lubec: thoughts on visiting the easternmost town in the contiguous usa

Lubec.

Mr. Sazy Rock's mantra in life - and subsequently, mine - is to "Go Everywhere, Eat Everything." Inevitably, we visit different places and sample the cuisine. But, on top of that, we like to - as much as possible - meet the locals. 

On our recent trip to Lubec, Maine - a small town that boasts of being the easternmost city/town in the contiguous US - we saw, we ate, and we met the locals. It was an amazing thing. 

Lubec's Main Street.

First, Lubec borders the Canadian border. Getting there is a matter of crossing a short bridge behind the town's post office. 

That is the bridge to Canada, just behind the Lubec Post Office.

Second, Lubec used to be a striving fishing town until about 22 companies left in the 1970s and 1980s. But, there are still a few lobster and sea urchin fishermen/women that remain. The population is about 1,200 and "swells" to about 2,500 during tourist season. 

Water St. Tavern. Behind it is Canada.

Third, it's a great place to see the sunrise (especially by the West Quoddy Head Lighthouse) because at certain times, such as during the Equinox, the first place the sun shines its rays on in the USA is in Lubec. 

We saw West Quoddy Head lighthouse and the marker for the easternmost point of the contiguous USA. The lighthouse was commissioned by Thomas Jefferson. 

Marker for the easternmost point in the contiguous USA.

West Quoddy Head Lighthouse.

We ate at Water Street Tavern & Inn (the easternmost tavern in the contiguous USA) and feasted on a two and a half pound fresh Maine lobster. It was fresh and sweet.

A two-and-a-half pound lobster at Water St. Tavern.

We drank at the Lubec Brewing Company (the easternmost brewery in the contiguous USA). The Red Ale was rich and deep. 

Lubec Brewing Company.

But, more importantly, we met locals. At the brewery, we chatted with Julie the bartender and her husband Bob, Leroy and Steve, but we missed Gale - the owner and Brewer. We heard stories (or myth?) about the drunk surveyors who drew up the the US/Canada map, which resulted in the island next to Lubec becoming a part of Canada instead of being part of the USA. We also heard about war stories from our new veteran friends, their ancestries from England, local gossip, and even got the lowdown on the application of macro economics in Lubec. At the tavern, we met Jim the proprietor, Valerie the server, Matt the cook, and Theresa the former cook and Matt's mother. From them, we heard more of their backgrounds and individual stories.

We ended up not seeing the sun rise - in May, the weather was still ghastly. It was raining and the temperature was in the 40s and 50s. But, it was still a special visit meeting great food and wonderful people. 

Our visit was not just a matter of saying that we've been and eaten in the easternmost town/city in the contiguous USA. It was a matter of meeting people from everywhere and anywhere. Trips like this make our mantra to "Go Everywhere. Eat Everything" a lot more meaningful.