Good Morning, America

Eastport is, however, the more lively of the two, thanks to its deepwater port and successful transition from sardines to aquaculture, particularly Atlantic salmon and sea urchins. Compared with Lubec's, its Water Street is positively buzzing, with three tourist shops and S. L. Wadsworth & Son, billed as the nation's oldest ship chandlery. Most of the action this afternoon, however, is on the municipal pier, where anglers are casting about for mackerel and pollock.

Because of the nutrient-churning tides, Passamaquoddy Bay is home to a number of marine mammals, which we set out to see on a wildlife-watching cruise aboard the Sylvina W. Beal, an 84-foot schooner. There is no wind, so we motor around the bay looking for -- and finally spotting -- a pair of Minke whales to complement the more standard fare of seals and porpoises.

Back on terra firma, the girls go combing for sea glass, the water- and rock-worn shards of bottles, plates and other items tossed overboard. Sea glass is another gift of the tides, which not only accelerate the erosion process but also deliver a bumper crop of colorful samples twice a day. Greens and browns naturally predominate, but there are enough blues and whites to keep the girls scrambling over the cobbled rocks before our lobster dinner.

The next morning, we enjoy breakfast at sunrise -- this time over Campobello Island -- from our east-facing porch at the Motel East. The girls want to go hunting for more sea glass, but we turn their gathering instincts toward something more nutritious -- blueberries. Our helpful innkeeper directs us to a public patch west of downtown, where we not only pick a pint but also see the Old Sow Whirlpool, the Western Hemisphere's largest. Caused by the incoming tidal surge's encounter with the steep underwater slope between Moose Island and Deer Island, the Old Sow can be as wide as 230 feet, but from the shore, it appears as an irregular churning of the surface.

Our final stop is Raye's Mustard Mill, America's last operating stone-ground mustard mill. Founded in 1900 to supply packing mustard to commercial canneries, Raye's is now in the gourmet mustard business and offers free tours and samplings. We stock up on such local favorites as Maple Horseradish and Aroostook Gold for our ride out of town -- heading westward.

Marshall S. Berdan last wrote for Travel on Disneyland's 50th birthday.

Details: Sunrise in Maine

GETTING THERE: Lubec and Eastport, Maine, are roughly 240 miles northeast of Portland, just off of U.S. Route 1. Round-trip nonstop airfares from D.C. to Portland begin at $146 on Independence Air, or $193 on United. Fares from D.C. to Bar Harbor, about 125 miles south of Eastport, start about $370, with restrictions.

SEEING THE SUNRISE: If you want to be among the first in the nation to see the sunrise, go to Quoddy Head, continental America's easternmost point, and the West Quoddy Head Lighthouse . To reach the lighthouse from Lubec, take South Lubec Road south past the Lubec Channel light, then east till the road ends. Admission is free. Info: http://www.westquoddy.com/ .

WHAT ELSE TO DO: At the Roosevelt Campobello International Park (Campobello Island, New Brunswick, 506-752-2922, http://www.fdr.net/ ; free), tour the Roosevelt Cottage, where FDR and his family vacationed. The East Quoddy Lighthouse sits on the northern end of Campobello Island, reachable only at low tide and via metal ladders. Quoddy Head State Park (South Lubec Road, Lubec, 207-733-0911; $2) is home to the West Quoddy Head Light, the easternmost lighthouse in the United States.

The Sylvina W. Beal schooner offers whale-watching trips twice a day. A three-hour afternoon cruise is $35; the two-hour sunset cruise, $25. Info: Eastport Windjammers, 207-853-2500, http://www.eastportwindjammers.com/ .

WHERE TO STAY: Accommodations in both towns come in two basic varieties: historic home B&Bs (mostly Victorian in nature) and motels. For the former in Eastport, try the Weston House (26 Boynton St., 800-853- 2907, http://www.westonhouse-maine.com/ ; from $75 per night double); the Todd House (1 Capen Ave., 207-853-2328; from $50), the Kilby House (122 Water St., 207-853-0989, http://www.kilbyhouseinn.com/ ; from $50); or the Milliken House (29 Washington St., 888-507-9370, http://www.eastport-inn.com/ ; from $75). For a motel with a wonderful view over Passamaquoddy Bay, try the Motel East (23A Water St., 207-853-4747; from $77).

In Lubec, B&Bs include the Home Port Inn (45 Main St., 207-733-2077, http://www.homeportinn.com/ ; from $90) and the Peacock House (27 Summer St., 888-305-0036, http://www.peacockhouse.com/ ; from $85). For a basic roadside motel, there's the Eastland Motel (395 Country Rd., 207-733-5501; from $65).

WHERE TO EAT: In this part of the state, the season runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day, after which many spots close. Non-lobster dinner entrees rarely exceed $15, and lobsters -- typically maket price -- are significantly cheaper.

Eastport's eateries are concentrated along Water Street. For lobster and seafood, try the WaCo Diner (47 Water St., 207-853-4046) or the Eastport Chowderhouse (167 Water St., 207-853-4700). For southwest- ern cuisine, La Sardina Loca (32 Water St., 207-853-2739) is "the easternmost Mexi- can restaurant in the U.S."

In Lubec, the Home Port Inn (45 Main St., 207-733-2077) is the fanciest. For seafood, try the Chowder House at the Lighthouse Inn (7 Water St., 207-733-4300) or Murphy's Village Restaurant (122 Main St., 207-733-4440).

INFO: Maine Office of Tourism , 888-624-6345, http://www.visitmaine.com/ . For general info on Eastport, http://www.eastportme.info./ -- Marshall S. Berdan