day 1
eastport, maine

"I'll tell you one thing about this great land of ours: A lot of it is boring as hell."
- Jim Levendosky, Eastport Artist.
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Maine Events:
Exit Point: St. Stephen, NB
Entry Point: Calais, ME
Time at border: 20 mins
Questions asked: 45
Overall feeling:

First Fill-up: Calais Texaco
When: 14.5km from border
Price: $1.41*/gallon
Total: $20.00
Overall feeling:

First Stop: St. Croix Island.
A short stop from the border was the highly overrated historical site of the first French trading post. Also, toilets.

Overall feeling:


Town Bulletin of the Day
American MP3s:
1. Born in the U.S.A. (Bruce Springsteen)
2. American Pie (Don MacLean)
3. America (Simon & Garfunkel)
4. American Woman (The Guess Who)
5. Young Americans (David Bowie)
6. I like American Music (The Violent Femmes)
7. Rock in the U.S.A. (John Mellencamp)
8. Star Spangled Banner (Jimi Hendrix)
9. America is Sexy (Paul Hyde)
10.Kick out the Jams (Presidents of the United States of America))

Meatloaf in Small Town X
Aug 27 - And we thought we'd just be looking at lighthouses all day.

We entered the great land of America at eight o'clock this morning. Now that I think about it, we got to the border at eight o'clock, but they questioned us until about 8:20... they actually thought we were trying to seek employment in the States! Ha! Well, compared to prevous experiences we've had with immigration, this crossing was a walk in the freaking park. (Okay, Central Park. At 2am. Through the Rambles.)

So we started making our way towards Easterly things (i.e. lighthouses) when we run across the 45th Parallel. Not only a latitudinal milestone, but a treasure trove of what could only be described as "stuff". Antiques, wooden furniture, jungle animals, ancient ship navigation equipment, a four-foot RCA dog in a golden tub, you name it. Plus, it had maps. Presumably of lighthouses.

Inside we met Phil. "Phil," we asked, "what would you say is something really interesting to see in the area?" So Phil pulled out a map of Eastport, showed us Ray's Mustard Mill, the Ferry to Campobello Island, Roosevelt's Summer Cottage, and oh, have we ever heard of a show called 'Murder in Small Town X'?

Ask a Small Town X-tra
It was nearly a year ago when Fox took over the maritime town of Eastport (or should we say 'Sunrise'?). The reason: to film a reality television show called Murder in Small Town X. Meet Phil Pascarella, owner of the tourist info centre/gift shop/antique shop/museum/chamber of oddities known as The 45th Parallel, and star of Murder in Small Town X.
What was Eastport like before the show arrived? Eastport was pretty much a ghost town before the show arrived. Fox swept in and was able to rent the entire town for a few months.
And now? Honestly, there isn't much to see there in terms of the show. Most of the buildings are empty again.
Are you actually in the show? My wife Britani and I were originally on as extras... you actually see us right next to the priest in the funeral scene they always show. Tomorrow should be interesting, though. She and I, a few actors and two of the investigators are inducted into the Sweeper Cult. My wife has a speaking part. She's the one who stands up and shouts "You people are crazy!"
What's still around from the show? The fisherman is still there by the downtown pier. They put that up for the show and then left it there; it wasn't here before X. You might also recognize a few places like Fountain Books, or the WaCo Diner. They sold most of the other props in a huge yard sale, like the lion here. It's from the Mayor's taxidermy shop.
Do you know who did it? Yes.
Can you tell us? No.
Why not? Because I signed a little $5 million nondisclosure agreement.

By this time Phil had gotten us quite excited about Eastport! But when we got there we found the town very quiet. Almost too quiet. We had been expecting the locals to capitalize on the show like the rest of America would have, but there was nothing. Not even a lousy Small Town X bumper sticker. In fact, when we asked at the visitor information centre and gift shop, the clerk said that we were the first people to ever come to the town asking about the show. I guess that goes to show that the intrusion of a large network television station into a small stubborn town doesn't change a darn thing.

Where's there to go after Eastport? East! It was our initial quest to get as far east as we could go and we accomplished that by heading to the ill-named West Quoddy State Park. There we enjoyed easternmost thing after easternmost thing. What's next? West!


go west...

Easternmost Light House in the USA

Easternmost Town in the USA

Easternmost Gift Shop in the USA

Easternmost Bale of Hay in the USA
more photos in the archive...

Current Location
(get out your push pins)

Eastport, Maine

Next Stop: Bangor!

see the full map...

Today's Weather:
Ominous

Daily Stats
Distance:439.0km
Gas: $20.00
Radio: 100.5 (K100)

Sleeping Quarters
Baxter State Park

What a gorgeous park. Drive until you're in the middle of nowhere and then get on the dirt road until you hit the base of 4 mountains. The nice rangers will tell you where to stay.

Cost: $20.00

Bkfast: 
St. Stephen, NB
Contents:Cereal eaten out of a pot because K buried the dishes while packing the Jeep,
& Robin's Coffee
Cost:$2.69(CDN)
Lunch: 
Phinney's Seaview
Lubec, ME
K's Order:Huge-ass piece of Haddock
w/ fries
A's Order:Meatloaf Dinner
w/ peas
Cost:$21.00(US)*
Dinner: Skipped
Unless you count those pretzels. And Aimee bought wine.
Cost:$11.59(US)*
*from this point on, everything will be in US dollars (though the mileage will still be in kilometers. I guess that would be kilometerage).


© 2001. Kevin Beimers and Aimee Lingman. Proud to be Canadian. Real Proud.