The plan seemed pretty simple. Put four lobsters in a tank, each with their own lane so that they don’t tangle with each other, and see who makes it to the other end of the tank first. But what happens if none of the lobsters move? There’s where the plan fell apart. There was talk of putting starfish behind them to get them to move, and then putting female lobsters at the other end, which then led to the question of what sex the lobsters in the tank were. In the end, two started moving, and just when it looked like there would be a winner, the front-runner started heading backward, clearing the way for Larry the Lobster to sprint ahead and take the prize.
There was cheering and clapping, and bets won and lost, at a pretty suspenseful sports event in which an unforseen upset gave a previously unknown lobster his fifteen minutes of fame. It was drama, entertainment, and fine sportsmanship, Maine-style.
The Bar Harbor Lobster Races on July 4th weekend were something to see - although a little crowded - but not the only highlight of my weekend in Bar Harbor, Maine.
The walkway along Bar Harbor’s shore downtown was something to see in early morning hours. A light fog was still hovering over the water, casting a Scooby Doo-type presense around the boats anchored off shore and a nearby island, which was so close that you could walk to it at low tide on a sandbar.
There was good dining at several restaurants. Most offered lobster and other seafood dishes, some with water views. A few highlights were taking in the sunset from Quarterdeck Restaurant, breakfast at Two Cats, and an Italian dinner at Guinness and Porcelli’s.
Nearby, spectacular views could be found at Acadia National Park. I rented a bike one morning and pedaled along the carriage roads - a series of stone roadways looping around lakes and ponds, funded by John D. Rockefeller Jr. and blocked off from traffic - for a perfect morning activity. To really see Acadia, you have to get off the roads and climb the paths that overlook the rocky shoreline - something I didn’t have much of a chance to do this weekend, but have penciled in for my next trip “Down East.”
