Downeast & Acadia

Is this where “Downeast” begins?

Some say there’s something exceptional about the area around Bangor and Mount Desert Island. For this particular location has been suggested as the starting place for, Downeast? Maine. It then stretches on along the coast toward the Canadian border. There are others who consider the northern sections of Maine as Downeast, while some give this curious designation to the entire state.

Depending on who’s talking, Downeast could be anyplace east of the present spot. It’s clear that the expression Downeast can have a variety of locations. After years of nurturing perhaps it’s not so much a place as a state of mind.

The term first caught on when vacationers coming from Boston had to wait for an easterly breeze before they could sail. So they would be heading downwind toward the east. Hence: Downeast.

To add to the mystique the return trip could be called going up to Boston, a clear confusion of map reading.

Follow the Penobscot River south and you’ll see the new Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory, a marvel of bridge engineering. One of its support structures has an observations tower with a panoramic view of the surrounding area.

In Prescott there’s great fun for kids to explore the hidden passages and tunnels of Fort Knox. Bucksport and Ellsworth provide you with gift and antique shops, restaurants, galleries and a variety of lodging places, along with outdoor and water sports.

Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park are often linked because of their overlapping geography. More than 4 million vacationers each year have been charmed by the island’s mountain, ocean and woodland vistas. Towns on the island that share their popularity with vacationers include Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor and Tremont among others. Each has a rich history, personality and a host of attractions you’ll enjoy.

Ask the locals and those in Washington County will all agree that this is the “real Downeast Maine”. The eastern most county in the United States boasts a rugged rocky coast, gorgeous vistas, a variety of recreational activities and the first sunrise in the U.S. every day! For a relaxing, breathtaking, interesting yet peaceful vacation Washington County is the perfect place … but don’t forget your passport and then you can turn your getaway into a “two nation vacation” with a ferry ride over to Canada!

Wherever you travel “Downeast” you can be certain that your visit will be filled with spectacular sights, fun and fond memories.

Whale Watching

If you really want to have a “whale” of a good time when you visit Maine, be sure to hop aboard one of the dozens of coastal cruising vessels dedicated to tracking down these majestic creatures. Whale watching season runs from as early as mid-April to October as they spend time feeding as close as 20 miles off the Maine coast on their way to warmer climes.

The rich and productive waters of the Gulf of Maine provide an important feeding ground to whales. During the summer there are whale watching trips that head out from Kittery to Eastport and Bar Harbor, and all points in between, in search of the largest animals on earth. Common whale species that can be sighted from these trips include: Humpback, Finback, Minke, Right, Pilot and also white-sided dolphins and harbor porpoise. Most whales arrive back in Maine waters in April and May and then stay through October and November. They are here to feed on small fish, squid or animal plankton like krill and copepods. It is important for them to eat a lot, sometimes 2,000 to 4,000 pounds per day, to build up a thick layer of blubber to sustain them during the winter, when many of them migrate south and go with less or in some cases no food.

“You can look for whales, eagles, seals, porpoises, herring weirs and salmon pens,” says skipper Butch Harris of Eastport Windjammers. Harris and his family have been guiding family-friendly whale watching trips for more than 40 years. A commercial fisherman during the off-season, he also takes guests on sunset cruises, fishing expeditions and bird-watching adventures. “Bring a picnic lunch and extra clothing,” Harris advises, “because it may become cool on the open deck.” Binoculars and cameras also are a must. “The pictures you’ll take will be worth more than a thousand words.”

Humpback whales are certainly a highlight as they have many exciting behaviors including breaching, spy-hopping, lobe-tailing, and flipper flapping. On one of our trips we had a Humpback Whale named Flicker breach 56 times in a row! Many of the whales seen each year are recognize by distinctive color patterns on the underside of each tail and scaring and shape unique to each Fluke (whale’s tail). The ability to tell humpback whales apart was discovered right here in Maine by the whale research group Allied Whale at College of the Atlantic. They maintain a research station at Mount desert rock, a 3.5 acre lighthouse island twenty five miles offshore, and the North Atlantic Humpback Whale Catalogue. This Catalogue presently holds over 6,000 different humpback tails and 10’s of thousands of pictures.

Harris, who can take up to 88 people per trip out to sea aboard his 118-foot schooner the Ada C. Lore, says even without a whale siting his cruises are popular. “You can still see plenty of wildlife,” he notes. “There’s always something to see.” Not spotting at least one whale—and sometimes up to five—is rare, though. “We have a success rate of 95-98 percent,” says Harris, who enjoys the cruises as much as his passengers.

