Maine windjammers parade by the Rockland Breakwater during the annual Parade of Sail. Hilary Nangle photo.
On a hot, muggy day earlier this week, I joined guests aboard the 95-foot ketch Angelique, one of the members of the Maine windjammer fleet, for a cruise from Camden, through the waters of Penobscot Bay. Our destination: the annual Parade of Sail by the Rockland Breakwater.En route, we shared the waters with lobstermen hauling their traps, pleasure boats out for a day sail, and playful seals who dodged and danced around the boats and buoys dotting the water’s surface.
Sailing by the Rockland Breakwater Light. Hilary Nangle photo
Ahhhh! Sweet relief. If you want to escape this summer’s oppressive heat, head to sea. Cool breezes, brine-scented air, crying seagulls, the whoosh of wind in the sails, and the creaks of a wooden boat make it easy to forget the humidity.
Most of the windjammers in the Maine fleet are historic vessels. They arrived in Maine in the early part of the 20th century, delivering cargo to various ports of call. When steamships made sea travel faster, easier and less expensive, many of the schooners were left to rot where they last dropped anchor, but Maine’s cold water helped preserve them.
In the 1930s, sensing an opportunity, Frank Swift began purchasing the old schooners. He fixed them up, swept out the cargo holds and began marketing windjammer trips to rusticators from Boston for $25 for a week. In the 1960s, other entrepreneurs began to join him, driven by their love of the sea and the opportunity to preserve a rich part of sailing’s history. These newcomers not only renovated other old boots, they began to build new ones, such as the Mary Day and Heritage, in the same tradition. Today more than two dozen windjammers sail Maine’s waters, with trips ranging from a few hours to a full week.
Jamming with the wind aboard a schooner is a very wallet-friendly vacation. One fee covers everything: your cabin (no, it’s not the Ritz, more like camping on the sea in most boats); hearty, all-you-can-eat meals (and always at least one lobster feast); the cruise, with visits to offshore islands and distant fishing villages; and all the fun you can muster aboard. You can even join in schooner aerobics, that’s helping raise the sails or sometimes the anchor and coiling the lines. Heave a-weigh, ho a-weigh.
Leave the cell phone, computer, the watch, and your vanity at home. These trips go where tide and wind take them; there’s no set course, no set schedule, no reason to get gussied up. They offer a rare chance to relax, unplug, and unwind.
Fish chowder, of course. Mmmm. Hilary Nangle photo.
Even better, we’re coming into the best cruising months of the year, August into early October. It’s not too late to book a three- to seven-day trip aboard one of the schooners, and many are offering specials.
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Here are some images taken from aboard the Angelique during the 2010 Parade of Sail.
Parading by Rockland's Breakwater lighthouse. Hilary Nangle photo. View from the deck of the Angelique. Hilary Nangle photo.The Victory Chimes, largest in the Maine Windjammer fleet, under full sail. A nimble deck hand begins climbing the rigging of the Angelique. Hilary Nangle photo.And he keeps climbing. Hilary Nangle photo. and climbing, amidst the Angeliques distinctive red sails. Hilary Nangle photo. Crowds watching the WIndjammer Parade of Sail from the Rockland Breakwater. Hilary Nangle photo.
If you want to experience the best of Acadia National Park’s largest section, you’ll need a plan. This Top 10 Acadia and Mountain Desert Island list will help.
When it comes listing the top 10 Acadia musts, driving or pedaling Acadia National Park’s Park Loop Roadtops the list. But do so either before 10 a.m. or after 3 p.m. to avoid the biggest crowds and to catch the best light for photos. Rental e-bikes, available on the island, are a fine choice for those who need a little extra help when pedaling hills.
Don’t skip any of the big-ticket sights along the route:
Sieur de Monts Springs, home to the Wild Gardens of Acadia, Sweet Waters of Acadia spring, Nature Center, and the originalAbbe Museum(but don’t miss this museum’s main site in Bar Harbor for the best intro to Maine’s Native American heritage and culture)
Sand Beach: go ahead, brave dipping your toes in the water, brrrrr
Thunder Hole: for the biggest ka-boom, time your visit with an incoming tide
Cadillac Mountain: everyone raves about sunrise, but sunset is pretty spectacular, too. Note: Reservations are required for ascending Cadillac in a vehicle.
Thank you John D. Rockefeller Jr. for the 57 miles (44 open to bicycles) of meandering crushed-stone Carriage Roadscrossing 17 unique stone bridges. Bike ’em, hike ’em, ride ’em, but don’t miss ’em.
And afterward: tea and popovers with jam and ice cream at the park’sJordan Pond House.
