The term Down East is rooted in the direction the wind blows—the prevailing southwest wind that powered 19th-century sailing vessels along this rugged coastline. But to be truly Down East, in the minds of most Mainers, you have to be physically here in Washington County—a stunning landscape of waterways, forests, blueberry barrens, rocky shoreline dotted with islands and lighthouses, and independent pocket-size communities, many still dependent upon fishing or lobstering for their economies.
At one time, most of the Maine Coast used to be as underdeveloped as this part of it. You can set your clock back a generation or two while you’re here; you’ll find no giant malls, only a couple of fast-food joints, and two—count ’em—traffic lights. Although there are a handful of restaurants offering fine dining, for the most part your choices are limited to family-style restaurants specializing in home cooking with an emphasis on fresh (usually fried) seafood and lobster rolls. Nor will you find grand resorts or even not-so-grand hotels. Motels, tourist cabins, and small inns and bed-and-breakfasts dot the region. The upside is that prices too are a generation removed. If you’re searching for the Maine of your memories or your imagination, this is it.
When eastern Hancock County flows into western Washington County, you’re on the Down East Coast (sometimes called the Sunrise Coast). From Steuben eastward to Jonesport, Machias, and Lubec—then “around the corner” to Eastport, Calais, Princeton, and Grand Lake Stream—Washington County is twice the size of Rhode Island, covers 2,528 square miles, has about 30,000 residents, and stakes a claim as the first U.S. real estate to see the morning sun. The region also includes handfuls of offshore islands—some accessible by ferry, charter boat, or private vessels. (Some, with sensitive bird-nesting sites, are off-limits during the summer.) At the uppermost point of the coast, and conveniently linked to Lubec by a bridge, New Brunswick’s Campobello Island is a popular day-trip destination—the locale of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s summer retreat. Other attractions in this area include festivals, concert series, art and antiques galleries, lighthouses, two Native American reservations, and the great outdoors for hiking, biking, birding, sea kayaking, whale-watching, camping, swimming, and fishing. Hook inland to Grand Lake Stream to find a remote, wild land of lakes famed for fishing and old-fashioned family-style summer vacations.
LOOK FOR M TO FIND RECOMMENDED SIGHTS, ACTIVITIES, DINING, AND LODGING.
M Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge: More than 300 birds have been sighted at Petit Manan Point, but even if you’re not a bird-watcher, come for the hiking and, in August, the blueberries (click here).
M Great Wass Island Preserve: The finest natural treasure in this part of Maine is the Great Wass Archipelago, partly owned by The Nature Conservancy, with opportunities for hiking and bird-watching (click here).
M Machias Seal Island Puffin Tour: An excursion boat departs from Cutler for Machias Seal Island, home to Atlantic puffins (the clowns of the sea), as well as razorbill auks, Arctic terns, and common murres (click here).
M West Quoddy Head State Park: This park features the iconic candy-striped West Quoddy Head Light, with recreational opportunities like cliff-side hiking trails, beachcombing, and bird-watching (click here).
M Roosevelt Campobello International Park: Make it an international vacation by venturing over to this New Brunswick park, home to the Roosevelt Cottage and miles of hiking trails, jointly managed by the United States and Canada (click here).
M Whale-Watching: Cruise into Passamaquoddy Bay, pass the Old Sow whirlpool, and ogle seabirds and whales (click here).
M Shackford Head State Park: The rewards for this easy hike are panoramic views over Cobscook Bay from Eastport to Campobello (click here).
One of the Down East Coast’s millennial buzzwords has been ecotourism, and local conservation organizations and chambers of commerce have targeted and welcomed visitors willing to be careful of the fragile ecosystems here—visitors who will contribute to the economy while respecting the natural resources and leaving them untrammeled, visitors who don’t cross the fine line between light use and overuse. Low-impact tourism is essential for this area. However, outfitters and canoe-, kayak-, and bicycle-rental outlets are few and far between.
One natural phenomenon no visitor can affect is the tide—the inexorable ebb and flow, predictably in and predictably out. If you’re not used to it, even the 6-10-foot tidal ranges of southern Maine may surprise you. But along this coastline, the tides are astonishing—as much as 28 feet difference in water level within six hours. Old-timers tell stories of big money lost betting on horses racing the fast-moving tides.
Another surprise to visitors may be how early the sun rises—and sets—on the Sunrise Coast. Keep in mind that if you cross into Canada from either Lubec or Calais, you enter the Atlantic time zone, and you’ll need to set your clock ahead one hour.
Yet another distinctive natural feature of Washington County is its blueberry barrens (fields). Depending on the time of year, the fields will be black (torched by growers to jump-start the crop), blue (ready for harvest), or maroon (fall foliage, fabulous for photography). In early summer, a million rented bees set to work pollinating the blossoms. By August, when a blue haze forms over the knee-high shrubs, bent-over bodies use old-fashioned wooden rakes to harvest the ripe berries. It’s backbreaking work, but the employment lines usually form quickly when newspaper ads announce the start of the annual harvest.
Warm clothing is essential in this corner of Maine. It may be nicknamed the Sunrise Coast, but it also gets plenty of fog, rain, and cool temperatures. Temperatures tend to be warmer, and the fog diminishes, as you head toward the inland parts of the county, but you can never count on that. Mother Nature is an accomplished curveball pitcher, and El Niño and La Niña periodically provide an assist.
Down East Maine is not for those in a hurry. Traffic ambles along, and towns are few and far between. Nature is the biggest calling card here, and to appreciate it you’ll need time to hike, bike, canoe, sea kayak, or take an excursion boat. Although Route 1 follows the coast in general, it’s often miles from the water. You’ll want to ramble down the peninsulas to explore the seaside villages, see lighthouses, or hike in parks and preserves, and perhaps wander inland to the unspoiled lakes. You’ll need at least three days to begin to cover the territory, ideally five days or longer if you want to really explore it.
The pace begins to slow by the time you’ve left Hancock County and entered western Washington County, the beginning of the Down East Coast. In this little pocket are the towns of Steuben, Milbridge, Cherryfield, and Harrington.
Nowadays life can be tough here. Once, great wooden ships slid down the ways and brought prosperity and trade to shippers, builders, and barons of the timber industry, of which Cherryfield’s stunning houses are evidence enough. Now the barons control the blueberry fields, covering much of the inland area of western Washington County and annually shipping millions of pounds of blueberries out of headquarters in Milbridge and Cherryfield, named for the wild cherries that once were abundant here. The big names here are Jasper Wyman and Sons and Cherryfield Foods.
Milbridge (pop. 1,353) straddles Route 1 and the Narraguagus River (Nar-ra-GWAY-gus, a Native American name meaning “above the boggy place”), once the state’s premier source of Atlantic salmon. Cherryfield (pop. 1,232) is at the tidal limit of the Narraguagus. Even though Route 1A trims maybe three miles off the trip from Milbridge to Harrington, resist the urge to take it. Take Route 1 from Milbridge to Cherryfield—the Narraguagus Highway—and then continue to Harrington. You shouldn’t miss Cherryfield.
Steuben’s (pop. 1,131) claim to fame is the Petit Manan section of the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
A group of energetic residents worked tirelessly to establish the Milbridge Historical Society Museum (S. Main St., Milbridge, 207/546-4471, www.milbridgehistoricalsociety.org, 1pm-4pm Sat.-Sun. June-Sept. and also Tues. July-Aug., donation). Displays in the large exhibit room focus on Milbridge’s essential role in the shipbuilding trade, but kids will enjoy such oddities as an amputation knife used by a local doctor and a re-created country kitchen. The museum also sponsors a monthly lecture series June-October.
In fall—roughly early September-early October in this part of Maine—the postharvest blueberry fields take on brilliant scarlet hues. They’re gorgeous. The best barren-viewing road is Route 193 between Cherryfield and Beddington, via Deblois, the link between Routes 1 and 9—a 21-mile stretch of granite outcrops, pine windscreens, and fiery-red fields.
Imagine a little town this far Down East having a 75-acre National Register Historic District with 52 architecturally significant buildings. If architecture appeals, don’t miss Cherryfield. The Cherryfield-Narraguagus Historical Society (88 River Rd., Cherryfield, 207/546-2076, www.cherryfieldhistorical.com, 1pm-4pm Sat. summer) has produced a free brochure-map, Walking Tour of the Cherryfield Historic District, which you can download. Architectural styles included on the route are Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Second Empire, Federal, and Gothic Revival—dating 1803-1940, with most from the late 19th century. Especially impressive for such a small town are the Second Empire-style homes.
The biggest event in this end of Washington County is Milbridge Days, the last weekend in July, drawing hundreds of visitors. The Saturday-afternoon highlight is the codfish relay race—hilarious enough to have been featured in Sports Illustrated magazine and on national television. The four-member teams, clad in slickers and hip boots, really do hand off a greased cod instead of the usual baton. Race rules specify that runners must be “reasonably sober” and not carry the codfish between their teeth or legs. Also on the schedule are blueberry pancake breakfasts, a fun parade, kids’ games, an auction, a dance, beano and cribbage tournaments, crafts booths, and a lobster bake. You have to be there. The relay race has been going since the mid-1980s; the festival has been going for a century and a half.
Eagle Hill Institute (59 Eagle Hill Rd., Steuben, 207/546-2821, www.eaglehill.us) offers series of community programs including lectures, sometimes preceded by optional dinners ($15-20, advance reservation required), by guest speakers, authors, and scholars on wide-ranging natural history and cultural history topics with a scientific focus. See the website or call for the current schedule. The institute is four miles off Route 1. Take Dyer Bay Road off Route 1, bearing left at the fork onto Mogador Road for a total of 3.6 miles, then left on Schooner Point Road, and then right on Eagle Hill Road. Programs take place in the dining hall lecture room.
Arthur Smith (Rogers Point Rd., Steuben, 207/546-3462) is the real thing when it comes to chain-saw carvings. He’s an extremely talented folk artist who looks at a piece of wood and sees an animal in it. His carvings of great blue herons, eagles, wolves, porcupines, flamingoes, and other creatures are incredibly detailed, and his wife, Marie, paints them in lifelike colors. Don’t expect a fancy studio; much of the work can be viewed roadside.
Also in Steuben, but on the other end of the spectrum, is Ray Carbone (460 Pigeon Hill Rd., Steuben, 207/546-2170, www.raycarbonesculptor.com), whose masterful wood, stone, and bronze sculptures and fine furniture are definitely worth stopping to see or buy. Don’t miss the granite sculptures and birdbaths in the garden.
Contemporary Maine art by local artists and artisans is shown in rotating shows at Schooner Gallery (59 Main St., Milbridge, 207/546-3179, www.schoonergallery.com).
Just across the bridge from downtown Cherryfield, Riverlily (2 Wilson Hill Rd., Cherryfield, 207/546-7666) carries a little bit of everything, from lotions and potions to jewelry and scarves.
Stop by 4 Main Street Antiques (4 Main St., Cherryfield, 207/546-2664) for European and American furniture and decorative works. The River Bank Gallery (8 Main St., Cherryfield, 207/546-3718) carries an eclectic selection of art and antiques.
Tunk Mountain Arts & Crafts (639 Blackswoods Rd./Rt. 182, Cherryfield, 207/546-8948) shows works in varied media by local and regional artists.
The farm store at Black Woods Farm Alpacas (278 Blackswoods Rd., Cherryfield, 207/546-2193) is a find for fiber fans. Purchase everything from raw fiber to finished products, including clothing and teddy bears.
Occupying a 2,195-acre peninsula in Steuben with 10 miles of rocky shoreline and three offshore islands is the refuge’s outstandingly scenic Petit Manan Point Division (Pigeon Hill Rd., Steuben, 207/546-2124, www.fws.gov/refuge/maine_coastal_islands). The remote location means it sees only about 15,000 visitors a year, most of those likely bird-watchers, as more than 300 different birds have been sighted here. The refuge’s primary focus is restoring colonies of nesting seabirds. Among the other natural highlights here are stands of jack pine, coastal raised peat lands, blueberry barrens, freshwater and salt marshes, granite shores, and cobble beaches. When asking directions locally, you might hear it called ’tit Manan.
The Cherryfield Historic District is a must-visit.
The moderately easy 4-mile round-trip Birch Point Trail and easy 1.5-mile round-trip Hollingsworth or Shore Trail provide splendid views and opportunities to spot wildlife along the shore and in the fields, forests, and marshland. The Hollingsworth Trail, leading you to the shoreline, is the best. On clear days, you can see the 123-foot lighthouse on Petit Manan Island, 2.5 miles offshore. The Birch Point Trail heads through blueberry fields to Dyer Bay and loops by the waterfront saltmarshes, with much of the trail passing through woods.
From Route 1, on the east side of Steuben, take Pigeon Hill Road. Six miles down is the first parking lot, for the Birch Point Trail; another half mile takes you to the parking area for the Hollingsworth Trail. Space is limited at both parking areas. If you arrive in August, help yourself to blueberries. The refuge is open sunrise-sunset daily all year; cross-country skiing is permitted in winter.
You can picnic, hike, and camp at this 10-acre oceanfront park in Milbridge. Go tidepooling, clamber over rocks, or just admire the views over the rugged islands offshore. From Route 1, take Wyman Road, which is approximately four miles.
Captain Jamie Robertson’s Robertson Sea Tours and Adventures (Milbridge Marina, Fickett’s Point Rd., 207/483-6110 or 207/461-7439, www.robertsonseatours.com, May 15-Oct. 1) offers cruises from the Milbridge Marina aboard the Kandi Leigh, a classic Maine lobster boat. Options include puffins and seabirds, island lighthouses, and a lobstering cruise. Prices range $60-85 adults, $25-65 children for the 1.5-4-hour cruises. Boat minimums may apply. Captain Robertson also offers a whale-watching cruise aboard the six-passenger 33-foot Elisabeth Rose ($95 adults, $75 kids under 12, $360 minimum).
Captain Harry “Buzzy” Shinn’s Downeast Coastal Cruises (207/546-7720, cell 207/598-7740, www.downeastcoastalcruises.com) depart from the Milbridge Marina aboard the comfortable Alyce K. for island cruises, lighthouse cruises, puffin cruises, lobster cruises (complete with a meal), sunset cruises, and charters. Cruises last 2-3.5 hours and cost $45-75 adults, $35-65 children; boat minimums apply.
One of Cherryfield’s 52 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, the 1793 Archibald-Adams House is now the Englishman’s Bed and Breakfast (122 Main St., Cherryfield, 207/546-2337, www.englishmansbandb.com, $100-165). The magnificently restored, Federal-style home borders the Narraguagus River and makes a superb base for exploring inland and Down East Maine. The lovely grounds have gardens and a screened-in gazebo. Owners Peter (the Englishman) and Kathy Winham are archaeologists and serious tea drinkers—they also sell fine teas online (www.teasofcherryfield.com) and in area specialty stores. Two guest rooms in the main house have river views. One has a private half bath but shares a full bath. A riverside guesthouse, built in the 1990s, melds beautifully with the inn’s architecture and is self-catering; pets are allowed here for $7/night.
