Our next stop was Rockland, Maine on July 6th, which is the area’s largest city and Penobscot Bay’s largest harbor. Due to my small obsession with seeing puffins, our first stop in Rockland was the Project Puffin Center. Two friendly biologists were there to answer all our bird questions, and Jared and I both love to ask questions. Project Puffin was established to reintroduce Atlantic Puffins to their former Maine nesting islands. In the early 1970s, a local scientist decided to bring puffin chicks from Newfoundland to Maine (breeding Puffins had not been seen in Maine for over 100 years). Puffin chicks usually return to their birthplace in order to breed. They live out at sea for about 7 months before coming back to land to lay their eggs. From the time the scientists first placed Puffin chicks on the island, it took a total of eight years before they came back to breed.
The project continues to be a success, and there are four islands in Maine that are now considered breeding grounds (one of these islands was where we saw puffins in our photos). Project Puffin is funded by donations, so Jared and I are planning to ”adopt” a puffin in the near future. We love those lil’ guys!
Rockland’s biggest event is its famous Maine Lobster Festival, held on the first full weekend in August (we’re sad that we will miss it). The Chamber of Commerce has a special display about all the different events that occur during that weekend, some of which include races across lobster crates, eating contests, lobster costumes, a parade, and a Sea Goddess beauty pageant.
There are all different types of lobsters in Rockland :)
The picture below is the downtown area where we spent our time going to the post office, finding the library for internet, and browsing the shops. 
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