Anyone been to Calais, ME on the Canadian border? Anything to do up there?

Rockrivr1

Rockrivr1

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My wife and I have decided to drive up to Calais, ME to do our Global Entry interview as they have appointments available for this month. Otherwise we'd be waiting until May/June down here. So we've decided to make a weekend out of it and stay over up there. We have our passports so heading over into Canada is a possibility as well. Not sure what is up in that area though. Anyone been?
 
Great lobstering.

All the screach you can drink just over the border.

Plenty of Pike to eat all winter long (if you have a big enough freezer)

oh wait, that was a serious question! Let me think
 
jakeroub said:
I have heard that Canadians are not friendly to US visitors these days. I know an elderly couple who got lost in Montreal and when they asked for directions were given the middle finger and cussed out.
Click to expand...

Yeah, was wondering about that. Don't want any spitters in my food, so maybe stay on the US side.
 
Rockrivr1 said:
Ha, believe me. If it wasn't for the Global Entry appointments I don't think we'd ever think of going up there that north.
Click to expand...
Good news first
If you can find any place open, there should be good lobster right now!!
I would consider the turnpike up to Bangor then 1A down to 1 or even take 9 across, or head up and take 6 across.
(see my coastal maine totally unbiased opinion below)


I really don't like heading that far south!!!
downeast is a different animal man.
when you hear "you can't get there from here" i think that was a guy downeast who said it first.
take rte 9 or 6 over from 95 and you gonna find more people who come to the door with a shotgun than anywhere else in the state. there is a lot of open space, very very rural. the drive on those roads in very scenic at points.
lots and lots of Indian land over there too.

And then there's the Maine coast, I don't care what anyone else says, coastal rt 1 in maine is the most frustrating disappointing drive in the US. and filled with all sorts of knuckleheads almost no matter when you go through. Eastport and Passamaquoddy are ok, but not " onthe way"
 
Bar Harbor national park is kind of open, but the main loop road only opens April 15. Not sure if caddilac mountain road is open yet, they shut it down for winter/snow.

BRING your naitonal park pass!

You will probably find Ellsworth to be a ghost town. it is not tourist season yet, and they roll up the sidewalks

the big chicken is probably open, just south of ellsworth
1741787516460.png
 
I had to look it up. I'm sure we visited there. When I was young my father was stationed at Loring AFB in Caribou ME. 4 years there dealing with harsh winters, and my mother will never set foot in Maine ever again.
 
Don't know about now. Fishing I guess.
My father used to drive up from Boston to Calais back in the early 50s to fish with his buddies for the weekend.
What is it now, a six hour drive?
What was it then, in a 37 Plymouth?
12 hours?
 
I'm ~1 hour back down the coast in Machias. I've not been sightseeing much up towards Calais so don't really know what if anything is up that way. It may be a bit chilly, but sightseeing spots between Machias and Calais include Jasper Beach in Machiasport, Roque Bluffs State Park and beach in Roque Bluffs, Reversing Falls in Pembroke, and Quoddy Head Lighthouse in West Quoddy. For hiking there's the Cutler Preserve, although I don't know if the snow will be gone or how muddy it might be.

Don't know much about indoor things to do. Eastport appears to have more artsy stuff, but don't know how much is open. If you do go to Eastport drive the speed limit from Rt 1 into Eastport. That section of Rt 190 goes through a tribal reservation and traffic fines are a big revenue source.

For places to stay to make it a weekend I'd recommend West Branch Farms in Machias. They have cottages and a decent restaurant; do note that the restaurant is down the road a bit from the cottages (i.e. not walking distance). It'll be ~1 hour to Calais, but closer to stuff in Ellsworth (~1.5 hours), Mount Desert Island (~2 hours), and even Bangor (~2 hours) (ex. Maine Military Supply). Let me know if you end up down this way; maybe we can sync up (or not), your choices.
 
The moose warning signs are no joke on the ride up (or down east). I’ve only driven through Calais to see a friend in West Quaco, New Brunswick.
 
Last edited:
Spanz said:
Great lobstering.

All the screach you can drink just over the border.

Plenty of Pike to eat all winter long (if you have a big enough freezer)

oh wait, that was a serious question! Let me think
Click to expand...
I was told by my Dad and grandfather that my great grandfather had a fishing schooner or something similar and they would sail to Barbados with salted cod. They would trade the cod for rum they called screech and then sail to Ireland and then back to Newfoundland with the rum. This would have been over 100 years ago. He called it some sort of trade triangle. My grandfather loved screech. They were Irish that immigrated to Newfoundland then eventually to the US. My dad also said no one in Newfoundland really knew how to swim when he visited. I was like what it’s an island? He said yeah but the waters way too damn cold to go into. I’m not sure if thats true.
 
