Recently, I took a trip to one of my favorite places—Rockland, Maine. If you’ve never been to Mid-Coast Maine, and Rockland specifically, I encourage you to go. Hungry Bear (my guy) and I have been several times and we always enjoy it.
Since Rockland is about 2.5 hours away, we started out early by packing up the Pathfinder and heading north. The drive will take you up I-95 and over to Route 1. It’s very scenic, but there can be a lot of traffic in the summer.
Rockland is a town of approximately 7,300 people and it offers a lot of entertainment for its size. There are museums, an active downtown with an old-fashioned Strand theatre, tons of restaurants, and a Visitor’s Center. Surprisingly, there’s even a synagogue. (It is so awesome to see Jewish Communal life flourishing, even in the most rural locations!)
We focused on sightseeing, dining, and outdoor attractions.
If you enjoy looking at ships, you will love Rockland. They have a working harbor and ferry boats that service 3 neighboring islands—Vinalhaven, North Haven, and Matinicus. We’ve always wanted to take the ferry trip, but there never seems to be enough time! (Some day soon we will, hopefully.)
At the ferry landing, there is a hidden jewel of a restaurant, Thai Tugboat. It’s run by a lovely lady named Sue who is from Thailand and makes delicious versions of her native dishes. We both ordered the Pad Thai. It’s a little different than most. It has chicken and noodles mixed with sauce, plus raw spinach and strips of cabbage on top. Very tasty! I ordered mine mild and Hungry Bear likes his extra spicy. There’s a nice rock table to eat at, or you can sit in the car.
After lunch, we were ready for some exercise. Rockland has an incredible rock pier called the Breakwater, which is 7/8 mile long and 20-feet wide that connects the land to a lighthouse. Pictures alone can’t convey how truly amazing it is! My only issue is that the rocks are uneven and if you’re not paying attention, it’s easy to slip. Also, good sneakers are a must.
If you’re not up for that, there’s also a lovely state park in the neighboring town of Owl’s Head that has woods with trails and a rocky beach. Just beautiful, very clean, and quiet.
After our walk, we were looking for a treat and encountered our only disappointment of the trip: Our favorite coffee/dessert place, a combo Tim Horton’s/Cold Stone Creamery shop had gone out of business! I’m not sure why, because it was fantastic. Instead, we tried a local ice cream hut called Dorman’s Dairy Dream. I ordered a pistachio cone and Hungry Bear got Banana. I thought it was only average, but I seem to be in the minority…
As we were eating our ice creams, I spotted a Smart Car at the dealership across the street, so we had to get a picture of that. (I have a slight Smart Car obsession.)
After a full and wonderful day, we had to head home, but there are many adorable Inns for those who want to stay overnight. Personally, I could spend an entire week on the Maine Coast and never tire of it.
Our last stop of the night was in the town of Freeport, halfway home.
For those of you who’ve never been to L.L. Bean, you’ll pass right by it along the way. Stop in! The place is legendary for a reason. They have free coffee and tea; they’re open 24 hours a day, 364 days a year, and they have the best winter boots you’ll ever buy.
Maine truly is Vacationland!