“I like the reactions in people who’ve never seen a whale before,” he says. “I’ve seen everything from people crying to jumping up and down on the deck.”

So don’t forget to include whale watching on your list of “things to do” while visiting Maine. This is one of the best places in the world to see a great variety of whales and to see them feeding at the surface and chasing fish out of the water.

(Article written in part by Zack Klyver, Naturalist, Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co.)

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MACHIAS BAY AREA

Jonesboro, Centerville, and Whitneyville lie west and north of Machias. In these wooded river towns, boating, fishing swimming, hiking, and hunting are popular activities. Jonesboro has the grave site of Hannah Weston who with her sister carried powder and lead to Machias patriots for their capture of the British warship Margaretta. Whitneyville is an ending point for canoe trips down the Machias River; its Fairgrounds are the site of rodeos and exhibitions.

Historical sites in Machias, the county seat, include the beautiful Centre Street Congregational Church and Maine’s oldest building east of Bangor ~ the Burnham Tavern Museum, which contains items related to the 1775 capture of the British ship Margaretta by local citizens who won America’s first naval battle of the Revolutionary War. The University of Machias, America’s easternmost college campus, is here and the town often is used as a base for ATV day trips.

The Roque Bluffs State Park has a half-mile-long sandy beach. Route 92 in Machiasport is one of the county’s most scenic, with beautiful views of Machias Bay, Fort O’Brien State Park, and Jasper Beach, one of the world’s two jasper beaches. Attractions include the Gates House Museum, Indian petroglyphs more than 1,500 years old on Hog Island, and the Libby Island Lighthouse.

The photogenic town of East Machias contains several historic buildings, including Washington Academy and the beautiful Congregational Church. The East Machias River, which flows through the center of town, offers fishing and whitewater canoeing. The 11,000-acre Rocky Lake Public Reserve, north of town, provides boat launches, campsites, and fishing!

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EASTPORT

Here in Eastport, the easternmost city in the U.S., the sun and the moon rise over Campobello Island and the photo ops are everywhere. For those who want an active outdoor experience, there are ocean kayaking, deep-sea fishing, golf and hiking, as well as swimming, fishing and canoeing in nearby lakes. For a more leisurely stay, try dining out on locally-caught seafood, seasonal whale watching aboard the schooner Sylvina Beal, shopping for antiques and Maine-made art and crafts in the galleries and shops on Water Street, attending a concert of classical or country music at the Arts Center, selecting fresh organic produce and meats at the weekly farmers’ market, or simply relaxing to enjoy the breathtaking views and the massive ocean tides. We’re a welcoming community, proud of our artists, fishermen and farmers, supportive of a wide range of cultural activities, and eager to make our visitors feel at home.

Eastport is a working waterfront, with fishermen bringing in their catch of lobsters, scallops, clams, mussels, crabs, mackerel and halibut. Two tugboats assist freighters that bring in wind turbine blades and leave with wood products. You can catch your own fish off the Breakwater, no license required. Nothing beats the taste of freshly-caught seafood!

The walkable downtown, a National Historic District, was completely rebuilt after a disastrous fire in October 1886. Here you can visit the Tides Institute and Museum of Art, the Peavey Library, the country’s oldest ship’s chandlery and a variety of restaurants. A little farther from downtown you’ll find the nation’s oldest working stone-ground mustard mill, a world-renowned boat-building school, hiking trails, and an airport equipped for executive jets. Some visitors arrive by car, others by boat or plane, and stay in a variety of accommodations from motels and B & Bs, to campgrounds.

The Passamaquoddy Tribe of nearby Pleasant Point shares its strong history and culture, most notably during Indian Days every August. Traditional Native baskets made from sweetgrass and ash are available downtown.

Other festivals include Maine’s best Fourth of July celebration, also known as Old Home Week, a time for families and friends to reunite and celebrate old-fashioned values. Don’t forget the Pirate Festival and Salmon Sunday in mid-September, and our very special New Year’s Eve festivities.

The Eastport Arts Center is the thriving hub of our creative community. Its programs include a theater company, a youth string orchestra, a symphony orchestra, an art gallery, arts education classes, a film society and a concert series that brings many music and drama groups here to perform.

