Let Captain D help you discover Downeast Maine, Acadia National Par
IN THE PAST DECADE, Rockland has become one of Maine’s most attractive cities. Historically, it has been a working man’s town, Maine’s second major fishing port. City fathers still host the Maine Seafood Festival, a major summertime happening. In recent years, the city has become a Mecca for artists and intellectuals as well. The Farnsworth Museum, which has long had an intimate relationship with the Wyeth family, is a major draw. On Main Street, the Farnsworth Museum Shop carries prints of many paintings found in the museum’s extensive collection.

The Samoset is perhaps Maine's finest golf course; it has been called Pebble Beach East. There are ocean views from 14 holes. Golf Digest placed it among the top ten most beautiful courses in the Country.

Look for the Michael Good Gallery.

At Miss Plum's, you can get a real chocolate malt with your burger. Great fifties/auto decor here.
Along this stretch is a shop specializing in maple syrup and the State of Maine cheese Co.

Travelers proceeding east on Route One enter Rockport, one of Maine's more sophisticated and attractive small communities. Check out Resource, the Maine Photographic Workshop's store for students and faculty as well as the general public. Here you'll find rare photo and film books along with more routine postcards and t-shirts. Maine Sport Outfitters stocks an incredible supply of sports gear.

Maine Coast Artists in Rockport is one of the few galleries in the state you can depend on to present cutting-edge, innovative work.
You might want to check out the Sweet Sensations Pastry Shop.

A summer home for many wealthy people, Camden has many upscale shops. Downtown you'll find Maine Gathering/Finest Kind Candles stocking fine Maine crafts, Penobscot and Passamaquoddy Indian baskets, and dipped chocolates. The Foreside Company sells imported gifts and household accessories, while Starbird specializes in American and country decorative accessories.

Norumbega, now an inn, is a real castle.

Camden Hills State Park provides 26 miles of hiking trails through more than 5,000 acres.

Keep going on Route 1 into Lincolnville Beach. Here there is a cluster of neat businesses —the Lobster Pound Restaurant, Monroe Salt Works, Maine Artisans, the Beach Store, Jane Alden, and the Whale’s Tooth Pub.

The "H" in the H. Swanson Gallery and Studio stands for "Harry," its gregarious artist/proprietor. Harry keeps the place open year round and loves to show folks his work.

Keep on truckin' and you'll come to the Windsor Chairmakers, Ducktrap Motel, Painted Lady Antiques, Northport Antique Shop, Swans Island Showroom (blankets), Findings (jewelry gallery), Temple Heights Spiritual Camp, Art Gallery (fancy), Northport Campground, sportsman supplies, antiques, spiral staircases, Hideaway Diner, Northport Landing Gallery, Dos Amigos mexican restaurant, and Kendricks Antiques.


Not too many years ago, Belfast was known for processing vast quantities of chicken. So devotedly did it pursue this enterprise that it touted itself as the broiler capital of the world and celebrated this status with an annual festival. The chicken industry died—heating big barns became too expensive—but, contrary to the prediction of many, Belfast didn't. A lovely waterfront park with picnic tables now occupies the slope near the City Landing where the processing plants once stood, and Belfast is enjoying increasing popularity with sailors and tourists.

This old port town was saved by the counter-culturalists who during the early 70’s had emigrated to Waldo County’s relatively inexpensive boondocks. Many of them ended up coming to town—driven, some say, by hoards of blackflies÷and now this city may well be the cultural capital of Maine.

Maine Times readers declared that Belfast was Maine's "best little-known town to walk around in for an hour" thanks to its "good scenery, history, and many artsy nooks." Belfast is like Bar Harbor was 25 years ago. Things haven't gotten cutthroat here yet; rents are still low enough to attract young entrepreneurs with original ideas and wide-eyed enthusiasm for their enterprises. USA Today put Belfast on its list of five "culturally cool small towns." Lately, Belfast has been billing itself as a "City Full of Surprises." On Thursday nights during summer, there's music and performing arts on the streets downtown.

