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Rugged coastline, sparkling lakes, thick forests, tall mountains.
A New England Summer in Vacationland is pure natural beauty.
New England Summer
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Our New England Summer started with a long drive from Lake George, NY to the State of Maine. Covering nearly 400 miles, we passed through some amazing landscapes as we drove eastward, including Upstate New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire.
At Hampton, NH we turned to the north and followed I-95 along the Atlantic coast. Our destination was near the City of Bangor, in south-central Maine. We arrived at the Pumpkin Patch RV Resort in Hermon, ME and parked in a secluded spot on the east end of the property under a giant shade tree.
The Bangor area is a good central location for exploring the Downeast region.
Our points of interest included various lighthouses along the southern coastline, Acadia National Park, the Bar Harbor area, and the forested lake region stretching north to Canada.
New England Summer
We settled-in for a long stay as we knew there would be some incredible sights to see here. Our first outing was a short 35-mile drive south to the small coastal town of Belfast. This charming maritime village was once home to the Penobscot tribe of the Abenaki people. The town was established in the 1770’s and was a prosperous ship-building community for generations. We enjoyed our first taste of local New England clam chowder at a quaint dockside restaurant called Nautilus Seafood & Grill.
For our next excursion we traveled towards Acadia to see the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse. About 60 miles from Hermon, near Tremont, the lighthouse was built in 1858 to help guide vessels in and out of Bass Harbor. Perched high on a cliffside 56 feet above the water, it is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the Acadia region.
Around Hermon and the Bangor area we visited several interesting locations, including …
One of our favorite local restaurants in the Bangor area was the High Tide Restaurant and Bar. Located in the neighboring community of Brewer, just across the Penobscot River near the Union Street bridge, this is where I had my first taste of fresh Maine lobster.
Hermon, ME
Bangor, ME
New England Summer
We made multiple trips to the north and west to see more of the Maine countryside. Rich with sparkling lakes, thick forests, and tall mountains, we had high hopes for spotting a moose in the wild. Although Maine has one of the largest populations of moose in the U.S., they are apparently some very elusive creatures because we did not see a single one the whole time we were there.
Here is a short list of some beautiful places we experienced …
Moosehead Lake: About 100 miles north of Hermon this deep blue lake is Maine’s largest. With over 100 square miles of surface area and more than 400 miles of shoreline, there are over 80 islands on the lake. Although a bit chilly, the crystal-clear waters are ideal for watersports of all kinds, including swimming, fishing, kayaking, and canoeing.
Rangeley Lake: On the remote west side of the state this lake is a 10-square-mile body of water. A perfect place to hear the loons calling across the open waters on a warm summer evening. The scenic byway to get there showcases some of the best landscapes Maine has to offer.
Cascade Stream Gorge Trail: Close to Rangely Lake this easy-to-access 1-mile loop trail through a 90-foot-deep gorge area provides access to a series of waterfalls and chutes. We spent a couple hours there hiking, climbing, and exploring the quiet nature trail.
Grafton Notch State Park: Situated along the edge of the New Hampshire border, about 130 miles from Hermon, this beautiful state park lies within some of Maine’s most spectacular mountain country; the Mahoosuc Range. These lands offer nearly 10,000 acres of rugged terrain for backcountry hikers that includes 12 miles of the famous Appalachian Trail.
Baxter State Park: Home to the highest point in Maine, Mount Katahdin, this is where the Appalachian Trail begins (or ends). The vast park encompasses over 200,000 acres of stunning and pristine Maine wilderness. About 70 miles north from Hermon on I-95 is an awesome scenic overlook near Medway, offering a wonderful horizon view of the big mountain. We drove deep into the park until the pavement ended. We continued for another mile or so and parked for a picnic lunch, viewing majestic Mount Katahdin.
Fort Kent: Almost 200 miles to the north of Hermon on the Canadian border, this old town and fort is a historic site. Fort Kent began as a small military installation during the Aroostook War of the late 1830s. I knew about the agricultural reputation Downeast, but was surprised by the impressive number of potato fields and farms here.
New England Summer
On one occasion Cheri ventured out on her own to Augusta, Maine.
Home to one of her favorite home remodeling shows, the Maine Cabin Masters, Cheri visited their headquarters and store.
Of course, she spotted a few of the stars from the show while browsing!
We turned our attention back to the rugged Maine coastline and made several trips to the headline attraction, Acadia National Park. We visited many of the spotlight locations inside the park, focusing on the Park Loop Road …
We also booked a sight-seeing cruise from Bar Harbor that took us out to the Egg Rock Lighthouse, down to the southern coastline, to Sutton Island and back. It was such a perfect day that Gypsy was able to enjoy the boat ride with us! By land or by sea, Acadia’s natural beauty is simply magical!
New England Summer
The next few outings took us back towards Belfast and southward along US Highway 1. We wanted to see a few locations down that way.
Located inside the Camden Hills State Park is Mount Battie, a spectacular panoramic view of Penobscot Bay, Camden Harbor, and the surrounding islands. As I stood there soaking in the view enjoying the soft breeze flowing over the ridgetop, I found myself imagining what it might have been like for young English soldiers standing watch over the bay as giant ships would come and go from Camden Harbor with their massive sails unfurled to the wind. What a sight it must have been!
Several local companies operate pleasure cruises on old-fashioned sailing vessels out of Camden, such as the Windjammer.
We did not go out on one of those old boats, but saw several moving across the bay from high atop Mount Battie that day.
A little further south from Mount Battie is the Owls Head Lighthouse. Since 1825, Owls Head has stood high atop a steep rise near Rockland Harbor, offering sweeping views of the sparkling Penobscot Bay. We visited the 1854 Keeper’s Quarters Museum, featuring exhibits on Owls Head Light and the modern-day lighthouse keeping role of the US Coast Guard.
Our main point of interest to the south was Marshall Point Lighthouse. Made famous in the movie, Forest Gump, this lighthouse is prominently featured in the 1994 Tom Hanks film as part his “running days”. The iconic elevated walkway leading out to the lighthouse offers a perfect photo opportunity. We wandered all over the 4-acre site capturing keepsake images.
Inside the Marshall Point lighthouse keeper’s home is a museum of cool exhibits about the lighthouse, and of course, Forest Gump. Fun fact … did you know that the person running in the movie is actually Tom’s bother, Jim Hanks?
We concluded our Maine explorations with one final lighthouse visit. Two-and-a-half hours to the east from Hermon is the 1808 West Quoddy Head Light Station. Besides being an amazingly beautiful location with a historical and rare lighthouse, Quoddy has a geographical distinction that many may not be aware of. Called the Easternmost Point, Quoddy Head is the furthest east one can go (on land) in the continental United States.
More than just a lighthouse, Quoddy is also a state park offering over 530 acres and more than 4 miles of coastal trails to explore. We did some nature exploring of our own, enjoying quiet trails and rocky coastline along the eastern edge of the U.S.A.
As our time in Vacationland drew to a close, we reflected on how amazing this place is. What an incredible gift of creation and abundant natural beauty! We saw only a small portion of all that Maine has to offer. I suspect we could have stayed there the entire summer and not seen it all.
Our New England summer was off to a fantastic start and could not have gone any better. We packed-up the rig and headed out to begin Part 2 of our New England summer in the gorgeous Green Mountains of Vermont!
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