Life doesn’t get much finer than sipping wine on the deck of an oceanfront cottage at Glenmoor by the Sea while watching windjammers skim across Penobscot Bay.
Spread out on 12 acres that slope gently from Route 1 in Lincolnville down to a rocky beach, Glenmoor by the Sea comprises 19 cottages and 14 rooms divided between an inn and motel. Each accommodation has either a balcony or deck for taking in the views — granted, some are more distant — to Islesboro Island. Both the accomodations and the property are well maintained.
Inside an oceanfront cottage at Glenmoor by the Sea
Our studio-style oceanfront cottage offered everything needed for a getaway. The deck opened to the kitchenette/dining area, complete with a table, refrigerator, coffee-maker, and microwave.
The kitchen shared the front of the cottage with the living area, defined by an area rug and furnished with a reclining rocker, a coffee table, and a pull-out couch. That pull-out is perfect for friends traveling together as we were or for a small family. A television tucked in the corner didn’t compete with the ocean views.
In the carpeted sleeping area, a queen-size bed, dressed in nice white bedding and with reading lights on each side, was positioned to take in both the ocean views and the TV screen. A dresser and closet provided space to stash clothes for guests staying a few days. The bathroom had a combo shower-tub.
During my visit, we opted for opening the windows. Still, a heat pump/air-conditioning unit allows keeping the in-room temp comfortable, no matter what the weather.
Start with breakfast: When you check-in, you tell the staff what time you’d like breakfast, and a generous continental breakfast is delivered to your room. Ours included delicious spice muffins, fruit, yogurt parfaits, and orange juice, in addition to a thermos of hot coffee and a tea bag along with an electric kettle for brewing it.
Map of Glenmoor by the Sea’s property.
Now add the property amenities. These include two swimming pools, one by the motel and another midway down the lawn, two playgrounds, a big grassy area for lawn games, a workout room, a picnic area, and a fire pit. Stairs make getting down to the rocky beach easy, and there’s even a deck midway down with chairs and tables for enjoying the view.
Another plus: cottages are staggered, allowing every accommodation to have a water view.
What’s a family vacation without the family dog? Dogs weighing 80 pounds or less are welcomed with a towel for drying off sandy paws and a treat. However, they’re permitted only in specific accommodations for $30 per pet/night, with two dogs max. I’ve assured Bo I’ll return with him at a later date, so he can share his thoughts about the experience.
The owners aim for sustainability. Lawns are chem-free, so let the kids run and the dogs roll. Landscaping emphasizes native species that support wildlife and retains wild and natural boundaries for erosion control and preserving wildlife habitat. All-natural tick and mosquito repellent helps keep biting insects at bay. At night, LED lighting helps reduce light pollution, so star-gazers can enjoy Mother Nature’s show on clear nights.
Guestrooms have LED bulbs, are painted with VOC paints, offer in-room recycling, and provide all-natural bath amenities.
Kitchen waste is composted, and whenever possible, seasonally locally sourced ingredients are used.
Kennebunk’s Waldo Emerson ticks a trio of travel-driven interests. First, it attracts history buffs for its historical atmosphere: It dates from 1753, with the new wing added in 1784; it was a stop on the Underground Railroad; and it’s located adjacent to the famed Wedding Cake House. Literary travelers come for its connection to poet/essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson, who allegedly spent 10 summers in the house built by his great uncle. And dog lovers come because innkeeper Hana Pevny* welcomes dogs of all sizes (although, make no mistake, her sweet Yorkie, Sloan, is in charge).
*NOTE: The inn has a new owner/innkeeper, and Sloan is no longer in residence.
Waldo Emerson Inn blends historic charm with contemporary whimsy
The house may be old, but Pevny has lightened and brightened the interior decor since acquiring the inn. Furnishings and artwork emphasize comfort paired with whimsy while honoring historical details. Fresh flowers color every room. Multiple living areas, including the kitchen, dining room, two front parlors, and tables and chairs on the private back lawn, make it easy to spread out.
Ralph Waldo Emerson allegedly spent 10 summers writing in the smaller of the two parlors. These days, it also has a piano, making it ideal for an old-fashioned evening arts salon. In the larger parlor, guests can help themselves from the candy bar, games closet, and honor bar, which I imagine would make for a lovely autumn evening by the fireplace. There’s also a book library. And a coffee/tea station allows guests to make warm drinks whenever desired.
It’s equally inviting to hang out in the spacious kitchen. Guests may take breakfast there, in the dining room, or at tables outside. Pevny earned a culinary degree from Leiths School of Food & Wine in London and has worked as a private chef and culinary instructor both in the U.S. and Europe. She turns a simple breakfast sandwich into a delicious, multi-layered work of art, leaving me wishing I had booked a few more days to taste other creations.
