As promised, this is Part 2 of our Vacationland Blog. This part will explore Events, Excursions, and Cruises. You may explore the coast of Maine by land, sea, rail and air as you'll soon discover.
To keep on top of upcoming events I suggest you visit these sites online: Penobscot Bay Chamber of Commerce can be found at: www.therealmaine.com; www.themainemagazone.com; coastaljournal.com; and villagesoup.com.
The main summer events in the midcoast area are:
The Blues Festival, July 16-17
Friendship Sloop Days, July 21-23
The Maine Lobster Festival, August 3-7
The Antique Auto, Aircraft & Aerobatic Spectacular, Owls Head Transportation Museum, August 6-7.
The Maine Boats, Homes, and Harbors Show, August 12-14
.The Blueberry Festival at the Union Fair, August 26-27.
Many more events and activities can be found in the Discover Coast magazine, available from the Penobscot Bay Chamber of Commerce by asking for it at the www.therealmaine.com.
Exploring by Train:
For an enjoyable ride along the coast, check in at the Railroad Station in the South End. The Maine Eastern Railroad has daily excursions from Rockland to Brunswick and back. For more information, go to www.maineeasternrailroad.com or call 866-ME-RAILS or 207-596-6725.
Exploring by Road Trolley:
For a memorable guided tour of Rockland, taking in historical points of interest, take the All Aboard Trolley, which boards down at the Chamber of Commerce building down at Harbor Park. Besides the Rockland Tour, they also offer a Wings & Wheels trip down to the Transportation Museum in Owls Head; a Vineyards Tour; and a Maine Treasures tour. The trolley also provides shuttle service for the Lobster Festival and the Blues Festival. The Rockland Tour is $8, with children under 12 free. For departure times and tour information, and reservations, call 207-594-9300; www.aatrolley.com.
By the way, the tour stops down at Sandy Beach Park in the South End, next to the boardwalk where a lot of the action in my book, The South End, takes place. It's my hope that in the future, I can become a guide on this tour.
Exploring by Car:
Coastal Maine has so many panoramic views to enjoy that no matter which direction you go in, you'll find a picturesque place to stop and explore or to have a picnic. If you are staying in the Rockland area head down South Thomaston way and continue on over the bridge to Spruce Head Island. There are places to stop along the way where you can park your car along the side of the road and explore the rockbound coast. Many people like to fish off the bridge in Spruce Head and also up by the rapids in South Thomaston.
For the best lobster roll in the world, stop by the Keag store (building on the right) in South Thomaston just as you come around that bend in the road headed towards Spruce Head. Then ask them why the area is called "The Keag."
For a longer road trip, head down Prospect way to Fort Knox State Park, a fort built during the Civil War, from 1844-1869. The Fort was recently featured in the TV show, "Ghost Hunters" (see my April blog, "Ghost Busters at Ft. Knox."
There are many activities during the summer at the Fort, including "Pirate Day." See the video on YouTube.
Visit Mt. Battie Tower on top of Mt. Battie in Camden. It was here that the famous poet, Edna St. Vincent Millay got the inspiration for her poem, "Renascence." She wrote:
All I could see from where I stood
Was three long mountains and a wood.
I turned and looked the other way.
And saw three islands in the bay.
There is a plaque here to honor our Edna, who was born in Rockland and grew up in Camden. If you look real closely you will see a plaque on a house on Broadway in Rockland indicating her birthplace. She is my muse. We are proud to call her a member of our family.
If you enjoy exploring old cemeteries, there are many in the area that date back to the Revolutionary and Civil War eras. This statue of General Berry from the Civil War era, can be found in the Achorn Cemetery, at the corner of Lake Avenue and Old County Road in Rockland. I can also recommend the Rockville Cemetery and the cemetery at Dutch Neck in Waldoboro.
There is also a legend that goes with a stone over Damariscotta way about a curse, supposedly from a witch. It involves the image of a woman's long stocking image on a stone in that cemetery. The witch put a curse on that stone that said if you removed the image she would make it reappear again. So far, such has been the case. I will bring more of this story to you after I talk to my cousin, Diane, who knows the whole story. I've forgotten most of it but have seen the stone in question. I can't even tell you which cemetery it is. More to come later.
Exploring by Plane:
If you'd like to explore the area by air for spectacular views of headlands, harbors, and bays, head on down to the Knox County Airport in Owls Head. For more information on booking a flight, call 207-596-7500 or 207-542-4944 or online at info@penobscotislandair.net. Trips for up to five people for a half hour go for $160.
Exploring by Boat:
I've left the best for last.
You can take a free one-hour ride around Rockland harbor aboard the Rekord with Captain Sharp of the Sail, Power, & Steam Museum down on Mechanic Street in the South End. For trip information, call 207-701-7627 or 207-701-5050. I have taken this trip and found it to be very enjoyable.
Ferry trips:
Vinalhaven Ferry
There are 4,6000 islands off the coast of Maine. There are ferry services to all of them. Some of them carry cars. It is a wonderful excursion on a pleasant day. In the midcoast area, ferries to Vinalhaven and North Haven depart from the ferry terminal across from the Navigator Motel on the waterfront. For schedules and information on those two ferries, call
207-596-2202 or 207-863-0191.
The Matinicus Ferry only runs on certain days of the year. Call 207-596-2204 for more information.
The Monhegan Ferry leaves from Port Clyde, just outside of Rockland. Call 207-372-8848 for information.
For ferries leaving from other places along the coast, go to www.exploremaine.org/ferry/
Windjammer Cruises:
This is the Nathaniel Bowditch, one of many Windjammers cruising out of Rockland ports. I have sailed on the Victory Chimes. We had a memorable trip even if it was foggy most of the time. Day trips, three-day trips, and week-long trips are available. Check with the Penobscot Bay Chamber of Commerce for more information.
So there you have it. Have a wonderful vacation in "Vacationland." I hope to see you there.
Thanks for listening.
No comments:
Post a Comment