Belfast originally was known as Passagassawakeg—Indian for Place of Many Ghosts. In 1873, fire claimed more than 20 acres of the city, including 90 percent of the waterfront district. Fear of fire led to most of the downtown being rebuilt in brick. In those days, Belfast was a major shipbuilding center. The techniques that went into building great sailing ships helped create many of Belfast's wonderful Federal and Greek Revival houses. Two blocks of downtown buildings are listed in the National Historical Register. On Market Street, just around the corner from City Hall, is the local historical museum. Belfast's streets are spaced so as to allow as many views of the bay as possible.


Just past the Penobscot Bay Inn, your can turn off into Belfast. On your way downtown, you'll pass the Belfast City Park, the Republican Journal (Maine's oldest newspaper, founded in 1829)), the Belfast Dance Studio, Out on a Whimsy and the Jumbo Shop..

The Belfast Co-op Store provides participants affordable natural foods. Although open to all, members pay less; in general, they pay 25 percent over wholesale while non-members pay 50 percent. To join, you pay a one-time $25 fee and agree to work a bit. There are weekly specials available to members and non-members alike. Efforts are made to offer stock from Waldo County and Maine producers and to provide as much organic and additive-free food as possible. Call 207-338-2532.

Turn right onto Main St. and you'll come to All about Games, The Clown, Brambles, Uptown Jewely and Engraving, Out of the Woods, Clara Johnson Quilts, Dockside Restaurant, Purple Baboom, a Thai restaurant, the Lookout, Front Street Pottery, Belfast CC, Wanderbird Expedition Cruises, ice cream place, the Working Art Gallery, The Chocolate Drop Candy Shoppe, Belfast Army Navy, Downtown Jewelry & Engraving, Rollie’s Restaurant, Shamrack, Thistle and Rose, Coyote Moon, the Good Table, Away We Grow, Dudley’s Diner, leather shop, Green Store, and a traditional acupuncture place.

The Working Art Gallery shows work of regional artists. They’re a member of a group called Belfast Art Galleries; other members have been Art Alliance, Bay River Gallery, Belfast Framer & Gallery, Indigo Gallery, Jacobs Gallery, Parent Gallery, Shamrock, Thistle & Rose, and The Clown.

Hungry for old-fashioned candies? You’ll find these downtown at The Chocolate Drop Candy Shoppe. Here you’ll find a huge selection of jelly beans as well as Haven’s Chocolates.

How can the military organizations of the world be so culturally vulgar while sartorially cool? We don’t pretend to know the answer, but we do know that if you’re into military garb, you’ll like the stuff at the Belfast Army Navy Store. Owner Ronald Mullen says that at least 60 percent of his stock is military surplus--compared to less than 10 percent in many other so-called Army surplus stores. The emphasis is on authentic international military surplus, both new and used, at very reasonable prices.

Also in the main business district, in the Downtown Jewelry & Engraving Shop you will find fine jewelry as well as several brands of watches and repair service. Also estate jewelry, giftware, Zippo lighters, Italian bracelets, Hot Diamonds, engravables and engraving service. A family-owned and operated hometown store since 1959. Call 207-338-2663 or 1-877-338-0700.

Look for paper artworks by Belfast’s Robinsunne Postcard at Coyote Moon downtown.

The Good Table, whose mission it is to outfit the gourmet chefs among us, has a wonderful assortment of cookboooks.

Away We Grow on Main Street has quality used children’s toys, books, furniture and clothes, plus new educational toys.

New to town is the Belfast Bicycles, owned by Mike McDonald, a recent transplant. He has a good mix of really affordable and truly top quality bikes.

Lots of people doing relatively minor things to make the world a more livable place could finally make a big difference. This is the philosophy behind the Green Store, which sells environmentally safe, energy-efficient products at affordable prices. Casting itself as a general store for the 21st century, the Green Store stocks a wide variety of environmentally benign products, including recycled papers, energy efficient lighting, organic clothing, chem-free lawn-care products, environmental test kits, and energy sipping appliances.

Yo Mamma’s Home at 96 Main Street in Belfast has cool stuff for you and your home. It's a unique Retro Style gift and home décor store that is as diverse as it is colorful. Look for the bright Yellow Awning with the Yo Mamma’s sign.