Increasingly, many of the historical buildings in Cherryfield are being turned into shops.
Since 1958 the Ayr family has welcomed campers at its quiet, well-off-the-beaten-path property on Joy Cove. With a convenient location 15 minutes from Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge and 20 minutes from Schoodic Point, Mainayr Campground (321 Village Rd., Steuben, 207/546-2690, www.mainayr.com, late May-mid-Oct., $29-32) has 35 mostly wooded tenting and RV sites (five with full hookups). Also on the premises are a playground, a laundry, a beach for tidal swimming, clamming flats, a grassy launch area for kayaks and canoes, a camp store, berries for picking, and fresh lobsters.
The Milbridge Farmers Market (9am-noon Sat. early June-mid-Oct.) sets up on Main Street.
Although it’s cultivating a small vineyard out front, Catherine Hill Winery (661 Blackswoods Rd., Cherryfield, 207/546-3426, www.cathillwinery.com) is currently making small-batch wines from grapes sourced elsewhere. Stop by the tasting room to learn more.
Thank the migrant community who arrive here in summer to pick blueberries for Vasquez Mexican Food (High St., Milbridge, 10am-8pm Mon.-Sat., $3-7), a food truck serving authentic Mexican fare. There are just a few picnic tables for seating. Note, from late July through most of August, the truck moves to the migrant camps in Deblois.
The Fisherman’s Wife Café is a pleasant spot in Milbridge.
Cheery waitresses serve big portions of home-cooked fare at 44 Degrees North (17 Main St., Milbridge, 207/546-4440, www.44-degrees-north.com, 11am-8pm Mon.-Thurs., 11am-9pm Fri.-Sat.). The front room is family oriented, with booths, tables, and cheerful decor. The back room doubles as a bar and has a big-screen TV. As is usually the case in this part of Maine, there’s a case full of mouthwatering desserts. Most heartier choices are less than $17.
Tucked behind Water’s Edge Realty is a find for good home cooking, Fisherman’s Wife Café (4 School St., 207/546-7004, 6:30am-6pm Mon.-Wed., 6:30am-8pm Thurs.-Sat., 6:30am-3pm Sun.). The country-cute dining rooms are small, but you can always get it to go and take it to the waterfront. Lunch fare includes subs, sandwiches, lobster rolls, fish-and-chips, and burgers, with most choices less than $10. The small kitchen can get overwhelmed, so if it’s packed, expect a lag time between ordering and eating. Friday night there’s an all-you-can-eat fish fry.
More good home cooking, from shepherd’s pie to fried fish, comes out of the kitchen at Scovils Millside Dining (1276 Main St./Rte. 1, Harrington, 207/483-6544, 7am-7pm Mon.-Sat., 7am-2pm Sun.), a cheerful family-run restaurant near the intersections of Routes 1 and 1A. The Friday all-you-can-eat fish fry is $10. Dinner choices run $8-22.
Long before farm to table became mainstream, Jessie King and Alva Lowe had earned a reputation for garden-fresh fare at M Kitchen Garden Restaurant (35 Village Rd., 207/546-4269, www.thekitchengardenrestaurant.com, $17-30, no credit cards), based in their 1860s Cape-style home. When they closed in 2003, locals mourned, but in 2011 the talented duo reopened it, again drawing from their gardens as well as local, mostly organic sources to create authentic Jamaican fare, such as jerk chicken and curried goat, as well as seafood and vegetarian entrées. Reservations are required, and guests are requested to order their meals in advance. Bring your own wine or beer ($5 bottle fee); call for current days of operation. Lunch may be available in summer.
Info on the area is available from the Milbridge Area Merchants Association (www.milbridge.org), Destination Cherryfield (www.destinationcherryfield.org), and the Machias Bay Area Chamber of Commerce (85 E. Main St., Machias, 207/255-4402, www.machiaschamber.org).
Milbridge is about 20 miles or 25 minutes via Routes 186 and 1 from Winter Harbor. It’s about 25 miles or 30 minutes via Routes 1 and 187 to Jonesport.
Between western Washington County and the Machias Bay area is the molar-shaped Jonesport Peninsula, reached from the west via the attractive little town of Columbia Falls, bordering Route 1. Rounding the peninsula are the picturesque towns of Addison, Jonesport, and Beals Island. First settled around 1762, Columbia Falls still has a handful of houses dating from the late 18th century, but its best-known structure is the early-19th-century Ruggles House.
On the banks of the Pleasant River, just south of Columbia Falls, Addison (pop. 1,266) once had four huge shipyards cranking out wooden cargo vessels that circled the world. Since that 19th-century heyday, little seems to have changed, and the town today may be best known as the haunt of painter John Marin, who first came to Maine in 1914.
Jonesport (pop. 1,370) and Beals Island (pop. 508) are traditional hardworking fishing communities—old-fashioned, friendly, and photogenic. Beals, connected to Jonesport via an arched bridge over Moosabec Reach, is named for Manwarren Beal Jr. and his wife, Lydia, who arrived around 1773 and quickly threw themselves into the Revolutionary War effort. But that’s not all they did—the current phone book covering Jonesport and Beals Island lists dozens of Beal descendants (as well as dozens of Alleys and Carvers, other early names).
Even more memorable than Manwarren Beal was his six-foot, seven-inch descendant Barnabas, dubbed “Tall Barney” for obvious reasons. The larger-than-life fellow became the stuff of legend all along the Maine Coast.
Also legendary here is the lobster-boat design known as the Jonesport hull. People “from away” won’t recognize its distinctive shape, but count on the fishing pros to know it. The harbor here is jam-packed with Jonesport lobster boats, and souped-up versions are consistent winners in the summertime lobster-boat race series.
Behind a picket fence on a quiet street in Columbia Falls stands the remarkable Ruggles House (Main St., Columbia Falls, 207/483-4637, www.ruggleshouse.org, 9:30am-4:30pm Mon.-Sat., noon-4:30pm Sun. June 1-Oct. 15, $5 adults, $3 ages 6-12). Built in 1818 for Judge Thomas Ruggles—lumber baron, militia captain, even postmaster—the tiny house on a grand scale boasts a famous flying (unsupported) staircase, intricately carved moldings, a Palladian window, and unusual period furnishings. Rescued in the mid-20th century and maintained by the Ruggles House Society, this gem has become a magnet for savvy preservationists. A quarter mile east of Route 1, it’s open for hour-long guided tours.
At the house, pick up a copy of the Columbia Falls walking-tour brochure, which details the intriguing history of other houses in this hamlet.
In 2012, the Jonesport Historical Society (Sawyer Sq., Jonesport, www.peabody.lib.me.us, 11am-3pm Tues., Thurs., Sat.) began moving into a permanent home inside an 1896 building that had remained in the Sawyer family and retained original ledgers, daybooks, letters, and receipts dating back to the building’s construction. Society members have delighted in finding artifacts in the basement and the original safe in a shipping clerk’s office, which appears as it did circa 1900. A monthly series of lectures is held here too. Admission is free, but for $5 you can join the society, a real bargain.
University of Maine at Machias professor Brian Beal founded the Beals Island Regional Shellfish Hatchery, now the Downeast Institute (Black Duck Cove, Great Wass Island, 207/497-5769, www.downeastinstitute.org), a marine field station for the University of Maine at Machias. Learn everything there is to know about shellfish, especially soft-shell clams, on this eight-acre property with two natural coves. Tours are by appointment.
Wreaths Across America has earned international fame for its annual wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery. The museum (4 Point St., Columbia Falls, 877/385-9504, www.wreathsacrossamerica.org, 9am-4pm daily, free) located at its headquarters shows films and showcases items donated to the company over the years by veterans and their families. You can tour this heart-tugging memorial to American soldiers on your own or with a guide.
Established in 1922, the Wild Salmon Resource Center (Columbia Falls, 207/483-4336, www.mainesalmonrivers.org, 9am-4pm Mon.-Fri., free) has a few educational displays and a library. In the basement is a volunteer-run fish hatchery that raises 50,000 Atlantic salmon fry annually. Staff welcome visitors and explain the efforts to save Maine’s endangered salmon.
Family-owned Moosabec Mussels (Jonesport, 207/497-2500) processes wild harvested mussels, clams, and periwinkles. At the plant, mussels are purged, decluped, graded, washed, and inspected before being packaged for sale. Free tours are available by appointment, usually between 11am and 2pm on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday; call plant manager Roger Dam at 207/399-4783.
For a taste of real Maine, don’t miss the Downeast Salmon Federation’s April Smelt Fry (207/483-4336) held under a riverside tent in Columbia Falls.
The biggest annual wingding hereabouts is Jonesport’s Fourth of July celebration, with several days of special activities, including barbecues, a beauty pageant, kids’ games, fireworks, and the famed Jonesport Lobster Boat Races in Moosabec Reach.
Peabody Memorial Library (207/497-3003, www.peabody.lib.me.us) in Jonesport presents bimonthly art shows and sponsors a summer music series.
You can’t miss the humongous blueberry housing Wild Blueberry Land (1067 Rte. 1, 207/483-2583, www.wildblueberryland-maine.com). Step inside to find blueberry everything, from baked goods—including pies—to blueberry-themed merchandise ranging from scented candles to condiments. The shop, created by Dell, a research farmer, and Marie, a chef, Emerson is to promote sustainable blueberry farming in the region.
Flower-design majolica pottery and whimsical terra-cotta items are April Adams’s specialties at Columbia Falls Pottery (150 Main St., Columbia Falls, 207/483-4075 or 800/235-2512, www.columbiafallspottery.com), an appealing shop in a rehabbed country store next to the Ruggles House.
In downtown Jonesport, Church’s True Value (Main St./Rte. 187, Jonesport, 207/497-2778) carries all the usual hardware items, plus gifts, souvenirs, and sportswear. Helpful owners John and Sharon Church can also answer any question about the area and solve most any problem.
Nelson Decoys Downeast Gallery (13 Cranberry Lane, Jonesport, 207/497-3488) is equal parts shop, gallery, and museum. Inside are not only hand-carved decoys but also creations by other area artists and artisans. It’s in an old schoolhouse, just off Main Street downtown.
Allow a whole day to explore 1,576-acre Great Wass Island, an extraordinary preserve, even when it’s drenched in fog—a not-infrequent event. Owned by The Nature Conservancy (207/729-5181, www.nature.org), the preserve is at the tip of Jonesport’s peninsula. Easiest hiking routes are the wooded 2.2-mile Little Cape Point and 2.3-mile Mud Hole Trails, retracing your path for each. (Making a loop by connecting the two along the rocky shoreline adds considerably to the time and difficulty, but do it if you have time; allow about six hours and wear waterproof footwear.) Expect to see beach-head irises (like a blue flag) and orchids, jack pines, a rare coastal peat bog, seals, pink granite, pitcher plants, lots of warblers, and maybe some grouse. Carry water and a picnic; wear bug repellent. No camping, fires, or pets are allowed, and there are no toilet facilities; access is during daytime only. To reach the preserve from Route 1, take Route 187 to Jonesport (12 miles) and then cross the arched bridge to Beals Island. Continue across Beals to the Great Wass causeway (locally called “the Flying Place”) and then go three miles on Black Duck Cove Road to the parking area (on the left). Watch for The Nature Conservancy oak-leaf symbol. At the parking area, pick up a trail map and a bird checklist.
Also owned by The Nature Conservancy is 21-acre Mistake Island, accessible only by boat. Low and shrubby, Mistake has a Coast Guard-built boardwalk from the landing at the northwest corner to Moose Peak Light, standing 72 feet above the water at the eastern end of the island. The only negative on this lovely island is rubble left behind when the government leveled the keeper’s house.
Operating as Coastal Cruises (Kelley Point Rd., Jonesport, 207/497-3064 or 207/497-2699, www.cruisedowneast.com), Captain Laura Fish and her brother Harry Fish, a certified dive master, offer three-hour Moosabec Reach cruises in the 23-foot powerboat Aaron Thomas. Among the sights are Great Wass Island and Mistake Island. Rates begin at $200 covering up to six passengers. Custom dive trips and instruction are available with Harry, a PADI-certified diver. Reservations are required. Trips depart from Jonesport and operate May-mid-October.
Captain Paul Ferriero’s Pleasant River Boat Tours (280 Water St., Addison, 207/483-6567 or 207/598-6993, www.pleasantriverboattours.com) offers lobster, puffin, and river cruises aboard his 34-foot lobster boat, Honey B, for $50-60/person; boat minimums apply.
How about staying in a beautiful modern farmhouse overlooking the water—with llamas lolling outside? At Pleasant Bay Bed and Breakfast and Llama Keep (338 West Side Rd., Addison, 207/483-4490, www.pleasantbay.com, year-round, $50-150), Joan and Lee Yeaton manage to pamper more than 40 llamas and a herd of red deer as well as their two-legged guests. Three miles of trails wind through the 110 acres, and a canoe is available for guests. Three lovely guest rooms (private and shared baths) and one suite, with a microwave and a refrigerator, all have water views. Rates include a delicious breakfast. Arrange in advance for a llama walk ($15/llama). The farm borders Pleasant Bay, 3.9 miles southwest of Route 1.
Proprietor Dorothy Higgins’s Cranberry Cove Cottages (56 Kelley Point Rd., Jonesport, 207/497-2139, cranberry-cove@hotmail.com, $125) comprise two, coveside efficiency lofts, each distinctively furnished in cottage style and with TVs, phones, fireplaces, and harbor views. Kayaks are provided. Pets are welcome. Rates decrease with the length of stay.
The town of Jonesport operates the low-key, no-frills Jonesport Campground (Henry Point, Kelley Point Rd., Jonesport, early May-Labor Day) on two acres with fabulous views over Sawyer Cove and Moosabec Reach. Basic facilities include outhouses, picnic tables, and fire rings; three power poles provide hookups. Showers and washing machines are available across the cove at Jonesport Shipyard (207/497-2701). The campground is exposed to wind off the water, so expect nights to be cool. Sites are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis for a small fee. Avoid the campground during Fourth of July festivities; it’s jam-packed. From Route 187 at the northeastern edge of Jonesport, turn right onto Kelley Point Road and then right again to Henry Point.
The choices are slim in the Jonesport/Beals area. Bayview Takeout (Beals, 207/497-3301, 11am-8pm daily) delivers on its slogan “Wicked Good Food.” Burgers, subs, salads, and fried seafood run $3.50-16.
The Machias Bay Area Chamber of Commerce (85 E. Main St., Machias, 207/255-4402, www.machiaschamber.org) handles inquires for the Machias area as well as Jonesport.
In downtown Jonesport, Church’s True Value (Main St./Rte. 187, Jonesport, 207/497-2778), open Monday-Saturday, is a good source for local info.
Jonesport is about 25 miles or 30 minutes via Routes 1 and 187 from Milbridge. It’s about 22 miles or 30 minutes via Routes 187 and 1 to Machias.
The only negative thing about Machias (muh-CHAI-us, pop. 1,221) is its Micmac Indian name, meaning “bad little falls” (even though it’s accurate—the midtown waterfall here is treacherous). A contagious local esprit pervades this shire town of Washington County thanks to antique homes, a splendid river-valley setting, Revolutionary War monuments, and a small university campus.
