WHY I LOVE ME, 33

Owls Head & Camden Hills
Photo: Deb

"Whoooo are you? Whoooo? Whoooo? Whoooo? Whoooo?"

Owls Head, Maine: Population 1,601. Just a blip on the planet, not even on most Maine maps. Chances are you've never heard of Owls Head, yet this is THE place to be this weekend.

Owls Head is home to the Owls Head Transportation Museum. This isn't your snotty grandfather's museum, and you know he was one snobby dude. There are no oil paintings that look like monkeys created them, no portraits of women with boobs coming out of their ears, and no sculptures of fat naked women with sheets draped over every place but their private parts. The OHTM is a great place to spend a day any time of the year, but this weekend is the 34th annual Wings and Wheels Spectacular, and it is spectacular!

From the OHTM web site: The OHTM has one of the finest collections of pioneer-era aircraft and automobiles in the world. More than 100 historic aircraft, automobiles, bicycles, carriages and engines are on permanent display. The aircraft collection contains replicas and originals representing the first century of flight, from Cayley's unmanned glider (1804) to the legendary Curtiss Jenny of the barnstorming era. An outstanding collection of automobiles spans the late 19th century and early 20th century, and includes the 1963 prototype Mustang and a 1935 Stout Scarab (left),(called the world's first mini-van, one of only six ever made).

The collection of antique planes is amazing. What's even more amazing, is you do not stroll through huge rooms whispering ooohs and ahs. You head outside and you watch the suckers fly! The pilots are clad in attire appropriate for the era of their respective aircraft. During the Wings and Wheels Spectacular, you will see World War I era biplanes as well as special appearances by active duty military aircraft including a KC-135 aerial tanker and a Black Hawk Helicopter. The Kc-135 is scheduled to perform a fly-by each day of the show and the Black Hawk can be seen in flight as it arrives and departs each day since it is based in Augusta, Maine.

There will be an airshow including performances by a precision aerobatic team called The Yak Attack consisting of three Chinese and Russian Yaks (right). Plane rides aboard the Yaks as well as a T-6 Harvard will be auctioned off each day. If I win, you can have my ticket 'cause I don't bounce when I fall great distances.

The antique cars also play a prominent role this weekend. There will be free Model-T rides (they don't fall out of the sky) while you are checking out over 200 antique and classic cars outdoors.

If it rains (Pffft. Like what else would it do here this summer?), you can enjoy the museum's indoor collections of antique cars and pioneer aeroplanes.

Parking is free, as it is in just about all parts of mid-coast Maine from beaches to lighthouses to tourist destination towns - imagine that? Check out the OHTM web site to learn about admission prices and packages.

If you can't make an entire day out of this thing, you can then take a quick drive to the Owls Head Light State Park to see one of the most gorgeous and most photographed lighthouses in the world. Nope. I am not telling you how to get there. I take the pictures, you stay home and look at them and worship ME from afar. While there always seems to be a fair amount of cars (free parking of course) in the lot at Owls Head Light, (maybe 20) there never seems to be many people. You can climb the stairs to the light and get an amazing view from the top of the lighthouse overlooking Rockland Harbor and the Camden Hills. Check out the slide show to see photos of this and others of the Owls Head area.



Now do you love ME?