Road Trip, Days 20-21: A striped light, sunrise, and homeward bound

DAY 20: AT A GLANCE
Starting Point: York, Prince Edward Island, Canada
End Point: Lubec, Maine, USA
Starting mileage: 190,779
Ending mileage: 191,105
Daily total (miles): 326
Trip total (miles): 2810

DAY 21: AT A GLANCE
Starting Point: Lubec, Maine, USA
End Point: Hampton, New Hampshire: HOME
Starting mileage: 191,105
Ending mileage: 191,408
Daily total (miles): 303
Trip total (miles): 3113

Well, we knew this trip would end at some point, right? And let’s be honest, two days of traveling home won’t really yield the most exciting blog posts, so I’ll save you all a favor and combine the days! On our visit to PEI last summer, we drove the entire way home in one shot—just more than nine hours of driving; I think it took us around 10+/- with stops. This year, we decided to break up the trip with a stop halfway, in Lubec, Maine.

While our two nights in PEI didn’t give us the chance to explore as much as we would have liked, the return was worth it nonetheless. And so, shoulder quite sore from the previous night’s fall (read all about in Day 19!, if you’re so inclined!), we took off from PEI, heading toward Lubec, Maine. Within minutes of leaving Dalvay By the Sea, we spotted three red foxes—beautiful!

Soon, we were crossing over the Confederation Bridge, leaving PEI behind (for now), and returning to New Brunswick and Canada’s mainland. We decided to stop at the Starbuck’s in Moncton to catch up on some work, just as we had done several days prior, and then grab lunch. We ended up eating at the Old Triangle Irish Ale House; we opted for the cinnamon French toast and eggs from the brunch menu, and we were both happy with our choice. Next, the final leg of travel for the day—crossing back into the US and settling in Lubec, Maine, for the evening—and readjusting to Eastern Savings Time, rather than Atlantic time (we’ve been an hour ahead for the last two weeks).

West Quoddy Station is a unique lodging option. It’s “an adaptive reuse of Station 1, District 1,” the former Coast Guard life-saving station.

There are few choices of accommodations, and we chose the Washington apartment, located within the Lodge building and featuring a king bed, full kitchen area, sitting area, and private bath. We arrived just in time for a fantastic thunderstorm; within minutes, the skies cleared—leaving little reminder of the storm that had just passed through.

After getting settled and waiting for the storm to pass, we decided to take a walk to West Quoddy Head Light that evening, about a mile away. We had visited the light once before, years ago on a day trip from Acadia National Park. I remember the day was overcast and foggy, but the light was pretty cool to see nonetheless—but we were hoping for better weather this time around!

West Quoddy Head Light is distinctive for two main reasons: the lighthouse itself features red and white stripes, and it’s located on the most eastern point in the continental United States. According to the light’s website, the original tower was built in 1808 under orders from President Thomas Jefferson. The lighthouse tower that stands today was built in 1858.

We walked back to the Station and called it a night—early, it seemed, as we were still on Maritime time. But we’d be getting up early in the morning to catch the sunrise, so our 4:15 wake up would come soon enough!

Day 21
We decided to begin the last day of the trip by returning to West Quoddy Light to watch the sunrise—after all, it is the easternmost point in the continental US! Sunrise was at 4:56 a.m., and we arrived at the light around 4:40. Already, the sky was beautiful. A few others had gathered at the light for the sunrise as well, and they unfortunately stood right at the fence, within the frame of just about every shot. While I might not have gotten “the” shot I wanted, I was pretty pleased with the ones I got nonetheless.

And with that, we were back to the inn to shower, gather our stuff, and head out to the van, ready to hit the road by 6 a.m. We stopped for our first Dunks (yay!) in about two weeks and made our way through Maine and into New Hampshire—with a quick stop to have my shoulder looked at. The verdict? Unsure at this point. I was told to wait a few days and see how it feels; if pain or the bump persist at the end of the week, I should call ortho for an ultrasound or MRI. Time will tell…

We pulled into our driveway, and just like that, three weeks and 3113 miles after we had set out on this journey, we were home. The best part? Being surprised by signs that my sisters, mom, nieces and nephews had made and left in our condo while we were gone. The next best part? Unpacking and then deciding to surprise my mom and family that afternoon—and having a surprise campout in the van that night with the youngest of the nieces and nephews! That decision gave both G and me exactly what we needed—introvert time for G, and family time for me. A win-win!