If you regard crowds as fun, an ideal time to land here is during the renowned annual Machias Wild Blueberry Festival, the third weekend in August, when harvesting is under way in Washington County’s blueberry fields and you can stuff your face with blueberry everything—muffins, jam, pancakes, ice cream, and pies. You can also collect blueberry-logo napkins, T-shirts, magnets, pottery, and jewelry. Biggest highlight: the annual summer musical parody.
Among the other summer draws are a chamber-music series, art shows, and semiprofessional theater performances. Within a few miles are day trips galore—options for hiking, biking, golfing, swimming, and sea kayaking.
Also included within the Machias sphere are the towns of Roque Bluffs, Jonesboro, Whitneyville, Marshfield, East Machias, and Machiasport. Just to the east, between Machias and Lubec, are the towns of Whiting and Cutler.
History is a big deal in this area, and since Machias was the first settled Maine town east of the Penobscot River, lots of enthusiastic amateur historians have helped rescue homes and sites dating from as far back as the Revolutionary War.
English settlers, uprooted from communities farther west on the Maine Coast, put down permanent roots here in 1763, harvesting timber to ensure their survival. Stirrings of revolutionary discontent surfaced even at this remote outpost, and when British loyalists in Boston began usurping some of the valuable harvest, Machias patriots plotted revenge. By 1775, when the armed British schooner Margaretta arrived as a cargo escort, local residents aboard the sloop Unity, in a real David-and-Goliath episode, chased and captured the Margaretta. On June 12, 1775, two months after the famed Battles of Lexington and Concord (and five days before the Battle of Bunker Hill), Machias Bay was the site of what author James Fenimore Cooper called “The Lexington of the Sea”—the first naval battle of the American Revolution. The name of patriot leader Jeremiah O’Brien today appears throughout the Machias area—on a school, a street, a cemetery, and a state park. In 1784, Machias was incorporated; it became the shire town in 1790.
One-hour guided tours vividly convey the atmosphere of the 1770 Burnham Tavern (Main St./Rte. 192, Machias, 207/255-6930, www.burnhamtavern.com, 9:30am-3:30pm Mon.-Fri. mid-June-late Sept. or by appointment, $5 adults, $1-2 kids), one of 21 homes in the entire country designated as most significant to the American Revolution. Upstart local patriots met here in 1775 to plot revolution against the British. Job and Mary Burnham’s tavern-home next served as an infirmary for casualties from the Revolution’s first naval battle, just offshore. Lots of fascinating history lies in this National Historic Site, maintained by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Hanging outside is a sign reading “Drink for the thirsty, food for the hungry, lodging for the weary, and good keeping for horses, by Job Burnham.”
Headquarters for the Machiasport Historical Society and one of the area’s three oldest residences, the 1810 Gates House (344 Port Rd., Machiasport, 207/255-8461, 12:30pm-4:30pm Tues.-Fri. July-Aug., or by appointment, free) was snatched from ruin and restored in 1966. The building, on the National Register of Historic Places, overlooks Machias Bay and contains fascinating period furnishings and artifacts, many related to the lumbering and shipbuilding era. The museum, four miles southeast of Route 1, has limited parking on a hazardous curve.
Old-cemetery buffs will want to stop at O’Brien Cemetery, resting place of the town’s earliest settlers. It’s next to Bad Little Falls Park, close to downtown, off Route 92 toward Machiasport. A big plus here is the view, especially in autumn, of blueberry barrens, the waterfall, and the bay.
The American Revolution’s first naval battle was fought just offshore from Fort O’Brien (207/942-4014, www.parksandlands.com, free) in June 1775. Now a State Historic Site, the fort was built and rebuilt several times—originally to guard Machias during the Revolutionary War. Only Civil War-era earthworks now remain, plus well-maintained lawns overlooking the Machias River. Steep banks lead down to the water; keep small children well back from the edge. There are no restrooms or other facilities, but there’s a playground at the Fort O’Brien School next door. Officially the park is open Memorial Day weekend-Labor Day, but it’s accessible all year. Take Route 92 from Machias about five miles toward Machiasport; the parking area is on the left.
Season your visit with a tour of the Maine Sea Salt Company (11 Church Ln., Marshfield, 207/255-3310, www.maineseasalt.com), which produces sea salt in its solar greenhouses and shallow pools using evaporation and reduction of seawater. Free tours (available most days 9am-5pm, call first) explain the process and include tastings of natural, seasoned, and smoked salts.
Founded in 1909 as Washington State Normal School, the University of Maine at Machias (UMM, 116 O’Brien Ave., Machias, 207/255-1200, www.machias.edu) is now part of the state university system. The Art Gallery (Powers Hall, afternoon Mon.-Fri. during school terms or by appointment) features works from the university’s expanding permanent collection of Maine painters—including John Marin, William Zorach, Lyonel Feininger, and Reuben Tam. Rotating exhibits occur throughout the school year.
UMM’s Center for Lifelong Learning has a fitness center, and a six-lane heated pool. The pool and fitness room are open to the public ($7); call for schedule.
Also open to the public is Merrill Library (207/255-1284).
Friends of the Little River Lighthouse (207/259-3833, www.littleriverlight.org) usually open the restored lighthouse and tower for tours a couple of times each summer. Transportation is provided to the island from Cutler Harbor. Donations benefit care and maintenance of the 1876 beacon.
The University of Maine at Machias (207/255-1384, www.machias.edu) is the cultural focus in this area, particularly during the school year.
If the UMM Ukulele Club is performing anywhere, don’t miss them.
Machias Bay Chamber Concerts (207/255-3849, www.machiasbaychamberconcerts.com, $15 adults, $8 students, free under age 13) are held at 7:30pm on Tuesday evening early July-mid-August at the Centre Street Congregational Church. Art exhibits accompany concerts.
The Machias Wild Blueberry Festival (www.machiasblueberry.com) is the summer highlight, running Friday-Sunday the third weekend in August and featuring a pancake breakfast, road races, concerts, crafts booths, a baked-bean supper, a homegrown musical, and more. The blueberry motif is everywhere. It’s organized by Centre Street Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, in downtown Machias.
A few times each summer, the Little River Lighthouse (Cutler, 207/259-3833, www.littleriverlight.org) is open for tours.
Influenced by traditional Japanese designs, Connie Harter-Bagley markets her dramatic raku ceramics at Connie’s Clay of Fundy (Rte. 1, East Machias, 207/255-4574, www.clayoffundy.com), on the East Machias River, four miles east of Machias. If she’s at the wheel, you can also watch her work.
Need a read? Jim’s Books, Etc. (8 Elm St., Machias, 207/255-9058), at the third house on the left on Route 92, just beyond the university campus, is open by chance or by appointment.
Fine wines, craft beers, and a nice selection of cheeses are sold at The French Cellar (7 Water St., Machias, 207/255-4977).
At Bad Little Falls Park, alongside the Machias River, stop to catch the view from the footbridge overlooking the roiling falls (especially in spring). Bring a picnic and enjoy this midtown oasis tucked between Routes 1 and 92.
Thanks to a handful of foresighted year-round and summer residents, spectacular crescent-shaped Jasper Beach—piled high with ocean-polished jasper and other rocks—has been preserved by the town of Machiasport. There is no sand here, just stones, in intriguing shapes and colors. Resist the urge to fill your pockets with souvenirs. Parking is limited, and there are no facilities. From Route 1 in downtown Machias, take Route 92 (Elm Street) 9.5 miles southeast, past the village of Bucks Harbor. Watch for a large sign on your left. The beach is on Howard’s Cove, 0.2 mile off the road and accessible year-round.
Southwest of Machias, six miles south of Route 1, is Roque Bluffs State Park (Roque Bluffs Rd., Roque Bluffs, 207/255-3475, www.parksandlands.com). Saltwater swimming this far north is for the young and brave, but this park also has a 60-acre freshwater pond warm and shallow enough for toddlers and the old and timid. Facilities include primitive changing rooms, outhouses, hiking trails, a play area, and picnic tables; there is no food and there are no lifeguards. Views go on forever from the wide-open mile-long sweep of sand-and-pebble beach. Admission is $4.50 nonresident adults, $3 Maine resident adults, $1 ages 5-11. The fee box relies on the honor system. The park is open daily May 15-September 15, but the beach is accessible year-round.
On Route 191, about 4.5 miles northeast of the center of Cutler, watch for the parking area (on the right) for the Cutler Coast Public Reserve, a spectacular 12,234-acre preserve with nearly a dozen miles of beautifully engineered hiking trails on the seaward side of Route 191. It’s popular with wildlife-watchers: Birding is great, and you might spot whales (humpback, finback, northern right, and minke), seals, and porpoises. Easiest is the 2.8-mile round-trip Coastal Trail through a cedar swamp and spruce-fir forest to an ocean promontory and back. Allow 5-6 hours to continue with the 5.5-mile Black Point Brook Loop, which progresses along a stretch of moderately rugged hiking southward along dramatic tree-fringed shoreline cliffs. Then head back via the Black Point Brook cutoff and connect with the Inland Trail to return to the parking area. Bring binoculars and a camera; the views from this wild coastline are fabulous. Also bring insect repellent—inland boggy stretches are buggy. Carry a picnic and commandeer a granite ledge overlooking the surf. Precipitous cliffs and narrow stretches can make the shoreline section of this trail perilous for small children or insecure adults, so use extreme caution and common sense. There are no facilities in the preserve. If you’re here in August, you can stock up on blueberries and even some wild raspberries. Another option, the 9.1-mile Fairy Head Loop, starts the same way as the Black Point Brook Loop but continues southward along the coast, leading to three primitive campsites (stoves only, no fires), available on a first-come, first-served basis. There’s no way to reserve these, so you take your chances. Unless you have gazelle genes, the longer loop almost demands an overnight trip. Information on the preserve, including a helpful map, is available from the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands (207/287-3821, www.parksandlands.com). Originally about 2,100 acres, this preserve expanded fivefold in 1997 when several donors, primarily the Richard King Mellon Foundation, deeded to the state 10,055 acres of fields and forests across Route 191 from the trail area, creating a phenomenal tract that now runs from the ocean all the way back to Route 1. Mostly in Cutler but also in Whiting, it is Maine’s second-largest public-land gift after Baxter State Park.
Adjacent to the Cutler Coast Public Preserve is Maine Coast Heritage Trust’s (www.mcht.org) 1,770-acre Bog Brook Cove Preserve. Between the two preserves, this is the largest contiguous area of conservation land in the state outside of Acadia National Park. Bog Brook Cove’s lands flow from Cutler into neighboring Trescott and include nearly three miles of ocean frontage, headlands, gravel beaches, coastal peat lands, and 10-acre Norse Pond. Trails are under construction. Already in place is a 1,100-foot wheelchair-accessible trail to an overlook in Moose Cove with smashing views of Grand Manan Island.
The 85-mile Down East Sunrise Trail (www.sunrisetrail.org), a rails-to-trails conversion, stretches from Washington Junction near Ellsworth to Ayers Junction in Charlotte, southwest of Calais. It’s open to pedestrians, snowmobiles, ATVs, cyclists, skiers, and equestrians. Check the website for a downloadable map.
With lovely water views and tidal inlets serving as obstacles, the nine-hole Great Cove Golf Course (387 Great Cove Rd., off Roque Bluffs Rd., Jonesboro, 207/434-7200) is a good challenge. You can also play a quick nine at Barren View Golf Course (Rte. 1, Jonesboro, 207/434-6531, www.barrenview.com).
If you’ve brought your own sea kayak, there are public launching ramps in Bucks Harbor (east of Rte. 92, the main Machiasport road) and at Roque Bluffs State Park. You can also put in at Sanborn Cove, beyond the O’Brien School on Route 92, about five miles south of Machias, where there’s a small parking area. Before setting out, check the tide calendar and plan your strategy so you don’t have to slog through acres of muck when you return.
Sunrise Canoe and Kayak (68 Hoytown Rd., Machias, 207/255-3375 or 877/980-2300, www.sunrisecanoeandkayak.com) rents canoes and kayaks for $25-35/day and offers half-day sea-kayak excursions on Machias Bay, including one to a petroglyph site (from $50 pp). It also offers guided day trips and fully outfitted multiday canoeing and kayaking excursions on the Machias and St. Croix Rivers and along the Bold Coast.
The Machias River, one of Maine’s most technically demanding canoeing rivers, is a dynamite trip mid-May-mid-June, but no beginner should attempt it. The best advice is to sign on with an outfitter or guide. The run lasts from four days up to six days if you start from Fifth Machias Lake. Expect to see wildlife such as ospreys, eagles, ducks, loons, moose, deer, beavers, and snapping turtles. Be aware, though, that the Machias is probably the buggiest river in the state, and blackflies will form a welcoming party. In addition to Sunrise Canoe and Kayak, Bangor-based Sunrise Expeditions (207/942-9300 or 800/748-3730, www.sunrise-exp.com) also offers fully outfitted trips.
Andy Patterson, skipper of the 40-foot Barbara Frost, operates the Bold Coast Charter Company (207/259-4484, www.boldcoast.com), homeported in Cutler Harbor. Andy provides knowledgeable narration, answers questions in depth, and shares his considerable enthusiasm for this pristine corner of Maine. He is best known for his five-hour puffin-sighting trips to Machias Seal Island (departing between 7am and 8am daily mid-May-Aug., $120, no credit cards); the trip is unsuitable for small children or adults who are susceptible to seasickness. Daily access to the island is restricted, and swells can roll in, so passengers occasionally cannot disembark, but the curious puffins often surround the boat, providing plenty of photo opportunities. No matter what the air temperature on the mainland, dress warmly and wear sturdy shoes. The Barbara Frost’s wharf is on Cutler Harbor, just off Route 191. Look for the Little River Lobster Company sign; you’ll depart from the boat-launching ramp. All trips are dependent on weather and tide conditions, and reservations are required. Note: Reserve early, because trips can sell out a month or more in advance.
The beautifully restored 1797 Chandler River Lodge (654 Rte. 1, Jonesboro, 207/434-2540, www.chandlerriverlodge.com, $100-150) sits well off the highway and overlooks treed lawns that roll down to the Chandler River. It’s an idyllic spot, with Adirondack-style chairs positioned just where you want to sit to take in the views. Rates include a continental breakfast. Some rooms share baths.
Victoriana rules at the Riverside Inn (Rte. 1, East Machias, 888/255-4344 or 207/255-4134, www.riversideinn-maine.com, $110-145), a meticulously restored early-19th-century sea captain’s home with four guest rooms (one with a kitchenette). Relax on the deck overlooking the East Machias River or sit in the lovely terraced perennial gardens and you’ll forget you’re a few steps from a busy highway. The dining room is open to nonguests. Rates include a hot, multicourse breakfast.