Bring your passport: the border with Canada runs down the middle of Passamaquoddy Bay between Maine and New Brunswick, making Campobello, Grand Manan and Deer Islands our international neighbors. Visiting is easy, by car or ferry, and nearby sights include the Roosevelt family’s summer home on Campobello and many lighthouses.

If you’re interested in a three-nation vacation with lots of possibilities for every member of the family, consider making Eastport your destination.

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LUBEC

Route 189 leads to the town of Lubec which was founded in 1811 and prospered from more than twenty sardine canneries and shipbuilding.

With nearly 100 miles of coastline, Lubec offers a unique and ideal travel destination with unmatched natural beauty, immense tides, a wonderful climate, parks, museums, culture, and the friendliest people.

Lubec is the eastern-most town in the United States … you can be the first to see the sunrise in the U.S. here.

Nearby you’ll find the West Quoddy Head Light and State Park. The candi-striped lighthouse is Maine’s most photographed. Make a note to stop at the Visitor Center with a museum, gift shop and gallery. Hiking trails offer picturesque views where you might catch seals playing in the ocean, whales, fishermen hauling their daily catch, and waves crashing on the rocks.

Lubec hosts Summer Keys, and adult music camp that features weekly evening concerts, and The Easternmost Institute for the Arts, which presents a variety of summer workshops for adults and children. Lubec also boasts Washington County’s only garden on the Maine Garden & Landscape Trail. Also, includes in the “arts”, Lubec offers “Jazz in Lubec”~ a week of jazz performances in August, and Summer Brushes ~ a painting workshop program.

Across the international bridge from Lubec (bring your passport) lies beautiful Campobello Island. In the U.S. Campobello may be best known for being FDR’s “beloved island”. The historic 2,800 acre Roosevelt-Campobello International Park offers a visitor center, gardens, and tours of the Roosevelt’s 34-room “summer cottage”.

The quaint waterfront village of Lubec offers a variety of lodging accommodations from charming inns to motels and private home rentals. There are lovely cafes, chocolatiers, restaurants, gift shops, and pubs. Enjoy strolling Water Street where you’ll also find a public library , galleries, and friendly-folk that all say hello!

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EASTPORT

Eastport is known as the easternmost city in the continental U.S. and consists entirely of small islands connected to the mainland by a causeway. Eastport’s harbor remained ice-free year-round which helped it to become one of the most industrial fishing ports in Maine; operating as many as 13 sardine factories at its peak.

Today, though fishing is still the primary industry; vacationers find Eastport a beautiful and fascinating place to visit. Tourists can find a variety of accommodations from hotels to family camping, great restaurants, cafes, and eateries serving the best seafood fare, and wonderful shops that sell Maine-made products like Shell Art and Porcupine Quill Baskets.

For the sports enthusiast your opportunities include: sailing, kayaking, fishing, hiking, beachcombing, golfing, whale watching and more.

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ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

Acadia National Park dominates much of Mount Desert Island. It covers more than 40,000 acres or about two-thirds of the island. Opened in 1916 the park also extends beyond Mount Desert Island. It includes sections of Isle au Haut, a separate island to the south west, and Schoodi Penninsula on the mainland.

You’ll find the park is a feast of natural sights. Native plant, land and marine mammals and birds and waterfowl thrive in the shore, woodland and mountain regions. Bring your camping, hiking, jogging gear. You can also travel the park on propane-fueled buses free of charge.

Cadillac Mountain, one of the major attractions of the park, is the tallest peak of the island at 1,520 feet. It overlooks the town of Bar Harbor and gives you a stunning view of the Porcupine Islands and Frenchman Bay to the east.

One of the best ways to see the panoramic views of the ocean front, wooded areas and mountain rises is to travel the Park Loop Road system. Be sure your itinerary includes a stop at the Sieur de Monts Spring area. The spring was the inspiration of George B. Dorr who started the conservation movement that created the park. Here you’ll see the Nature Center, the Abbe Museum and the Wild Gardens of Acadia.

Located on the southern tip of the park you’ll find Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, the only lighthouse on the island. Take the short ferry ride to Little Cranberry Island where the Islesford Historical Museum features the story of the island and its people using ship models and exhibits.

