Issue #14 -- One Enchanted Breakdown

On Saturday, June 10th, we thought we'd take a short drive to Stonington, Maine to check out the area for a day cruise we were planning for sometime in July.
The drive itself is only about forty-five minutes from the Timberland Acres RV Park in Trenton, Maine. It is a scenic drive with several small towns between Trenton and Stonington.  If you are in the area, it is well worth the outing.

Have you ever gone out on what was to be just a nice drive, or a trip, to check out an area for an upcoming adventure, and everything just seems to go against you? "Well, just sit right back and I'll tell you a tale, a tale of a faithful trip"... Our day didn't start out with everything going against us. We were able to enjoy the drive, and view, as we traveled to Stonington.

Not a real person sailing this little boat. Clever locals!

We arrived in Stonington and located the dock for Isle Au Haut Boat Services. Our goal was to check out the location of  Isle Au Haut Boat Services and get an updated brochure.   If you're looking for a nice way to spend a few hours on a short scenic harbor cruise, Isle Au Haut has a few to choose from.  They have a Puffins Viewing Tour, a Lighthouse Tour and Scenic Harbor Cruises, or you can hop aboard the Mail Ferry.

Once we finished checking out Isle Au Haut Boat Services we decided we would head back to the Trenton area, but first we needed to make a restroom stop.  It is not always easy, in a small town, to find a public restroom. If you're anything like me, you know there are two types of restrooms you try to avoid. One is at a gas station, and the other is a port-a-potty.  So we drove through Stonington and the only public restroom we found was located at the town pier.

The Town Pier parking lot -
breakdown location.

I had to go - so it's the port-a-potty! I'll give them credit, it was the cleanest port-a-john I've ever seen; even had toilet paper and hand sanitizer. While taking care of business, I could hear someone revving their vehicle engine. As I stepped out of the port-a-john I found it was David revving OUR car's engine. He said he had an indicator saying his coolant was overheating.  I told him that must be why there was steam coming from the hood.  He looked at the hood with amazement, then quickly turned the car off and this is where the "Enchanted Breakdown" begins.  We tried contacting our tow service and found our cell service was almost non-existent in this area.  After several attempts, and two hours, to get assistance we were told by Good Sam Roadside Assistance operators that no one would respond and we'd have to contact the local police/sheriff for tow assistance. The sheriffs department hooked us up with Charlie's Garage & Towing. Charlie was off, but Joshua offered to come right over and help us out. Joshua let us know he could tow the vehicle to the garage, but he wouldn't be able to work on it until Monday. It was Saturday!! He then referred us to two local bed & breakfasts or motels, which were both within walking distance, for a place to stay.  (Thank you Joshua for being so kind.)

Sometimes breakdowns are a GOOD thing!
Of the two locations, we chose Inn on the Harbor, which is a beautiful and magical Bed & Breakfast located right on the Stonington Harbor.
Boyces Motel is also a charming motel and both are just across the street from each other.
(Both owners know each other and often refer the other for bookings).
Both have reasonable prices and generally book up for the summer months.

Harbor view from our room.

David often tells me I have the ability to turn our life's lemons into lemonade, and always put a positive spin on any negative encounter.

King size bed is a must!

The view alone was worth the stay. You can't help but relax, sitting on the deck overlooking the harbor. All of your cares seem to melt away!

The owners of the Inn on the Harbor, Dana & Jay, bought the Inn last September and have been working non-stop since then to upgrade and make some needed improvements. Built in the 1880s, the Inn is comprised of four Victorian style buildings joined together, creating thirteen guest rooms, each with it's own character. Nine of the guest rooms overlook the sea and several have fireplaces and private decks. With the main deck located right over the harbor you can enjoy watching the 11-foot tide rising and falling beneath you.
Because we hadn't planned for a break-down, we didn't have any of the necessary items needed for a two night stay much less just one night.  One of the good things about breaking down in a small town it that most everything is within walking distance.  Just around the corner from the Inn is Harbor View Store & Stonecutters Kitchen. The store came in handy for tooth brushes, toothpaste, razors and a few snacks.  At Stonecutters Kitchen you can order a meal and have the choice of eating it there or getting it to go.

The history of Maine's Stonecutters dates back to the 1800's. Crotch Island, off Stonington, was the site of quarry mining for granite.  Active mining continued into the 1960's then declined for a brief period, but is actively quarried today.
Stonington is better known for it's Lobster Co-op, which dates back to 1948 when fifteen fisherman agreed to form the Stonington Lobster Cooperative, pool their resources and invest in a facility to engage in the buying and selling of lobsters and fish of all kinds; to conduct a store or stores for the buying and selling of hardware, electrical supplies, fishermen's equipment, oil, gasoline, sporting supplies; and to deal in, acquire, buy, sell, assign and transfer, and otherwise dispose of all kinds of property.  The cooperative is still running today and expanded to a Co-op II in 1972.  One of the biggest changes in lobster traps today is that the crates used to be made of wood and today they are made of a plastic wire substance.  The fishermen are up and heading out to retrieve their lobster traps by 04:30 am, each day.
I found a very cute little shop, The Dry Dock, just up the street from the Inn, where I found a couple of nice tops and a pair of flip-flops. There was no way I'd be able to wear my boots for more than one day.
Everyone we met was extremely kind and helpful during our stay.

David enjoying breakfast, Dana (owner) in the background.

The Inn provided breakfast for us daily and also served a wonderful lunch.  As for dinner we found a nice place just a few doors up from the Inn. It was called The Harbor Cafe, located at 36 Main Street.  This is a little gem of a restaurant as it's open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  The food was excellent, and I'm sure we'll eat there again.

Don & Jane Lockhart

All in all, the enchanted breakdown turned out to be a great new adventure and a magical couple of days.
 Our good friend, Don Lockhart, happened to be the Marine warden in Stonington about thirty years ago and was very excited to drive down from the Bar Harbor area and give us a lift back to Trenton until our car was fixed.  Thank you Don and we enjoyed a personal tour of the area. Don even gave of a recommendation for a place to eat next time we happen to be in the area. It's called Madelyn's Drive-In, which is located at 495 Deer Isle Road, in Deer Isle, Maine.
Before leaving Stonington we got an update that our vehicle would be ready by Wednesday, so once we were back in Trenton we needed to get a rental car.  Here we go, another adventure!  We knew there was an Enterprise rental company in Ellsworth, however, they were out of cars. Thanks to the owners and staff at Timberland Acres, our RV campground, we got a referral to Darling's Auto Mall, where we contacted Pam Look, the Rental Manager, and got a rental car at a corporate rate. Once our car was repaired we were able to drive back to Stonington and retrieve our vehicle. It turns out the slow speed coolant fan broke.  What an enchanted adventure!

David's Buddy Stops:

We can't end a blog without this. Through it all, David hung in there and kept a smile on his face!