On Main Street, check out Colburn’s, which is said to be the nation’s oldest, continuously-run shoe store. Folks have been outfitting their feet here since 1832. Besides being a historical curiosity, Colburn’s sells quality shoes at outlet prices.

For a memorable experience, check out the Institute of Advanced Thinking on Salmond Street in Belfast. Open daily year round, the Institute features outdoor sculpture shows, indoor art shows, festivals and readings. Admission is free. The Institute is the brainchild of the late Bern Porter, who has been variously described as a "maverick publisher, rebel physicist, master of found art," and "The da Vinci of the Atomic Age."

Downtown, there is a nice Salvation Army store.

Turning right back onto High Street, there is a pizza place on corner, High Street Studio and Gallery, Phoenex Gallery, Colonial Theater, Harbor View House of 1807, Audubon Expeditions, and the Belfast Center.

Darby’s, 105 High Street, has been the site of a restaurant/pub since 1865.


If you kept going straight on Main Street, you'd pass the Parent Gallery, Naturopath, the Indigo Gallery, Chase's Daily, the Old Professor's Bookshop, the Fertile Mind Book Store, Baywrap, Weaver's Bakerey, Yo Mamma's Home, Speaking Roses, Bangor Savngs Bank, Hobbledchoy Toys, Realty of Maine, Shades and Lamps and Old Stuff, and Suntan City in the Belfast Plaza.

At Indigo Gallery, photographer Charles Laurier Dufour brings new meaning to Natural Beauty with his stunning photos of both Nature and Nudes. Tastefully presented, his photos are something not to be missed. Located at 94 Main Street in Belfast . Call 207-338-6448.

At the Old Professor's Bookshop, George Siscoe has a nice selection of scholarly books, new, used, and rare.

On the other side of Route 1, you'll see Reny's Plaza, near which are two banks, a Pizza Hut, a Mr. Paperback with a cafe and music store called Bell the Cat, a pharmacy, and Olympia Sports Attire.


BELFAST TO BUCKSPORT

BACK ON ROUTE ONE, it is 17 miles from Belfast to Bucksport. There are no fast food restaurants along this stretch and no all-night gas stations.Just across the bridge spanning the Passagassawakea River, look for Castle Homes, Flora Creations and Gifts, Cherished Home Gift Shop, the Book Lover's Attic, Perry's Nut House, Jamie's Miniatures, and Bennett's Gems & Jewelry.

The Book Lover’s Attic has several specialties, including children’s books, maritime, military, music, and modern first editions.

Ya gotta love fudge, right? Well, you really can’t beat the fudge at Perry’s Nut House on Route One. Or the nuts either. There’s plenty of other wicked good stuff as well. In Maine:Off the Beaten Path, Wayne Curtis calls Perry's “an unadorned and forthright Tourist Trap in the finest sense.”

BENNETT’S GEMS & JEWELRY offers an interesting and varied assortment of gemstones, minerals, and fossils. Open year round, Bennett’s is the place to find affordable gemstone jewelry from Maine and the world. Here you’ll find Maine’s largest assortment of polished stones. There is always a good selection of Maine tourmaline appealingly priced. You can spot the place by the pink dinosaur out front. Owner Kim Dunn is both knowledgeable and friendly.

Nearby is a turnoff to Young's Lobster Pound.

Back on Route One, look for Lupine Cottage, Fox Landing Steakhouse, the Belfast Harbor Inn, Jerry's True Value Hardware, the Wentworth Event Center, Maine Coast Welcome Center, Curves, Aerus, PC Medix, Ocean's Edge Restaurant, a Comfort Inn, Oriental Plaza Restaurant, Seng Thai Restaurant, Mainely Pottery, and Funky Junk Art.

You can see the work of more than 20 Maine potters at Mainely Pottery. Included is stoneware, porcelain, earthernware and raku. Some of the work is quite expensive; much of it is priced quite modestly. Out front, there is a table of seconds at reduced prices. At the adjacent studio, you can see the work of master potters in progress.


