Day 1 – Tuesday, August 3, 2021
Travel to Boothbay Harbor for a unique Maine coast adventure. Check into your waterfront inn in Boothbay Harbor for three nights at Boothbay Harbor Inn, located within walking distance of the footbridge that connects to the “downtown” center of Boothbay Harbor where there are many shops and art galleries to explore. The hotel features beautiful sunsets from this side of the harbor. Get ready for your Maine Lobster Dinner with all the fixin’s while enjoying the beautiful views of the cove. Don your souvenir Maine lobster hat for this traditional downeast feast. An alternate menu is available for any landlubbers. (Lobster Dinner)
Day 2 – Wednesday, August 4, 2021
A full breakfast at the hotel this morning. Today you’ll enjoy a Nature Sightseeing Puffin-watching Cruise to Eastern Egg Rock, like an ocean-going treasure hunt…. you just never know what’s going to show up! As we travel through Boothbay harbor and search for all the marvelous sea creatures which call this area their home, seals often surface near the boat, or can be found sunning themselves on the rocks. A loon flies by and a Minke Whale surprises everyone with its sheer size and bulk. And, of course there are lighthouses, which we know as permanent treasures here on the Maine Coast. Truly a magnificent “Seafari” for all nature lovers and a wonderful experience with terrific scenery and miles of coastline between Boothbay Harbor and Eastern Egg Rock. But the real treat is in seeing the busy and exciting colony of Atlantic Puffins at their southernmost nesting island in all of North America! Have lunch on your own in this popular resort town which has retained the atmosphere of an old New England village. Fishing craft lie alongside wharves that follow the quaint, winding village streets. Yachtsmen and artists began vacationing here in the early 1900’s. You’ll have free time to explore the local galleries, boutiques and plenty of casual restaurants from which to choose. This afternoon you’ll take a guided tour of the new Coastal Maine Botanical Garden. See the beautiful coastline along woodland paths and along the river bank. Here the majestic Maine woods meet the rocky shore. The wetlands shore and the fern glens meet the moss and lichen covered ledges in a variety of special theme gardens such as the wildflower garden and the children’s garden (the most popular!). Guided tour lasts approximately one hour, followed by free time to explore at your own pace. Return to the hotel and freshen up for Dinner at a local favorite. (Breakfast & Dinner)
Day 3 – Thursday, August 5, 2021–Maine Lobster Festival has been CANCELLED
Enjoy a full breakfast this morning before traveling to Rockland, the Lobster Capital of the World – the REAL MAINE! Before arriving in Rockland, you’ll stop for a photo and perhaps climb to the top at the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, one of Maine’s most scenic beacons and the light featured on the Maine state quarter. Then it’s onto Rockland, the entry point to Penobscot Bay, perhaps the most scenic body of water on the eastern seaboard. You’ll see quiet little protected harbors filled with working lobster boats. Ospreys and bald eagles nest high in the spruces along the rugged shores, deer browse the open fields, moose forage the wetlands and harbor seals make their annual pilgrimage to quiet coves.
Meet your local guide for a narrated tour of Camden and Rockport. Your tour includes a photo stop atop Mt. Battie in Camden Hills State Park – where the mountains meet the sea. You will see the towns made famous by the movie Peyton Place, a seal named Andre, and poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. Continue south to Rockland, the Lobster Capital of Maine – free time to explore Rockland Harbor Boardwalk on the waterfront and Project Puffin Visitor Center!
On your way back to Boothbay Harbor, stop for some unique, handmade souvenirs at the Maine State Prison Store Showroom. Great bargains available here as all wood products are individually handcrafted by inmates working in the prison workshop. A Lobster choice Dinner in Boothbay Harbor. (Breakfast & Dinner)
Day 4 – Friday, August 6, 2021
A full breakfast included at the hotel this morning before checking out. Then we make our way to the Maine Maritime Museum, located on the banks of the Kennebec River, the museum depicts Maine’s shipbuilding industry from the 1600’s to the present. Numerous hands on exhibits, boat building demonstrations, a lobstering exhibit and a special lighthouse exhibit
Next, travel south to Kennebunkport, Maine, nestled between the Kennebunk river and the ocean. Free time in “Dock Square” for shopping and lunch on own, home of fine gift shops, clothing, and some of the finest restaurants on the Maine Coast before departing for home with your coastal memories. (Breakfast)
