I recently spent a week in beautiful, Mid Coast and DownEast Maine, exploring its rugged coast, numerous islands, lighthouses, the many quaint small towns and villages, Acadia National Park, and picturesque meadows and lakes. This part of Maine offers many sites to explore, including beautiful natural scenery, quaint shops, galleries, museums, and great food, especially the famous Maine lobster.
We rented a quaint two bedroom cottage on the Blue Hill peninsula through AirBnB, overlooking the wide Bagaduce River, which flows into Penobscot Bay. The location afforded us the opportunity to easily visit the towns of Camden and Rockland to the west, the Blue Hill peninsula, and Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park to the east. When not touring around, we spent relaxing time at the cottage reading, kayaking, watching the sunset, and cooking on the grill. I’ll be posting a separate article focusing on Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island.
Camden
Camden, the jewel of the Maine coast, is a charming, picture perfect town situated on Penobscot Bay, under the shadow of Mount Battie. The town’s beautiful character and setting have made it a backdrop in a number of films, with the most famous being the 1957 film Peyton Place. Camden attracts thousands of visitors each year, especially during summer when the population more than triples. Access to Camden is via Route 1.
Downtown Camden – The historic and attractive downtown area of Camden is focused along Main Street, and extends toward the harbor along the Megunticook River. The downtown was largely rebuilt following a fire that destroyed most if it in 1892. It is filled with brick Victorian buildings and church steeples that puncture the low-rise skyline. Visitors can enjoy a myriad of attractions, including many restaurants, antique shops, galleries, bookstores, clothing boutiques, and gift shops. The 500 seat Camden Opera House is located in a 100 year old historic Victorian style building and offers plays, musical acts, comedians and dance recitals throughout the year. A short walk to the waterfront, including Harbor Park (designed by the Olmsted brothers), offers views of the marina, and Megunticook Falls. Sea Dog Brewing Company is a dog friendly restaurant that offers a deck with a great view of the harbor.
Boat Tours – Camden Harbor offers multiple sailing tours and excursions, such as harbor cruises and schooner tours. These tours offer a relaxing way to sightsee the beautiful Maine coast. The tours range from one hour to multi-day voyages, and include lunch, dinner and sunset cruises. Tours can also be arranged through Viator.
Camden Hills State Park – The 5,700 acre Camden Hills State Park located north of town offers spectacular panoramic views of Camden and Penobscot Bay from atop Mount Battie. On a clear day, visitors can see Cadillac Mountain at Acadia National Park. The park also offers 30 miles of hiking trails, a campground, and picnic areas. Maiden’s Cliff, one of the most popular hiking trails, offers views of Lake Megunticook from an 800 foot rock cliff. The park entry is located off Route 1, and entry fees apply.
Lake Megunticook – Lake Megunticook is an attractive lake located a few miles north of Camden, and is the perfect spot for fishing or taking a swim, hike, or picnic. The lake offers picturesque views of the towering cliffs of Mount Megunticook rising from the east shore. Located off Route 52 at the southeast end of the lake is Barret’s Cove Public Beach, a secluded and cozy spot for swimming and picnicking. The beach includes a diving float, a children’s swim area, grassy picnic area, and restrooms.
Rockland
Rockland is located eight miles south of Camden, and is the commercial center of Mid Coast Maine. Settled in 1769, Rockland grew rapidly in the latter half of the 19th century due to its shipbuilding and lime industries. Rockland is more of a commercial center, and less touristy than Camden and other nearby towns. But tourism is growing, and Rockland offers numerous restaurants, museums, shops and galleries to keep visitors busy. Rockland is also host to the annual Maine Lobster Festival held each summer.
The linear downtown stretches a half mile along Route 1, just west of Lermond Cove. There are numerous restaurants, shops, galleries, bookstores and coffee shops. While here, I visited most of the galleries and purchased a beautiful landscape painting of the Maine countryside.
