After a restful sleep, we woke up in Searsport, ME and visited Moose Point State Park. Even though being closed, as they actually do not open until the day after Memorial Day, the park ranger said we could walk through if we like and we were able to soak in the nature preserved by the Park and get some photos. We also got a view from a different angle of the same ship anchored in view of our boathouse! Next, we drove south along the mid-coast to Camden and we got some beautiful shots of a river, where salmon thrive. We were able to capture some more beautiful photographs while driving to Camden. In Camden, we enjoyed a quick bite to eat sitting by the marina while being amused by a begging seagull, shopping and experiencing Mt. Battie Outlook (the highest point of Camden Hills State Park). Gorgeous views of the ocean, island, and Camden abound. Next, we drove through Rockland, visited Marshall Point Lighthouse in Port Clyde (my favorite gift shop during the whole trip due to their unique items, which are not available anywhere else (even online) and their reasonable prices. We purchased a magnet, lobster claw kitchen oven mitt, sailor’s rope bracelet, an ornament, and a book titled Nellie, The Lighthouse Dog by Jane Scarpino and illustrated by Robert Ensor, which is about a local dog, who helped find a lost boy by the sea. Beautiful watercolor illustrations are included and I thoroughly enjoyed this book by a local author and illustrator (both members of the Marshall Point Lighthouse for some time). We hit Belfast (closest city to Searsport) for dinner by picking up a pepperoni, mushroom and Kalamata olive pizza at Alexia’s Pizza and were delighted by the unusual and effective crust, which seemed to be a mix of deep dish and thin; it was also tasty and satisfied our appetites. So much so, we attempted to stop by later in the week, but they were not open. We had parked near a shipyard and skate park & after walking around and window-shopping, (some artwork really stood out to us); we got in the car and started our drive back to our boathouse while we enjoyed seeing the massive ships and sailboats parked for maintenance. We were in awe of their size and were contemplating the costs of such grandiose marine crafts.

The next morning, we were out the door at 8:30 am and off to Bucksport, ME after taking some time to chill at our boathouse in Searsport with our needed coffee. Aiming to have a healthy breakfast, we searched online and discovered Bucksport Nutrition, where I had a protein shake that provoked me to tell the owner that she may have gotten me started on something new! Mocha latte protein shakes, a protein pumpkin chocolate chip cookie, and a parfait were our selections after listening to a most satisfied customer share some of her favorites with us.

Next on our itinerary was Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observatory with its fantastic views; a sailboat was sailing along beside us as we walked toward our car from the Observatory. Nearby, on the same grounds and included in the entry fee to the Observatory was Fort Knox, much bigger than it first appears, as some of it was built underground- looking like mounds in parts. It was also interesting to learn that not a shot ever fired due to the English never approaching as anticipated in the 1700’s, and then we stopped in at Reny’s Department Store in Ellsworth, where I got my Maine baseball cap! 

We sat by the water for a bit in Ellsworth and then went on to see houses used in the Pet Semetary film followed by driving to Southwest Harbor; their public library is so cute! Not many restaurants were open for business, so we decided to go on to Bar Harbor for lunch, where we had a whole boiled lobster out of the ocean and boiled the same day. Served with pine nuts, rice, and asparagus at a seafood restaurant, Galyn’s, the lobster was the best we have ever eaten. We also ordered a wood-fired burger with bacon, cheese sautéed onions, and for drinks, we enjoyed their refreshing blueberry lemonade (so yum- we had 4 glasses!). For dessert, we got blueberry apple crisp alamode and ate it after walking around the docks while we sat on a bench at the top of a hill looking out over the harbor. A Bob Ross look alike with white hair tour guide, who happened to be from Ohio, was leading a tour and sharing about the area nearby, so we listened in & got a free experience of part of the tour while overlooking Bar Harbor from the grassy hill. After visiting Southwest Harbor and Bar Harbor, we took the opportunity to take some photos on our drive back to the boathouse in Searsport.