You’re going to need to work off that ice cream, perhaps with a hike? Among my favorites are Great Head, Gorham Mountain, and Flying Mountain, all moderate with big views from the summits. For a more strenuous hike, slip over to the island’s western side to hike Mansell Mountain. Mansell’s Perpendicular Trail is considered to be the park’s most constructed trail, with coping stones and more than 1,000 steps constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Of course you’re going to have a lobster or lobster roll. Good real-deal lobster shacks are Thurston’s, overlooking idyllic Bass Harbor, and Beals, in Southwest Harbor. Or consider heading to Frenchboro, see island hopping below, for a lobster at Lunt’s.
Before indulging, learn all about the tasty crustaceans on a lobster-fishing tour aboard the Lulu lobster boat.
If you’re headed over to the Schoodic Section of the park, afterward, detour to Corea for a lobster at Lunch on the Wharf, with dreamy views over a working harbor.
If you’re a gardener or simply enjoy visiting gardens, don’t miss visiting public gardens on Mount Desert Island. Start with these three Land and Garden Preserve properties, but consider other Mount Desert Island gardens, too.
• The Asticou Garden in Northeast Harbor is especially stunning in spring, when the rhododendrons and azaleas are in full bloom. But this small garden is gorgeous anytime, thanks to its classic Japanese design, complete with a sand garden. Pair it with tea and popovers across the street at the Asticou Inn.
• The Thuya Garden, a formal English style bed garden, is walking distance from Asticou. You can either walk on the sidewalk or hike a trail between the two. Don’t miss exploring the tiered granite terraces with lookouts. And be sure to visit Thuya Lodge.
• You’ll need reservations for the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden, and it’s wise to plan well in advance. Beatrix Farrand helped design this walled garden on Abby and John D. Rockefeller Jr.’s Seal Harbor estate. This East-meets-West garden blends an English-style walled garden with sculptures that the Rockefellers acquired during their travels in the Far East. Be sure to visit the site of Aerie, their former 100-room summer cottage.
For a whale of a tale, book a whale-watching cruise
Learn about Acadia’s birds and other wildlife on a private tour with biologist and Registered Maine Guide Michael Good of Downeast Nature Tours. Honest: I didn’t get birding’s appeal until I accompanied him one morning. He offers a gentle introduction to what might become a life-long hobby, and if you’re already an avid birder, he’ll help you add a few to your life list.
While we’re on the subject of birds, another don’t miss is the Wendell Gilley Museum, in Southwest Harbor. It houses more than 200 of the local carver’s astonishingly realistic bird carvings.
Ferry to offshore islands and Acadia’s Schoodic section
Bring a bike aboard the passengers ferries servicing the Cranberry Islands, then get off first at Great Cranberry for a quick pedal and look-see, stopping at the Cranberry House to see the museum. Reboard to visit Little Cranberry (a.k.a. Islesford) to see the park museum, browse the shops, and have lunch at the Islesford Dock. Better yet, time the meal to coincide with sunset for delicious views.
Schoodic Peninsula
The passenger ferry to Winter Harbor weaves through islands and around lobster boats hauling traps before docking in Winter Harbor. From here, either pedal (make bike rez in advance) or ride the Island Explorer bus through the Schoodic section of Acadia National Park. Stop for a hike, to explore tide pools, and to visit the Info Center exhibitions at the Schoodic Institute. Don’t forget a picnic lunch, so you can enjoy it on the slabs of pink granite marking Schoodic Point.
Explore the nooks and crannies notching Acadia’s coastline and offshore islands by sea kayak. Sure, you can rent a kayak and go on your own, but for the best experience, join a guided tour. You’ll find outfitters in Bar Harbor and Southwest Harbor. Options range from a few hours to a few days.
Experience starry, starry nights
In our crowded world, it’s hard to escape man-made light. My Top 10 Acadia list wouldn’t be complete without including the island’s dark skies. Head out on a dark, clear night and gaze upwards into the splendor of our universe. Top places for star-gazing include Seawall, Sand Beach, along the Ocean Path, and Jordan Pond.
Plan ahead to attend the Acadia Night Sky Festival, held annually in September. Whether you’re a first-timer, seeking family fun, or serious amateur, this festival delivers. Expect The schedule usually includes workshops, internationally recognized speakers, and hands-on experiences.
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NOTE: One of the best ways to get around the island and the park is with the Island Explorer Bus Service. It’s free with your park pass, it carries bikes, and it hits almost all the highlights in its multiple routes.
