Autumn Down East – Oh, the Places We See . . .

Welcoming in so many ways: The doors of Castine, Maine

We’re not the first nor the only ones to declare Castine a tucked-away gem along the scenic coast of Maine. Joining us in affirming the charm of this historic Down East hamlet is Yankee magazine who named Castine one of the 10 Prettiest Coastal Towns in Maine. So it was with great pleasure that we […]

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Sunrise at Acadia Dock

Coastal Maine offers glorious sunrises if you’re willing to wake up early, bundle yourself in layers, and stand on a dock for the morning show. And you’re never alone. From birds gliding overhead to lobstermen checking traps before dawn, docks like Acadia in Castine put on a spectacle like no other. Dawn comes in layers. […]

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Elms of Castine, Maine

Considered almost sacred in Castine, Maine, are the stately elms hovering over private residences, shops, and the charming streets of this tucked-away town. Even the free walking tour map entitled “Under The Elms and By The Sea” focuses on two aspects of Castine that residents (permanent and sometime) and visitors look for year after year. […]

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WPC: Favorite Place — On board the Bowdoin on Penobscot Bay

Many people have asked us what our favorite place in Maine might be since our trip in the Fall of 2017. Of course, there are many, but for Tennessee landlubbers like us, sailing the Bowdoin on Penobscot Bay has to be a memory for a lifetime. It was the dream of Donald B. McMillan to […]

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Getting to Monhegan

Once you’ve fallen in love with the idea of seeing Monhegan Island for yourself, you have to figure out how to get there. And, as you might expect, it’s easier to get there during tourist season (May to Columbus Day in October) than it is off-season. Since we were coming from Castine “up north,” we […]

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Five places to see: Monhegan Island, Maine

It’s no wonder artists and writers hole up in Monhegan. The entire island could fittingly be called “land that time forgot.” Weathered gray shingled houses, grass growing through piles of lobster traps, dirt paths proud to be left alone — it all adds up to the lure of a scene you can’t make up nor […]

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Out of this world: Monhegan Island, Maine

Much of Maine could be said to be out of this world — the raw beauty of its rocky coastline, old-style clapboard homes dotting the landscape, and the quiet that falls over the state after Columbus Day when residents hunker down for long, cold winters. But nowhere was an other-worldly experience more pronounced for us […]

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Still morning in Stonington, Maine

October in Maine offers colorful leaves and paths to lighthouses teeming with tourists, but some days during early morning hours are simply still. Especially at Stonington. One of our favorite places to visit in Maine, Stonington is a working harbor where more than 300 boats bring in some of the biggest lobster hauls in the […]

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Eclectic, creative, pure fun: the art of Peter Beerits at Nervous Nellie’s

If you’ve seen Nervous Nellie’s Jams and Jellies at tourist destinations and grocery stores all over Maine, you may have thought you’d seen it all. And in some ways, you have. Those made-in-small-batches jams…

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With renewed appreciation of shots of Bass Harbor Light

You can’t fault us. After all, we had discovered a lovely photo of Bass Harbor Lighthouse on Mount Desert Island, Maine, on a site geared for our granddaughter: kids.nationalgeographic.com. It was a lovely scene — classic Maine lighthouse perched atop rocky land facing the ruggedness you come to see when you visit Down East. But […]