The barn-red Inn at Schoppee Farm (Rte. 1, Machias, 207/255-4648, www.schoppeefarm.com, $100) fronts on the tidal Machias River. The 19th-century farm operated as a dairy for three generations before Machias natives David and Julie Barker returned home to operate it as a bed-and-breakfast. They welcome guests with three guest rooms, each furnished with antiques and such niceties as air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, whirlpool baths, satellite TV, and soft down comforters in addition to river views and a full breakfast. Just east of the causeway, it’s a healthy walk to downtown diversions.
After a meticulous restoration, Michael and Liz Henry opened The Talbot House Inn (509 Main St., E. Machias, 207/259-1103, www.thetalbothouseinn.com, $65-125) in a Mansard-roofed mansion that served as a stop on the Underground Railroad. The house is rife with architectural riches, but the bathrooms (some shared) are modern.
The second generation now operates Micmac Farm Guesthouses (47 Micmac Ln., Machiasport, 207/255-3008, www.micmacfarm.com, $95/night, $595/week). Stay in one of Anthony and Bonnie Dunn’s three rustic but comfortable and well-equipped cottages and you’ll find yourself relaxing on the deck overlooking the tidal Machias River and watching for seabirds, seals, and eagles. (Note: Mosquitoes can be pesky.) No breakfast is provided, but each wood-paneled cottage has a kitchenette and dining area. Pets and children are welcome. There’s also a river-view room in the restored 18th-century Gardner House, with a private bath with whirlpool tub. Guests have use of the farmhouse, including a library. A light breakfast is provided for Gardner House guests.
The best feature of the two-story Machias Motor Inn (109 Main St./Rte. 1, Machias, 207/255-4861, www.machiasmotorinn.com, year-round, $124) is its location overlooking the tidal Machias River; sliding doors open onto decks with a view. Twenty-eight guest rooms and six efficiencies have extralong beds as well as cable TV, air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, and phones. Next door is Helen’s Restaurant—famed for seasonal fruit pies and an all-you-can-eat weekend breakfast buffet. Well-behaved dogs ($10/dog/night) are welcome. The motel is within easy walking distance of downtown, which makes it perfect if you’re here for the Blueberry Festival.
For inexpensive digs, you can’t beat the M Blueberry Patch (550 Rte. 1, Jonesboro, 207/434-5411, $64-75), a clean and bright motel and tourist cabins, with three efficiency units. Robert and Tammie Alley provide homespun hospitality with a few extras. All rooms have satellite TV, air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, and phones, and there’s even a pool and a small playground. If you’re taller than six feet, choose a motel room rather than a cabin; the cabin bathrooms are tiny. A light continental breakfast is available.
Yes, you can spend a night or more at Little River Lighthouse (Cutler, 207/259-3833, www.littleriverlight.org, $150-225), thanks to the Friends of Little River Lighthouse. Three guest rooms sharing two baths are available, but you have to bring food, bottled water, towels, bed linens or sleeping bags, and all personal items (soap, shampoo) and clean up after yourself. Guests have use of a kitchen. Transportation to the lighthouse is provided, but you have to coordinate your arrival with the tide.
Watch the local papers for listings of public suppers, spaghetti suppers, or baked bean suppers, a terrific way to sample the culinary talents of local cooks. Most begin at 5pm, and it’s wise to arrive early to get near the head of the line. The suppers often benefit needy individuals or struggling nonprofits, and where else can you eat nonstop for less than $10?
Craving something healthful? The Whole Life Natural Market (4 Colonial Way, Machias, 207/255-8855, www.wholelifemarket.com, 9am-6pm Mon.-Fri., 9am-2pm Sat., 10am-noon Sun.) is home to the Saltwater Café (9am-2pm Mon.-Sat.) serving salads, soups, sandwiches, and baked goods made from organic fruits, vegetables, and grains as well as hormone-free dairy products. When the café isn’t open, grab-and-go foods are usually available in the store.
Another source for fresh, healthful foods is the Machias Valley Farmers Market (3pm-6pm Wed., 10am-4pm Fri., and 9am-1pm Sat. May-Oct.). It’s held on “the dike,” a low causeway next to the Machias River. It’s usually a good source for blueberries in late July-August.
It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but locals praise Smoky Toast Café (1183 Rte. 1, Jonesboro, 207/434-5910, 5am-2pm Mon.-Fri.) as a great spot to relax over breakfast or lunch. Service is friendly, the place is spotless, and the only drawback is that it isn’t open on weekends.
Pop into Aunt Millie’s General Store (Route 1, Jonesboro, 207/434-2013) for a good meal at a reasonable cost.
Family-owned and very popular all day long is The Blue Bird Ranch Family Restaurant (78 Main St./Rte. 1, Machias, 207/255-3351, www.bluebirdranchrestaurant.com, 6am-8pm daily, $8-23), named for the Prout family’s other enterprise, the Blue Bird Ranch Trucking Company. Service is efficient, the food is hearty, the desserts are homemade, and the portions are ample in the three dining rooms.
Helen’s (111 Main St./Rte. 1, Machias, 207/255-8423, 6am-8pm Mon.-Sat., 7am-7:30pm Sun., $5-23) is renowned for its blueberry pie. A new generation has spruced up the restaurant, an institution in these parts since 1950. The owners are committed to supporting local farmers whenever possible.
Oak furnishings and lacy white tablecloths set the tone at the M Riverside Inn (622 Main St./Rte. 1, East Machias, 207/255-4134, www.riversideinn-maine.com, 5pm-8pm Tues.-Sun., $27-34), one of the region’s most consistent and long-lasting fine-dining spots. The fare ranges from trout meunière to beef Wellington. Reservations are required. The riverside deck is open for cocktails and appetizers.
The Machias Bay Area Chamber of Commerce (85 E. Main St., Machias, 207/255-4402, www.machiaschamber.org) stocks brochures, maps, and information on area hiking trails.
Machias is about 22 miles or 30 minutes via Routes 1 and 187 from Jonesport. It’s about 28 miles or 40 minutes via Routes 1 and 189 to Lubec.
As the nation’s easternmost point, Lubec (pop. 1,359) is literally the beginning of the United States. Lubec residents love to point out that the closest traffic light is 50 miles away.
Settled in 1780 as part of Eastport, it split off in 1811 and was named for the German port of Lübeck (for convoluted reasons still not totally clear). The town’s most famous resident was Hopley Yeaton, first captain in the U.S. Revenue-Marine (now the U.S. Coast Guard), who retired here in 1809.
With appealing homes and more than 90 miles of meandering waterfront, Lubec conveys the aura of realness: a hardscrabble fishing community that extends a wary welcome to visitors. Along the main drag, Water Street, a number of shuttered buildings, many undergoing restoration, reflect the town’s roller-coaster history. Once the world’s sardine capital, Lubec no longer has a packing plant, but new businesses are slowly arriving, and each year the town looks a bit spiffier. No longer primarily a fishing town, these days the summer residents far outnumber year-rounders. In 2010 the community reluctantly closed its high school, which will likely accelerate the transition.
Arrive here on a fine summer day and it’s easy to understand why so many visitors are smitten and, seduced by the views and the real estate prices, purchase a piece of a dream.
Beachcombing, bird-watching, hiking, picnicking, and an up-close look at Maine’s only red-and-white-striped lighthouse are the big draws at 541-acre West Quoddy Head State Park (West Quoddy Head Rd., Lubec, 207/733-0911, www.parksandlands.com, 9am-sunset May 15-Oct. 15, $3 nonresident adults, $2 Maine resident adults, $1 children), the easternmost point of U.S. land. Begin with a visit to the Visitor Center (207/733-2180, www.westquoddy.com, 10am-4pm daily late May-early July and early Sept.-mid-Oct., 10am-5pm daily July-Aug., free), located in the 1858 keeper’s house and operated by the enthusiastic all-volunteer West Quoddy Head Light Keepers Association. Inside are exhibits on lighthouse memorabilia, local flora and fauna, and area heritage; a gallery displaying local works; and a staffed information desk.
West Quoddy Head’s candy-striped lighthouse is a coastal Maine icon.
The current West Quoddy Head Light, towering 83 feet above mean high water, was built in 1857. (Its counterpart, Harbour Head Lightstation, a.k.a. East Quoddy Head Light, is on New Brunswick’s Campobello Island.) Views from the lighthouse grounds are fabulous, and whale sightings are common in summer. The lighthouse tower is open the Saturday after July 4 and during Maine Open Lighthouse Day, usually held in September.
The cliffs of Canada’s Grand Manan Island are visible from the park’s grounds. The four-mile round-trip, moderately difficult Coastal Trail follows the 90-foot cliffs to Carrying Place Cove. An easy mile-long boardwalk winds through a unique moss and heath bog; a second bog is designated as a National Natural Landmark. The one-mile Coast Guard Trail loops out to an observation point. Be forewarned that the park gate is locked at sunset. In winter the park is accessible for snowshoeing. From Route 189 on the outskirts of Lubec, take South Lubec Road (well signposted) to West Quoddy Head Road. Turn left and continue to the parking area.
Lubec Landmarks (207/733-2197, www.mccurdyssmokehouse.org) is working to preserve these two local landmarks. The smokehouse complex (11am-4pm daily, $3 donation), one of the last herring-smoking operations in the country (closed in 1991 and now a National Historic Landmark), can be seen on the water side of Water Street. In 2007, after years of effort, it reopened to the public. You can tour it on your own, or volunteer guides will explain the exhibits, which include hands-on ones for kids. Next door, Mulholland Market Gallery (50 Water St., 10am-4pm Thurs.-Tues.), which now doubles as a community center, is the organization’s headquarters. Inside are displays about the smokehouses, exhibits of local art, and a small gift shop. It is volunteer operated, so hours aren’t set in stone.
Worth a look-see for fans of old fire equipment, the small museum at the fire station (40 School St., Lubec, 207/733-2341) is open by request at the adjacent town office.
Even the humongous tides and dramatic sunsets over Johnson Bay can get your attention if you hang out at the breakwater. A Lost Fishermen’s Memorial Park, honoring regional fishermen lost at sea, is planned here. Across the channel on Campobello Island is red-capped Mulholland Point Lighthouse, an abandoned beacon built in 1885. As the tide goes out—18 or so feet—you’ll also see hungry harbor seals dunking for dinner. And if you’re lucky, you might spot the eagle pair that nests on an island in the channel (bring binoculars).
Classical music is the focus (for the most part) at SummerKeys (207/733-2316 or 973/316-6220 off-season, www.summerkeys.com), a music camp for adults, no prior experience required, with weeklong programs in piano, voice, oboe, flute, clarinet, guitar, violin, and cello. Free concerts by visiting artists, faculty, and students are held at 7:30pm Wednesday evening late June-early September in the Congregational Christian Church on Church Street.
ArtworksOfMaine Visual & Performing Arts Center (10 N. Lubec Rd., 207/733-2468, www.artworksofmaine.com) opened in 2013 in the former library and grange hall. Works by regional artists are exhibited in the gallery, and performing arts classics and performances are planned.
Live music is usually on tap on weekends at Cohill’s Inn and Annabell’s Pub, both on Water Street.
The Masonic Summer Music Series, held most Thursday evenings at the town bandstand on Main Street, include an all-you-can-eat cookout ($8 adults, $4 children) and a free concert.
Timber-frame buildings built by the Cobscook Community Learning Center (CCLC, Timber Cove Rd., Trescott, 207/733-2233, www.thecclc.org) house an open pottery studio, a fiber-arts studio, and multipurpose classrooms. The year-round programs offered include open-jam music nights, workshops, talks, adult education, indigenous education, sustainable and value-added eco-ventures, youth programs, and more.
Eagles are often sighted in the channel between Lubec and Campobello Island.
Birders flock to the Cobscook Bay area for The Down East Spring Birding Festival (207/733-2233, www.downeastbirdfest.org), held annually in late May. Guided and self-guided explorations, presentations, and tours fill the schedule, and participation is limited, so register early.
Downeast Coastal Conservancy (www.downeastcoastalconservancy.org) offers workshops, guided walks, boat trips, and other events throughout the summer.
Most of Lubec’s shops are along Water Street.
The old RJ Peacock factory is now home to Dianne’s Glass Gallery (72 Water St., Lubec, 207/733-2458), where Dianne Larkin sells her handcrafted hot-fused glass jewelry, plates, and other creations. Also available here are the locally made, all-natural sea salts produced by Quoddy Mist (207/733-4847, www.quoddymist.com).
Northern Tides (24 Water St., Lubec, 207/733-2500) carries intriguing works by local artisans such as sea-glass creations, pottery crafted with finds from the sea, felt work, and weaving.
Wags and Wool (83 Water St., Lubec, 207/733-4714) caters to knitters and dog lovers, with natural fibers, local yarns, handknit sweaters, socks, and gloves, and dog accessories.
Lighthouse buffs must stop at West Quoddy Gifts (Quoddy Head Rd., one mile before the lighthouse, 207/733-2457). It’s stocked with souvenirs and gift items, most with a lighthouse theme.
Fred and Patty Hartman’s DownEast Drawings and Wildlife Art Gallery (Rte. 189, Whiting, 207/733-0988) is filled with award-winning artwork featuring the flora and fauna of the region.
Shanna Wheelock’s Cobscook Pottery and Fiber Arts (162 N. Lubec Rd., 207/733-2010) is worth the short detour off Route 1. Wheelock’s been featured in American Craft magazine.
Explore Cobscook, Fundy, and Passamaquoddy Bays on a tour with Downeast Charter Boat Tours (31 Johnson St., Lubec, 207/733-2009, www.downeastcharterboattours.com) aboard the 25-foot lobster boat Lorna Doone. You’ll pass lighthouses and likely also spy whales.
Jet-boat whale-watching tours are offered aboard the Tarquin from The Inn on the Wharf (60 Johnson St., Lubec, 207/733-4400, www.theinnonthewharf.com). The 2.5-3-hour tours are $49 adults, $25 kids under 12.
Tag along with Lubec’s Pathfinders Walking Group, enthusiastic area residents who go exploring every Sunday year-round, usually meeting at 2pm for a two-hour ramble; check local papers for the schedule. Nonmembers are welcome, there’s no fee, and you’ll see a side of Lubec and more that most visitors never encounter.
Two preserves run by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust (www.mcht.org) are fine places for a walk. The 1,225-acre Hamilton Cove Preserve’s 1.5 miles of ocean frontage are highlighted by cobble beaches, rocky cliffs, and jaw-dropping views (on a clear day) of Grand Manan. To find it, take Route 189 to South Lubec Road toward Quoddy Head, but bear right at the fork on Boot Cove Road and continue 2.4 miles to a small parking lot on the left. There’s a kiosk with maps about 100 feet down the trail. It’s 0.8 mile to an observation platform and another 0.5 mile to the bench at the trail’s end. For more expansive views, hike 1.2 miles to the summit of Benny’s Mountain.
Mowry Beach is especially popular with bird-watchers.
Continue on Boot Cove Road another 1.5 miles to find 700-acre Boot Head Preserve, with dramatic cliffs and ravines that epitomize Maine’s Bold Coast reputation. The trail passes through a rare coastal raised peat land before continuing to a viewing platform on the coast. From the parking lot to Boot Cove via the Coastal Trail, it’s 1.25 miles; return via the Interior Trail for another 0.75 mile.