At FUNKY JUNK ART, Judy Judkins (who says her name should be "junkins") turns discarded floatsum and jetsum into fascinating objects of art. She just hates to see anything go to waste and is awfully good at showing why most things shouldn't. She'll teach you her secrets at a reasonable price.


Along this stretch are Ming’s Restaurant, Moorings Oceanfront Camping, Papa J’s Lobster Bar, the Colonial Gables, Seascape Motel, Wonderview Cottages on the Ocean, Admiral's Ocean Inn, Searsport Auto, Gull Motel, All Small Antiques, used books, Moose Point State Park, Frazee's Furniture, Crosspatch Farms, Searsport Shores Camping, Watchtide by the Sea, Remarkable Realty of Maine, Penobscot Books, Cranberry Hollow, Inn Britannia B&B, Old Glory Antiques, Gaul's Antiques, Pumpkin Patch Antiques, Matters of Time, Clothing Outlet, a Chamber of Commerce Information Center, Nahme Fine Art Gallery, Wonderview Cottages, and a turnoff to Cathy's Collectibles, the turnoff to Poppy's Weiner Wagon, Rollie's Bar and Grill, Moose Pooint State Park.


Penobscot Books has a really fine selection of books pertaining to architecture and the fine arts as well as a good general assortment. Howard LaRue, a retired minister, collected books for many years before going into the business. For Howard, itâs a labor of love. Prices are reasonable. Call 207-548-6490.

For sports fans, Rollie's Bar and Grill has a couple of dozen large, flat-screen TVs.

There is no camping at Moose Point State Park, but it’s a good place for picnicking or hiking along Penobscot Bay. The views from here are spectacular.


Searsport's greatest days lie behind her. Between 1770 and 1920, Searsport was an important shiping town, launching more than 3,000 vessels. In the 19th century, she was home to 286 ship captains, evidence of which can be found at the Penobscot Marine Museum.


A road to the right goes down to a nice park by the ocean and the Sea Captain's Inn. Mosman’s Park is a pretty spot overlooking Penobscot Bay with picnic facilities and playground equipment.

A road to the left goes to the Hidden Gardens and the Searsport Pines Golf Course.

The Searsport Pines Golf Course is the decade-old dream of Bert Whitten. It took root in his mind in the late eighties when he was a professor at Michigan Technological University. Heir to a 300-acre family homestead, he was aware of stats indicating that Waldo County golfers had fewer places to play than golfers anywhere else in Maine. What he has created is a pretty 9-hole, par 35 course cut out of a century-old pine forest. The layout has watered fairways, and most of the tees and greens are elevated. Water comes into play on five holes. In one of the ponds is a foot-long goldfish. Daily greens fees are just $15 for nine holes and $20 for eighteen.

The Hidden Gardens are, well, hidden and a little hard to find, but if you’re into lovingly pampered flora, they’re worth the trek. You head north out of Searsport for six or seven miles, following the occasional signs. Just when you think you’re hopelessly lost, you’re there. You’re welcome to browse to your heart’s content through the huge variety of both perennials and biennials.


Back on Main Street look for Captain Shorty's, a Bangor Savings Bank, Tozier's Family Market, Captain Tinkham's Emporium, Left Bank Books, Coastal Coffee, Mariner's Restaurant, Frame by Frame, the Penobscot Marine Museum Store, the Penobscot Marine Museum, Camp, Cottage, and Castle Antiques, Pieces, Cromin and Murphy, the Grasshopper Shop, Capehouse Coffee & Tea, and Shiloh's Gallery.

Captain Tinkham’s Emporium is the place to shop for beautiful, old tools and other items of inerest. Also you'll want to visit the Penobscot Marine Museum Store.

The newest Grasshopper Shop, located on Searsport’s Main Street, stocks women’s clothes, housewares, gifts, cards and all the rest of the neat stuff that’s made the other Grasshopper Shops so popular.