A peek into guestrooms
Ralph’s Library
Pevny makes self-check-in and finding your room easy. A blackboard hanging on the room’s door displays the first names of the guests within. I stayed in Ralph’s Library, a lovely first-floor room with a fireplace and two easy chairs. That location makes it a good choice for those with mobility impairments.
The inn’s five other rooms, three with fireplaces, are upstairs, accessible via front and back staircases. The largest, Waldo’s Retreat, is in the original part of the house. Suite-sized, it has a king bed and two chairs, as well as a window seat that can be made into a child’s bed. It also has a kitchenette. As might be expected, beds are dressed in white with luxurious linens.
Built more than a century before indoor plumbing was introduced, the Waldo Emerson Inn’s bathrooms are small, but Pevny has been updating them with tile and nice fixtures. But if you prefer a large bathroom, this inn isn’t for you. That said, two Air B&B-listed, two-bedroom apartments in the separate carriage house have larger bathrooms.
Sloan, Pevny’s “seven pound Yorkshire terrier with a great dane personality,” welcomes guests and their pets, and the entire Waldo Emerson Inn property is pet-friendly ($50/pet/night).
A large mural in the kitchen is accented with photos of guest pets and their owners. The outside grounds are spacious, and a dog run attached to a tree lets your pet join you around the backyard fire pit if it’s unreliable off-leash.
Guests also have use of bicycles — nothing fancy, but they do the job if you want to pedal to the beach, shops, or area attractions.
Want to know more? Watch the video below, in which innkeeper Hana Pevny talks about the Waldo Emerson Inn.
Dive in and enjoy the views from Maine’s best outdoor pools at these oceanfront inns, hotels, and resorts. I’ll update this list as I discover other outdoor pools with a view. Accommodations are presented from south to north along the coast.
The updated and renovated Dunes on the Waterfront cottage colony in Ogunquit reopened in May 2024. Most of the one- to three-bedroom cottages share similar views of the tidal Ogunquit River backed by dunes with the ocean beyond. Guests can relax at the pool or paddle or row across the river at high tide to reach the beach.
Sparhawk Oceanfront Resort
If the view from the heated pool at the Sparhawk Oceanfront Resort over the tennis court and out to open ocean is this nice on a cloudy day, imagine what it’s like when the sun’s shining. (@Hilary Nangle)
Guests have been returning to the Sparhawk Oceanfront Resort for more than 100 years. It’s such a tradition that the hotel displays a “Happily Filled” sign through most of the season and maintains a seven-night minimum during July and August. Those who want to join the ranks can often get a few nights between week-long stays. It’s worth it. The Marginal Way starts/ends here, and the 6-acre property includes gardens and a tennis court.
The family-owned, cupola-topped Colony Hotel is a survivor, one of the last grand seaside hotels still standing in Maine. It retains a gentle, easy-going style yet was green long before it was a household world. It’s also pet-friendly. In addition to the heated, saltwater swimming pool, also on the 11-acre grounds are an 18-hole putting green, manicured lawns, and lovely gardens.
The Inn by the Sea, a luxury boutique property, is another especially green property. Guests stay in rooms, suites, and one- or two-bedroom cottages, all of which open onto the back lawn with the pool. A path and boardwalk connect the inn to Crescent Beach State Park. This resort is also an incredibly dog-friendly inn, and if you don’t arrive with one, you might depart with a new friend from the inn’s adoption program through the Animal Rescue League of Portland. And here’s a treat for the dogs: On the day of the pool season, dogs can dive in for a swim (and, of course, you can order your pampered pooch a special treat from the doggy room service menu).
Sebasco Harbor Resort, Phippsburg
Can’t complain about the views from the saltwater pool at Sebasco Harbor Resort in Phippsburg.
Sebasco Harbor Resort has been welcoming guests since 1930. While it retains some of that period’s rustic charm — I love the games hall with bowling — it’s been updated for the 21st century. Guests can choose from various accommodations peppering the resort’s 550 waterfront acres. Also, here are a nine-hole championship golf course and a three-hole regulation course for beginners and families, a full-service spa, two tennis courts, and a slew of resort-based activities. Note: This pool was replaced for summer 2022, so it will look different when you arrive, but the views remain the same.
Sneak over to the harbor’s east side to find the Spruce Point Inn and Spa, a 57-acre oceanfront treasure with easy-on-the-eyes views over the harbor and islands. It offers freshwater and saltwater pools, tennis courts, a games room, and use of bicycles and boats. Shuttles eliminate the need to hunt for a parking space in town. Some pet-friendly rooms are available.
What’s not to love about Linekin Bay Resort‘s oceanfront heated pool? This resort, on the east side of Boothbay Harbor, edges its namesake, Linekin Bay. Guests here have access to all sorts of water-based fun, and the resort’s restaurant, The Deck Bar & Grill, overlooks the pool and bay. Even better: The restaurant is open to the public and has dog-friendly outdoor tables.