For information on other hikes in the area, pick up a copy of Cobscook Trail Guide, with maps and trail details. It’s available for about $7 at local stores or from the Quoddy Regional Land Trust Office on Route 1 in Whiting. Another resource available locally is Self-Guided Birding Explorations, Washington County, Maine, published in conjunction with the Down East Spring Birding Festival. It lists and maps walks and hikes, and notes habitats and bird species.
In 2010, Travel + Leisure magazine named Lubec one of the best beach towns in the country. Where’s the beach, you ask? Mowry Beach, managed by the Downeast Coastal Conservancy (www.downeastcoastalconservancy.org), is at the end of Pleasant Street; continue past the wastewater treatment plant to a parking lot. Follow the path over the dunes to the beach. When the tide rolls out, remnants of a drowned Ice Age forest are revealed. Also here is a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk designed for sighting nesting, migrating, and wintering birds, including warblers, finches, waxwings, hawks, and northern shrikes.
The Wharf (60 Johnson St., Lubec, 207/733-4400) rents bikes for $18/day as well as kayaks for $25-35. Cohill’s (7 Water St., 207/733-4300) rents bikes for $45/day.
Many visitors use Lubec as a base for day trips to Campobello Island (passport or passport card necessary), so it’s essential to make reservations at the height of summer. Several lodgings are also available on Campobello.
Built in 1860 by a British sea captain, Peacock House Bed and Breakfast (27 Summer St., Lubec, 207/733-2403 or 888/305-0036, www.peacockhouse.com, $98-140) has long been one of Lubec’s most prestigious residences. Among the notables who have stayed here are Donald MacMillan, the famous Arctic explorer, as well as U.S. senators Margaret Chase Smith and Edmund Muskie. It has three guest rooms and four suites, which have TVs and sitting areas; one has a gas fireplace and a refrigerator. One guest room is wheelchair-accessible.
Unusual antiques fill the guest rooms and sitting room of the 19th-century Home Port Inn (45 Main St., Lubec, 207/733-2077 or 800/457-2077 outside Maine, www.homeportinn.com, $95-130), ensconced on a Lubec hilltop. Each of the seven guest rooms has a private bath, although some are detached; some have water views. Rates include a buffet breakfast.
Ellen and Jack Gearrin extend a warm Irish welcome to guests at Cohill’s Inn (7 Water St., 207/733-4300, www.cohillsinn.com, $95-140), which overlooks the Bay of Fundy on one side and the Narrows on the other. There are no frills or fuss in the simply but nicely furnished guest rooms; each has a fan and a TV, beds are covered with comforters and quilts, and a continental breakfast is included in the rates. Wi-Fi is available. Downstairs is a popular and reliable pub, but service ends at 8pm, so it’s quiet at night.
Purpose-built Whiting Bay Bed & Breakfast (1 Cobscook Way, Whiting, 207/733-2402, www.whitingbaybb.com, $100-125) sits on 7.5 acres with water on three sides. It’s a heavenly retreat, decorated with a light touch. Rates include a full breakfast.
The waterfront Water Street Tavern & Inn (12 Water St., Lubec, 207/733-2477, www.watersttavernandinn.com, $95-150) has three nicely appointed rooms and two suites, all with Wi-Fi, TV, and phone. All guests have access to a gathering room with comfy seating, big views, and a kitchenette.
The Eastland Motel (385 County Rd./Rte. 189, Lubec, 207/733-5501, www.eastlandmotel.com, $70-85) has 20 guest rooms with cable TV, Wi-Fi, and air-conditioning; some have refrigerator and microwave. Request one of the 12 rooms in the newer section. A homemade continental breakfast is included in the rates. One room is dog friendly ($10).
Bill Clark has rescued the former Coast Guard station at West Quoddy Head and restored, renovated, and reopened it as M West Quoddy Station (S. Lubec Rd., Lubec, 207/733-4452 or 877/535-4714, www.quoddyvacation.com), with five one-bedroom units (four in the lodge and one separate cabin), plus the five-bedroom, 2.5-bath Station House. All have kitchens, Wi-Fi, and satellite TV. Views are stupendous and extend to East Quoddy Head on Campobello; you can walk to West Quoddy Head, about 0.5 mile away. Rates begin at $95/night, when available, but weekly rentals ($900-$1,900) get first preference.
Water Street Tavern & Inn is on the waterfront in downtown Lubec.
Another restoration project is the former Lubec Sardine Company’s Factory B, where Judy and Victor Trafford have renovated the truly waterfront complex into M The Inn on the Wharf (60 Johnson St., Lubec, 207/733-4400, www.theinnonthewharf.com), comprising lodging and a restaurant, while preserving the working waterfront. Guest rooms ($100) have use of a common kitchen and dining area. Two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments ($150) have full kitchens and laundry facilities. All have incredible views and Wi-Fi. Also on the premises are a yoga studio and bike and kayak rentals. A whale-watching boat and water taxi to Eastport departs from the wharf. That’s all great, but what really distinguishes this property is that hidden on the basement level are huge tanks holding lobsters, crabs, and eels; an area for processing the periwinkle harvest; and other intriguing spots where you might catch local fishing folks bringing in their catches. Of course, a side effect of that is that there’s a briny scent permeating the entire property.
A 3.5-mile network of nature trails, picnic spots, great bird-watching and berry picking, hot showers, a boat launch, and wooded shorefront campsites make Cobscook Bay State Park (Rte. 1, Edmunds Township, 207/726-4412, www.parksandlands.com), on the 888-acre Moosehorn Reserve, one of Maine’s most spectacular state parks. It’s even entertaining just to watch the 24-foot tides surging in and out of this area at five or so feet per hour; there’s no swimming because of the undertow. Reserve well ahead to get a place on the shore. There are no hookups, but there’s a dump station for RVs. To guarantee a site in July-August, using MasterCard or Visa, call 207/624-9950 (800/332-1501 in Maine) or visit www.campwithme.com; the reservation fee is $2/site/night with a two-night minimum. The park is open daily mid-May-mid-October; trails are groomed in winter for cross-country skiing, and one section goes right along the shore. Summer day-use fees are $4.50 nonresident adults, $3 Maine resident adults, $1.50 nonresident seniors, free Maine resident seniors, $1 ages 5-11. The nonresident camping fee is $24/site/night; the fee for Maine residents is $14.
The Inn on the Wharf is located in a renovated sardine plant.
Monica’s Chocolates (100 County Rd./Rte. 189, Lubec, 866/952-4500, www.monicaschocolates.com, 8am-8pm daily) gives meaning to the term sinfully delicious. Monica Elliott creates sumptuous handmade gourmet chocolates using family recipes from her native Peru. Her hot chocolate, not always available, is swoon worthy.
Stave off a midday hunger attack with home-baked goodies with an organic twist from Sun Porch Industries (99 Johnson St., Lubec, 207/733-7587, 11am-5pm Wed.-Sun.), a tiny natural and organic foods store.
Baked goods, pizzas, freshly made sandwiches, and other light fare is served at Atlantic House Coffee & Deli (52 Water St., Lubec, 207/733-0906, 8am-7pm daily). Take it to one of two back decks overlooking the water.
It’s a treat to visit the Bell family’s 200-year-old, 1,600-acre organic saltwater farm, Tide Mill Organic Farm (91 Tide Mill Rd., Edmunds, 207/733-4756 or 207/733-2551, www.tidemillorganicfarm.com), now operated by the eighth generation on this land. The farm stand is open 10am-3pm Saturday. Tours of the farm are available; call for times. The fee is $5 for anyone over age 8 or $20/family.
Good burgers, chowders, and other choices from the daily chalkboard menu as well as Guinness, Smithwick’s, and microbrews have earned Cohill’s Inn (7 Water St., Lubec, 207/733-4300, www.cohillsinn.com, 11am-8pm daily, $9-29) an enthusiastic two thumbs up from locals and visitors alike. The dining room has nice water views, and there’s often entertainment on Saturday afternoon.
Depending on your source, Uncle Kippy’s (County Rd./Rte. 189, Lubec, 207/733-2400, www.unclekippys.com, 11am-8pm Wed.-Mon., $5-19) gets high marks in Lubec for wholesome cooking. Steak and seafood are specialties—at unfancy prices—but there’s pizza too.
If the weather’s nice, aim for a seat on the back deck at the Water Street Tavern & Inn (12 Water St., Lubec, 207/733-2477, from 7am daily, $12-28). The menu ranges from pizza to duck, but seafood is the specialty.
Craving Italian? Dine inside or on the waterside deck at Frank’s Dockside Deli (20 Water St., Lubec, 11am-7pm Thurs.-Tues., 3pm-7pm Wed., $12-25).
Fisherman’s Wharf (69 Johnson St., Lubec, 207/733-4400, www.theinnonthewharf.com, 7am-8pm Fri.-Wed., $12-24 7am-8pm daily), at the Inn on the Wharf, is in a renovated, oceanfront sardine factory. There’s seating inside and on a small deck, with panoramic views over Cobscook Bay to Eastport’s Shackford Head. Seafood is the specialty, but there are landlubber choices and a full bar too.
Fresh seafood takeout is available at Becky’s Seafood (145 Main St., 207/479-4874, 11am-8pm daily); nothing fancy, nothing fussy, but cheap.
The Association to Promote and Protect the Lubec Environment (888/347-9302, www.visitlubecmaine.com) is the best source for local information. The Cobscook Bay Area Chamber of Commerce (www.cobscookbay.com) also covers the Cobscook Bay region, including Lubec.
Frank’s Dockside Deli is a local favorite for Italian fare.
Lubec Memorial Library (Water St. and School St., Lubec, 207/733-2491) has a public restroom.
Eastport Ferry (207/853-2635, www.eastportferry.com) offers passenger service between Lubec and Eastport. It departs up to six times daily, Tuesday-Sunday. Tickets are $19.50 adults, $10 children under 12. Bring a bicycle for $6; dogs are free.
The Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial Bridge connects Lubec to Campobello Island (passport, passport card, or enhanced driver’s license required for return).
Lubec is approximately 28 miles or 40 minutes via Routes 1 and 189 from Machias. It’s about 40 miles or one hour via Routes 189, 1, and 190 to Eastport.
Just over the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial Bridge from Lubec lies nine-mile-long, unspoiled Campobello Island (pop. 1,000), in Canada’s New Brunswick province. Most visitors come to see the place where President Franklin D. Roosevelt, along with other wealthy Americans, summered, but few take the time to explore the charms of Roosevelt’s “beloved island.” Those who do find a striking lighthouse that’s open for tours, hiking trails, carriage roads for biking, whale-watching excursions, and spectacular vistas.
It’s interesting to note that before becoming a summer retreat for wealthy Americans, Campobello was the feudal fiefdom of a Welsh family. King George III awarded the grant to Captain William Owen in 1767, and he arrived in 1770.
Since 1964, Roosevelt Campobello International Park’s 2,800 acres of the island have been under joint U.S. and Canadian jurisdiction, commemorating U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR summered here as a youth, and it was here that he came down with infantile paralysis (polio) in 1921. The park, covering most of the island’s southern end, has well-maintained trails and carriage roads, picnic sites, and dramatic vistas, but its centerpiece is the imposing Roosevelt Cottage, one mile northeast of the bridge.
Stop first at the park’s Visitor Centre (459 Rte. 774, Welshpool, 506/752-2922 in season, www.fdr.net), where you can pick up brochures (including a trail map, bird-watching guide, and bog guide), sign up for Tea with Eleanor, and see a short video setting the stage for the cottage visit.
It’s a short walk from the Visitor Centre to the Roosevelt Cottage (10am-6pm Atlantic time, 9am-5pm eastern time, mid-May-mid-Oct., free). Little seems to have changed in the 34-room red-shingled Roosevelt “Cottage” overlooking Passamaquoddy Bay since President Roosevelt last visited in 1939. The Roosevelt Cottage grounds are beautifully landscaped, and the many family mementos—especially those in the late president’s den—bring history alive. It all feels very personal and far less stuffy than most presidential memorials. You tour on your own, but guides are stationed in various rooms to explain and answer questions.
Explore the carriage roads of Roosevelt Campobello International Park to find lookouts, picnic areas, and trails.
Twice daily, the park offers an engaging Tea with Eleanor in the Hubbard Cottage, which neighbors the Roosevelt cottage. During the one-hour program, park interpreters tell stories about the remarkable Eleanor, highlighting her history and her many feats, while guests enjoy tea and cookies. The program is free, but seating is limited, and reservations are required. These are made in person at the Visitor Centre, first-come/first served, so it’s wise to get there early to snag seats.
Carriage roads lace the park, and although you can drive them, a bike, if you have one, is far more fun. Options include Cranberry Point Drive, 5.4 miles round-trip from the Visitor Centre; Liberty Point Drive, 12.4 miles round-trip, via Glensevern Road, from the Visitor Centre; and Fox Hill Drive, a 2.2-mile link between the other two main routes. En route, you’ll have access to beaches, picnic sites, spruce and fir forests, and great views of lighthouses, islands, and the Bay of Fundy.
Just west of the main access road from the bridge is the Mulholland Point picnic area, where you can spread out your lunch next to the distinctive red-capped lighthouse overlooking Lubec Narrows. A marine biology exhibit in the red shed adjacent to it highlights seals, whale rescue, tides, and other related topics.
Within the international park are 8.5 miles of walking-hiking trails, varying from dead easy to moderately difficult. Easiest is the 1.2-mile (round-trip) walk from the Visitor Centre to Friar’s Head picnic area, named for its distinctive promontory jutting into the bay. For the best angle, climb up to the observation deck on the “head.” Grills and tables are here for picnickers. Pick up a brochure at the Visitor Centre detailing natural sights along the route.
The most difficult—and most dramatic—trail is a 2.4-mile stretch from Liberty Point to Raccoon Beach, along the southeastern shore of the island. Precipitous cliffs can make parts of this trail risky for small children or insecure adults, so use caution. Liberty Point is incredibly rugged, but observation platforms make it easy to see the tortured rocks and wide-open Bay of Fundy. Along the way is the SunSweep Sculpture, an international art project by David Barr. At broad Raccoon Beach, you can walk the sands, have a picnic, or watch for whales, porpoises, and ospreys. To avoid returning via the same route, park at Liberty Point and walk back along Liberty Point Drive from Raccoon Beach. If you’re traveling with nonhikers, arrange for them to meet you with a vehicle at Con Robinson’s Point.
A fascinating boardwalk, perfect for those in wheelchairs, is Eagle Hill Bog, 1.8 miles down the Glensevern Road. Interpretive signs explain the lichens, scrub pines, pitcher plants, and other flora and fauna within the bogs. A spur trail leads to a trail that climbs quickly to an observation deck.
You can also walk the park’s perimeter, including just more than six miles of shoreline, but only if you’re in good shape, have waterproof hiking boots, and can spend an entire day on the trails. Before attempting this, however, inquire at the Visitor Centre about trail conditions and tide levels.
