A ramble through Quebec’s Eastern Townships: Coaticook

Hilary Nangle
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A ramble through Quebec’s Eastern Townships: Coaticook

Drive northwest on Route 27, a Maine Scenic Byway, from Sugarloaf, in Carrabassett Valley, and after passing Flagstaff Lake and Chain of Ponds and passing through a tiny border crossing, you arrive on the eastern edge of Canada’s Eastern Townships.

I tend to think of the townships as New England north, but with a decidedly French accent (not to mention French food and flair). I traveled with three gal pals, taking a circuitous route through this landscape of lakes and mountains, farmlands and villages, en route to a conference in Quebec.

First stop: Coaticook Gorge. Timing is everything, and we managed to squeeze a 1.5-hour mosey through along trails between thunderstorm downpours. Highlight: Crossing the 554-foot-long, six-foot wide bridge suspended 154 feet above the gorge (that’s about 16 stories). According to our guide, Cassandra Marcux,  it’s listed by  Guinness as the longest  suspension footbridge in the world. Pretty impressive, with just enough wobble in the walk to raise the heartbeat a tinch.

The park is open to anyone ($7.50 Cdn. adult) to walk on their own, but you can request a guide for a free tour that covers the history and more. Cassandra explained the natural features of the gorge and the economic history, including tales of the mills and the creation of the power dams and tunnels.

An excellent restaurant on the premises serves local foods. As we enjoyed cheeses, smoked fish, and other goodies, our waitress pointed to nearby tables: “The cheese comes from their farm; he smokes the fish.” Nice selection of local crafts on display, both in the restaurant at the adjacent shop.

We rewarded ourselves for the somewhat soggy trek with an ice cream at Laiterie de Coaticook (site is in French, no English translation that I could find), just up the road. Oh. My. We were told this was some of the best ice cream in Quebec, and I can’t argue with that. This area is the region’s dairy center, so the ice cream is ultra fresh and comes in rather creative flavors. I chose a Bordeaux cherry chocolate amaretto. Yup, that’s all one flavor, and it was divine.

Sail into Boothbay Harbor’s Windjammer Days

Hilary Nangle
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Today, Tuesday, June 22, and tomorrow, June 23, are the days to be in Boothbay Harbor for the annual Windjammer Days celebration. Highlight of the two-day festival is Wednesday’s arrival of Maine’s windjammer fleet under full sail into the harbor, but there’s plenty of other activities including boat tours, craft show, kids’ events, concerts, parades, fireworks, and just good ole waterfront fun. A shuttle makes parking easy.

Maine’s lobsteboat race season kicks off today

Hilary Nangle
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Gentlemen, start your engines. Yup. Maine’s lobsterboat racing season kicks off with races today, Sat. June 19, in Boothbay Harbor and tomorrow, Sun. June 20, in Rockland. And you thought NASCAR was hot; wait until you see these souped-up puppies vrooom across ocean waters.

Here’s the rest of the schedule:

July 3: Moosebec Reach, Beals Island/Jonesport

July 10: Searsport

July 11: Stonington

July 24: Friendship

July 25: Harpswell

August 14: Winter Harbor

August 15: Pemaquid

August 22: Portland

Lose the crowds, find the Berwicks

Hilary Nangle
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Lose the crowds, find the Berwicks
The Jewett House is one of two historical houses in the berwicks
The Sarah Orne Jewett House Museum and Visitor Center is smack dab in downtown South Berwick. ©Hilary Nangle

The Berwicks aren’t on the usual tourist loop, but these southwestern Maine communities reward visitors with historical homes and literary connections. Snugged against the New Hampshire border, North and South Berwick are located fewer than 30 minutes from the coast. A rural ramble here is especially worthwhile for those who appreciate historical homes and literary heritage (authors Gladys Hasty Carroll and Sarah Orne Jewett).  Updated March 6, 2023

Where to stay in the Berwicks

South Berwick is best known for two Historic New England properties. The Sarah Orne Jewett House Museum and Visitor Center  is smack dab in the center of downtown South Berwick. Jewett, who penned that New England classic, The Country of the Pointed Firs, spent much of her life in this 1774 Georgian. It’s now a National Historic Landmark. The adjacent 1865 Greek Revival now houses the visitor center.

Hamilton House
Hamilton House draws architecture buffs, garden lovers, and fans of author Sarah Orne Jewett to South Berwick. @Hilary Nangle

The nearby Hamilton House, a striking Georgian mansion built by shipping magnate Jonathan Hamilton in 1785, crowns a bluff overlooking the Salmon Falls River. Later owners modified it into what is now considered one of New England’s loveliest Colonial-Revival country estates. The house served as the setting for Jewett’s The Tory Lover.