Many Boothbay Harbor visitors never loop around Linekin Bay to East Boothbay, which is so close and yet a world away. A few years ago, new owners renovated and updated Smugglers Cove Oceanfront Inn, which delivers on its name. Guests not only have access to this heated outdoor pool, with views of the sailboats cruising Linekin Bay’s waters, but also can launch canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards from the inn’s sandy beach or dock. Other perks include continental breakfast and 727 Ocean Pier Sunset Bar, which serves drinks, bites, and dinner specials. I took this pic from the restaurant’s deck.
When it comes to Maine’s best swimming pools with a view, the Samoset Resort‘s outdoor zero-entry one ranks high. How can it not, with this view over the golf course and out the breakwater to Rockland Breakwater Light
/No windjammers when I snapped this pic, but seeing one or more cruise by under full sail ratchets up the overall pool experience. Facilities on the 221-acre ocean-hugging property include a fitness center with an indoor heated pool, an 18-hole golf course, lighted tennis courts, and a full-service spa. But really, why would you leave this spot?
Inn at Ocean’s Edge, Lincolnville
Relax in the outdoor pool at the Inn at Ocean’s Edge and gaze over Penobscot Bay to Islesboro. (courtesy photo)
It’s easy to feel as if you could slide over the edge into Penobscot Bay when immersed in the heated, disappearing edge pool at the Inn at Ocean’s Edge. The park-like grounds, with shade trees and gardens, make it feel like you’re staying at a private estate. And yes, there’s a hot tub as well, also with an ocean view.
Ahhhhhh! Talk about sigh-worthy views; check out those over glacier-sculpted Somes Sound from the heated pool at the Claremont Hotel. The views frame sailboats and excursion boats skimming across the fjard. The pool, part of a multi-million dollar 2021 update of this 1884 property by a new owner, replaced one of the croquet courts. The renovations also included an onsite spa, updating the restaurants (that’s Batson Fish Camp in the background), and adding a bakery. Guests stay in the main inn or in cottages and houses on the property.
In peak season, you can watch the yachts to and fro from the Asticou Inn‘s outdoor pool, sited at the head of Northeast Harbor. The property is currently under renovation with reopening planned for 2025. The inn sits across the street from the Asticou Azalea Garden, and it’s a short walk to Thuya Garden.
At high tide, Frenchman Bay’s waters fill the gap between the hotel and Bar Island, home to a section of Acadia National Park. At low tide, a sandbar connects Bar Harbor to the island. This heated pool is one of two outdoor pools at the Harborside Hotel. The other offers glimpses of the harbor action. The resort fee allows access to the Bar Harbor Club, with a fitness center, full-service spa, and tennis courts.
It seems as if the waters in The West Street Hotel‘s rooftop pool merge into Frenchman Bay. Unless you stay here, you wouldn’t even know the pool exists. It’s a wonderful downtown secret. Guests must be 18 and older to use the pool. This hotel is a sister property to the Harborside Hotel across the street, another top choice for Maine’s best outdoor swimming pools with views.
It’s easy to miss the heated pool at the Bar Harbor Inn, but it would be a mistake to do so. It offers lovely views over the harbor and Porcupine Islands. The inn occupies primo oceanfront property downtown, and the Shore Path wraps around it. Near the pool is the inn’s spa.
Psst: Find your way to Purposely Lost treehouse vacation rentals. I spent two nights with a friend in the Cliff House, one of three treehouses sited on forested property edging Springvale’s Littlefield Pond. Heaven! And, it’s an ideal getaway for those seeking an outdoor-oriented vacation just 30 minutes from Maine’s southern beaches.
Technically, these aren’t treehouses, in the sense of being supported only by a tree. Supporting posts elevated our well-equipped, two-bedroom house into the tree canopy. And a live tree growing through the screened porch adds a touch of authenticity. We were thankful for those supporting posts when a gusty thunderstorm ripped through the area. Honestly, I almost got a bit seasick watching the treetops sway, but I knew we were safe and secure inside.
Purposely Lost welcomes guests year round. In autumn, I imagine breezes creating colorful kaleidoscopes outside. And winter, especially after a snowstorm, promises snow-laden branches and, with leaves off the tree, views over the frozen pond.
Treehouse tour
Let me walk you through it, beginning with the outdoor staircase spiraling to the screened porch entry. A small table with chairs invites bug-free dining on the porch, where a built-in window bench encourages lazing away a few hours or curling up with a book. A door from the porch opens into the house (contact-free check-in thanks to a coded lockbox).
The porch door opens to the living/dining/kitchen area, which rises to a pitched roof. The living room side offers built-in cushioned seating along the back and side walls and an easy chair. The well-equipped kitchen fills the opposite side. Also located downstairs: a queen-bedded guestroom and the bathroom, with an oversized shower.
A gorgeous — but funky (hint: when starting up or down, match your foot to the step) — stairway rises to a loft bedroom, with Art Deco furnishings including the queen-size bed, nightstands, and lighting fixtures, as well as a small desk with, two artsy chairs. This bedroom has a closet.