At the Penobscot Marine Museum, you can see one of the country’s finest collections of marine paintings and artifacts. Located on Rte 1 in Searsport, collections and special exhibitions are housed in eight historic structures, including the newly renovated Capt. Jeremiah Merithew House (1816). Here you’ll find a new permanent exhibition, "Working the Bay: Ports and People of Penobscot Bay". The Merithew House also contains the museum’s collection of 25 marine paintings by James and Thomas Buttersworth. Open Memorial Day thru Oct. 15. During your visit, you’ll want to check out the Stephen Phillips Memorial Library and Museum Store. Call 207-548-2529 for more information.

Leaving downtown Searsport, look for By the Bay, the Whale Watch, the Wildflower Inn, the Searsport Antique Mall, Hamilton Marine, the Treasure Barn, Bluejacket Shipcrafters, the Searsport Flea Market, The Gazebo Take-out, Silkweeds, Yardarm Motel, Irving, Rhumb Restaurant. .


Searsport is antiquing heaven. In a five-mile stretch, there are no fewer than 15 dealers. The Searsport Antique Mall is a major group shop. There are also three regular summertime flea markets.

Hamilton Marine is the largest discount ship’s chandler north of Boston. It’s a good source for much traditional, hard-to-find hardware and gear.


Searsport is a Mecca for serious modelers of historic wooden ships. It is the home of BLUEJACKET SHIPCRAFTERS, manufacturers of the world’s finest modeling kits. In terms of accuracy, attention to detail, and quality of materials and instructions, no other plank-on-frame kits are comparable. The company has been manufacturing fine ship models and model kits for a century; it is the nation’s oldest such company (and quite likely the first). Founder H.E. Boucher, naval architect with the US Navy, has placed fine models in museums worldwide—more than 40 in the Smithsonian alone.
In their showroom at Lighthouse Place on Rte 1, you’ll find the largest selection of finished models on the Maine coast; all of which are museum quality. Their primarily mail-order business offers kits starting at a few dollars to $565 for the U.S.S. Constitution. If you wish, they’ll build a finished model, do restorations, or even build the boat of your choice on commission. Call 1-800-448-5567; Email: info@bluejacketinc.com.

There is a turnoff to the Tailsmans .

Look for Weathervanes of Maine.

McElvain family members have been making things from copper for two generations. Inspect their work at Weathervanes of Maine on Rte 1.

Silkweeds has expanded to become a major gift emporium—three two-story buildings providing 7,000 square feet of floor space. Things you’ll find include wreaths, rugs, Yankee Candles, dried & silk flowers, country furniture, jams & jellies, and a complete Christmas Shop. This is mid-coast Maine’s largest gift emporium. Call 1-800-711-1136.

Look for Angler's Restaurant and Bait's Motel. Cook's Crossing, the Waldo County Crafts Co-op, Downeast Auction and Antiques, Searsport Motor Company, Harbor House and Gardens, Harbor Church, an old cemetery, Downeast Auctions and Antiques, Spiral Stairs, A Touch of Country, and the Searsport Historical Society.

The Waldo County Crafts Co-op features the work of over 25 Maine crafters.

You'll pass the Searsport Motor Company and Harbor House, Harbor Church, an old cemetery, Downeast Auctions and Antiques, and a shop where you can buy spiral stairs.


The Safe Harbor Church on Route One is home ot nine stained glass windows by the noted glass designer Louise Comfort Tiffany. This is one of only ten buildings in the country with all-Tiffany windows, which depict both religious and pastoral tableaux.

At A Touch of Country, you’ll meet Colleen York, who says she has been preparing jams and jellies for the last 50 years. She still makes all her own, keeping overhead low, allowing her to charge less than other shops. "I have customers who have been coming back for 25 years," she boasts.

Look for Griffin's Antiques, Hobby Horse Antiques & Flea Market, Primrose Farm Antiques, Greg's Auto Sales, Weathervanes of Maine, Searsport Rug Hooking, Red Kettle Antiques and The Rug Rat, old cemeteries, and Just Barb's Restaurant, the Foam Insulation Outlet.


Sarah Nickerson uses hooked rugs as the medium for her folk art. Creating the rugs from wool scraps and burlap bags, she treats them as canvasses to describe many incidents in her life, such things as former residences and stages of her children’s growth. She shows them at her shop, The Rug Rat, on Rte 1 in Stockton Springs. The setting is humble, but her work has been attracting some major collectors. Her prices — $60 per square foot — are well below most comparable creations.

