719. Penobscot Bay

Where: Maine

When: August 2 - 10, 2014

With: Dave

Maine is an ocean-centric state filled with lobsters, lighthouses and sailboats. These three mascots of the Maine culture can be found all along the coast, but a good chunk of them are in the large bay that hugs a portion of the Maine coastline called the Penobscot Bay. Filled with tiny islands and creating several inlets along the craggy coastline, it is a gorgeous backdrop for a road trip along the water. And during our week in Maine, we got to explore it from several different angles, from the Kennebunks to Acadia.

Our first stop upon arriving for our trip was at the Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland, Maine. Sitting right on the bay, this little coastal town is taken over for five days every August by the red-clawed crustaceans. Picture a carnival, with rides and shops and local artists, but the main food served is every form of lobster possible.

From arrival, it was clear the locals have embraced this festival.

I am also embracing this Maine life.

The tents of the festival create long alleyways of shops amidst the rides and sell all kinds of Maine and lobster paraphernalia. 

But really, let's talk about the lobster. Signs for lobster meals were everywhere, often shrouded in the steam coming from pots all over the place. How do we even choose which one to eat?

We started with a lobster roll, just to get the party going. 

Then we headed to a big tent where lobsters were being churned out super fast and efficient. 

Just slap them on a tray with a roll, take one and go. Bib and everything included!

Side of steamers for me too, please!

We are definitely excited and happy to be in Maine! This lobster was the best I've ever had. So fresh, juicy and meaty. It was amazing!

A display of lobster cages beside our tent. Appropriate decor. 

After lunch, we headed to view the town's lighthouse, the Rockland Harbor Breakwater Lighthouse. It sat at the end of a long jetty, jutting out into the bay and at first, it looked more like a little house than a lighthouse. 

The views out here were pretty gorgeous. 

A beautiful first day in Maine. 

From here, we drove south to the Kennebunks and spent a couple days there. On our drive back north, we took a quick pitstop in Portland to view the Portland Head Lighthouse. While not technically on the Penobscot Bay, it is one of Maine's most famous lighthouses. 

From here, the craggy coastline of Maine is abundantly clear. 

So craggy in fact, that it's not hard to believe that shipwrecks have occurred here.

A beautiful coastal trail runs along the water from here. We took a little walk to see some beautiful wildflowers and more views of the harbor.

The view back on Portland Head. 

At the end of the trail is the Spring Head Lighthouse, another one that sits out at the end of a long jetty. 

After all the lighthouses, we continued our drive north to the town of Wicasset where a local legend sits: Red's Eats. In operation since 1938, Red's is an actual lobster shack, the whole kitchen being no larger than a minivan. However, the lines to eat here go all the way down the block. 

The wait wasn't too bad and it was well worth it. These lobster rolls were fantastic!

And since you have to eat outside, the views aren't too bad either!

From here, we continued driving north to Acadia National Park where, as I stated in my previous post, Dave and I got engaged. After our time there, we were still happy to be "off the grid" enjoying one-on-one time, so the next stop on our trip couldn't have been a better way to continue the vibe. In order to get the true Penobscot Bay experience, we were spending our last three days on a a Maine Windjammer Cruise and sailing the Penobscot Bay. 

We set sail from the town of Camden, Maine. A windjammer, or tall ship, is basically a large, old sailboat with really tall masts meant to lug cargo up and down the coast. Our ship was named the Mercantile. Built in 1916, she operated in this bay almost her entire career. There were about 20 guests and 5 crew members aboard. 

Our cabins were adorably tiny. There really wasn't much to them, other than a bed cut into the wall so that we had to be really careful not to sit up too quickly and bang our heads. There was just enough room for our stuff (and my bouquet of flowers from Acadia <3). And also, no electricity anywhere on board. This definitely would be off-the-grid.

Those two tiny doors are the entrance to the hallways where our cabins are.

Once we were settled, we found a spot on deck and took in the views. The massive sails overhead went so far up, and all the wood on the ship was so smooth and lacquered.

The very old anchor.

The 360 view.

Two happy kids.

We grabbed ourselves a couple of beers, and enjoyed the quiet of sailing with almost none of the work. All we could hear were the waves and the wind.

In the afternoon, lunch was served. It was simple, homemade and delicious. Every meal was cooked below deck, and while we had to help with the dishes, it was worth it to sit on deck and eat this way. 

While eating up on deck was preferable, down below, the galley was a pretty cool place for meals. It was definitely a tight squeeze to get down there, and the ceilings were pretty low, but it was very cool.

As the sun started to set, a small rainstorm blew through. 

But the crew hung tarps and we had beer so we were perfectly content. 

Once the rain passed, we had a cookout over the edge of the boat with hot dogs on the grill. It couldn't have been a prettier way to end the day. 

Some of the women on board thought it was so cute we were recently engaged that they insisted on taking "engagement photos" for us. Sounds good to me!

We sat docked in the quiet bay for the night and went to sleep to the gentle rocking of the water. With no electricity, it was amazing how early we fell asleep.

We woke up to a perfect, clear day with an equally clear bay underneath us. 

We rode the boat early over to a small town called Castine. This used to be the capital of Acadia back in the day. To reach it, we had to climb off the Mercantile into a dinghy to be taken on shore. 

More "engagement photos" in the dinghy!

The town was small and quaint, with a beautiful coastal hike through a neighborhood of Victorian homes. It also had a famous fort, Fort Pentagoet, which changed hands between the English, French, and Dutch several times. 

A view back on the Mercantile as headed back to the ship. 

After returning to the ship, we got to help pull up the sails. First Dave helped. 

Then me.

A hard day's work.

After that, we didn't have much else to do but sail around and get to know the crew and passengers. 

For starters, our captain may look like a preppy New Englander, but he was a salty sea dog in a polo shirt. He was from Gloucester, and had the heavy accent to prove it. 

The captain's gear. Some of the relics are originals from the ship (like the compass) and we even got a demonstration on the sound a conch shell makes when you blow into it.

Then there was Obie, an Amish guy that had a cutting sense of humor (or he just hated our evil modern ways). He didn't smile much, but I think he got a kick out of us.

And finally this guy. He was just a free spirit who wanted to learn sailing, so he decided to pick it up this summer. He was just one of those people who just gets it with no problem. 

The crew, working together.

So for the day, we just sailed around and enjoyed the views and read. It was so simple, but so peaceful. We watched other boats lazily drifting past us and enjoyed the terrain of the Maine coast as it passed by. 

The view of the Mercantile.

At one point, we got into a bit of a "sailing race" with another ship. Slowest race ever, but still beautiful.

Lazing on deck.

Another lighthouse. Shocking.

Starting to wind down the day.

Time to help bring down the sails.

We returned to the same bay as the night before to tuck in for the night. And enjoyed some more spectacular views of the sunset.

The whole sky was bathed in orange for awhile. 

More "engagement photos".

Another full moon.

After dinner, Obie got out an accordion and started playing and singing for us while the sun went down. It was magical.

So we had a few beers on the top deck of the ship as the sun went down and couldn't be more relaxed.

Goodnight, moon!

The next morning, we had an early rise and a quick sail back to harbor. One last lighthouse for the road.

Before we go, we need to act like pirates. Just once.

And one last "engagement photo". I do love how much these ladies took our pictures.

Sad view: the harbor of Camden.

Actually, the sail through the harbor was kind of cool. We just kept picking out which boat we were going to buy now that we feel like expert boatsmen.

Which kind? Definitely a tall ship. Because this was such a relaxing cruise. And the Penboscot Bay had so much to offer throughout. What an amazing week in Maine! And I snagged a husband out of it!