A heat pump/air-conditioner makes controlling temperature easy, and a gas stove provides ambiance (we didn’t use it, but I’m sure it would be nice during winter or on cooler evenings). No TV, but a projection unit and pull-down screen let you make your entertainment. Plentiful electric outlets make it easy to plug in and charge.
Purposely Lost treehouse brings the outdoors inside
The Cliff treehouse’s interior design complements the forest setting. Wood — walls, floors, ceiling, stairs, and doors — sets the tone, with both created and natural patterns adding interest. Think marquetry cribbage board and checkerboard, gleaming table and counters, a tree-style coat rack, white pine walls rising vertically to the horizontal paneled pine cathedral ceiling. Windows frame the tree canopy, with glimpses of Littlefield Pond through the branches. That leafy view adds to the treehouse sensation.
Nature-inspired accents complement the wood. A wrought iron chandelier with crystal-like leaves adorning vines woven through it hangs from the ceiling, and a similar tabletop tree lights the desk in the loft bedroom. Pillows screened with greenery top seating areas, black metal birds fly against an upper wall, and lights shine through metal tree silhouettes in the downstairs bedroom.
Other attention-grabbing design details include the retro-cool fridge and microwave in the kitchen, a ukelele, and a bathroom sink mounted atop an antique Comforter woodstove base.
I loved the overall attention to detail, the creative craftsmanship, and the emphasis on nature. But I treasured the quietude and privacy. When staying here, it’s easy to forget the rest of the world exists. I tend to think staying in a treehouse brings you one step closer to heaven.
Although two other treehouses share the property, we couldn’t see either from ours. Each treehouse has a barbecue and picnic table along with an outdoor hot tub; keep in mind that the shared path to the waterfront passes just below Cliff’s hot tub, so privacy there isn’t assured.
Follow that shared path to the waterfront to find a canoe and kayak stashed on the shoreline and a sturdy dock that makes fishing or swimming in the clear waters easy. And there’s even a hammock near-hidden in the trees.
Southwestern Maine may be off the beaten tourism track, but it shouldn’t be. For starters, it’s only 30 minutes to Wells Beach and 45 minutes from Portland, making either day trips. But there’s plenty more in area. Here are a few ideas:
• Tour two historic house museums in South Berwick: The Sarah Orne Jewett House downtown and the Hamilton House and gardens overlooking the Salmon Falls River.
• Hike, mountain bike, visiting the Learning Lodge, or sinply taken the panoramic views of ocean, lakes, woods, and mountains from Mount Agamenticus, in York. The 692-foot peak is sited within one of the largest remaining expanses of undeveloped forest in coastal New England and is among the most biologically diverse wildernesses in Maine. It includes vernal pools and ponds and is home to rare and endangered species.
• Visit the Alfred Shaker Museum, which shares the story of the Alfred Shaker community (1793-1931). The classic Shaker song Simple Gifts is attributed to Alfred elder joseph Barcket.
• Treat yourself to house-made ice cream from Shaker Pond (best sea salted caramel I’ve ever tasted, and I never miss a chance to enjoy Maine-made ice cream), in Alfred; Shaw’s Ridge (also offers miniature golf and barbecue), in Sanford; and Shain’s of Maine, Sanford. Go ahead, try all three and judge for yourself.
• Wander the three miles of trail lacing Vaughan Woods State Park, a 250-acre riverside preserve in South Berwick.
• Take in a show at the Hackmatack Playhouse, a summer theater in a renovated barn in Berwick.
• Tee off at The Links at Outlook, a links-style course with driving range in Berwick.
• Shop Springvale, Sanford, and the Berwicks. If you’re a yarn lover, don’t miss Jagger Spun Stash, the factory outlet in Springvale (open Thursday mornings).
• Dining tip: For excellent service, creative American fare, and a gorgeous setting, make reservations at Dufour, in South Berwick. The restaurant is in the meticulously restored Stage House Inn, which dates from 1798. Dine on the porch, in the bar accented with original tin ceiling and walls, or in the parlor dining room, with original painted wallpaper and a fireplace.
Train museums and excursion trains are plentiful in Maine, recalling a time when rail transportation was the norm. From the late 19th- to mid-20th centuries, tracks webbed the state, linking cities to smaller towns. Maine trains carried raw materials, such as lumber and produce, from woodlands and farms to the cities and ports, finished goods to towns, and passengers.
Maine’s traditional railroads, including the Maine Central and Bangor and Aroostook, operated on the 36-inch standard track. But five railways operated on a two-foot narrow gauge track, which was less expensive to construct, especially in rough terrain. Maine’s five narrow gauge railroads—Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes, Bridgton & Saco River, Monson, Kennebec Central, and Wiscasset & Quebec—carried freight as well as passengers, including summer rusticators, to smaller, rural communities and summer resorts. Trolleys, another form of rail transit, serviced some of Maine’s larger towns and cities in the early-20th century.