How the park came into existence makes a dramatic story of vision and concern for protecting the land for future generations to enjoy. Affluent families such as the Rockefellers, Morgans, Fords, Vanderbilts, Carnegies, and Astors had discovered the island and made it into their summer playground. In keeping with their lifestyles they built elegant “cottages” that rivaled their grand estates in Newport, R.I

Following the lead of George B. Dorr, who began his campaign to protect the land in 1901, many of these summer visitors joined together and purchased large tracts of land and donated it to the government to form the park.

John D. Rockefellow, Jr., designed and funded the constuction of 44 miles of carriage roads from 1915 through 1933. You can use them for walking, jogging, biking and cross country skiing – no automobile traffic allowed. He also donated more than 11,000 acres of land for the park.

The park is open all year and you can take a guided tour led by a park ranger. Even though some facilities are closed during the winter, you’ll find the snow season offers many beautiful sights. Be sure to check the availability of camps and trails during the winter months.

Today it is estimated that four million visitors each year bask in the beauty of the landscape and refreshing sea air of the park.

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SOUTHWEST HARBOR ~ TREMONT

While the eastern side of Mount Desert Island seems to gets the lion’s share of attention don’t overlook the “quiet side” of the island. If you’re looking for an ideal image of a Maine coastal village travel west of Somes Sound and visit the towns in and around Southwest Harbor and Tremont. It’s a great area with a more relaxed pace for picnics, camping, hiking, golf, shopping and sightseeing.

Downtown Southwest Harbor offers you a delightful selection of shops, restaurants and art galleries. It has an active harbor with lobstermen working their catch. From here you can take a schooner cruise, deep sea fishing excursion or go island hopping by sea taxi. You can also go boating, swimming and rent canoes and kayaks.

Part of Southwest Harbor are the villages of Manset and Seawall. Each offers activities connected with the sea. This area has earned a world famous reputation for designing and construction of quality luxury yachts.

Bring the kids to the Mount Desert Oceanarium where they can handle sea creatures like star fish, horseshoe crabs and sea snails. It’s also a great place to see exhibits about tides, weather and other fascinating facts about ocean life.

Visit the Wendell Gilley Museum of Bird Carvings and watch master carvers as they create models of birds. Gilley started carving birds as a hobby in the 1930s. Today his museum has more than 250 examples of bird carvings on display. These include chickadees, morning doves and life size eagles.

You’ll find Tremont on the western section of the island. It includes the villages of Bass Harbor, Bernard, Gotts Island, Seal Cove and West Tremont. Tremont, settled in 1762, gets its name from it French heritage. It honors the three mountains – Beech, Bernard and Mansell – that dominate the area.

Overlooking Seal Cove Pond is the auto museum that features more than 100 antinque cars and 30 classic motorcycles.

At Bass Harbor at the southern tip of the island sits the lighthouse built in 1858. Today it is a private home and you get the best view of it from the water.

Well worth the trip is a visit to Somesville at the northern tip of Somes Sound. Here you go back in history to the oldest settlement on Mount Desert Island. It got started in 1761 and remains a picturesque village overlooking the only fjord on the east coast of the U.S. Along with spectacular views of inlets and mountain, local attractions include the Acadia Repertory Theater and the often photographed footbridge near the selectmen’s building.

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BAR HARBOR

Many consider Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island as one place. In a sense you’d be right, because the history, geography and destiny of each have been interconnected with the other two.

To set the record straight, Bar Harbor is the best known and largest town in the northeast section of the island and leads to one of the entrances to the park.

When founded in 1796 settlers called it Eden to honor the English statesman Sir Richard Eden. They built up the prosperity of the town as fishermen, shipbuilders and lumberjacks.

As mentioned above, artists brought notoriety to Bar Harbor in the mid-1800s and they were followed by the rich and famous of their day who built mansions and elaborate estates. Over the years their luxurious lifestyle faded and ended in tragedy in 1947. In that year a severe drought cased a wildfire which devastated almost half the eastern side of the island. Included in the destruction were 67 mansions, 5 historic grand hotels, 170 private homes and 10,000 acres of Acadia National Park.

Favorable winds spared the downtown section of Bar Harbor from the fire, where several homes in the historic district operate as inns. The town also includes the villages of Hulls Cove, Salisbury Cove and Town Hill.

Today its lively downtown features many inns, hotels, restaurants, shops, galleries, boutiques and taverns. From here you can take whale watching and sight seeing cruises, fishing excursions and enjoy many water sports. Luxury cruise ships often make Bar Harbor a port of call and you can board a high speed ferry to Nova Scotia from the harbor.