There are three old cemeteries along this stretch and a scenic overlook providing a view of the Penobscot River.


JUST BARB'S RESTAURANT has a nightly $7.99 all-you-can-eat fish fry featuring freshly caught haddock. The people here say nobody has challenged their claim that they serve the best clams on the Maine coast.



If you stay on Rte 1, you'll come to Wyman's Seafoods, the Junction of 1A, which will take you to Winterport and Bangor. Keep going, you'll come to Perry's, Russell Marine, Red's Automotive, Mark's Garage, and the Rocky Ridge Motel.


If you take the right fork at Just Barb’s Restaurant, you’ll head into Stockton Springs, a sleepy little town by-passed by most visitors. Here is one of the safest harbors on the Maine coast.Look for Wyman's General Store, Purple Fleece, Fort Point Light, and the Book Barn.

At Cape Jellison, Fort Pownall (1759) once defended upper Penobscot Bay. Now you can see the pyramid-shaped bell tower of Fort Point Light. For recreationists, Sears Island is something of a well-kept secret. It’s a great spot for hikers, swimmers, and picnickers. Parts of the island are a state wildlife sanctuary. There is an access road near the Searsport-Stockton Springs line.

In Stockton Springs, watch for Perry's, Russel Marine, Red's Automotive, Mark's Garage, Rocky Ridge Motel, Fern Hill Fine Art, a turnoff to Sandy Point Beach, and Pottery, Art & Writing Studio. .

Perry’s is known far and wide for its crabmeat sandwiches, a full half-pound of meat for under $10. (This place is said to have the lowest gas prices in the territory.)

Watch for the sign to Fern Hill Fine Art. A short drive up Meadow Road brings you to William H. Landmesser’s studio. Highly original, his oils and watercolors are for those who have grown weary of mainstream art aimed at tourists. "I don’t do lighthouses," he points out.

Next comes an old cemetery, a scenic outlook, the Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observatory, and the Waldo-Hancock Suspension Bridge leading onto Verona Island.

At 420 feet, the Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observatory is the world's tallest. For five bucks (three for kids) you can shoot to the top in Maine's speediest elevator. (It travels at 500 feet per minute. Do the math. It'll get you there in less than a minute.) Once there, you'll be treated to one of the world's grandest views. This is one of the best deals you'll find Downeast. Your five dollarss gets you free parking and a tour of Fort Knox in addition to your trip u the tower.

Construction on Fort Knox began in 1844 and continued for 20 years. The project never was completed. As has always been the case with military projects, cost over-runs ran rampant. It was manned, but never attacked, during the Civil War and the Spanish-American War. Today, it is a great place for kids to play; there are underground stairways, brick archways, and other ramparts of master stone masons. In an inspired marriage of art and architecture in the 1950s, Macbeth was staged here for two summers. Twice yearly, the 20th Maine Company B Civil War Re-enactment Regiment stages authentic Civil War-era exercises; visitors can see how infantrymen of the period lived. Daily tours of the facility are conducted at 1 p.m. Admission: adults, $2; children, 50 cents; children under 5 free. It's a good idea to bring a flashlight.

Once you cross the Waldo-Hancock suspension bridge, you’re on Verona Island. It was here that in 1905 Adm. Robert E. Peary had built the Roosevelt, the vessel he used as a base for his successful dog-sled dash to the North Pole.

You'll find the Island Pool & Spa, a picnic area, American Country Antiques, the Unique Rock Shop, Newcomb Auto Body, an acupuncturist, Wo's Wicked Fine Barbecue, JD's Island Market, Island Automotive, Life's Treasures, Seabreeze Restaurant, Kravings Restaurant and Pub, and a public boat access.


The UNIQUE ROCK SHOP stocks all sorts of rocks, minerals, semi-precious stones, fossils,and what-nots. This is among the most interesting shops on the Maine Coast.




At WO'S WICKED FINE BBQ, you'll experience Wo's award-winning fresh garlic and chipotle pepper sauces which he makes and bottles at his nearby home. This is a family-run business that takes great pride in everything it does.



