It's Bill, 10/4/26: Fall Calls

Oct 4

3 min read

We loved those warm September days, but we knew Fall was just around the corner when the nighttime lows slipped from the 60s to the 50s. Some color showed first on the birches with yellow and yellow-greens, then tinges of red appeared on the maples. We also started wearing long-sleeve shirts. Our long, warm Summer days were gone.

While our senses basked in the last days of Summer, science told us that Fall was on the way. Fall’s precursor occurred September 21 with a partial eclipse of a supermoon at 2:30 PM. The Fall equinox descended on Portland, Maine, on September 22 at 9:22 PM, making Fall official.

Fall 2026 quietly arrived.

Bill stands outdoors in a red and black plaid jacket among evergreen trees and fallen autumn leaves at West Quoddy Station. — A few fallen leaves and an extra layer are sure signs that Fall has arrived at West Quoddy Station.

Fall Arrives, but the Guests Keep Coming

West Quoddy Station’s guests did not seem to notice Fall’s arrival. Occupancy remained over 95%. Every weekend, we turned away potential guests looking for last-minute lodging.

During the Summer, our weekends book out 10–12 weeks. Now, during the Fall, it’s still about six weeks to reserve weekend lodging.

Our guests arrive from every corner of the USA, with quite a few overseas guests, particularly from Europe. We have a good mix of return and first-time guests. Most first-time guests plan to return—and do.

This week, we had two guests reserve different dates for the last week of September 2027. Our reservations for 2027 are up 100% from previous years at this time, including three weddings reserving all of West Quoddy Station.

It’s hard to say why guests choose West Quoddy Station as a destination. I believe the primary draw is a blend of being on the Easternmost Point, the First Sunrise and, of course, lighthouses. FDR International Park on Campobello is a strong contender. And, year-round, we have guests staying while going from or going to Canada.

Bill works on a laptop at a table inside West Quoddy Station with fall decorations nearby. — Fall may be here, but with occupancy still over 95% and 2027 reservations already coming in, there’s plenty to keep up with.

Gardens, Grounds and the Mayor of West Quoddy Station

We have expanded to 15 gardens this year. Our gardens are coming into their own right now, displaying their flowers and form. A notable example of this is finding our picked flowers on our guests’ tables. A few guests use some of the herbs in our thriving herb garden.

Our grounds look first-class as Kenny keeps them neatly trimmed and mowed. Patricia teases me that I am the Mayor of West Quoddy Station Village and that I should have a Post Office!

The Lubec Post Office did not go along with this thought.

No sense of humor!

You Never Know Who Will Arrive

This week, Marge, a frequent guest, was here with her 150-pound Newfoundland, Annie. Annie is quite friendly, gracing our guests with her presence. Annie never met a dog or a person she didn’t like.

On Wednesday, I received a call from a bicyclist inquiring if we had a room for him that night. I met Issac a few hours later. West Quoddy Head was his final destination, as he had just bicycled, by himself, across the United States from Cape Flattery, Washington.

Self-sufficient, Issac, about 50, fit and strong, with a powerful grip, had about 40 pounds of luggage neatly balanced on his bicycle. He liked WQS so much, he stayed a second night, keeping his bicycle in the hall.

I wish I had a photo of him and his bike.

Impressive.

You never know, my 1972 Holger Smith loon decoy just flew into my life.

Again.