What a sleeper! Far too few people visit 1,049-acre Herring Cove Provincial Park (506/752-7010 or 800/561-0123), with picnic areas, 88 campsites, a four-mile trail system, a mile-long sandy beach, freshwater Glensevern Lake, a restaurant with fabulous views, and the nine-hole championship-level Herring Cove Golf Course (506/752-2467). The park is open early June-September. Admission is free.
Consult the tide calendar before planning your assault on Head Harbour Lightstation (also called East Quoddy Head Light), at Campobello’s northernmost tip. The 51-foot-tall light, built in 1829, is on an islet accessible only at low tide. The distinctive white light tower bears a huge red cross. (You’re likely to pass near it on whale-watching trips out of Eastport or Lubec.) From the Roosevelt Cottage, follow Route 774 through the village of Wilson’s Beach and continue to the parking area. A stern Canadian Coast Guard warning sign tells the story:
The Herring Cove Golf Course is rarely crowded.
Head Harbour Lightstation has been restored and is open for tours, but the only access is by foot at low tide.
Extreme Hazard. Beach exposed only at low tide. Incoming tide rises 5 feet per hour and may leave you stranded for 8 hours. Wading or swimming are extremely dangerous due to swift currents and cold water. Proceed at your own risk.
It’s definitely worth the effort for the bay and island views from the lighthouse grounds, often including whales and eagles. You can walk out to the lighthouse during a four-hour window around dead low tide (be sure your watch coincides with the Atlantic-time tide calendar).
In 2005 the Friends of the Head Harbour Lightstation (916 Rte. 774, Welshpool, www.campobello.com/lighthouse), a local nonprofit, took over maintenance of the station to restore it. It now charges access fees to support the efforts. You can see the light from the nearby grounds at no charge, but if you want to hike out to the island or visit the light, the suggested donation is $5. Add a tour of the lighthouse, including climbing the tower, for $10; the family maximum for the walk or the tour is $25 (cash only). The Friends are restoring the interior with period furnishings and plan to rent the keeper’s house for overnight guests to experience the island. You can support the efforts with a membership, available for US$15 individual or US$25 family.
Campobello’s library (306 Welshpool St., 506/752-7082) houses a small collection of artifacts and memorabilia related to island life as well as birch bark items crafted by Tomah Joseph.
Island Discovery Tours (877/346-2225, www.islanddiscoverytours.com) offers guided tours of the island with round-trip transportation from Lubec for $55, including lunch. Transportation to and from the Roosevelt Cottage only is $10. And yes, you’ll need either a passport or passport card. If you’re already on island, you can join one of the tours departing from the Roosevelt Cottage.
Island Cruises (506/752-1107 or 888/249-4400, www.bayoffundywhales.com, $50 adults, $40 children, $160 two adults and two children, $45 seniors) depart three or four times daily from Head Harbour Wharf for scenic whale-watching cruises aboard the Mister Matthew, a 37-foot traditional Bay of Fundy fishing boat that carries 20 passengers. Captain Mac Greene is a member of the Fundy Whale Rescue Team, so he has great insights and stories to share. Sightings might include minke, finback, humpback, and perhaps even northern right whales.
Campobello Island Outdoor Adventures (727 Friar’s Bay Beach, Welshpool, 877/346-2225, www.campobelloislandadventures.com) is the go-to for bicycle ($8/hour, $20 half day, $30 full day) and kayak rentals. It also offers guided tours.
In midsummer, if you’d like to overnight on the island, reserve lodgings well in advance; Campobello is a popular destination. The nearest backup beds are in Lubec, and those fill up too.
The Owen House (11 Welshpool St., Welshpool, 506/752-2977, www.owenhouse.ca, late May-mid-Oct., $104-210 Canadian) is the island’s best address, an old-shore, comfortable, early-19th-century inn on 10 acres on Deer Point overlooking Passamaquoddy Bay and Eastport in the distance. Nine guest rooms (two with shared baths) on three floors are decorated with antiques and family treasures along with owner Joyce Morrel’s paintings (Joyce grew up in this house) and assorted handmade quilts. There’s a first-floor guest room that’s ideal for those with mobility problems. Don’t expect fancy or techy amenities; there are no phones, and there are no TVs, other than one for playing movies. Joyce and innkeeper Jan Meiners are very active in the lighthouse preservation efforts. Just north of the inn is the Deer Island ferry landing.
Check into the oceanfront Pollock Cove Cottages (2455 Rte. 774, Wilson’s Beach, 506/752-2300, www.campobello.com, $75-175), and you might never leave. The views are that spectacular. The property, spread out on a grassy bluff, offers rooms with refrigerators, rooms with kitchenettes, and two-bedroom cottages with full kitchens.
The Owen House commands a bluff with views over Passamaquoddy Bay.
The campground at Herring Cove Provincial Park (506/752-7010, $25-40 Canadian) is a gem. It’s underused, so crowds are rare. Sites are tucked in the woods near Herring Cove Beach. On the premises are a restaurant, nine-hole golf course, picnic grounds, and hiking trails that lead into adjacent Campobello International Park. Sites are available for tents to RVs.
Don’t expect culinary creativity on Campobello, but you won’t starve—at least during the summer season. The best choice is Family Fisheries (1977 Rte. 774, Wilson’s Beach, 506/752-2470, 11am-9:30pm daily, $6-30 Canadian), a seafood restaurant and fish market toward the northern end of the island. Portions are huge, service is friendly, the fish is superfresh, and the homemade desserts are decadent. BYOB—wine only.
Herring Cove (136 Herring Cove Rd., Welshpool, 506/752-1092, 8am-8pm daily, $8-25), at the golf course, has a full bar and serves a full menu.
Roosevelt Campobello International Park plans to open the restored and renovated Adams Cottage as a restaurant, serving lunch Monday-Friday, dinner Friday and Saturday, and brunch on Sunday. Constructed in 1917 with logs cut on the island, the cottage once belonged to a cousin of FDR. If the weather’s fine, aim for a seat on the deck and enjoy views of Friar’s Bay. Check with the park for details (506/752-2922).
Owner Robert Calder roasts beans daily at Jocie’s Porch (724 Rte. 774, Welshpool, 506/752-9816, 7am-7pm daily), which serves the island’s best coffee as well as light fare, all overlooking Friar’s Bay.
Be aware that there’s a one-hour time difference between Lubec and Campobello. Lubec, like the rest of Maine, is on eastern time; Campobello, like the rest of New Brunswick, is on Atlantic time, an hour later. As soon as you reach the island, set your clock ahead an hour.
There is no need to convert U.S. currency to Canadian money for use on Campobello; U.S. dollars are accepted everywhere on the island, but prices tend to be quoted in Canadian dollars.
Off the bridge, stop at the Tourist Information Centre (44 Rte. 774, Welshpool, 506/752-7043, May-Oct.) on your right for an island map, trail maps of the international park, tide info for lighthouse visits, and New Brunswick visitor information.
The best source of information on Campobello Island is www.visitcampobello.com.
Public restrooms are at the Tourist Information Centre near the bridge and the park’s Visitor Centre.
Campobello is connected by bridge to Lubec. From Campobello you can also continue by ferry to New Brunswick’s Deer Island and on to Eastport or make the Quoddy Loop and continue to Letete, N.B., and visit St. Andrews, before crossing the border at Calais and returning south to Eastport.
To visit the island, you’ll have to pass immigration checkpoints on the U.S. and Canadian ends of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial Bridge (U.S. Customs, Lubec, 207/733-4331; Canada Border Services, Campobello, 506/752-1130). Be sure to have the required identification: a passport or a passport card.
The funky two-stage boat-and-barge East Coast Ferries (877/747-2159, www.eastcoastferries.nb.ca, no credit cards, passport or passport card required) departs Campobello for Deer Island on the hour 9am-7pm Atlantic time late June-early September; the fare is $16/car plus $3/passenger over age 11, $23 maximum per car. It connects with the ferry from Deer Island to Eastport, which departs on the hour 9am-6pm Atlantic time, $13/car and driver plus $3/passenger over age 11, $28 maximum per car. Motorcycles on each ferry are $8. All fares are subject to a fuel surcharge. A separate free ferry connects Deer Isle to Letete, near St. Andrews. It departs Deer Isle on the hour 6am-10pm Atlantic time, and on the half hour 7:30am-6:30pm.
When you leave Whiting, the gateway to Lubec and Campobello, and continue north on Route 1 around Cobscook Bay, it’s hard to believe that life could slow down any more than it already has, but it does. The landscape’s raw beauty is occasionally punctuated by farmhouses or a convenience store, but little else.
Edmunds Township’s claims to fame are its splendid public lands—Cobscook Bay State Park and a unit of Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge. Just past the state park, loop along the scenic shoreline before returning to Route 1.
Pembroke (pop. 840), once part of adjoining Dennysville (pop. 342), is home to Reversing Falls Park, where you can watch and hear ebbing and flowing tides draining and filling Cobscook Bay.
If time allows a short scenic detour, especially in fall, turn left (northwest) on Route 214 and drive 10 miles to quaintly named Meddybemps (pop. 157), allegedly a Passamaquoddy word meaning “plenty of alewives [herring].” Views over Meddybemps Lake, on the north side of the road, are spectacular, and you can launch a canoe or kayak into the lake here, less than a mile beyond the junction with Route 191 (take the dead-end unpaved road toward the water).
Backtracking to Route 1, heading east from Pembroke, you’ll come to Perry (pop. 889), best known for the Sipayik Indian Reservation at Pleasant Point, a Passamaquoddy settlement, two miles east of Route 1, that has been here since 1822. Route 191 cuts through the heart of the reservation.
The city (yes, it’s officially a city) of Eastport (pop. 1,331) is on Moose Island, connected by a causeway to the mainland at Sipayik (Pleasant Point). Views are terrific on both sides, especially at sunset, as you hopscotch from one blob of land to another and finally reach this mini-city, where the sardine industry was introduced as long ago as 1875. Five sardine canneries once operated here, employing hundreds of local residents who snipped the heads off herring and stuffed them into cans.
Settled in 1772, Eastport has had its ups and downs, mostly mirroring the fishing industry. It’s now on an upswing as people “from away” have arrived to soak up the vibe of a small town with a heavy Down East accent. Artists, artisans, and antiques shops are leading the town’s rejuvenation as a tourist destination, with the Tides Institute at the forefront. A big push came in 2001 when the Fox Network reality-TV series Murder in Small Town X was filmed here; the city morphed into the village of Sunrise, Maine, and local residents eagerly filled in as extras. The huge waterfront statue of a fisherman is a remnant of the filming.
Until 1811 the town also included Lubec, which is about 2.5 miles across the water via boat but more than 40 miles in a car. A passenger ferry connects the two.
The best way to appreciate Eastport’s history is to pick up and follow the route in A Walking Guide to Eastport, available locally for $2.75. The handy map-brochure spotlights the city’s 18th-, 19th-, and early-20th-century homes, businesses, and monuments, many now on the National Register of Historic Places. Among the highlights are historic homes converted to bed-and-breakfasts, two museums, and a large chunk of downtown Water Street, with many handsome brick buildings erected after a disastrous fire swept through in 1886.
How often do you have a chance to watch mustard being made in a turn-of-the-20th-century mustard mill? Drive by J. W. Raye and Co. (83 Washington St./Rte. 190, Eastport, 207/853-4451 or 800/853-1903, www.rayesmustard.com, 8am-5pm Mon.-Fri., 10am-5pm Sat.-Sun.) at the edge of Eastport and stop in for a free 15-minute tour (offered as schedules permit, call first) of North America’s last traditional stone-ground mustard mill. You’ll get to see the granite millstones, the mustard seeds being winnowed, and enormous vats of future mustard. Raye’s sells mustard under its own label and produces it for major customers under their labels. The shop stocks all of Raye’s mustard varieties (samples available), other Maine-made food, and gift items, and it also has a small café where you can buy coffee, tea, and light fare. Both Martha Stewart and Rachael Ray have discovered Raye’s, which took home both gold and bronze medals from the 2009 World-Wide Mustard Competition.
One of the most promising additions to Eastport’s downtown is the Tides Institute (43 Water St., 207/853-4047, www.tidesinstitute.org, 10am-4pm Tues.-Sun., donation appreciated), housed in a former bank that’s being restored. The institute’s ambitious goals are to build significant cultural collections and to produce new culturally important works employing printmaking, letterpress, photography, bookmaking, oral history, and other media. For its collection, the institute is focusing on works by artists associated with the U.S.-Canada northeast coast but with an eye to the broader world. It already has significant works by artists such as Martin Johnson Heade and photographers such as Paul Caponigro, a fine selection of baskets by Native Americans, and two organs made by the local Pembroke organ company in the 1880s. A series of rotating shows during the summer highlights both the permanent collections and loaned works. The research and reference library has more than 4,000 volumes. The institute also offers programs on a range of topics and workshops by visiting artists. These are open to the public by reservation; definitely stop in for a visit. In 2013, the institute opened Studio Works, a studio space with demonstrations and a visiting artist program, across the street.
Raye’s Mustard Mill Museum dates back to the turn of the 20th century.
To get to Eastport, you pass through the Passamaquoddy’s Sipayik or Pleasant Point Reservation (www.wabanaki.com). Ask locally or check the website to find basket makers and other traditional artists who might sell from their homes. The decorative and work baskets are treasures that constantly escalate in price. It’s a real treat to be able to buy one from the maker. For a more in-depth understanding of the culture, visit the Waponahki Museum (59 Passamaquoddy Rd., Perry, 207/853-4400, www.waponahkimuseum.org, 9am-4pm Mon.-Thurs.).
The Downeast Amateur Astronomers’ Downeast Observatory (356 Old County Rd., Pembroke, 207/214-5706, www.downeastaa.com), with an eight-inch DE8 reflector and 3-5-inch refractors, is open to the public for free by appointment, but donations are greatly appreciated. Contact Charlie Sawyer at the observatory for details.
Ninety-acre Shackford Head (off Deep Cove Rd., Eastport, www.parksandlands.com, free) is on a peninsula that juts into Cobscook Bay. The trailhead and parking area are just east of the Washington County Community College Marine Technology Center at the southern end of Eastport. The park has five miles of wooded trails. Easiest is the 1.2-mile round-trip to Shackford Head Overlook and its continuation onto the steeper Ship Point Trail, which adds another 0.4 mile. The trail rises gently to a 175-foot-high headland with wide-open views of Eastport and, depending on weather, Campobello Island, Lubec, Pembroke, and even Grand Manan. This state preserve is a particularly good family hike. There’s a toilet near the parking area but no other facilities. Also here is a memorial with plaques detailing the history of five Civil War ships that were decommissioned and burned on Cony Beach by the U.S. government between 1901 and 1920. Eastport’s huge tides allowed the ships to be brought in and beached and then taken apart as the tide receded. Fourteen Eastport men served on four of the ships.
The Tides Institute’s collection focuses on regional art.
