On Safari: Maine visit in 2009

This is Thurston's Lobster Pond in Bernard, Maine, it is part of a lobster commercial outlet, the best and youngest lobsters are brought up to the restaurant for those with a discriminating palate.

The is a big operation, the lobsters have no chance with all those traps

You can't get any fresher than these at under $10.00 each, on the West Coast you'll pay $30-35.00 for those guys.

These are right off the boat

We have our order in and delivered

lunch with an ear of corn and beer

In the hands of the expert

The awesome beauty of a Maine Village named Bernard, the home of Thurston's Lobster Pond

Lobster boat going out of Bar Harbor with its traps

Holland American cruise ship was in that day so was the four mast schooner anchored in the harbor (hah-bah)

Hanging out at the docks of Bar Harbor, Maine

It's t-shirts, seafood, burgers or ice cream here....

When we ship lobsters from Maine, this is where we buy them. Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound was established in 1956 and have been owned and operated by family for more than three generations.

When you dine there, lobster are boiled in seawater over wood fired cookers as seen in the photo.

This is the guy that started it all, George Gascon. He said he was just getting over a pacemaker implant and not as chipper as usual. Looks great at 83 to me....

Here another "Mainer" I ran into, he's none other than Bill Cote from Ventura. Actually we planned this lunch in Bangor, Maine and had a fabulous time telling stories "the ones we could remember?". It's been several snow falls and autumn leaves since we've seen each other so it was pure delight to break some bread with him again.

Bill lives on a plot of land (3 acres) with a million dollar view, as a bonus, he has a flock of wild turkeys that grazes in his back yard on most mornings.

The first time we met in Maine (2001) was pure luck. Donna and I had just set up camp in Houlton, Maine and we went into town for a bite to eat at the local pizza place. We sat down and ordered. A couple came in soon after and the guy stares at me (I was not aware, I'm not into guys), sensing that he knew me, he walked out into the parking lot, saw our jeep with California license and he comes in and hollers "how did Maine ever let Allen Jue in? That was Bill Cote...

That's my story and I'm stickin' with it....

Weathervane Restaurants are family owned, we ate in four of them from New Hampshire to Maine, their best dish to us was broiled Haddock sprinkled with Ritz cracker crumbs -$12.95.