Farnsworth Art Museum – While in Rockland, I spent a considerable amount of time visiting the Farnsworth Art Museum. The museum offers a nationally-recognized art collection within a 20,000 square foot gallery space, focusing on artists with associations to Maine. The museum also holds temporary exhibits, and I was disappointed to learn that I had just missed an Edward Hopper exhibit by only a day. One of my favorite realist painters, Andrew Wyeth, is showcased in the adjacent Wyeth Center housed within a former church. The center features work from “America’s first family of art”, including Andrew Wyeth, N.C. Wyeth, and Jamie Wyeth.
Blue Hill
The small town of Blue Hill is located at the north tip of Mt. Desert Narrows, and is the main town on the Blue Hill peninsula. Its name is from the trail-laced mountain rising over the town. This artsy town consists of a scattering of low rise clapboard buildings and includes several galleries, restaurants and inns. I started out my day enjoying a delicious maple latte at Bucklyn Coffee. Galleries include Handworks Gallery, Cynthia Winings Gallery, the Jud Hartmann Gallery, and the Blue Hill Bay Gallery. Just west of downtown on Route 15, Mark Bell Pottery sells richly glazed porcelain works.
Castine
The charming, upscale and very historic town of Castine is located on the west side of the Blue Hill peninsula. Established in 1613, the town predates the Plymouth Colony by seven years, and is considered to be the oldest permanent settlement in New England. It was an English trading post in the early 17th century, used unsuccessfully to block settlement of the French in what was then Acadia. Walking around the town, you’ll be greeted by various plaques and markers describing the town’s rich history. Castine played prominent roles in both the American Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812. In the late 19th century, the town began to attract summer tourists, and even drew famous visitors such as Harriet Beecher Stowe and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The small but attractive downtown is focused on Main Street and Water Street, just a block off the wharf, and is the site of one of the oldest continually operating post offices in the US. There are also several restaurants, galleries, coffee houses, and boutiques. The quiet, leafy residential streets slope up from the waterfront, and are lined with large elm trees and historic homes in the Federal, Greek Revival and Cape Cod styles.
Maine Maritime Academy – The Maine Maritime Academy was established in Castine in 1941 with the purpose of training merchant seamen. It is one of six, non-federal, maritime training colleges in the United States. It is the prominent employer and activity center in the otherwise sleepy town, and during the school season you will be likely to see the cadets walking around the town in uniform.
Castine Historical Society – I stopped by the Castine Historical Society, located on the pretty town common, where I was greeted by two friendly women who provided an overview of the museum and history of Castine. The museum’s exhibits include a history of the town, including its role with the Penobscot Expedition during the Revolutionary War. It also includes a large 24 feet wide quilt made by sixty residents for the town, that provides a visual history of Castine. Another exhibit showcases the art and sculptures of former local resident and artist Clark Fitz-Gerald. The society also hosts walking tours and lectures.
Wilson Museum – On the west side of town along Perkins Street and facing Castine Harbor is the small but fascinating Wilson Museum. It was founded in 1921 by a local summer resident, Howard Wilson. Upon entering, I was surprised to see that the museum focuses on his collections of nature and indigenous cultures from across the globe. Here you’ll see ancient fossils, and artifacts from cultures ranging from Pre-Columbian Latin America, Africa, and Asia to various North American tribes. Across the street is the living history campus, that includes antique boats from Castine, and an antique fire engine.
Fort Madison – Just west of the Wilson Museum are the earthen remains of Fort Madison, a former US Army fort established in 1808. The fort was captured and held by the British during the War of 1812, and returned to US control in 1815. It was later used by Union forces during the Civil War, and abandoned in 1865. While there isn’t much left to the fort, it’s a nice spot to sit and take in the view of the harbor.
Dice Head Lighthouse – West of Fort Madison along Dyces Head Road is the Dice Head Lighthouse. The lighthouse was built in 1828 and discontinued in 1937. The lighthouse is part of a private residence, but a public trail leads along the side of the house through a wooded area to the shore.