Saddleback resort, in Rangeley, Maine, is offering free moose-spotting tours during the summer. The resort’s Moose Patrol bus departs Saddleback’s downtown Guest Service Center on Mondays and Thursdays evenings, rain or shine. According to Kara Wilson, tour guests have been sighting a record number of the ungainly beasts this summer, along with foxes and deer. They’ve even spotted a few baby moose (mooselets?).
The tour follows Route 16 (a.k.a. Moose Alley) from Rangeley toward the Eustis-Stratton area. Sure, you can drive it on your own, but why bother when you can let someone else do the driving, so your hands are free for the camera and you don’t have to worry about hitting the critters. Reservations are required, call 207-864-5496.
Looking for a day trip that won’t break the bank and offers history, shopping, and wildlife? You’ll find the Maine Wildlife Park, Sabbathday Lake Shaker Community, and Poland Spring Museums along Route 26 between Gray and South Paris. Along the way, you’ll find farm stands offering fresh ice cream, low-key family restaurants, a few shops and an outlet, and a casino. Finally, detour down the crossroads to find a state park and town beaches for lake swimming.
This drive is lovely anytime, but it’s spectacular during peak foliage. While most businesses along the way remain open year-round, the attractions welcome visitors between late May and mid-October.
Want to know where the wild things are? Deer, moose, black bear, bald eagle, and even a mountain lion are among the 30 or so native species usually on view at this mega-kid-friendly, state-operated refuge, and education facility.
This isn’t a zoo: All the residents are being rehabilitated or are unable to return to the wild. Interactive displays and exhibits, a fish hatchery, special programs, gardens, and nature trails round out the offerings. Special events occur almost every weekend (usually on Saturday). Credit cards aren’t accepted for admission.
One of the happy byproducts of Route 26’s rebuilding was that it no longer passes directly through the middle of the world’s last inhabited Shaker community.
The few remaining members of the United Society of Shakers, an 18th-century religious sect, keep a relatively high profile life. Visits may include the living-history museum, craft workshops, herbal gardens, and farm animals. But don’t miss the store. It’s filled with Shaker herb and wool products, publications, music, and some Maine-made crafts.
Tours are offered Monday through Saturday; on Sundays, visitors are welcome to attend the 10 a.m. service (note: men and women enter through separate doors and sit separately). Also, check the special events calendar for workshops and demonstrations. While you won’t be able to see as much if you simply visit without taking the tour ($10 adults, $2 ages 6-12, $20 family), you can absorb the peacefulness of the setting and the lifestyle.
Soak up history in Poland Spring
Tour through the history of one of the world’s most famous waters. Poland Spring Water built Hiram Ricker’s family empire, and a visit to Poland Spring should include the Poland Spring Museums. Visit the Poland Spring Museum and Spring House to learn about the water’s history. The Maine State Building shares the resort’s story. And don’t miss the All Souls Chapel.
Begin at the Poland Spring Museum and Spring House, where exhibits share the history of the famed water and its legendary healing powers. The water won the Medal of Excellence at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and the Grand Prize at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. After touring the exhibits, be sure to visit the Spring House. Nature trails lace the grounds and connect to the other sites.
The water’s fame helped the Ricker family grow their small hotel into the 300-room Poland Spring House, an architectural and technological marvel. In addition, the hotel’s 5,000-acre property was home to the world’s first resort golf course and one of the first courses designed by Donald Ross.
During its heyday in the early 20th century, the country’s wealthiest and most powerful people gathered here to play golf and discuss world policy. From Ulysses S. Grant to Theodore Roosevelt, almost every American president stayed here. Other guests and visitors of note include Babe Ruth, Alexander Graham Bell, Mae West, Betty Grable, and Judy Garland. Charles Lindberg flew over the hotel on July 25, 1927, but he could not land because of the crowds.
Fire destroyed the sprawling Poland Spring House in 1975. Now, the Poland Spring Resort offers budget-friendly accommodations in more contemporary buildings.
The three-story, octagonal Maine State Building was built as the state pavilion for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Afterward, Ricker bought it for $30,000 and moved it to Maine aboard a special freight train and then via horse-drawn wagon to Ricker Hill, where it was reassembled, piece by piece.
It reopened as a library and art gallery one year later as part of the Ricker family’s centennial celebration of their settlement at Poland Spring. Although it suffered years of neglect in the mid-20th century, it’s been restored. It is now operated by the Poland Spring Preservation Society as a museum and art gallery.
All Souls Chapel
The adjacent All Souls Chapel was built in 1912 by the Ricker Family with donations from guests and staff of the Poland Spring House. The 1926 Skinner pipe organ and Westminster chimes are still in working order. The chapel is home to a summer concert series on Monday nights.