While in downtown visit the Abbe Museum, Oceanarium and the Criterion Theater built in 1932 in the Art Deco style. Take Shore Path, which starts near the town pier and continues along the eastern shore. Bar Island, which you can walk to at low tide, gives you a spacatular view when you look back toward Bar Harbor with the towering mountain in the background.

Bar Harbor is home to College of the Atlantic where you can visit the Natural History Museum and see displays of mammals, birds and maritime life. It is also the site of the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory Jackson Lab, the world’s largest mammalian genetic research facility.

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MOUNT DESERT ISLAND

How appropriate that Mount Desert Island, one of Maine’s most popular vacation destinations, has a passing resemblance to a lobster claw. For when you cross the bridge from Trenton on the mainland to tour the island you’ll be greeted by countless hard to resist invitations to a lobster feast, a perennial Maine favorite.

Encompassing 108 square miles the island is the third largest island in the continental U.S. Its dramatic beauty comes in large part from the seventeen mountains that rise from the sea and the shores of four lakes. There are countless smaller ponds and scenic spots and more than 120 miles of hiking trails and roads that meander throughout the island for touring by car, biking, hiking and skiing.

Somes Sound, the only natural fjord in the East, divides the island. By coincidence this division identifies both the geography and attitude of the island. The area west of Somes Sound, including Southwest Harbor and Tremont offers you a more sedate and secluded atmosphere. In contrast, the eastern side around Bar Harbor has more active tourist attractions.

You get a hint of the grandeur of the island’s imposing geography from the picture depicted by early inhabitants, the Abenaki Native Americans. They named the island Pemetic, which means “sloping land” and describes how the majestic mountains descend into the sea.

Early on, not everyone was impressed by the island. In 1604 French explorer Samuel de Champlain ran aground at Otter Point, near the tip of the “snapping” part of the lobster claw. He surveyed the bleakness where he landed and named the island “Isles des Monts Deserts.” This translates as “island of barren mountains.” While the name he chose lives on as Mount Desert Island, it falls far short of the picturesque vistas and splendor the island offers. Despite Champlain’s description millions of visitors each year have adopted the island as a vacation paradise.

The first European settlers found the island a rich source for fish, timber and agriculture. The island became a vital resource and the French and British battled to control the island for a century and a half. With the French defeat in Quebec in 1759 the Maine coast opened for the British to settle.

Mount Desert Island’s scenic reputation blossomed in the 1840s when artists from the Hudson River School popularized the area. Their idyllic depictions of the ocean, landscapes and mountain views in their paintings inspired journalists, sports figures and “rusticatiors” to adopt the island for their holiday get-away.

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BUCKSPORT ~ ELLSWORTH

When you approach Bucksport prepare to be awed by the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory. Spanning the Penobscot River, the 42 story observation tower provides a 360 degree panoramic view that stretches to the Camden Hills, Mount Desert Island and Mount Katahdin.

Below the tower you can see the ingenious design and sweep of the granite construction of Fort Knox. Although it was never completed or involved in a battle the fort’s underground passages and earthworks make for fascinating exploring. Bring boots and a flashlight.

If you enjoy fishing or water sports you’ll find Bucksport a paradise. There are more than 2,000 acres of fish-filled ponds and lakes. Along with your fishing pole bring your camera. You might spot a bald eagle, osprey and a collection of visiting seals and porpoises.

Visit the Alamo Theatre, which shows live and movie productions and the Northeast Historic Film Archive, which stores motion picture and stock footage related to northern New England.

East of Bucksport is Ellsworth. This area was home for the Passamaquoddy and Penobscot tribes when French settlers discovered it in the 1500s. The town was incorporated in 1800 and named for Oliver Ellsworth, a delegate to the 1787 National Convention which crafted the Constitution for the new United States of America.

Today, Ellsworth welcomes visitors to its many restaurants, accommodations, large shopping centers, tennis courts and golf courses, public marina, theaters and art center.

Visit the Black Mansion, built by Colonel John Black in 1828. You’ll see a fine exhibit of rare period furniture as costumed guides give historical details of the era. A great place for a “nature” picnic is The Stanwood Museum and Bird Sanctuary, also known as “Birdsacre”, featuring a nature walk through a variety of Maine wildflowers, woodland, small ponds and a bird nesting area.

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