1. Cedarholm Garden Bay Inn
City: Lincolnville, ME
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (207) 236-3886 or (800) 5401-3
Address: Route 1
Description: There are a lot of cottage villages along the coast, and this is the cottage villager’s cottage village. No pine-paneled roughing it here—these are fairly luxurious little affairs with whirlpools, tile showers, stone fireplaces, waterside desks, and wet bars. A romantic little byway takes you from Route 1 down to the shore, and the gardens on the 16-acre property are something to see—you could get lost in them. For privacy, views, and uniqueness, you can’t beat these cute cottages, and they’ve won accolades from the national media again and again.
2. Spouter Inn
City: Lincolnville, ME
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (207) 789-5171 or (866) 787-51
Address: Route 1
Description: Built in 1892, this expansive inn has been lovingly restored. Across the street from Lincolnville Beach and Penobscot Bay, it has seven rooms, each of which provides a good look at the water. They’re well appointed and spotless, with braided rugs and four posters and exposed beams, and each has a private bath. Some have fireplaces, and the Captain’s Quarters has a Jacuzzi, too. Very pleasant, and all of the restaurants and shops of Lincolnville—and the Islesboro ferry—are handy by. Fantastic bargain for the quality and location.
3. Lincolnville Beach
City: Lincolnville, ME
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: Route 1
Description: This beach must be one of Maine’s easiest to find, sitting right off U.S. Route 1 within full view of everyone charging north to Acadia. Across the street are the handful of gift shops and restaurants of the village known as Lincolnville Beach; down the sand a bit is the large pier where the state’s ferry to Islesboro docks. The beach is relatively short—850 yards—and skinny. Some people find it a little awkward to be frolicking in front of all the drivers passing by and the diners at the Lobster Pound restaurant, which is right next to the sands, and with the local residents going to the post office across the street. If you can get used to that and can deal with parking hassles and crowds, you’ll enjoy this little beach. You can take in the nice views of Penobscot Bay, you can watch the ferry run to and from Islesboro 3 miles offshore, and when you get hungry you can wander across to the Beach Store. Free parking if you can find a spot, and there are portapotties.
4. Ducktrap Sea Kayak Tours
City: Lincolnville, ME
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (207) 236-8608
Address: Route 1
Description: The guides at this oldie but goody push off from Ducktrap Beach for tours out into the wilds of Penobscot Bay. They’ll follow the coast to Belfast, work back Camden way, or head out into the deep water toward the long green island of Islesboro. Dolphins, seals, and loons are common paddling companions. Families with young children are often taken to the more placid waters of Megunticook Lake. Reservations are required and rates vary. Call for details.
5. Tanglewood 4-H Camp
City: Lincolnville, ME
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (207) 789-5868
Address: 1 Tanglewood Rd.
Description: On the pretty, salmon-laden Ducktrap River, Tanglewood is busy with campers all summer long. In winter, though, the 830-acre woodland is a cross-country skier’s dream—a free-to-use, virtually groomed, well-marked, and very beautiful 10-mile system of woods trails. So many skiers use it that you never have to break trail yourself, yet it’s never so busy you feel overwhelmed. It’s just perfect.
6. Warren Island State Park
City: Lincolnville, ME
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (207) 941-4014
Address: P.O. Box 105
Description: The state describes an overnight at its 70-acre Warren Island park as “Robinson Crusoe-esque,” and if Crusoe had a nice log lean-to to retire to at night, docks and moorings for his getaway boat, and fresh drinking water, then it might be something like it. One of the best of the campgrounds in the state park system, Warren Island is a fantastic retreat for a serene stay on a wild isle, and because you need your own boat to get there, it’s quieter than most parks. Ten campsites and two Adirondack-style shelters provide the accommodations, and the sea and spruce island is wide open for exploration. The much larger isle of Islesboro is only a quarter mile away, and camping here allows you to get over there for a look-see without shelling out large dollars for one of Islesboro’s fancy inns. (Camping is $19 a night.) You can easily reach Warren Island via canoe or kayak from Islesboro, so one idea is to take the ferry over to the big island and make the easy paddle from there. It’s so simple, you won’t need Man Friday.
7. Youngtown Inn
City: Lincolnville, ME
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (207) 763-4290 or (800) 291-84
Address: Route 52
Description: The Youngtown Inn is the very picture of a New England country inn, a three-story, white-clapboard, 1810 colonial that used to be part of a dairy farm, but the delectable dishes it presents in its white-linen dining room are straight from France. Owner-chef Manuel Mercier hails from Paris, where he learned to cook, and his menu combines fresh Maine ingredients with French culinary traditions. When your waiter brings out your entree—say, the Faisan Perigourdine (grilled farm-raised pheasant breast with foie gras and brandy), the Loup de Mer au Safran (marinated striped sea bass with saffron broth), or the Filet d’Autruche au Poivre (grilled ostrich with black pepper and brandy), you’ll wonder why it was so easy to get a table. The service is first-rate, the dining room is beautifully done, and the wine list is highly recommended. The inn has six rooms upstairs should you decide you need to eat here more than once, and it’s only 4 miles from Camden on a spectacular stretch of road pinched between the cliffs of Mount Megunticook and the lake of the same name.