When McLaughlin, dubbed the Dead of Maine Gardeners, died at age 98 in 1995, his will stipulated that the property be sold. Of course, eager developers eyed it. But loyal flower fans dug in their heels, captured media attention, and created a nonprofit foundation. The McLaughlin Foundation bought the property in 1997, preserving the century-old farmstead with its handsome barn and stone walls.
When McLaughlin Garden’s more than 200 lilac trees begin perfuming the air in late May, it’s a sensual treat. Although admission usually is free, it’s $5 during the annual Lilac Festival on Memorial Day weekend, when guided tours and other activities are offered.
Also here are a pleasant tea room and a shop selling gardening items and gifts.
Escape the heat wave on the Maine Coast by visiting Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, in Newcastle, for its annual Salad Days fund-raising event. This Saturday, July 10, make a $30 donation to Watershed, and in return you’ll an handmade, earthenware plate that you get to keep and the opportunity to fill it from a buffet of salads made from local produce and created by artists and area restaurants. How cool is that?
Wait, it gets even better. Not only do you get to picnic and keep the plate, you get to listen to live music, visit artists’ studios, and shop an invitational pottery sale featuring works by more than a dozen artists. Watershed’s Salad Days event begins at 3 p.m.
I think you’d be hard pressed to find another town with the variety of ethnic restaurants per capita as Brunswick, Maine: Thai, Chinese, German, Italian, Indian, Mexican, with most packed tightly in the downtown. To those, add some recent additions: Irish (O’Shea’s Irish Restaurant & Cantina), Japanese (Little Tokyo), Greek/Italian (Trattoria Athena), and a player to be named later, when the folks at popular El Camino open a new restaurant at 111 Maine.
Based on the recommendation of acquaintances who had dined there the previous day, I lunched at Trattoria Athena during its first week of operation. It’s a small but inviting space, with a diamond pattern in the wood floor, olive green walls, wooden tables crafted from old barn doors, and a small copper bar. There were fresh flowers on the table, and water was served in a mason jar. I could imagine it once discovered, filled with locals; it’s that kind of spot—comfy, casual, unpretentious, inviting.
Sealing the deal is the food. Trattoria Athena, true to its name, serves Italian and Greek fare, prepared from locally sourced ingredients. The menus (it’s open for lunch and dinner) aren’t extensive, but they do capture those Mediterranean flavors.
The lunch menu—on a chalkboard—listed salads, paninis, and fresh pastas, most in the $6-9 range. I opted for a feta cheese and pesto panini, which sounded like a nice Italian-Greek blend. It was sharp with garlic and salty from feta, just as I imagined. It came with fresh greens, lightly dressed with a nice vinaigrette. Service was friendly and efficient, although hard not to be with only two tables at the time.
The early-summer dinner menu, presented clipped to a wooden board with a fork, is enticing, with a nice selection of traditional fare (lamb and goat) as well as some fresh house-made pasta choices that left me salivating to return. Specials are drawn from farm-market finds.
The location, on a one-way street off Maine Street, is tough one, but I think it’s worth finding.
I was drawn in by an adult-version of a lemonade stand as I moseyed along Main Street in Brunswick the other day. Christopher Kinkade and his wife, Lori, were sampling their new Green Bee All-Natural Soda in front of Morning Glory natural foods market. One sip of their debut Lemon Sting flavor, and I was smitten. “It’s made from only four ingredients,” Lori said, then ticked them off: water, rosemary, lemon, and Maine wildflower honey.
“I’ve been a home brewer and soda maker for 20 years,” Christopher said, and this flavor was born of his research into beekeeping. “I realized how healthy bee products were, and I thought ‘why isn’t honey used more as a sweetener? You see a lot of organic sugar and evaporated cane juice, and that’s well and good, but why not honey?'”
Why not, indeed.
So he began playing around with Maine-grown honey as a sweetener. “It was a no-brainer. We’re the only local soda company using honey. love the flavor of lemon and rosemary, and after a lot of experimentation, I said, ‘Aha! This is it.'”
I have to agree. It’s light and lovely, with the subtle sweetness of honey. I drank my sample, then requested more. Currently, it’s only sold at Morning Glory, but with time, it will be available in more stores. Seek it out. And look for a new “top secret” flavor to debut in late summer.
Yesterday I toured the new Bibby and Harold Alfond Children’s Garden at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, in Boothbay. Wow! Based on Maine children’s literature, landscape architect Herb Schaal, FASLA, has created a magical world of wonder, brought to life by project Nick Caristo in nine months. It’s an interactive experience without any buttons to push or techological gizmos. It’s natural, it’s beautiful, it fires the imagination, and I’m guessing it will be as popular with parents and grandparents as with kids. Put it on your Must Visit list, and plan to return again and again. Label this a family treasure.
