area. Here I was able to see Whitlock Lighthouse. This is the northernmost lighthouse in the U.S. In 1892 a lantern was hung from a tree on the U.S. side of the St. Croix River near Calais, but complaints led to the construction of a lighthouse. The lighthouse is still an active aid to navigation and is maintained by the St. Croix Historical Society.

Back at our original rest area we are about 3.5 hours later and the water had gone down another 8-10 feet.

We went back to the RV, defrosted the fridge and then at 5:30 went back to the rest area. Only the very end of the ramp was in water. At another rest area the beach was completely covered with water when we got here and now you could walk out on nearly dry land for nearly a quarter of a mile.