Deer Isle and Stonington
We spent one day exploring Deer Isle, located south of the Blue Hill peninsula in East Penobscot Bay. The rural and sparsely populated town of Deer Isle actually comprises Little Deer Isle, Deer Isle and dozens of small outlying islands, most of them unoccupied. It is named for the abundant deer on the island at the time of its founding in the late 18th century. The area was originally home to the Penobscot Nation, one of four indigenous groups in Maine, and the islands were part of important canoe routes for the Penobscots. During the 19th century, the numerous granite quarries on Deer Isle helped to build famous US landmarks such as the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Smithsonian Institution, the US Naval Academy and the Manhattan Bridge.
Deer Isle has more recently become popular with artists and writers, and was home to the late singer and songwriter Dan Fogelberg. There are numerous galleries and studios scattered around the island. On the far eastern edge of Deer Isle is the world-renowned Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, which offers workshops, exhibitions, tours, auctions, and artist presentations, all situated in a campus of modest structures on a granite ledge overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
The best thing to do on Deer Isle is to meander the quiet two lane roads, and wander, observing the beautiful scenery of spruce trees, coves, ponds and open fields. There are few major attractions on the islands, resulting in much less tourism than Mount Desert Island. As described by the Deer Isle-Stonington Chamber of Commerce, “Deer Isle is a paradise for photographers, birders, boaters and kayakers, artists, naturalists, and anyone who loves the outdoors.”
A number of nature preserves offer the perfect place to wander, including the Settlement Quarry Preserve, the Edgar M. Tennis Preserve, the Crockett Cove Woods Preserve, and the Barred Island Preserve.
Deer Isle Bridge – The only vehicular access to Deer Isle from the mainland is from the Deer Isle Bridge. This attractive two lane, green painted suspension bridge was completed in 1939. It spans over Eggemoggin Reach, and the span reaches nearly 1,100 feet. Before the bridge was built, the only access to Deer Isle was by a ferry system. A good place to capture a photo of the bridge is from Bridge End Park, off to the right as you enter Little Deer Isle.
Stonington – The attractive but sleepy town of Stonington is located at the south end of Deer Isle. As seen from the pier, the town appears like a quintessential New England fishing village, full of shingled and white clapboard buildings featuring colorful mansard style roofs, clinging to a rocky shore. It could easily stand in for Cabot Cove, the fictitious town made famous from Murder, She Wrote. Besides being a lobstering and seafaring town, it was also a center of the granite quarry industry, attracting stone cutters and masons from Italy in the 19th century. The Deer Isle Granite Museum celebrates the history of the island’s quarry industry and skills of Stonington’s quarrymen. Stonington is the biggest-producing lobster port in Maine. Those interested in learning about the world of lobstering can visit Discovery Wharf, which includes a touch tank, an interactive wall and some virtual reality activities.
The historic Stonington Opera House overlooking the harbor holds numerous art and entertainment related events throughout the year. The opera house was originally built in 1886 during the granite boom but burned down in 1910. It was eventually restored, and has since become a cherished gathering place for the community.
The town has a scattering of small inns, bed and breakfasts, galleries, coffee shops and restaurants. We enjoyed some tasty sandwiches for lunch at the tiny Stonington Ice Cream Company, housed in a cute building featuring a large red lobster silhouette on its roof. We then had coffee at 44 North Coffee, where slow pour coffee is made from a custom built wooden drip bar. You won’t find espresso machines here.
Sand Beach – A little over a mile west of Stonington is Sand Beach, a pretty beach offering views of small outlying islands. From Green Head Road, take Sand Beach Road a mile to a parking area, where a trail leads to the beach.
Ames Pond – About a mile east of Stonington along Indian Point Road is pretty Ames pond, which is filled with numerous water lilies, including pink, white and yellow colored lilies. The pond also hosts numerous beaver lodges, and the beavers feed off the lilies. An interesting fact is that in the days before refrigeration, ice was cut from the pond and shipped to the West Indies.