The Grand Opening celebration on Thursday, July 8, kicks off at 9 a.m. with children’s activities on CMBA’s great lawn, moves to welcoming remarks at 10:30 a.m., then it really gets rolling with a parade at 11:15 a.m. Expect children’s literary characters brought to life. Following the parade, the chicken and frogs will be let loose in the children’s garden, and what kid wouldn’t want to miss that? Activities will continue throughout the day, with refreshments in the Seagull pavilion.
CBMA is magical in itself, and last year’s addition of the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses already was a kid pleaser, with its touch-sniff-listen-taste in addition to see attributes (a reflexology labyrinth to be walked barefoot, scented plantes, herbs, waterfall, etc.), but the new children’s garden is a natural world designed just for them.
In the Children’s Garden:
• Visit with a topiary Miss Rumphius in the Lupine Meadow
• climb upon Sal’s bear from Robert McCLoskey’s Blueberries for Sal (the wonderful statue was created by Nancy Schon, the same artist who made the Make Way for Ducklings statue in Boston’s Public Garden)
• walk across stepping stones and bridges connecting the Blueberry Islands
• play amidst the spouting whales inspired by Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee by Chris VanDusen
• watch the long johns flirt with the housedress from Ethel Pochoki’s Rosebud and Red Flannel
Kids can
• play amidst rock dragons (like the spouting whales, crafted by Carol Hanson)
• wander through Veronica’s Maze
• hide in a cozy bear den
• clamber around a huge tree house with rope bridge connecting two sections (the treehouse itself, thanks to its design, is wheelchair acceessible, as is most of the garden)
• jump stumps in the forest
• build fairy houses in the woods
• vote for the fastest-growing beans in a pole bean contest
They also can borrow a book from about 300 Maine-related children’s literature titles in the library, and read it anywhere in the garden, or listen to someone read to them from the huge, handcrafted from driftwood storyteller’s chair.
Later this month, Barry Dana, former chief of the Penobscot Nation, will be building a wigwam, firepit, and even a birchbark canoe in garden’s the Wabanaki Village.
And that’s just a taste of the magic in this two-acre wonder.
Whenever traveling between Maine and Quebec City, instead of stopping en route for that ubiquitous fast-food cheeseburger, I savor a taste of Quebec at Les Pères Nature in St. Georges. Fresh, flavorful foods with an authentic regional accent fill this combination market, gelato bar, café, and fine dining restaurant housed in a cheery orange, blue, and yellow building with can’t-miss mural and a windmill (really!).
Eat, dine, picnic, or nibble at Les Peres Nature
I usually create a picnic to enjoy at either an indoor or outdoor table or along the riverfront by pairing buttery, flaky croissants or a crusty baguette with Quebec farmstead cheeses–try the tomme de Kamouraska, a semi-soft raw sheep’s milk cheese, the migneron de Charlevoix, a semi-soft cow’s milk cheese, or the rassembleu, a raw milk bleu. Complement these with fresh fruit, smoked salmon, housemade pâtés, terrines, and confections.
Sometimes, I opt for selection from the salad bar or prepared foods counter, maybe a smoked-meat sandwich. But I always finish with a scoop from the ice cream/gelato counter or something delicious from the eye-candy dessert case.
When I’m craving a hot meal, sometimes I’ll duck into Le P’tit Grand Café, serving crepes and omelets, croissants and beans for breakfast and a set three-course menu for lunch. I’ve yet to enjoy a leisurely meal in what many have told me is one of the region’s finest, white-tablecloth restaurants, La Table du Junior at Père Nature, serving regional French fare for lunch and dinner. The choices are extensive, but a fixed-price menu is available.
En route home, in addition to stocking up on cheeses and other goodies, I always pick up a Quebec meat pie to warm and serve as a taste-full souvenir. This time, I also purchased a Tortierre du Saguenary, which is currently warming in the oven. Pared with a salad, I expect to replicate a night in one of Quebec City’s traditional restaurants. C’ést bon!
Père Nature in St. Georges is two-minutes off Route 173, about an hour north of Jackman, Maine. Turn west (toward the river) at the traffic light with Canadian Tire. Just look for the windmill. Bon appétit!
Today, Wednesday, June 22, save 30% on ice cream and other menu items at Gifford’s Ice Cream stands in Skowhegan, Farmington, Bangor, Waterville, and Auburn. Guests at the Skowhegan stand will also receive a free cupcake while supplies last.
