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After a circumnavigation of New Brunswick, I re-enter Maine at Calais (pronounced callous) and wander down the Maine Coast photo-oping in front of all the cute buildings.  Here’s one that I can’t resist–not sure of the architecture style–perhaps a cross between French and Stave-church Norwegian?

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An interesting NPS park unit is St. Croix International Historical Site.    This was the second permanent settlement in North America (after Castillo de San Marcos/Fort Marion in Florida) settled by the French, half of which died after the first year so they moved out to St. Croix Island.  One of 411 NPS park units.

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I give three talks in Bar Harbor, SW Harbor and Acadia Park Headquarters–a very beautiful National Park.  John D. Rockefeller, and others, captured Mt. Desert Island (pronounced both ways–Dessert and Desert) and built wagon roads and fancy homes there, eventually donating much of the island to the NPS.

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This is the Northeast Harbor marina with clear blue waters and an active fishing fleet.

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Lobster……

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On the summit of Mt. Desert Island you can see for miles as you walk around a 1/4 mile loop.  Worth the effort.

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The new tourists are from…….. Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City).  I recognized their language and greet them in Vietnamese–which surprised them.  They insisted on a photograph and so did I.  Three-quarters of the Vietnamese have no recollection of the “American War.”  I learned a bit of their language in 1965 and 66 which came in handy when I visited Hanoi with an NGO in 1989.  The Vietnamese are very industrious, clever people who I predict will become a strong ally of the US sometime in the future.  Obama did right by visiting there last month.

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This is one of the longest ships in the world–or so it was told to me by my next door camping neighbor at the Duluth Marine & RV Park.  It is about 1100 feet long and carries iron ore from Duluth up the St. Lawrence Seaway.  Iron ore is a major export for Minnesota–a fact I didn’t know (or perhaps was asleep in high school geography class).  Duluth lies at the far west of the Great Lakes system and is chuck full of old brick buildings, quaint pubs & restaurants, a unique bridge, and very bumpy streets.

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Driving about 350 miles a day I visit Voyageur National Park and this huge trout. Voyageur is a huge lake system bordering Canada and a first visit for me.  This was the “highway system” for the French Canadian fur trade.   I have been asked by many ‘fans’ to make a poster for this park and I think I will.  I witnessed not one, but two wolves cross in front of my car on the 10 mile drive into the visitors center at Ash River.   Park headquarters is located at Kabetogama.

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Had to visit the Airstream factory in Jackson Center, Ohio even though it was 150 miles out of my way.  This is a modern trailer; mine is a 1948 Trailwind, the logo for this blog (serial #3) which didn’t seem to be of much interest to them; and they have absolutely no parts for the old ones.  There was also an Airstream rally there, Alumapalooza, for $500!–but packed with Airstream techs, demonstrations, etc.  I didn’t have the luxury of time or money.  And after my rally experience in Florida, I’m a bit weary of macaroni & cheese banquets.

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Here is the geographic center of the North America in Rugby North Dakota. I’m headed west….

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….to Teddy Roosevelt National Park, North Unit.  This CCC overlook is perhaps the most photographed building in the country.  I’m doing a poster of this very place–stand by fans!!!!

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Here’s another CCC campground building with typical massive cornerstones.  The CCC trained about 3 million 18-23 year old men practical skills and was run by the US Army with NPS (and State Park) input. It lasted 9 years and their works are nearing a century old.   They were paid $1/day and had to send $25 of it home to mom and dad (back when they had moms and dads).

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This modern park building was built in 1991 and is condemned due to massive structural failure.  My guess it was built on poor soils–a centuries old bison wallow which is very unconsolidated.

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Within a few years, the sidewalks began oozing sideways as the building settled and the foundation cracked.  Where are those CCC boys when we need them!   Stay tuned!