Harpswell

South of Brunswick, Maine, is Harpswell, a town of about 6,000 people. The town of 24 square miles has a North Harpswell, a Center, West, and North, as well as Orr’s and Bailey Islands, and Cundy’s Harbor.

During my ride down Route 123 from Brunswick to Potts Point at the end of Harpswell Neck, I experienced what can only be described as a prelude to a boat ride on a choppy sea. Yes, it’s pothole season in Maine.

Last week in Augusta, a 15-foot long, 2-foot-wide, and 8-inch-deep pot hole caused a five-car pileup. No injuries, but plenty of business for mechanics; it’s roads like this that give pot holes the nickname “chiropractor's dream.”

This was my first long (110 miles roundtrip) on my new Vespa 250, and the weather was far superior to a typical mid-March day in southern Maine. With just a few clouds in the sky, and a high temperature of nearly 60 degrees, I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

This photo shows just how much land is exposed at low tide. Note on the left the small docks left high and partly dry – a good 8-to-10 feet of water will flood this little cove in about six hours.

Several of the islands of Casco Bay can be seen is this photo from Potts Point at the tip of Harpswell Neck. Since the 1700s, these off-shore havens have been called the “Calendar Islands,” based on the legend that there are 365 island in the Bay. According to the United States Coastal Pilot, there are 136 islands; former Maine State Historian Robert York claimed that the Bay has “a little more than two hundred islands.”

Until roads are built to each and every island, I’m satisfied to say that there are a whole big bunch of islands in Casco Bay.