The following email came over the transom here at Storyteller Central the other day. It was from Jeff Billings of Fairfax, Va., who had three questions about his planned Maine vacation that we will try and answer here.
Jeff writes: “John, I read your book, ‘Down the Road apiece: A Storytellers Guide to Maine,’ where you say the vast majority of tourists come to Maine for three reasons: to eat a lobster, see a moose and photograph a lighthouse. Being a tourist and wanting to get with the program, I first took the family to a seafood restaurant for a lobster.
“My first question is: Do restaurant owners really expect adult customers to wear those cheap, silly plastic baby’s bibs?
“Next, I’d like information on the most convenient place to see a bull moose with impressive horns, and third: Do I really have to photograph a lighthouse?”
Three good questions, Jeff. You have given me the opportunity to discuss those important areas of any tourist’s vacation in Maine.
As far as the lobster bib is concerned, I once heard that it was first used by a restaurant owner Down East in Milbridge named Alton Beal. He and his cook, Thurland Alley, loved to gamble and would bet on just about anything. Once they bet on whether a certain delivery truck would arrive before or after 10 a.m. (Alton would say “before,” Thurland would say “after”). Another time they did an over-under bet on the first check of the day. There was no end to the things they could find to bet on. The way I heard it, Alton once bet Thurland that he could make the next customer who ordered a lobster dinner – the restaurant’s most expensive entree – wear a cheap plastic bib that would make him look completely ridiculous. Thurland thought that was easy money and took the bet.
It wasn’t long before a man sat down and ordered a lobster.
Alton then swung into action. He took a plastic bib to the man’s table and said, “Excuse me, sir, but my attorney has advised me to require all lobster dinner customers to wear this cleverly designed bib in order to avoid liability in the event that you damage that nice shirt you’re wearing while eating your lobster.”
Without skipping a beat the tourist took the bib, slapped it on, shrugged his shoulders and gave a silly grin to the others in his party. Alton thanked him for his cooperation and then went back to the kitchen to collect from Thurland on the bet.
Silly bibs are now worn by everyone who sits down to a lobster dinner.
Next, you ask about the most convenient place to see a moose. I would say deep in the vast north woods. But I suspect you are thinking about your convenience, and that could be a problem – for you, not the moose.
The only place in Maine where moose arrive right on schedule for nature shoots is at Baxter State Park. The reason? Those moose are considered state employees and their activities are strictly governed by their 80-page union contract. At other well-known “moose venues” like Rangeley and Moosehead, the moose schedules are much more casual and seeing one is hit or miss, so good luck.
As far as photographing a lighthouse, I ask you to reconsider that particular activity. I’ll even beg you, if necessary, Jeff.
It’s been said by those who claim to know that if you took every lighthouse photograph taken just here in Maine since the development of the photographic process and laid them end to end, you’d hopefully be too tired to think about adding to the pile of lighthouse photographs.
Jeff, no matter how good a photographer you are, our planet does not need another lighthouse photo.
Not even yours.
John McDonald is the author of five books on Maine, including “John McDonald’s Maine Trivia: A User’s Guide to Useless Information.” Contact him at mainestoryteller@yahoo.com.
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