This is the East Quoddy Head lighthouse in New Brunswick. The water in the background of the lighthouse is the Bay of Fundy which has the biggest tide changes in the world. In order to get to this lighthouse you had to climb three ladders and then walk across two low areas that were exposed by the low tide. They had big signs sitting next to the first ladder with warning that the tide raises at 5 feet/hour. When we went out we knew we only had about one hour before the tide would start rushing back in to surround the lighthouse.To illustrate how big the tides are I took the following picture which shows a dog at the bottom of a 40' ladder ... If I had taken the dogs picture at high tide he would have been four or five feet below me swimming around in 35 degree water. 
We drove for about three hours to have our picture taken at the Easternmost point in the United States (West Quoddy Head lighthouse). I know we look cold but we were just faking ... it was a balmy thirty-two degrees and the wind was blowing 35 MPH. Not sure what that translates to but it was cooooooooooold.
We drove for about three hours to have our picture taken at the Easternmost point in the United States (West Quoddy Head lighthouse). I know we look cold but we were just faking ... it was a balmy thirty-two degrees and the wind was blowing 35 MPH. Not sure what that translates to but it was cooooooooooold.
This is the little shack that Kristi lives in. Not bad for a rental. Mom and I really enjoyed staying there with Kris.
20 comments:
This is the first time I've attemped to post more than one picture and I ended up posting the first last and the last ... well you understand. The first picture shows a house built on a huge rock. In a real sense all the houses built on Mt. Desert Island are built on rock foundations ... they just arn't as noticable as this one. Thanks Kristi for a great trip and it has been a great one!
LOL. You all look so cold in the West Quoddy Head lighthouse picture! Ruldolph would be jealous of your noses.
I'm really glad that the dog was on the beach at low tide.
And... I'd live in that "shack" any old time. I'm glad you had a good stay.
And bring the cold back with you will ya? We need some snow!
It looks like a great place. I will have to find myself in Maine someday. It's not the most Eastern point in the United States That's in Alaska this is from the state website
http://www.dced.state.ak.us/oed/student_info/learn/aboutgeography.htm
The 180th meridian, (halfway around the world from the Prime Meridian at Greenwich, England) is the global dividing line between all eastern and western longitudes and happens to pass through Alaska's Aleutian Island chain. That means, when taking the global geographic perspective, Alaska has both the easternmost and westernmost spots in the entire country! The piece of land with the most westerly longitude is Amatignak Island at 179° 06' 31" west, just shy of the 180th meridian. Only 70 miles away, in a westerly direction but on the other side of the meridian, is Pochnoi Point on Semisopochnoi Island, with the most easterly longitude of 179° 46' east.
We are glad you got the dog out. Even a dog would not last very long in that cold of water.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_points_of_the_United_States
Check out the Wikipedia info on Extreme points in the US.
Alaska's claim is a technical claim based on a human need to make sense of where we stand on the earth (although I am sure that it is an amazing place all the same). Maine's eastern most point is real physical geography! It is interesting to stand there and see all kinds of Canada to the East and then to actually to go to the East Quoddy lighthouse ... and even more than that to see the Passamaquoddy Bay and the Bay of Fundy. It is an amazing part of Maine and North American that I am glad that I got to see!
If you want the real facts... go to the CIA's webpage https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
the Maine vs. Alaska debate is on. It was bound to happen. I can't even understand what the heck you guys are talking about. I just know I love Maine ... I've never been to Alaska, but now I feel compelled to go just to see what Dave is so exercised about.
I got so caught up in the geodebate that i forgot to say, that i really liked the picture of the dog at the bottom of the stairs, but my favorite was the three snowpeople. you guys make living large look normal and i love that we are a family of adventurers!
I knew David would bring up Alaska! I didn't have the heart to tell Kristi--but we felt like we were at the eastern-most point. It was a wonderful adventure with Kristi--she kept us busy having fun and learning.
I love the CIA site I did not see what was listing for the most east but I do see the Prime Meridian running threw the middle of the Aleutian Islands. If you are want to call Maine the most Eastern point you will have to Call Florida the most southern.
I know that AK is the farthest point north, west and east in the 50 US states. You just have to look at a map to see that.....when your dealing with a round object, there has to be a starting and stopping point. We could just be ugly Americans and assume that the world revolves around us and change the international date line to make all AK be on the western side of the USA.
It is an asinine point. Alaska is one of the most eastern points of land in the world, but not in the country. If this country truly based the start of the earths rotation prime time TV would be broadcast at 2 PM on the east coast, 11 am in Utah and 10 AM in Washington.
If Alaska is the eastern most point shouldn't it be the land of the rising sun, not Japan?
They do move the International Date Line around but not just the US for Alaska. It moves around Russia and wanders all over the place for the south picnic islands. It look like in spots it has been moved about 10 degrees past the prime meridian. You can't call Alaska the land of the rising Sun because most of it is west of the Prime Meridian, and all of it is West of the International Date Line. You could say that Maine is the first place to see the new day in the United States if you only count states. If not that would be Wake Island
Ok enough. Maine's West Quoddy head is the most Eastern point in the continental United States and we drove 3 hours to view it and believe me it was well worth every mile of the trip. One point about the dog picture at East Quoddy head; I was standing by the ladder wondering if I wanted to go down because it was so steep and the dog started down (I really questioned if he could desend such a steep incline and was afraid he would fall). After he took 2 or 3 steps I could see he had the same thought. But after he started down there was no way he could turn around so down he went, a measured step at a time until he almost reached the bottom ... but as he got closer to the bottom the last 10 feet were a snap! I don't know which I'll remember the longest; the East Quoddy Head in Canada with the Bay of Fundy in its background or the adventures of this amazing dog.
Good to read all of your comments and to witness the passion you have in regards to which American sees the sun first each day. I do know this: that the ones in Maine are wearing a coat too.
Love you all,
Dad
That is very cool did you get a shot of the dog going down the ladder? I don't know if I have ever seen a dog on a ladder outside of a circus.
Wow! That dog sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing that story.
Is your blood back up to room temperature DAD. Glad to be back home in the land of the hot sun and year round gold?
Golf. I meant golf?
I have seen a dog go up and down a ladder at a job site, it was rather amazing to see. If I remember correctly it was a golden retriever that really needed a bath.
I am very proud to to be the 20th comment to this subject on the blog...who would have been on such a silly subject.
Post a Comment