Spent some time in St Andrews on the Canadian side, like it. Kind of quiet seaside town, some good restaurants, mostly walkable. Picket Fence Motel is a nice, small family run place. St Andrews golf course was nice, too.
 
jakeroub said:
I have heard that Canadians are not friendly to US visitors these days. I know an elderly couple who got lost in Montreal and when they asked for directions were given the middle finger and cussed out.
Click to expand...

Typical progressive loon behavior
 
Yotacrawler said:
I was told by my Dad and grandfather that my great grandfather had a fishing schooner or something similar and they would sail to Barbados with salted cod. They would trade the cod for rum they called screech and then sail to Ireland and then back to Newfoundland with the rum. This would have been over 100 years ago. He called it some sort of trade triangle. My grandfather loved screech. They were Irish that immigrated to Newfoundland then eventually to the US. My dad also said no one in Newfoundland really knew how to swim when he visited. I was like what it’s an island? He said yeah but the waters way too damn cold to go into. I’m not sure if thats true.
Click to expand...
it puts hair on your chest.
the real screech (i.e. rum moonshine from Newfie) is def rot gut
 
Last edited:
kevin9 said:
I'm ~1 hour back down the coast in Machias. I've not been sightseeing much up towards Calais so don't really know what if anything is up that way. It may be a bit chilly, but sightseeing spots between Machias and Calais include Jasper Beach in Machiasport, Roque Bluffs State Park and beach in Roque Bluffs, Reversing Falls in Pembroke, and Quoddy Head Lighthouse in West Quoddy. For hiking there's the Cutler Preserve, although I don't know if the snow will be gone or how muddy it might be.

Don't know much about indoor things to do. Eastport appears to have more artsy stuff, but don't know how much is open. If you do go to Eastport drive the speed limit from Rt 1 into Eastport. That section of Rt 190 goes through a tribal reservation and traffic fines are a big revenue source.

For places to stay to make it a weekend I'd recommend West Branch Farms in Machias. They have cottages and a decent restaurant; do note that the restaurant is down the road a bit from the cottages (i.e. not walking distance). It'll be ~1 hour to Calais, but closer to stuff in Ellsworth (~1.5 hours), Mount Desert Island (~2 hours), and even Bangor (~2 hours) (ex. Maine Military Supply). Let me know if you end up down this way; maybe we can sync up (or not), your choices.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a plan. I'll let you know when we are going to be up there.
 
I have to see if I can find it, but there's a website where for a nominal fee you can search for earlier appointments. You can get notifications when an appointment is cancelled and try to jump on it. It took me about two days to finally get an appointment at Logan, but otherwise my Global Entry appointment would have been months away.

There is Global Entry Spotter, but I don't think that's the one I used.

I'll check with my son since he gave me the official link.

I think this is it,

appointmentscanner.com

Appointment Scanner

Cut months off the interview wait time for Global Entry, SENTRI & NEXUS. Get instant text message and email alerts that allow you to grab last minute interview appointments.
appointmentscanner.com appointmentscanner.com


Rockrivr1 said:
Ha, believe me. If it wasn't for the Global Entry appointments I don't think we'd ever think of going up there that north.
Click to expand...
 
Moosehorn! One of the nicest cleanest parks I've ever been to. Went camping once right on the water, woke up to a whole bunch of Ospreys chilling in my camp.

Bring a 12Ga pump shotty or .44 mag
 
jakeroub said:
I have heard that Canadians are not friendly to US visitors these days. I know an elderly couple who got lost in Montreal and when they asked for directions were given the middle finger and cussed out.
Click to expand...

Nice. I wonder how much of their economy is based on their proximate location to the US. About 20% of their GDP is dependent on exportation to the US. Another 1% of GDP in tourism dollars. OK, then. Piss on the people paying your bills. LOL
 
Going up to PEI this summer with my parents, hoping they won't have to put up with dickhead behavior. They're already depressed over the hurricanes that ran over their favorite campground, don't need anything further to get them down about vacation.
 
whatluck said:
Moosehorn! One of the nicest cleanest parks I've ever been to. Went camping once right on the water, woke up to a whole bunch of Ospreys chilling in my camp.

Bring a 12Ga pump shotty or .44 mag
Click to expand...
NOT if you are planning on going into Canada!!!


1741799761607.png
 
Couple more hours but you could accomplish the same going to Niagara falls / Toronto. Second, fourth, 17th honeymoon? Worth seeing at least once………
 

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