Hard or Soft?

If you are looking to chomp down on some lobster in July or August on Mount Desert Island or in Downeast Maine in general this summer you might be confronted with a lobster choice that you may not have experience before - hard or soft?

For those "from away" lobster is lobster. But here close to the source of the lobster's watery home you have two "types" of lobster - hard shell or soft shell. Or I've seen it called "Tender New Shell" or as the locals call them "shedders". You see in order for a lobster to grow they have to shed their old skin and grow a new one. The hard shelled lobsters travel better than soft shell lobsters so they are the ones that get sent around the world. Soft shells typically are only sold locally.

So which one is better? Its a matter of preference. Hard shell lobsters typically cost more per pound because the meat is packed into the shell tight so you are not buying a lot of water. The shells are tough so you need to use crackers. Soft shells on the other hand are suppose to be sweeter than hard shells, cost less per pound and can usually be cracked open by hand.

The only down side I've experienced with "shedders" is the meat in the tip of the claws sometimes is a bit mushy. But like I said, its a matter of preference. A lobsterman friend of mine loves this mushy part. Its his favorite part of the lobster.

If your planning on gorging yourself on lobster you might consider the soft shells because you can rip into them fast. Besides locally on the MDI in the peak of summer shedders might be the only type of lobster you can find. The hard shells get harder to find and get shipped away.

Colonel's Restaurant, Northeast Harbor Maine

-------------- BURNED TO THE GROUND - JULY 2008! -------------------

After a pleasant visit to the public gardens (Thuya and Asticou) and the marine of Northeast Harbor on the Sunday after a very busy Fourth of July, our party enjoyed a very uncrowded early dinner (5 pm) at the Colonel Restaurant, down the alley and outside on the deck.

The Colonel is always a favorite spot for lunch when we are hiking in the area but this time we tried eating a light dinner and were pleased with our choices which included an excellent kid's meal of lightly breaded chicken fingers, shaved steak subs, a BLT and a nice mushroom pizza. All items were under $10 and were washed down with some excellent microbrews fresh from the tap.

Unlike the nearby Tan Turtle Tavern which boasts a ridiculously huge menu of hundreds of items that takes 20 minutes of concentrated study, the Colonel is very straight forward with its selections. Nothing is out of the ordinary, just simple and good. All the bread is freshly baked on the premises and the street side Colonel bakery is a great for grabbing desert. Too bad they are only open in the "season" because we've drive over to visit the Colonel all winter.

Who would have thought among all of the fancy art gallery's, sail boats and blue blooded mansions that you'd fine such a reasonable place to eat.

Queen Mary 2 visits Bar Harbor July 5th, 2008

Queen Mary 2 recently visited Bar Harbor and dwarfed the local lobster boats. It was the size of one of the porcupine islands!

Ban the plastic

The water on MDI is great. Some towns have public water from the lakes in Acadia National Park including Eagle Lake, Long Pond and Jordan Pond. Most houses outside the immediate Bar Harbor area have private wells. The water is fine to drink for sure! So was do people walk around $1+ bottles of tap water that were trucked in from who knows where (like Fiji?). I don't know. It makes absolutely no sense and its terrible for the environment. Some people just have to pay for everything or its somehow not good.

If you need to drop a dime to get a drop of water the best deal on the island is over in Southwest Harbor. You can fill up at the outside filling stations in front of Mount Desert Spring Water for 25 cents (YES ONE QUARTER) a GALLON (YES NOT A PINT A GALLON!).

Drive on over to Seal Cove road and fill 'er up!

Stop Global Warming - Do your part!

With gas prices raising at alarming rates with no sign of ever stopping I almost peed my pants when I saw this idiot pulling on to the island in a giant RV/Greyhound bus type thing that had more square footage them my house AND he was towing a pimped out Humvee behind him! Soon those type of excessive wasters are going to be rioted against. Wait about a year a watch that Humvee get flipped over in a gas shortage riot.

Don't Idle in Your Car

Idling wastes money and gas, and generates pollution and global warming causing emissions. Except when in traffic, turn your engine off if you must wait for more than 30 seconds.

More action items

Chainsaw Artist Ray Murphy

While in the MDI, Acadia, Bar Harbor, Downeast Maine area don't miss one of the most unique, genuine, original, folk artist in the world. Ray E. Murphy, the originator of chainsaw artwork created his first chainsaw artwork in 1953 when he was only 10. He sawed messages for his brother into blocks of fire wood and faces on fence post. Fifty years or so later, he has sawed over 53,000 chainsaw art items! Ray is now in Hancock,Maine performing his stage show in the summer and sawing inventory during the winter.

In his show "the World's Number One Chainsaw Sawyer Art Stage Show" Chainsaw Sawywer Artist Ray Murphy has become famous for his unique performances such as sawing 16 numbers on a toothpick or sawing 50 numbers on one side of a pop cycle stick and the alphabet on the other side. Or sawing two sculptures at the same time by using a chainsaw in each hand.

The Bar Harbor Insider and friends recently ran into Ray at his Hancock headquarters and chatted about the upcoming 2008 tourist season. He said that recently he had been contacted by David Lettermen's people looking to bring him on T.V. to demonstrate his chainsaw artistry. But Ray turned him down. The only place in the world where you can see his amazing show is right here behind bullet-proof glass at his stage show. You can see his work all over the world for example at the St. Augustine Ripley's believe it or Not Museum they have and exhibit of letters carved on a pencil with a chainsaw by Ray "Wild Mountain Man" Murphy but only in Hancock Maine can you actually see the artist at work.

He also made it very clear the his artwork is created ONLY with chainsaws not like some other artists who use carving and sanding tools.

Luckily we were able to snap a picture of one of his impressive eagle statues before it was hauled off to be delivered a collector's house.


More about Ray Murphy:
Ray's Official Website
Listen to an NPR story on Ray
Featured in the book Art of Chainsaw Carving


Chainsaw Sawyer Art Stage Show Info:

Address:
734 U.S.Highway 1, Hancock, ME [Show Map]

Directions:
5 miles East of Ellsworth, U.S.Highway 1.

Admission:
$10, under 10 yrs free.

Hours:
Summer. Opens mid June.

Email raynemily@downeast.net for show times.

Paul Bunyan Statue - Bangor Maine

When visiting the Downeast, Bar Harbor, Bangor area of Maine don't get so blinded by the thought of lobster dinners and the beautiful seashore scenery, give a little thought to the history of the area. For example many people don't realize that Bangor was once the lumber capital of the world. Lumber from the Maine woods flowed down the rivers and cities like Bangor became rich. Today little remains to remind visitors of the lumber history but there are some great attractions based on the areas woodsman past.

The first well known example is the Paul Bunyan statue in Bangor across from the new casino building.

Paul Bunyan Statue and Birthplace:
Address: 519 Main St., Bangor, ME
Directions: I-395 exit 3 Main St, just west of the river, north a block or two, on left side opposite the Holiday Inn. Bass Park.
Admission: Free.