Maine. The Magazine Jan/Feb 2011 Issue

I am thrilled to be a part of Maine. The magazine's January/February 2011 edition.  I interviewed and photographed Ralph Lewis for the Q&A section and was also selected to be featured as a contributor in this issue.

During my travels, I come across some interesting people and have blogged about them along the way.  When I was staying as a guest of Adam and Susan in Bailey Island, Maine, I met and chatted with their neighbors, Ralph and Dolly.  Susan introduced me and told Ralph that I was a photographer and after he kiddingly waved his hand at me and turned his back, he turned right back around with that contagious smile to greet me. A few days later, he came over for a visit and we chatted about what it was like for him to be the photographer for the State of Maine.  He showed me Maine road maps where his photographs were featured and told me tales of the people and things he took photographs of.  I blogged about my time with him HERE. Listening to his stories was such a treat. I asked him if I could come over later that evening to take his portrait and he said, "sure."

I went over later that beautiful fall afternoon to chat with him and his wife, Dolly.  They were certainly a pleasure to be around.  I instantly felt at home with them.  I went back to their winter home a few weeks later to record an interview for the magazine and took some additional shots of him talking about his experiences and while showing me one of the cameras he used. Ultimately, that photograph was chosen by the magazine to use for the feature.

The best part of this experience was getting to know Ralph and Dolly.  I feel as they are a part of my extended family now.  They are so sweet to me...I even received a Thanksgiving and Christmas card from them.

I also enjoyed meeting Susan, the editor of Maine. The Magazine and the people who work there.  I am very thankful to all of them for the opportunity. Each and every staff member was a pleasure to work with.  After falling in love with the state of Maine, this just added to my positive experience in that beautiful state of ours.  I know I will be back.

Happy Halloween!

Max is ready to head out to sea...

BINGO Culture

Throughout my travels, I've come across several churches, halls, meeting areas and old buildings with a  sign outside that announces the night and time of Bingo each week.  I've always wanted to stop in and take a peek and I finally did in central Maine at a hall I've driven by a few times.

I am hooked.  I didn't play but sat and observed the people.  This is serious business.  Bingo has a culture all its own and there are unspoken rules and a silent etiquette to follow.  The moment I stepped foot in the hall, it was obvious that I was new to the scene.  I didn't have anything but a camera which was a big hint.  Most players have bags with markers, trinkets, cards, good luck charms, playing cards, photographs, candy and the like.

One thing about the players is that they come early and they come prepared.  One woman I spoke to said that you need to come ready to play so you can set up your personal space and have enough room for your cards.  Several players would have up to twenty cards laid out at a time to play in the same game.

For me, that sounds like a lot of thinking.

I would be happy with just one card to be responsible for.  The more cards I have, the more likely I would miss checking off a number and miss my chance to raise my hand for the jackpot.

I am not one to take pictures of people who don't want their photograph taken.  Everyone in the hall knew I had a camera and that I was taking photographs. Only one person told me they didn't want to be photographed and I respected that.  They were all very welcoming to me answering all sorts of questions on the game and detailing their method of play.  Even though they were friendly to me, I knew that their mind was focused on the game at hand.

I plan on visiting more bingo halls on my travels to dig deeper into this culture. I look forward to capturing images of the different personalities across each state in this game.  Perhaps maybe someday I will sit down to play one card.

A Drive Along The Coast Of Maine

Did I mention that I love this state?  It was my last few days in town and I decided to make a trip up the coast.  Highway One is a beautiful drive and you can make it even more interesting if you veer off course and drive off on the smaller roads that take you to several of the little towns and tourist destinations in the state.  It's what I did when I came across Andy and his yard ship so you'll never know what you will find.

This drive took me to Boothbay harbor to walk around the area and be a tourist for a while.  I walked into a gallery and spoke with one of the artists in the gallery, John Vander.  He agreed for me to take his photograph while he told me about his current exhibit, "tourist season."  For more on this exhibit, click HERE.

After the brief stop, I continued back to the main highway and traveled North through Camden and saw many other quaint towns while observing clammers and fishermen until I hit the main destination, Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park.  It was one of the foggiest days I've ever seen so it wasn't the best day to visit if you wanted a clear view of the park.  It didn't matter to me, the park is beautiful.  Bar Harbor is another tourist destination and after traveling to Boothbay, I grew tired of the shops selling everything you can think of with the city name in the item.