Maine’s train museums offer a chance to relive the heyday of the Iron Horse and trolleys. Even better, many operate excursion trains, offering the opportunity to see the countryside from a restored vintage carriage.
Of course, if you’re a rail fan, you can always ride the Amtrak Downeaster, which links Boston’s North Station with Maine destinations from Wells to Brunswick.
Below, I’ve listed Maine’s train rides and museums from south to north, beginning with those along the coast and then moving inland.
Clang, clang, clang went the trolley; ding, ding, ding went the bell … Relive those days by riding the trolleys at the Seashore Trolley Museum, the world’s oldest (1939) and largest electric railway museum. This tucked-away treasure owns more than 250 transit vehicles from around the world, with more than two dozen usually on display in three car-houses.
Don’t miss the Restoration Shop, where you can see staff and volunteers at work. Admission includes unlimited rides aboard restored streetcars on a 1.5-mile track, a rebuilt section of the Atlantic Shore Line Railway, and into the woods. The museum is dog-friendly.
If you want to operate a street car, check out the Be a Motorman Program, which is open to those 18 and older.
Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad & Museum, Portland
Ride aboard a Maine train at the Maine Narrow Gauge Railway. @Hilary Nangle
Enjoy eye-candy views of Casco Bay and the islands while riding aboard one of the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad & Museum’s restored trains on the narrow gauge track edging the Casco Bay shoreline beneath the city’s Eastern Promenade. Maine’s two-foot gauge railroads operated from the late 1870s until the 1940s.
This Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad train museum combines exhibits focused on Maine’s five narrow gauge railroads with the leisurely, round-trip, 35-minute excursion ride. Among the train equipment in the collection are steam locomotives, passenger coaches, combines, cabooses, a snow plow, a tank car, an inspection car, a railbus, and reproduction cars. Be sure to check the programs and events, which include wine, beer, and ice cream trains, as well as the seasonal Polar Express.
Wiscasset, Waterville, and Farmington Museum, Alna
Don’t be fooled by the name; despite big dreams, the Wiscasset, Waterville, and Farmington Railway (which originated in 1894 as the Wiscasset & Quebec Railroad) never made it much farther than the peaceful Sheepscot Valley. Explore the museum’s grounds and visit the gift shop in the old station house, and then take a 40-minute out-and-back train ride along the 2.6 miles of track. The museum, rail yard, and gift shop are free. Do check the schedule for special events.
Maine’s oldest railroad museum, Boothbay Railway Village, sprawls over 30 acres and operates coal-fired and steam passenger trains on a three-quarter-mile track. Meticulously restored vintage trains loop through a village comprising more than two dozen significant historic, historical, and replica buildings filled with engaging displays and exhibits recreating late 19th- and early 20th-century New England life.
The village’s 12 Maine railroad-related buildings include the 1912 Freeport train station, the 1871 Thorndike train station, an octagonal crossing shanty from Portland, and car houses. Many display artifacts related to Maine’s railroad history and other eclectic period items. Don’t miss the Model Railway exhibit, which portrays railroading in Maine during the 1950s—1960s.
The village’s Engineer’s Society program lets you operate one of the train museum’s Henschel steam locomotives.
Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad, Belfast & Unity
Chartered in 1867 and completed in 1870, the 33-mile Belfast & Moosehead Railroad connected six Waldo County towns. The Brooks Preservation Society now operates an excursion train on a section of the track between Unity and Belfast. Current plans call for most 2021 tours to originate in Unity, although this may change.
Options include one-hour scenic Maine train rides, 90-minute pizza & whoopie pie trains, magic trains, hot cider & donuts trains, Common Ground Country Fair trains, fall foliage tours, and seasonal specials. It also offers railcycle tours. On these, you pedal a tandem single-speed bike built for the rails.
City Point Central Railroad Museum in Belfast is under restoration, but you can see vintage railroad cars, cabooses, and other equipment here. It’s also the northern end of the Belfast Rail Trail, which edges the water for 2.3 miles to downtown Belfast.
Enjoy a narrated, 1.75-hour, 10-mile round-trip excursion aboard the Downeast Scenic Railroad. The train, pulled by a 1948 General Electric locomotive engine, travels along a restored portion of the Calais Branch Line. Passengers ride in a vintage coach, open flatcar, or caboose.
Before or after the ride, tour the Washington Junction rail yard to see this young museum’s growing collection, view train cars under restoration, and watch the train reverse direction on the wye, built by Maine Central in 1931.
The Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad runs on a narrow gauge track dating from 1879 when it was constructed to connect northern Franklin County with Farmington, where the Maine Central Railroad stopped. It is the largest two-foot railroad ever operated in the country, maintaining around 100 miles at its peak.
Purchase tickets for the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad at Sanders Station, an original building that doubles as a train museum.