There’s plenty of room for adults to relax and kids to play at the 140-acre Reversing Falls Park in West Pembroke—plus shorefront ledges and a front-row seat overlooking a fascinating tidal phenomenon. It’s connected via hiking trails to the Downeast Coastal Conservancy’s Reversing Falls Conservation Area (www.downeastcoastalconservancy.org), a nearly 200-acre property with 1.5 miles of shorefront and 70 acres of coastal wetlands. Pack a picnic and then check newspapers or information offices for the tide times so that you can watch the saltwater surging through a 300-yard-wide passage at about 25 knots, creating a whirlpool and churning “falls.” The park is at Mahar Point in West Pembroke, 7.2 miles south of Route 1. Coming from the south (Dennysville), bear right off Route 1 onto Old County in West Pembroke and continue to Leighton Point Road. Turn right on Young’s Cove Road and continue to the park.
This quiet park and boat launch is a delightful place to walk along the shorefront or to grab a table and spread out a picnic while drinking in the dreamy views over fishing weirs and islands in Passamaquoddy Bay. To get here, take Shore Road (opposite the New Friendly Restaurant) and then take a right on Gleason Cove Road.
The Eastport Arts Center (36 Washington St., Eastport, 207/853-4650, www.eastportartscenter.com) is an umbrella organization for local arts groups, with headquarters and performance space in a former church. You can pick up a brochure with a complete schedule, which usually includes concerts, workshops, films, puppet shows, productions by local theater group Stage East, and other cultural events. Also based here is the Passamaquoddy Bay Symphony Orchestra, formed in 2007 by conductor Trond Saeverud, who doubles as concertmaster of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra.
Concerts and other programs are sometimes held in the waterfront amphitheater between Water Street and the waterfront walkway. It’s marked by Nature’s Grace, a granite sculpture carved by New Brunswick artist Jim Boyd.
For a small community, Eastport manages to pull together and put on plenty of successful events during the year.
Eastport’s annual four-day Fourth of July—Old Home Week extravaganza includes a parade, pancake breakfasts, barbecues, a flea market, an auction, races, live entertainment, and fireworks. This is one of Maine’s best Fourth of July celebrations and attracts a crowd of more than 10,000. Lodgings are booked months in advance, so plan ahead.
Indian Ceremonial Days, a three-day Native American celebration, includes children’s games, canoe races, craft demos, talking circles, fireworks, and traditional food and dancing at Sipayik, the Pleasant Point Reservation in Perry, the second weekend in August.
The three-day Eastport Pirate Festival (www.eastportpiratefestival.com) in September features live music, parades, children’s activities, reenactments, and races.
A great resource for area happenings is CulturePass (www.culturepass.net), which covers the entire Passamaquoddy Bay region. Pair it with the Artsipelago Two Countries One Bay Passport (www.artsipelago.net), a cultural guide to the international Passamaquoddy Bay region.
Eastport has long been a magnet for artists and craftspeople yearning to work in a supportive environment, but the influx has increased in recent years. Nearly two dozen galleries line Water Street and overflow on side streets and throughout the area.
The Eastport Gallery (74 Water St., Eastport, 207/853-4166) is a cooperative with works in varied media. The gallery also sponsors the annual Paint Eastport Day, usually held the second Saturday in September, when anyone is invited to paint a local scene; a reception and “wet paint” auction follow.
A group of energetic women with local ties renovated a waterfront building, turning it into The Commons (51 Water St., Eastport, 207/853-4123), a fabulous gallery displaying works by artisans from the region and farther afield.
More than 20 artists from the region are represented at Eastport Breakwater Gallery (93 Water St., Eastport, 207/853-4773).
Woodworker Roland LaVallee’s gallery Crow Tracks (11 Water St., Eastport, 207/853-2336) is filled with his intricate carvings of birds and local fauna. The tiny garden entryway doubles the pleasure of a visit.
Indulge your sweet tooth at Sweeties Downeast (80 Water St., 207/853-3120), where candy, nuts, and homemade fudge are sold by the pound.
Mary Creighton’s Native American Arts (55 Bayview Drive, Pleasant Point, Perry, 207/853-4779) sells a nice selection of baskets, dream catchers, moccasins, jewelry, and other goods crafted by Maine Native Americans.
A number of very talented artists and artisans are tucked along the back roads of the area. You might get lucky and find them open, but it’s wise to call before making a special trip. These include Wrenovations (6 Steam Mill Rd., Robbinston, 207/454-2382), with stained art creations by Mark Wren; The Red Sleigh (Rte. 1, Perry, 207/854-6688), filled with locally made treasures, from jewelry to pies; and Susan Designs (behind Loring’s Body Shop, 416 Gin Cove Rd., Perry, 207/853-4315), where gifted quilt artist Susan Plachy sells her creations.
Describing 45th Parallel: The Store (Rte. 1, Perry, 207/853-9500) is a tough assignment. You really have to go and see for yourself; the aesthetic displays are worth the trip to this eclectic emporium. Housed in a one-story log building two miles (northeast, in the Calais direction) from the junction of Routes 190 and 1, the 45th Parallel is part antiques shop, part gift shop, part global marketplace—and entirely seductive.
Stop in, if only for a few minutes, at S. L. Wadsworth and Son (42 Water St., Eastport, 207/853-4343), the oldest ship chandlery in the country and the oldest retail business in Maine. In addition to hardware and marine gear, you’ll find nautical gifts, souvenirs, and copies of Eastport-set mysteries penned by local author Sarah Graves.
45th Parallel is part antiques shop, part gift shop, part global marketplace—and filled with intriguing merchandise.
Eastport Windjammers (207/853-2500 or 207/853-4303, www.eastportwindjammers.com) offers two sailing cruises aboard the Ada C. Lore, a historic 118-foot Chesapeake Bay oyster schooner built in 1923 and one of only three remaining in the country. The three-hour whale-watching cruise ($45 adults, $30 ages 5-12, $15 under age 5) departs at 1:30pm daily and heads out into the prime whale-feeding grounds of Passamaquoddy Bay—passing the Old Sow whirlpool (the largest tidal whirlpool in the Northern Hemisphere), salmon aquaculture pens, and Campobello Island. En route you’ll see bald eagles, porpoises, possibly puffins and ospreys, and more. The best months are July and August, but Butch is a skilled spotter, so if they’re there, he’ll find them. A two-hour sunset cruise ($35 adults, $25 children) departs the Eastport Pier (call for times). Also available are 2.5-hour lobstering cruises and 3-hour fishing trips aboard the Lady H ($45 adults, $30 ages 5-12, $15 under age 5).
Explore the region by sea kayak with Cobscook Hikes and Paddles (13 Woodcock Way, Robbinston, 207/726-4776 summer, 207/454-2130 winter, www.cobscookhikesandpaddles.com), which serves the area between Whiting and Calais. Registered Maine Guides Stephen and Tessa Ftorek lead three-hour ocean or lake paddles ($50 pp) designed to meet your interests and ability. Two-hour sunrise or sunset paddles are $40. On the Biolum trip, you can watch luminescent organisms sparkle in the water on a two-hour evening paddle ($45). The Ftoreks also offer guided full-day and half-day hikes, beachcombing experiences, and in winter, snowshoeing adventures.
Although musician and retired teacher Greg Noyes, innkeeper at the M Kilby House Inn B&B (122 Water St., Eastport, 800/853-4557, www.kilbyhouseinn.com, $85-110), grew up closer to Ellsworth, his great-great-grandfather was born in Eastport. Greg bought the Kilby House in 1992 and has masterfully updated and renovated the 1887 Victorian into a lovely four-bedroom inn filled with antiques, some original to the house, clocks, a grand piano, and an organ. Some bathrooms are small, but the hospitality and location, just one block off the ocean and two blocks from downtown, make up for that. Breakfast is served at 8am in the formal dining room.
On the second floor of The Commons (51 Water St., Eastport, 207/853-4123, www.thecommonseastport.com), a newly renovated downtown building on the waterfront, are two nicely appointed two-bedroom apartments with decks and spectacular harbor views. Weeklong rentals begin around $1,050; Tide Watcher has two baths and rents for $1,150/week; Water’s Edge has one bath and rents for $1,050/week; shorter stays may be possible.
Drool-worthy pastries, breads, and sweets fill the cases at Moose Island Bakery (75 Water St., Eastport, 207/853-3111, from 6:30am daily). Also worth a visit for scrumptious homemade goodies is the Irish Cow Bakery (11 Shore Rd., Perry, 207/853-4411, 7am-noon Wed.-Sun.). The Sunrise County Farmers Market is held at Eastport’s downtown waterfront park 11am-2pm Saturday. It’s worth the slight detour off Route 1 to purchase hot- and cold-smoked salmon as well as smoked salmon sticks, and smoked haddock at Maine-ly Smoked Salmon (555 South Meadow Rd., Perry, 207/853-4794, 9am-5pm daily).
Oompah! The Liberty Cafe (33 Water St., Eastport, 207/853-2080, from 11am Tues.-Fri., from 7am Sat.-Sun., $6-24) specializes in Greek fare, from gyros to spanakopita, but also offers grilled fare, such as steaks and seafood, to keep everyone happy. The combo plate is a great intro. Although there’s a small deck out front, the best views are from the dining room and deck in the rear. Note: The food is very good, but the service can be painfully slow.
The aptly named New Friendly Restaurant (1014 Rte. 1, Perry, 207/853-6610, 11am-8pm daily, $6-20) lays on home-cooked offerings for “dinnah” (a Maine-ism meaning “lunch”), specializing in steak and seafood.
Time your meal right and you can watch the Deer Isle ferry arrive and depart or view a windjammer sail by from the bi-level Eastport Chowder House (167 Water St., Eastport, 207/853-4700, 11am-9pm daily). Seafood, natch, is the specialty, with entrées in the $7-21 range. There’s a bar downstairs and a harbor-front deck too.
A downtown Eastport institution since 1924, the WaCo Diner (Bank Square, 207/853-9226, from 6am daily), pronounced WHACK-o, is short for Washington County or, the story goes, for Nelson Watts and Ralph Colwell, who started it as a lunch cart. Expect diner fare with an emphasis on seafood, and prices in the $8-20 range. If the weather’s fine, aim for a seat on the waterside deck.
When the weather’s clear, there’s nothing finer than lobster at M Quoddy Bay Lobster (7 Sea St., Eastport, 207/853-6640, 10am-6pm daily). Lobster is the headliner—watch boats unload their catch, it’s that fresh—and I think the lobster rolls are the state’s best, each is topped with the meat from one claw. Other options include wraps, salads, and chowders. There’s even a kids’ menu. Eat indoor or head to the covered outside tables on the harbor’s edge.
One of the best resources is the free Artsipelago: Two Countries One Bay (www.artsipelago.net) guidebook and map, available locally and online, which details the arts and culture of the Passamaquoddy Bay region on both sides of the border, sorted by town. Listings include artists, cultural institutions, galleries, farmers markets, farms, local foods, ferries, festivals, film, historic sites, lighthouses, music, parks/natural sites, and theater.
Brochures are available at the Quoddy Maritime Museum and Visitor Center (70 Water St., Eastport, 10am-6pm daily June-Sept.). In the museum section of the center is a huge model of the failed 1936 Passamaquoddy Tidal Power Project, an idea whose time hadn’t come when it was proposed. A new, but far, far smaller, experimental hydro tidal project was installed in 2012.
Information is also available from the Eastport Chamber of Commerce (64 Water St., 207/853-4644, www.eastportchamber.net) as well as online at www.cobscookbay.com.
The handsome stone Peavey Memorial Library (26 Water St., Eastport, 207/853-4021), built in 1893, is named after the inventor of the Peavey grain elevator.
A public restroom is available at the library, and in summer there are portable toilets on Eastport’s breakwater.
Eastport is about 40 miles or one hour via Routes 189, 1, and 190 from Lubec. It’s about 28 miles or 40 minutes to Calais via Routes 190 and 1.
Eastport-Lubec Ferry (207/853-2635, www.eastportferry.com) offers passenger service between Lubec and Eastport. It departs up to six times daily, Tuesday-Sunday, including on Wednesday evenings in conjunction with the SummerKeys concert series in Lubec. Tickets are $19.50 adults, $10 children under 12. Bring a bicycle for $6; dogs are free.
If your next stop is New Brunswick, Canada, consider taking the funky two-stage boat-and-barge East Coast Ferries (877/747-2159, www.eastcoastferries.nb.ca, no credit cards, passport or passport card required) that connect through Deer Island to Campobello Island. It departs Eastport for Deer Island on the half hour 9:30am-6:30pm Atlantic time late June-early September; fares are $13/car plus $3/passenger over age 11, $18 maximum per car. It connects with the ferry from Deer Island to Campobello, which departs on the half hour 8:30am-6:30pm Atlantic time, $16/car and driver plus $3/passenger over age 11, $23 maximum per car. Motorcycles on each ferry are $8. All fares are subject to additional fuel surcharges. A separate free ferry connects Deer Isle to Letete, near St. Andrews. It departs Deer Isle on the hour 6am-10pm Atlantic time, and on the half hour 7:30am-6:30pm.
Calais (CAL-us, pop. 3,123) is as far as you’ll get on the coast of Maine; from here on, you’re headed inland. Europeans showed up in this area as early as 1604, when French adventurers established an ill-fated colony—the root of Acadian/Cajun civilization in New World—on St. Croix Island in the St. Croix River, 16 whole years before the Pilgrims even thought about Massachusetts. After a winter-long debacle, all became relatively quiet until 1779, when the first permanent settler arrived.
Southeast of Calais is tiny Robbinston (pop. 574), a booming shipbuilding community in the 19th century but today little more than a blip on the map.
Calais is a major border crossing into New Brunswick, Canada.
Pick up a copy of the Walking Tour Guide to Calais Residential Historic District at the Maine Tourism Information Center (39 Union St., Calais). The guide, produced by the St. Croix Historical Society, briefly covers the town’s history and maps and describes the architecture and early owners of 23 historic houses, four of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Acadian/Cajun civilization in North America has its roots on 6.5-acre St. Croix Island, an International Historic Site under joint U.S. and Canadian jurisdiction (Rte. 1, Red Beach Cove, eight miles south of Calais, 207/454-3871, www.nps.gov/sacr, free). The island is the site of the pioneering colony, the earliest European settlement in North America north of Florida, established by French explorers Samuel de Champlain and Pierre du Gua de Monts in 1604. Doomed by disease, mosquitoes, lack of food, and a grueling winter, 35 settlers died; in spring the emaciated survivors abandoned their effort and moved on to Nova Scotia. In 1969, archaeologists found the graves of 23 victims, but the only monument on the island is a commemorative plaque dating from 1904.
Unless you have your own boat, you can’t get over to the island, but you can stop at the mainland visitors center, partake in interpretation programs, and enjoy the heritage trail, with bronze statues depicting various key personae or cultures in the development of the colony. The trail ends on the point with views of the island. Also here are picnic tables, restrooms, a gravel beach, and a boat launch.
From the lovely Pikewoods Rest Area, beside Route 1 about four miles southeast of Calais, there’s a prime view of 32-foot-high Whitlock Mill Lighthouse on the southern shore of the St. Croix River. Built in 1892, the green flashing light is accessible only over private land, so check it out from this vantage point. You can also have a picnic break here.