While touring the property is a must for garden fans, the Sundays in the Garden series, in July, draws music lovers to late-afternoon concerts held in the perennial gardens outside the home.

Others local sights

Berwick Academy in The Berwicks
The Fogg Memorial on the campus of Berwick Academy. ©Hilary Nangle

Fans of Jewett will want to see a few other area sights. The author helped fund and design the  Romanesque Revival William H. Fogg Memorial on the Berwick Academy campus. Many of the buildings 19th-century stained glass windows are credited to Victorian artist Sarah Wyman Whitman, who also designed jackets for Jewett’s books. Jewett commissioned the dove with wreath to commemorate the Civil War. Delve deeper into local history at the Old Berwick Historical Society, which also highlights Sarah Orne Jewett-related sites on its website.

A path through the forest connects Vaughan Woods State Park, a 250-acre riverside preserve, to the Hamilton House. The park, with about 3 miles of trails weaving through pines and hemlocks and along the river, is a fine place for a picnic.

Eating and sleeping in the Berwicks

Call it a night at the Lady Mary Inn, a handsome Queen Anne-Eastlake B&B in North Berwick. ©Hilary Nangle

Another plus: Because they’re off most tourist radar screens, North and South Berwick are a good choice for those seeking food or lodging without coastal crowds or prices (It took me less than a half hour to drive from Kennebunkport).

And if you want to spend the night, consider Lady Mary Inn (above), a B&B in North Berwick. This masterfully restored, 25-room Queen Anne Eastlake, listed on the National Historic Register, is furnished with  plentiful antiques, but it isn’t at all stuffy.

Kennebunkport’s Capt. Lord Mansion: ease, elegance, and fit for royalty

Hilary Nangle
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Kennebunkport’s Capt. Lord Mansion: ease, elegance, and fit for royalty

Rick Litchfield and Bev Davis, innkeepers at Kennebunkport’s Captain Lord Mansion, were ahead of the boutique lodging curve before most folks  even knew there was a curve. Since 1978, they’ve been overseeing the operation of this three-story architectural gem, the grandest of three mansions (all now operating as B&Bs) reputed to have been constructed by three brothers. In a town filled with top-tier B&Bs and inns, the Captain Lord shines. They’ve never rested on their well-earned laurels, and their staff shares their quest for perfection.

It had been years since I’d stayed at the Lord, but within minute of stepping inside, I was asking myself why I’d waited to so long to return. The decor is fitting for a wealthy sea captain, with spacious rooms attired with handsome furnishings, original artwork, and plentiful pieces that appear as if brought back from across the high seas.

Guest rooms continue the inviting mix of ease and elegance; they maintan the balance between pretty and handsome and seal the invitation with plentiful creature comforts: heated floors in the bathroom, soft robes, CD players complemented by a nice library of CDs in the room, iPod-docking stations, air-conditioning, small TVs, phones, welcoming chocolates, and nice Cali toiletry amenities. And let’s not forget the poo-pouri designed to mask unmentionable odors before they begin. Rooms have pleasant seating areas, good lighting, Asian-style rugs; some have multi-jet showers or whirlpool tubs for two; many have fireplaces.

My large front corner room had a king-size bed that required a step ladder and what can only be described as sumptuous bedding: plush, soft, elegant, simply lovely. Grouped by the fireplace were two easy chairs, one  over-sized with ottoman, heaven. Accent pieces were intriguing treasures that could have been collected by the good captain on his travels in the Far East.

While it would be easy to hole up in these accommodations, other rooms beckoned: On the main level are a double parlor/dining room, a pantry with hot beverages, and a kitchen with cold drinks and snacks. Downstairs is a gift shopped stocked with not-so-ordinary finds, a TV room with big screen, and the inn’s spa room. A spiral stair leads to the cupola, where off-season views extend to the sea. Outside are shady  grounds, dotted with lawn chairs and benches. And it’s a two-minute walk to Dock Square and its boutiques and shops.

Breakfast is served family style at large tables  in the kitchen and dining room. It began with fresh fruit, cereal, and yogurt; progressed to cranberry muffins; then finished with blueberry pancakes with maple sausage and maple syrup along with a soft-boiled egg. Trust me, I wasn’t hungry for lunch.

Glendarragh Farm Lavender’s new Camden store is heaven scent

Hilary Nangle
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I’m a huge lavender fan, not just for the scent, but also the taste. Lavender Earl Grey tea, lavender shortbread, lavender chocolate, lavender chicken… if the ingredients list lavender, I’m a goner. No surprise, then that my nose drew me into Glendarragh Farm Lavender’s new store in downtown Camden, and trust me, for lavender fans, this place truly is heaven scent: lotions, sachets, bath salts, soaps, teas, sweets, sachets, dried lavender, lavender plants; it’s all here perfuming the store and  the street outside its front door.