For the 50-minute round trip to the roundhouse, ride in a restored 1884 passenger car or a 1980s caboose pulled by Monson #3, a 1912 Vulcan steam locomotive, or the replica Sandy River locomotive #4.
On a walking tour, a guide shows the new roundhouse, built on an old foundation, and the site of a covered bridge. You can return on the same train, explore the original buildings and rolling stock, or picnic.
Both Sanders Station, which doubles as a train museum, and the Phillips Freight House, where you buy tickets and souvenirs, are original SRRL buildings moved here. While in the area, check out the Railroad Room of the nearby Phillips Historical Society.
Cole Land Transportation Museum, Bangor
While the Cole Land Transportation Museum is not specifically a train museum, it does have an excellent train exhibit. Wander along Station Street, view displays in the former Maine Central Railroad Enfield Station, and walk through a Maine Central Railroad caboose and a box car. Also on display is BL2 #557, a rare 1949 Bangor & Aroostook diesel engine.
Oakfield Railroad Museum, Oakfield
The Oakfield Railroad Museum has turned the original Bangor and Aroostook Railroad station house into a train museum. On the premises, tour the caboose and other outbuildings. @Hilary Nangle
The original 1910 Bangor and Aroostook Railroad station houses the Oakfield Railroad Museum. Tour the station filled with Iron Horse memorabilia, the adjacent reading room and library, and the outbuildings, including a restored caboose. Note: The track is still active. A new exhibit building, The BARR, is opening in 2021, the museum’s 30th anniversary. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Note: The tracks are still active here; I’ve seen freight trains rumble by when here.
James Wyeth, Islander, 1975, Oil on canvas, 34 x 44 3/8 inches, Collection of the Farnsworth Art Museum
If you’re a fan of the Wyeths, plan to visit Rockland’s Farnsworth Museum for two Wyeth family exhibits. One focuses on 27 major works received as a bequest from Betsy Wyeth. The other features five Andrew Wyeth works never previously exhibited in public. Both open on May 15 and continue through March 27, 2022.
Andrew Wyeth, Robert Indiana, and notable Maine women are featured in three other upcoming exhibitions.
Wyeth works showcased in three exhibitions
Fisherman’s Family by N.C. Wyeth
The exhibit Betsy’s Gift: The Works of N.C., Andrew, and Jamie Wyeth Betsy’s Gift shares the 27 Wyeth paintings Betsy Wyeth gave to the Farnsworth. Among the highlights: Room After Room and Geraniums, two well-known watercolors by Andrew Wyeth featuring the Olson House; Fisherman’s Family, an N.C. Wyeth oil painting; and Islander, Jamie Wyeth’s famed Monhegan oil painting.
The complementary exhibit, Betsy Wyeth: Partner and Muse, features Andrew Wyeth’s portraits of his wife, Betsy. She appeared in his paintings from the summer they met in 1939 until the summer before the artist’s death in 2009. Notable works in this show are Maga’s Daughter, an iconic tempera exhibited in Maine for the first time, and the first-time public showing of several watercolors and drawings of Betsy. Betsy James Wyeth passed away last spring at the age of 98.
“The Farnsworth’s relationship with Andrew and Betsy goes back to 1944, four years before the museum opened its doors to the public,” commented Farnsworth Board President Gerry Isom. “The museum purchased six works at that time, from a still relatively unknown Andrew Wyeth, as its collection was just taking shape. Betsy’s ongoing support of the Farnsworth was unwavering throughout her life, and we owe her an immense debt of gratitude.”
A third Wyeth-related exhibit, George Tice/Andrew Wyeth: Parallel Visions, opens at the museum’s Wyeth Center on June 12. Over many decades, nationally renowned photographer George Tice and artist Andrew Wyeth were drawn to Maine. Both were inspired by the state’s past, the sense of timelessness, and the enduring qualities of honor and dignity in an honest day’s work. This exhibition, the first to show photographer George Tice’s Maine work in the place that inspired it and the first to pair his works with those of Andrew Wyeth, opens June 12.
Women of Vision honors 2021 Maine in America Award winners
Women of Vision, opening on April 17, celebrates 13 remarkable women who have made lasting contributions to Maine’s culture: photographer Berenice Abbott, businesswoman Linda Bean, painter Katherine Bradford, philanthropist Edith Dixon, museum founder Lucy Farnsworth, photographer Cig Harvey, poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, sculptor Louise Nevelson, philanthropist Elizabeth Noyce, basket maker and Passamaquoddy civic leader Molly Neptune Parker, women’s advocate and philanthropist Maurine Rothschild, arts and education champion Phyllis Wyeth, and artist Marguerite Zorach. All receive the 2021 Maine in America Award during a museum ceremony in July.
Robert Indiana prints and silkscreens on view
Robert Indiana: The Hartley Elegies, opening on May 25, features 10 silkscreen prints by Robert Indiana (1928–2018), one of America’s best-known painters and sculptors of the Pop Art generation. Created between 1989 and 1994, The Hartley Elegies comprise theseprints and 18 related paintings inspired by the work of the prominent American modernist Marsden Hartley (1877–1946).
