Beal & Bunker Mail Boat Ferry, Maine What would it be like to live on a tiny island in the ice cold Atlantic off the coast of northern Maine?. About 128 hardy souls call the petite Cranberry Islands next to Mt. Desert Island their year-round home. Talk about remote living. The only way they can get provisions is via the Mail Boat Ferry that sails between Great Cranberry Island, Little Cranberry (home to the village of Islesford), and Mt. Desert Island every day. Visitors looking for a truly authentic and unique boat ride can board the 38-foot power boat called the Double B (for “Beal & Bunker”) in Northeast Harbor and ride it in a loop all day long, disembarking at any stop. As we boarded the boat, we saw the deck and holding area were packed with goods being transported. “We live and die by Amazon,” one woman joked. Then we noticed we were surrounded by workers carrying lunch pails commuting to work. When they got off at Great Cranberry Island, a string of school kids and their teachers came down the gangplank to get on the boat to go to school over on Islesford. The conductor told us he has the phone number of every parent, and he made sure each kid had donned a life preserver before we set out. The Double B sails in all but the worst weather because it is a virtual lifeline for the people living on these beautiful islands. We learned that our balmy summer joy ride can actually
become a harrowing adventure in rough seas and powerful salt spray during a Nor’easter blizzard in January. We explored both of the Cranberry Islands, and although we were on foot, we saw a lot. Islesford is home to several artists whose work is displayed at the Islesford Artists Gallery, and both islands have a general store that was fun to wander through. On the last leg of our trip, a young man loaded the Mail Boat with exotic drums, explaining to us that he was the music teacher at the Islesford school and had just finished teaching a segment on African music. How totally cool is that?. Mt. Washington Cog Railway, New Hampshire At 6,288 feet elevation, the summit of New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington is the tallest peak in the eastern United States, and back in the summer of 1869, the unique Cog Railway became the first train ever to climb straight up the side of a mountain. Sylvester Marsh, a wealthy inventor, had hiked up treacherous Mt. Washington in 1857, and upon witnessing the stunning views at the top, he decided to make those views accessible to city folk from Boston and New York who couldn’t endure the punishing hike.
He designed a unique train, a “Little Engine That
Guests pedal unique railcars that roll along train tracks winding through a valley with stunning mountain views.
LET’S GO FOR A RIDE
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE SPRING 2025 | 19
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