Vik F said:
Hi folks
the family ( wifey & a 6 and 4 yr old ) and I are taking a little R&R week here,
http://www.colonialgables.com/index.html
we'll be there last week of august thru to the long weekend.
we also have family coming in from Florida and New York, sorta a family reunion,
just wondering what things we can do in and around this area.
your thoughts??
thanking u in advance.
Vik and family
I grew up in Blue Hill so all this is biased but...it's one of the best locations on earth, based on my travels so far.
Belfast is a terrific example of a Maine seaside town, make sure to spend some time walking around the old sections. I'd get a book on the architecture of New England so you can appreciate the gingerbreading on the houses, the widows peaks on the captain's houses, the old hand-hewn timbers, etc. I think there's a custom shipyard in or around Belfast as well, and if so, you should see if you could visit. Custom shipbuilding is pretty amazing and the boats are beautiful.
Things I'd make sure to do...
Catch the sunrise over the Atlantic. Cadillac Mountain, in Acadia National Park, is supposed to be one of, or maybe the, first place in the U.S. to catch sunshine in the morning. It's popular in August so it'll be crowded, and it's damn early, but it's a lot of fun. Alternatively, you can find any seashore with a good view of the ocean and just enjoy your own private sunrise.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=111619729286792203278.0004481c4d3b566ad3e80&ll=44.323848,-68.591766&spn=0.746666,1.224976&z=10
The beach someone mentioned that's sandy is called, get this, Sand Beach
. It's in Acadia National Park, just at the base of the Beehive Mountain (great but hard climb with lots of ladders to go up). Incredible views of the Atlantic from the mountain and the beach but it's also the coldest water (water on the bay side of the island is warmer by a couple of degrees). Ponds/lakes are even warmer but do watch out for leaches...not harmful but rather disgusting.
One note, all beaches in Maine are public, so feel free to enjoy any that you see, and you're allowed to cross private property, if I remember right, as long as you're headed directly to the seashore.
Drive around Brooklyn, Penebscot, Brookeville, Blue Hill, South Blue Hill, East Blue Hill, Deer Isle, and Surry. There's a terrific tidal river/salt water pond in East Blue Hill that the kayakers play in. We used to jump off the bridge as kids. Just head to Blue Hill, then head down the Parker Point road (past the library) and you'll see the bridge and tons of beautiful vistas.
There's an old fort near Bucksport that's fun to walk around.
Camden State Park is terrific, and Camden's a great town as well.
Hike up Blue Hill Mountain. It's a short climb (<1 hour for most people) and the view is gorgeous, looking right over Long Island (yes, we have one in Maine too!) and towards Acadia National Park.
Go sea kayaking, again, Blue Hill is perfect for this because it's in a huge bay protected from the ocean by Acadia. But really, anywhere along the coast is great for kayaking.
August...blueberries should be just about ripe. You can probably find lots on any hikes that you take, the wild type. And you can buy them from lots of locals along the side of the road. Don't pick any from obvious farms/fields because those belong to people/companies.
Swing by a wharf or one of the many tiny local shops to get some fresh lobster and cook them yourself, just a couple of minutes in boiling water.
Dig some clams on the beach, look for the holes and dig about 6-12 inches down with a garden tool or small shovel. Cook the clams by steaming them and enjoy with butter. They're done when the shells open.
Visit Castine and see the Maine Maritime Academy, beautiful town.
Check out Allagash White Ale, good beer. Lots of good beer in Maine actually, I think we're second in the nation in microbreweries.
Visit Bar Harbor, there are some fun bars, used to be one called the Old Lompoc, I believe. Bar Harbor, and Acadia in general, are really, really busy in August. Go early or late, the days are long so there's plenty of light, and be prepared to spend the day there.
Isle au Haut is a must visit, tiny island with a ferry running out to it.
Whale watching can be lots of fun, although I prefer a little sea kayaking where you always get to play with some seals. Do NOT mess with any lobster traps if you go kayaking! Lobsterman do not find it amusing if people mess up their gear or steal lobsters from traps.
Head down to a fishing harbor very, very early in the morning and watch the boats putting out to sea. Sunrise is probably about 4 or 5 am in August but it's worth the pain to enjoy sunrise and the commotion of fisherman plying their trade.
Finally, take some time to talk with some locals. Mainers are a crazy bunch, hence the term Mainiacs, but they are a lot of fun to talk with and usually have some good (if exagerated) stories of insane winters, crazy tourists, and wacky animals (like the moose that fell in love with someone's cow...).