According to info supplied by the museum, the 10 large-scale silkscreen prints are a visual poem on the two artists’ shared interests in radical formal vocabularies and their innovative combinations of words and numbers into their boldly colored geometric compositions.
“Room After Room,” by Andrew Wyeth. Alan LaVallee digital image August 2016
Slip away to the Pilgrim’s Inn on Deer Isle, a two-acre waterfront property with a handsome, 12-room country inn and three dog-friendly cottages with kitchenettes. From here, gaze out over Northwest Harbor from one side or over Mill Pond from the other. Gardens, walking paths through meadows, a hammock, and Adirondack chairs invite relaxing. And since the inn is on the edge of Deer Isle village, galleries and a handful of shops are within steps.
18th-century architecture with 21st-century style and amenities
Innkeepers Nicole Never and Scott Hall are only the sixth owners of this National Historic Register-listed inn built in 1793. Nicole and Scott see themselves as stewards of this property, but they’re also conscious of contemporary travelers’ needs and desires. So, they’re updating the property to address those by adding chargers for devices and split units that allow guests to control heat and air-conditioning and provide a clean look that includes triple sheeting with lovely white linens.
They’re making those updates while preserving the inn’s wide original beams and boards and the pumpkin pine flooring that varies in width in the same room. Some floors slope, says Nicole. “So, you get a lot of character from the architecture, but we’re trying to make it less like a museum and more like a place where modern people want to stay.”
With four common rooms on the first floor, guests have plenty of room to spread out. Most of the 12 guestrooms are on the second and third floors, and all have a water view, or at least a water glimpse. All guests (including those in cottages) enjoy a multi-course breakfast in the dining room, sited in an old barn with a wall of windows overlooking Mill Pond and exposed beams adding character.
We found the entry into Ginny’s Two off the spacious, pond-facing deck shared with Ginny’s One. A braided rug over pine floors defined the living area, with comfy seating, including a sleep sofa. This area flows into the pond-view dining area, bathed in sunshine thanks to a bank of corner windows.
The small, well-equipped kitchenette surprised me. I didn’t expect it to have an oven with a range top in addition to a small fridge and a microwave. It had everything I needed to prepare and serve meals, from utensils and pots and pans to tableware.
Off the kitchen, a short hall accessed both the full bath and the bedroom. I slept well in the four-posted queen bed. Bedside lights and tables made it easy to read before bed, and a wall-mounted TV provided entertainment. If we were staying more than a couple of nights, I would have unpacked my suitcase into the four-drawer bureau. We opened the window for the sea breeze, but we could also control the room’s temperature with the wall-mounted air-conditioner/heat pump.
Warm hospitality, the comfortable digs, water views and access, and expansive grounds peppered with private sitting areas drew me to the Pilgrim’s Inn. But, what sealed the deal are the property and its location. Deer Isle village’s shops and galleries are within footsteps. Stonington, with more shops, restaurants, and a few attractions, is an easy drive. And the Blue Hill area offers more.
I wished I’d brought my sea kayak to launch in the pond or harbor or my bike for pedaling around the island. Deer Isle offers plentiful hiking at numerous preserves. For more trails, make day-trip reservations on the passenger ferry to the remote Isle au Haut section of Acadia National Park.
If you stay in one of the cottages, you can prepare your own meals, but while the area’s dining options aren’t plentiful there are some standouts. Among my favorites (some seasonal): LDI Lobster, a seafood shack with picnic tables on Eggemoggin Reach; Aragosta, a casual fine-dining restaurant on Goose Cove; Fin & Fern, specializing in seafood and pasta, by the Isle au Haut ferry terminal; Acadia House Provisions, the downtown Stonington outpost of two-star Michelin chef Ryan McCaskey’s Chicago restaurant; and el el Frijoles, Cal-Mex with a Maine accent just over the bridge in Sargentville.
Once I parked the car at the Holbrook House in Bar Harbor, exploring the town and accessing Acadia National Park was easy. This handsome, yellow clapboard B&B on Mount Desert Street puts in-town sights and restaurants and even sections of the park within easy walking distance.
An inviting porch, furnished with wicker and iron chairs and tables and adorned with plants, runs the length of the Holbrook House. It would be so easy to relax here, perhaps with a glass of wine and a good book, after a day of exploring Acadia. If it hadn’t been threatening rain when I arrive, I might have plopped down here to set a spell before checking-in. Or, perhaps in one of the Adirondack chairs on the large side lawn, edged with mature trees and gardens.
This cottage-style Victorian dates from 1876, and current innkeepers Eric and Michelle Allvin have created a space that blends period charms with contemporary conveniences. That’s evident in the public rooms downstairs: a formal parlor with a mix of antique and comfy furnishings and a more casual library stocked with books and games. Both open to a glassed-in porch, where guests take breakfast and snacks are available. They call it down-home comfort with Down East charm, and it fits.