I drove up the Northern California coast, Oregon Coast up until mid Washington.  This drive didn't disappoint.  The only advice I would give is to take your time.  Don't make it a day trip like I did.  Enjoy it and take at least a few days wandering around and seeing the sights in all their glory.

Portland Maine Mail Boat Ride And Tour

The last time I took a trip on a mail boat was years ago in Grenada.  I read an article about traveling this way and took the boat from Grenada to the islands of the Grenadines and up to St. Vincent.  The boats were old sailboats with duct tape holding the mast together and the rides weren't exactly the safest in the world.  When I heard that there was a mail boat in Portland, Maine I had to take a tour.

Instantly, it wasn't exactly like the trip I had before.  The boat was more of a ship and since it was a sunny day, it was packed with people.  Most of the people on board were tourists with a scattering of workers getting on from an island to go back home.

I love being on a boat.  At the beginning, I was excited to board and feel it move across the bay.  By the looks of it, it seemed many people were prepared for taking a three hour tour with snacks and drinks.  The captain and our tour guide was a woman which I found interesting.  What a fun job to drive a boat to different islands in Maine and being far enough away from tourists that you didn't have to talk to them.

It was the warmest and most beautiful day in Maine by far.  It felt like a hot summer day right in September.  It was a delight.  Throughout the stops, the boat delivered a trailer, mail packages, picked people up and dropped people off for three hours.

After the tour, I took a walk around downtown Portland.  This little city is a favorite by far.  It's so quaint with old brick roads, cute shops and interesting people scattered about.  If you've never been to Maine, I would recommend a visit.  I can almost guarantee that you will fall in love with the area.  I know I have.

Red's Eats Lobster Roll

I found the best lobster roll...ever!  I don't go out to eat that often since I just eat what I have around to save money and I usually don't make it a point to visit tourist trap locations.  Each time I have driven by Red's Eats, the line is around the block.  It has to be good.

I attempted to wait in the line at one point and gave up.  The trick is to go when you are not starving and have some time to spare.  I went yesterday when it was raining so the line was only on the side of the building and not on the street so I was excited...it looked promising!

Once I stood in line, I timed how long it would take to get to the counter.  This time around, it was only 45 minutes.  It was well worth the wait.  The lobster rolls sell for $15 a pop and are stuffed with lobster meat (of course) and tenderly hugging the meat is a toasted piece of bread. There isn't any filler to mix with the meat like lettuce or mayo, it's just fresh cooked lobster.  They claim to have 1 1/2 lobsters in one roll and I am not going to dispute that claim.  It looked like that much to me!  No wonder there is a line each time I pass by.

On the way back through, it was around 5pm and there wasn't anyone in line.  I tried my best to feel hungry but I was still full from lunch.  The trick is to go there for dinner and not lunch if you don't want to wait.  All I know is that any lobster rolls from here on out will pale in comparison. If you drive on highway one and come across a little town called, Wiscasset, it's time to stop and get in line at Red's Eats.  You'll be glad you did.

Ralph And Dolly

If you live on an island, most likely you will know your neighbors.  It's a pretty tight knit community here and I was fortunate enough to meet my neighbors for the moment, Dolly and Ralph.  Today, Ralph came over to sit down and chat with me a while.  Once I told him that I've been taking pictures, he told me all about his days as a photographer.  I asked if I could come over to his home in a few hours to take his photograph and he smiled and said, "sure!"

When he was working, Ralph was the official photographer for the state of Maine, among other jobs as a photographer in his career.  He took photographs that were displayed on the state map at the time.  He photographed the governor and his family for each map as well as the local sights, activities, and food of Maine.

It was a pleasure listening to his stories on what equipment he used at the time, how he got his shots and all of the places he went being the official photographer of the state.  I couldn't help but have a smile on my face as I listened to his tales.  He and his wife, Dolly have lived in the same house on this island for forty years. They've been through all different weather conditions and couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

You can't help but fall in love with the people and sights of this town.  It will be hard to leave.

The Sights of Maine

I love Maine.  The past day, I drove around and took photographs of what I came across.  I have yet to have a lobster roll, but it's on my list of things to do while I am here.

This afternoon, I decided to take a dip in the water and was able to get in the ocean half way until Max decided to run off.  I am soaking up the time I have on this island and am doing a lot of nothing, which is a nice change of pace.