The name Glendarragh, Gaelic for “Glen of the Oaks,” honors owners Lorie and Patrick Costigan’s Irish ancestry and refers to the oak forests that line the fields and pathways of theit 26-acre riverfront family farm in Appleton, where they grew multiple varieties of both French and English lavender. With the move to Camden, the farm is no longer regularly open to visitors except for special harvest events.

And did I mention it sells a lavender cookbook?

Maine dish: Rockland dining report, In Good Company and Big Fish

Hilary Nangle
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Dined earlier this week at two Rockland, Maine, restaurants: One night meeting an old friend at In Good Company and another with friends at the Big Fish Cafe; completely different experiences, but both delivered good food and a fun time.

In Good Company

Smack downtown in Rockland’s version of a restaurant row, In Good Company has built a strong following by excelling at delivering what it promises. Chef/owner Melody Wofertz, a Culinary Institute of America grad, has created an equally chic and casual wine and tapas bar, an inviting space with bar, tables, even couch seating (be sure to look up the ceiling, with its elegant relief design.

We married a mix of tapas selections, including a charcuterie plate, stuffed peppers, and the day’s cheese selections, along with glasses of wine. Service was prompt, efficient, and friendly; food was delicious and plentiful (we split leftovers), and the atmosphere? Well, two hours passed in no time. This remains one of my go-to faves for a lighter meal (although there are larger plates, too), paired with nice wines.

Big Fish

On Route 1, just south of downtown, Big Fish is far less refined, but no less fun. Enter to a nice, somewhat cozy room with booths and tables. Here’s the secret: Ask for seating in the lounge, which has been decorated to make you feel as if you’re in a sunken ship (right down to the glowing portholes).

Big Fish specializes in—yeah, tough one here—seafood, although there are chicken, beef, and veggie choices. There’s a bit of a southwestern accent to some of the dishes—shrimp cocktail Yucatan, rockin’ lobstah nachos, fish tacos, crab and shrimp quesadilla—thanks to the owners’ California roots.

We began with a couple of starters for the table: crab rangoon with a sweet chile dipping sauce and fiesty fried mushrooms with ranch dip. Nothing earth shattering, but both were above average, which set the tone for the night, food wise. We were warned that our entrees would take a while, since a number of tables had come in a the same time. After the starters, we waited. And waited. And waited.

End game, it was worth the wait. On a friend’s recommendation, I had the clams linguini, which came with a garden salad and garlic bread. Big Fish makes its own dressings, and my bleu cheese vinaigrette enhanced a fresh, mixed-greens side salad. Unfortunately, my garlic bread was MIA, but before I could request it, a friend volunteered his, as he wasn’t going to eat it. In hindsight, I wish I’d had both his and my own as it was perfect for mopping up linguini juices. Mmmmm.

Tiptoe through 45,000 tulips and other blooms near Acadia National Park, Maine

Hilary Nangle
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Tiptoe through 45,000 tulips and other blooms near Acadia National Park, Maine

Thinking about visiting Acadia National Park in May? Plan a trip around the annual Spring Bulb Tour, when WatersEdge, the oceanfront W. P. Stewart estate in Northeast Harbor, Maine, opens its gates to display more than 45,000(!) flowering spring bulbs. Visitors can wander paths through eight acres of landscaped grounds, including woodlands, lawns sloping down to Somes Sound, and gardens accented with tulips, daffodils, tulips, anemones, hyacinths, and rare specialty bulbs. The colorful event is not only a rare sight in Maine, but also a rare opportunity to visit one of Mount Desert Island’s estates.

2013 update: Here’s info on the 2013 Spring Garden Tour



Bridesmaids no longer: Arrows wins Beard award

Hilary Nangle
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Finally, in their sixth nomination, Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier, chef/owners of Arrows, in Ogunquit, win the big kahoona: The James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef in the Northeast award. Congrats, guys!

Bar Harbor food faves opening in Portland

Hilary Nangle
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One of my summer pleasures is having dinner at Havana followed by a scoop or two of some outrageous flavor at Mount Desert Island Ice Cream. This summer, I won’t have to travel to Bar Harbor to do so. Both Havana and MDIC are opening outposts in Portland. According to MDIC’s Facebook page, it plans to open in May (according to Portland Food Map, it’s at 51 Exchange St.). Havana South is targeting a June opening for its Wharf Street location. Next thing you know, Acadia will opening a section of the park in the city (only kidding). UPDATE: Havana South has closed.

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