No two guestrooms are alike, but all have been lightened and brightened. I stayed in Beachcomber, renovated in 2018. In this aptly named corner room, decorated in sand and seafoam shades, simple accents, such as seashells and sandpipers, echo the seaside theme. Furnishings included a king-size bed bookended with three-draw nightstands, an armoire, a minifridge, and a small sitting area with two chairs. A corner gas fireplace added coziness. I loved the bathroom’s sizeable glassed-in rain shower with body jets, a treat after a day of hiking or biking.
Other guestroom choices include queen and king rooms, a queen suite, and a king suite; some have a fireplace, a private deck or patio, or a sitting area. A separate cottage offers a living room with a minifridge and microwave, a king bedroom and a queen bedroom, and a private yard.
Guests at the Holbrook House choose their breakfast the day before, signing up by 6 pm for either the fruit course and entrée of the day or a lighter alternative, such as a fruit parfait or hard-boiled eggs or hot oatmeal or a bagel.
I opted for the full breakfast, which began with a fruit course comprising layered kiwi and watermelon drizzled with a coconut-lime cream. Delicious! An egg roulade of manchego cheese and ham accompanied by potato wedges and a horseradish, sour cream followed.
Honestly, I’d return for both courses in a heartbeat.
Later in the day, I returned to the porch to pick up snacks — the day’s choices included molasses cookies and fudgy brownies. Yup, I took one of each to enjoy in the garden. And—shush, don’t tell—later I returned for an extra brownie for the ride home.
Maine welcomes visitors from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut as of today, March 5, 2021, without quarantine or a negative test. These states join Vermont and New Hampshire.
And, as of May 1, Maine’s travel policy shifts to one that welcomes visitors from all states, except for those identified to have a have a high prevalence of highly contagious Covid-19 variants. If one or more states see a spike in variant cases, Maine will apply its test or quarantine requirement to travelers to and from that state.
This more targeted approach will remain in effect through the summer.
The update concludes: “Although vaccinations have begun, COVID-19 remains a serious public health threat and Maine people should continue to heed all health and safety protocols, including wearing masks, practicing physical distancing, and avoiding large gatherings.”
We found all the comforts of home in a 24-yurt at Acadia Yurts glampground, located on five wooded acres near Acadia National Park. What’s a yurt, you ask? Think of it as a round, canvas, studio apartment with a conical roof rising to a circular ceiling window. After spending two nights here with two gal-pals, I’m a yurt convert.
Acadia Yurts glampground comprises six 24-foot yurts (two are pet-friendly), each sleeping four; one 30-foot yurt sleeping six; and two tiny houses ideal for couples. Guests have shared use of a communal fire-pit, three charcoal grills, picnic tables, two screen-houses with dining tables, and coin-op laundry. There’s also a wellness center with a yoga studio, infrared sauna, massage therapy, and a float tank. We didn’t get to use the center, so I can tell you only that it exists.
Frankly, I wasn’t sure what to expect upon arrival. But, our spacious, 24-foot yurt offered everything needed for a self-contained stay. Picture the circular floor plan as four wedges. Three-quarters are open living area. The well-stocked kitchen, with an electric stove and under-counter refrigerator, and a table with chairs, fills one quarter.
With a queen pull-out sofa, the adjacent living room quarter faces the bedroom quarter, which has a queen-size bed, a clothes rack, and storage shelves. And, we found enough space for the roll-away bed we’d requested. An air-conditioner/heat pump made controlling the yurt’s temperature easy.
The bathroom with a shower fills the fourth quarter. That’s in a separate room, accessed from the bedroom and backed against the kitchen wall.
Acadia Yurts’ owners have thought of everything. They’ve stocked the laundry shed with toys, games, books, DVDs (bring viewing device), kitchen and bath amenities, a lobster pot, and other items you might want or need.
Consider the 30-foot yurt if you want a full kitchen with a dishwasher, a separate bedroom, and a loft bedroom, as well as a comfier living area with more seating.
Acadia Yurts glampground make an ideal base for exploring Acadia National Park
Expect a low-key, family-friendly, relaxing atmosphere and fellow guests who are there to enjoy Acadia National Park. Acadia Yurts glampground’s location on the quiet side of the island means you’re away from most of the park’s iconic sights. But, you’re close to many of Acadia’s less-visited trails (I love the Perpendicular Trail’s granite stairs ascending Mansell Mountain—considered Acadia’s most constructed trail) as well as to Echo Lake.
In Southwest Harbor’s downtown, just down the road, you can hop a ferry to the islands, join a sea-kayaking excursion, buy groceries and souvenirs, and enjoy a choice of restaurants.
Acadia Yurts glampground rents the yurts by the week from June to mid October; early and late season require a three-night minimum. Check-in is contact-free, but the owners are always available via phone, should you have questions or a problem.
