A Walk, A Monument And Endless Empty Beaches

While there are numerous examples of beaches being totally filled to the brim with sun-hungry people  even just south of us in f.ex. New Hampshire, Campobello is the total opposite. Our beaches are empty and ready to provide solitude for our visitors.   New Hampshire                                                          Campobello But I’m getting ahead of myself. After a long day of rain the sun was out again and made this a memorable beautiful summer day. And that was also the reason that I persuaded Bea to join me and Molly on a walk to the Sunsweep Monument at Ragged Point in the Roosevelt Park. But hold it, what is the Sunsweep Monument?   Sunsweep Campobello                       Right hand print showing It is a three-part art project made by David Barr. Left: Sunsweep Point Roberts                                  All three parts are made out of the same slab of Canadian black granite. As mentioned, part #1 is located right here on Campobello on an eastern promontory right at the Bay of Fundy. Part #2 consisting of 2 wedge-formed stones, is located on American Point Island at the Lake of the Woods in Minnesota and finally Part #3 is placed at Boundary Bluff at Point Roberts,WA.             Above: Ragged Point with Sunsweep on promontory                                   low tide beach Sunsweep was designed and given to the people in these communities as a symbol of international friendship. It portrays the path of the sun rising in the east crossing the entire continent and setting in the Pacific Ocean. It is also symbolic for the long peaceful border between our countries.                                            looking south             40 miles across the Bay of Fundy….NOVA SCOTIA Personal associations lay behind Sunsweep: Barr’s mother is from Canada and his parents met there. And because Barr is a Detroiter, Canada has always been his close neighbour. The 2 stones on American Point Island are roughly 28 degrees from both the eastern-most and the western-most point of Sunsweep.    Liberty Point with Grand Manan in background                White Asters on Ragged Point Each of the two outer points have their geographical ironies. While Campobello is part of Canada but cannot be reached without crossing the American border (except during summer) Point Roberts is an American enclave extending south of the 49th parallel attached to Canada (opposite of Vancouver Island) and not reachable without crossing through Canada. And indeed, most of the needs of this small American community have been met by Canada. And there has even been –more or less serious—to make Point Roberts part of Canada. The survival of both communities is based on the cooperation of both governments. And this cooperation is also evident in the governing of the Roosevelt Campobello International Park, where Maine meets New Brunswick just below the 45th parallel. All parts of the monument are showing a “hand print”. The one on Campobello showing the right hand and the one at Point Roberts showing the left. The hand print is also the international sign for “I was here”. It is found in Native American art, both recent and ancient.                        Sunsweep American Point Island The two wedge-shaped stones, facing each other, are oriented north-south pointing to the atypical run of the U.S.-Canada border. The flat sides of the stones are facing each other but are off-set showing hand prints of someone facing Canada.   We started our hike at Liberty Point, from where it is only 0.6 miles to Sunsweep. It is our most scenic hike and the views from the trail are nothing short of stunning. Whenever I am on this trail I feel being part of nature. We met a single couple coming the other way from Sunsweep and like old friends we felt compelled to start quite a conversation rooted in our beautiful surroundings. I wonder whether we would have talked to these people if we had met them in a shopping mall. Most likely we wouldn’t even have “seen” them. Nature brings people together. The markers, each 1.5m (6ft) high are the conceptual ends of an arch, anchored on each coast like a rainbow, being the results of water droplets in the sun’s light.