A quirky little local feature, the Calais-Robbinston milestones are a dozen red-granite chunks marking each of the 12 miles between Robbinston and Calais. Presaging today’s highway mile markers, late-19th-century entrepreneur and journalist James S. Pike had the stones installed on the north side of Route 1 to keep track of the distance while training his pacing horses.
Music on the Green is a series of free concerts presented at 6:30pm in Triangle Park in downtown Calais.
Calais, Maine, and St. Stephen, New Brunswick, collaborate the first or second week of August for the nine-day International Festival of dinners, concerts, dances, a crafts fair, ball games, and a cross-border parade and road race. Newspapers carry schedules (note which events are on eastern time and which are on Atlantic time).
The Urban Moose (80 Main St., Calais, 207/454-8277) has an eclectic inventory that invites browsing. Books new, old, and rare are sold at the Calais Book Shop (405 Main St., Calais, 207/454-1110).
If you stop in at Katie’s on the Cove (Rte. 1, Mill Cove, Robbinston, 207/454-3297 or 800/494-5283), do so at your own risk—chocoholics may need a restraining order. Joseph and Lea Sullivan’s family operation, begun in 1982, has become a great success story. They now produce about four dozen varieties of homemade fudge, truffles, caramels, peanut brittle, and even marzipan. The shop, 12 miles southeast of Calais and about 15 miles west of Eastport, is no place for unruly or demanding kids—space is limited and the candy is pricey. Call for hours.
More than 50 miles of trails and gravel roads wind through the 17,257-acre Baring Unit of the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge (Charlotte Rd., Baring, 207/454-7161, http://moosehorn.fws.gov, sunrise-sunset daily, free), on the outskirts of Calais. Start with the 1.2-mile nature trail near the refuge headquarters and get ready for major-league wildlife-watching: 35 mammal and 220 bird species have been spotted in the refuge’s fields, forests, ponds, and marshes. Wear waterproof shoes and insect repellent. In August, help yourself to wild blueberries. During November deer-hunting season, either avoid the refuge Monday-Saturday or wear a hunter-orange hat and vest. Trails are accessible by snowshoe, snowmobile, or cross-country skis in winter. To reach refuge headquarters, take Route 1 north from downtown Calais about three miles. Turn left onto Charlotte Road, and go 2.4 miles to the headquarters sign. The office is open 8am-4pm Monday-Friday all year, except major national holidays; you can pick up free trail maps, bird checklists, and other informative brochures. Call ahead to learn about joining wildlife biologists on woodcock waterfowl banding trips. If you want to help support the conservation of wildlife in eastern Maine and educational programs, you can join Friends of Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge (www.friendsofmoosehorn.org). A check for a mere $15 will do the trick.
You can’t miss Katie’s on the Cove, a chocolate shop in Robbinston.
By the way, if you don’t have time to walk the trails, watch for the elevated artificial nesting platforms—avian high-rises for bald eagles—outside of Calais alongside Route 1 North, near the junction with Charlotte Road. Depending on the season, you may spot a nesting pair or even a fledgling. The chicks, usually twins but occasionally triplets, hatch around mid-May and try their wings by early August. A 400-square-foot observation deck across Route 1 is the best place for eagle-watching.
Continuing on Charlotte Road past the Moosehorn Refuge headquarters, you’ll come to Round Lake (locally called Round Pond), a lovely spot where you can picnic, swim, or put in a kayak or canoe. Across the road, with a great lake view, is the interesting old Round Pond Cemetery, dating from the early 19th century. (Why do graveyards often have the best views?) Just after the cemetery, a left turn puts you on Pennamaquam Lake Road (or Charlotte Road) toward Perry; a right turn takes you to Route 214, near Pembroke.
About six miles south of Calais, watch for signs pointing to Devil’s Head, and take the dirt road on the river side. The 318-acre site has a mile of frontage on the St. Croix River estuary and views to St. Croix Island. A road with two parking areas descends to the shoreline, and there are pit toilets and a marked hiking trail, approximately 1.5 miles looping from the road, leading to the highest point of coastal land north of Cadillac Mountain. The headland was originally called d’Orville Head but it morphed into Devil’s Head.
Calais has a lovely riverfront park at the foot of North Street. Pike’s is the perfect place for a picnic. From here you have access to the Calais Waterfront Walk, which edges the river, running for 0.9 mile upriver and 0.6 mile downriver.
At the nine-hole St. Croix Country Club (River Rd./Rte. 1, Calais, 207/454-8875, late Apr.-late Oct.), the toughest and most scenic hole is the seventh, one of five holes on the river side of Route 1.
Within easy walking distance of downtown is M Greystone Bed and Breakfast (13 Calais Ave., Calais, 207/454-2848, www.greystonecalaisme.com, $95), Alan and Candace Dwelley’s masterfully restored 1840 Greek Revival home. The property, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is an architectural gem within, with Corinthian columns and black marble fireplace mantels. One of the two guest rooms can be paired with a third, smaller room. The Dwelleys serve a more-than-full breakfast and are eager to share their recommendations for local sights and shopping.
The same family has owned and operated the International Motel (626 Main St., Calais, 207/454-7515 or 800/336-7515, www.theinternationalmotel.com, $65-85) since 1955. The nicest guest rooms are in the newer Riverview building. Some rooms have refrigerators; all have air-conditioning, TVs, and Wi-Fi. Pet-friendly rooms are available.
The Gothic-styled, gingerbread-trimmed Redclyffe Shore Motel and Dining Room (Rte. 1, Robbinston, 207/454-3270, www.redclyffeshoremotorinn.com, $85-95) sits on a bluff jutting into the St. Croix River as it widens into Passamaquoddy Bay. The 16 motel units have cable TV, phones, and sunset-facing river views. Redclyffe is locally popular for its greenhouse-style dining room with ocean views; dinner is served nightly from 5pm ($11-26). It’s 12 miles south of Calais.
Calais has few options for dining, and what’s available leans toward family fare or fast food. Days and hours of operation reflect peak season and are subject to change.
If you’re near downtown Calais, order picnic sandwiches to go at Border Town Subz (311 Main St., Calais, 207/454-8562, 10am-6pm Tues.-Fri., 10am-2pm Sat.), a reliable local favorite. Equally popular is The Sandwich Man (206 North St., 207/454-2460), just north of downtown on Route 1.
Fried foods, burgers, pizza, and reasonably priced dinner plates have earned Yancy’s (332 North St., Calais, 207/454-8200, 11am-8pm daily, entrées $5-15) a solid reputation with families.
The Nook and Cranny (575 Airline Rd./Rte. 9, Baileyville, 207/454-3335, www.nookncrannyrestaurant.com, 11am-9pm Tues.-Sun.) has a top-notch reputation among locals. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the interior is cozy, and the wide-ranging menu has a bit of this and some of that, with most choices in the $12-26 range.
The Sunrise County Farmers Market (10am-2pm Tues. late June-early Oct.) takes place in the downtown park.
The Maine Visitor Information Center (39 Union St., Calais, 207/454-2211) has free Wi-Fi, clean restrooms, and scads of brochures, including those produced by the St. Croix Valley Chamber of Commerce (207/454-2308 or 888/422-3112, www.visitcalais.com). The information center is open 8am-6pm daily mid-May-mid-October, 9am-5:30pm daily the rest of the year.
Check out Calais Free Library (Union St., Calais, 207/454-2758, www.calais.lib.me.us).
Public restrooms are available at the Maine Visitor Information Center and at the St. Croix International Heritage Site in Red Beach.
Calais is about 28 miles or 40 minutes from Eastport via Routes 190 and 1. It’s about 95 miles or two hours and 15 minutes to Bangor via Routes 1 and 9.
If you plan to cross into Canada, you’ll have to pass immigration checkpoints on both the U.S. (Calais, 207/454-3621) and Canadian (St. Stephen, 506/466-2363) ends of the bridges. Be sure to have the required identification (passport or passport card) and paperwork.
Pay attention to your watch too—Calais is on eastern time, whereas St. Stephen and the rest of New Brunswick is on Atlantic time, one hour later.
For a tiny community of 109 year-rounders, Grand Lake Stream has a well-deserved, larger-than-life reputation. It’s the center of a vast area of rivers and lakes, ponds and streams—a recreational paradise, and more than 35,000 acres, including 62 miles of shore frontage, has been preserved by the Downeast Lakes Land Trust (www.downeastlakes.org). It’s the town at the end of the world, remote in every sense of the word, yet just a half hour or so inland from Calais.
The famous stream is a narrow three-mile neck of prime scenic and sportfishing water connecting West Grand Lake and Big Lake. A dam spans the bottom of West Grand, and just downstream is a state-run salmon hatchery. Since the mid-19th century, the stream and its lakes have been drawing fishing fans to trout and landlocked-salmon spawning grounds, and fourth and fifth generations now return here each year.
Fly-fishing enthusiasts arrive May-June for landlocked salmon and smallmouth bass (the stream itself is fly-fishing only); families show up July-August for canoeing, bird-watching, swimming, fishing, and hiking; hunters arrive in late October for game birds and deer; and snowmobilers, snowshoers, and cross-country skiers descend as the snow piles up.
Canoe building has contributed to the area’s mystique. The distinctive Grand Lake canoe (or “Grand Laker”), a lightweight, square-sterned, motorized 20-footer, was developed in the 1920s specifically for sportfishing in these waters. In the off-season, several villagers still hunker down in their workshops and turn out these stable cedar beauties. (Interested? Call Bill Shamel, 207/796-8199.)
The region has the greatest concentration of Registered Maine Guides in the state, which gives you an indication of the fishing, hunting, and canoeing opportunities here. Truly the best way to experience Grand Lake Stream is with a member of the Grand Lake Stream Guides Association (www.grandlakestreamguides.com). The website lists members and specialties. You can arrange for one of these skilled guides to lead you on a fishing expedition, wildlife or photographic safari, or canoeing trip for a half day or longer.
If you’re in Grand Lake Stream only for the day, head for the public landing (bear right after the intersection with the Pine Tree Store), where you’ll find a parking area, a dock, a portable toilet, and a boat launch. You can also walk the path on the eastern shore of the stream. Or, armed with a map from the Pine Tree Store, hike the 2.6-mile Little Mayberry Cove Trail edging the western shoreline of West Grand Lake.
Better yet, plan a day with a guide. The region has the greatest concentration of Registered Maine Guides in the state, which gives you an indication of the fishing, hunting, and canoeing opportunities here. Truly the best way to experience Grand Lake Stream is on a fishing expedition, canoeing trip, or photographic safari with a member of the Grand Lake Stream Guides Association (www.grandlakestreamguides.com).
A great time to visit the village is the last full weekend in July for the annual Grand Lake Stream Folk Art Festival (207/796-8199, www.grandlakestreamfolkartfestival.com, 10am-5pm Sat.-Sun., $8), held on the town’s grassy ball field. Tents shelter approximately 50 top-notch juried artisans. Nonstop bluegrass and folk music is another attraction. An exhibit highlights the region’s canoe-building tradition, and another displays antique and contemporary quilts. Complementing the festival are lakeside lobster and chicken barbecues by the guides. A music jam, open to anyone, occurs Sunday morning. Leashed pets are welcome on festival grounds.
Cabin accommodations, with or without meals, are the lodgings of choice in Grand Lake Stream, and there’s enough variety for every taste and budget. Few guests stay one night; most stay several days or a week. Rates quoted below are for two; many cabins can sleep more than that, and rates may be lower for extra people. Some housekeeping cabins require your own sheets and towels. Most camps have boat rentals for about $25-50/day (a motor brings the total to about $50-75).
Weatherby’s (3 Water St., Grand Lake Stream, 877/796-5558. www.weatherbys.com), an Orvis-endorsed fly-fishing lodge with roots in the late 1800s, is an institution in these parts. Guests stay in 15 rustic cottages and cabins, all with fireplace or woodstove, screened porch, and bathroom. Meals are served in the main lodge, a comfy spot with a library of sporting books and magazines, fly-tying bench, and piano. American Plan rates (from $159 pp adults, $75 ages 10-15, $55 ages 4-9) include breakfast, lunch, and dinner; housekeeping rates, no meals, are $60 pp, $25 ages 5-15. Dogs are $15/day.
Mike and Jean Lombardo’s Shore Line Camps (207/796-5539, www.shorelinecamps.com, no credit cards) has eight 1-3-bedroom housekeeping cabins, most fronting right on Big Lake. All have spotless pine interiors and full kitchens. The base rate is $50 pp, $25 ages 2-12, but all cabins have a minimum rate per night. Canoes, rowboats, and motorboats are available for rental.
Leen’s Lodge (207/796-2929 or 800/995-3367, www.leenslodge.com, May-Oct.), on a spacious wooded shore and peninsula of West Grand Lake, has 10 small and large rustic cabins with baths. Rates, including breakfast, pack lunch, and dinner, begin around $145 pp. Children 6-12 and under pay $10 multiplied by their age; children 5 and younger are free. Housekeeping rates are also sometimes available. Leashed pets are welcome, and kennels are provided. BYOB. Canoe and motorboat rentals should be arranged in advance.
Grand Lake Lodge (207/796-5584, www.grandlakelodgemaine.com, from $45 pp or from $500/week, no credit cards), on the shore of West Grand Lake and two blocks from the village center and with a safe swimming area, is a particularly good choice for families.
The Lakeside (14 Rolfe St., Princeton, 888/677-2874, www.thelakeside.org) is set well back from Route 1 on Lewy Lake, which flows through Long Lake into Big Lake. Gary and Jennifer Dubovick have five housekeeping cabins ($65-85) along the lakeshore plus eight housekeeping rooms (one with private bath) in the main house ($50 without breakfast). Rooms are comfy, have TVs, and there’s also Wi-Fi, a living room with a TV, and a billiards room. If you want breakfast, a box lunch, dinner, and maid service, add $75 pp/day. Guide services and boat rentals are available.
The heart of Grand Lake Stream is the Pine Tree Store (3 Water St., Grand Lake Stream, 207/796-5027). People have been getting their gas and groceries here for more than 60 years. It’s also a good source of local information (and gossip), and it sells pizza, sandwiches, and general-store merchandise.
The Old School Family Restaurant (46 Main St., Princeton, 207/796-5254, 5am-2pm Mon.-Wed., 5am-7pm Thurs.-Fri., 6am-2pm Sat.-Sun.) is a find for fans for good home cookin’ at reasonable prices. Go for breakfast; the homemade toast is reason enough. Dinner options range from sandwiches to a fried seafood platter ($7-19).
Both Leen’s Lodge and Weatherby’s open their dining rooms to guests by reservation. Expect to pay $25-35 for a full meal.
The volunteer-run Grand Lake Stream Chamber of Commerce (www.grandlakestream.org) produces a brochure listing accommodations, shops, and services.
Grand Lake Stream is about 32 miles or 45 minutes from Calais via Route 1 and the Grand Lake Stream Road. It’s about 80 miles or 1.75 hours to Houlton via Route 1 or about 115 miles or 2.25 hours to Bangor via Routes 1 and 9.