Noell Fuller, new owner of the SEABREEZE RESTAURANT says she is doing what she can to offer people especially good deals. She is offering an all-you-can-eat Friday night fishfry for $10.95. Early Bird Breakfast Specials go for $4.25 and include coffee.






If you turn left into Bucksport, you'll come upon Ming’s Garden, NAPA Auto Parts, Radio Shack, the Chamber of Commerce, the Bucksport Depot Museum, Bayside Party & Gifts, Classic Cuts, Commnity Pharmacy of Bucksport, Talk 'n' Shop, Maine Bytes, Kissed Tanning Salon, Camden National Bank, Bangor Savings Bank, MacLeod’s Restaurant, Best Western Motel, Rosen's Department Store, Bookstacks, Sheehan's, the Alamo Theatre, Bittersweet Gifts, JAK’s Custom Matting, Framing & Laminating, Leon's Auto Repair, Sawyer's Auto Sales, the Vineyard, the Bucksport House of Pizza, KRT Appliances, Blind Faith Tattoes, martial arts, and the Verso paper mill, and Vance’s Tropical Fish and Exotic Pet Shop.

In downtown Bucksport, the Chamber of Commerce operates a small information center. The Bucksport Depot Museum, housed in an old railroad depot, has artifacts dating back to the days when Bucksport was a seafaring settlement. Admission is free, although donations are accepted. Near here, Bucksport has developed its waterfront with benches providing nice views of Fort Knox and the bridge. Much work has been completed on Bucksport’s waterfront, including a new marina.

JAK’s Custom Matting, Framing & Laminating provides high-qualtiy picture farming at reasonable prices. JAK also sells wholesale Maine’made-candles. Great place to find some local color.

Among the treasures found at Bittersweet Gifts are decorative Russian boxes made of birchwood. This shop’s original tin ceilings make it a one-of-a-kind original.


If your looking for the best place in Bucksport to have your prized photos and artwork mounted and framed stop by SUNDIAL FRAMING AND PHOTOGRAPHY LLC on Main Street adjacent to the Downtown Water Front. Owner Leslie Wombacher also offers a unique package. You and your sweetie in a photo taken at your favorite Downeast location. Makes a great keepsake and well worth doing.


Richard Rosen of Rosen’s Department Store is carrying on a family tradition that goes back for nearly a century. Great clothing and footwear and sensible prices and situated on Bucksport’s beautiful waterfront.

Also on Main St., check out the floral displays at Sheehan's. These guys have won awards for their designs.

Also downtown, there’s a theater that just won’t quit. Built in 1916, the Alamo was a popular movie house for 40 years before entering in a period of considerable TV-induced degradation. It was, at times, an A&P, a health clinic, a bar, and a video store. By 1992, things had become grim; the structure faced foreclosure. This was when Northeast Historic Film—a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving films of the Northeast—came riding onto the scene. Acquiring the place for a headquarters, this group began a struggle to replace the original 600-seat auditorium with a more intimate 120-seater. A major part of the project includes climate-controlled storage vaults for three-million-plus feet of irreplaceable historic film. NHF intends to be the country’s premier regional moving image archives. Open at present is the Theatre Store, which stocks Hollywood films relating to Northern New England and unusual movie-related gifts and toys.


IT IS 18 miles from Bucksport to Ellsworth. Leaving Bucksport, you’ll see a Hannaford Super Market, Buck Monument, and the Bucksport Motor Inn.

Buck Monument has the outline of a foot and leg said to be the result of a curse put upon Col. Buck by a woman he had executed for witchcraft. Just before departing this world, she promised to dance on his grave. Don’t try to convince locals she hasn't made good.

Stop by and say Hi to Eddie and Val, owners of the Bucksport Motor Inn, a great place to hang your hat. Close to downtown Bucksport and the riverfront as well as having about the cleanest nicely kept rooms around. Wireless Internet and microwaves as well as refrigerators are in all rooms. Pets are also welcomed in selected rooms. Call 207-469-3111

Along this stretch, there is a Dunkin’ Donuts, Soups Whole Earth Kantina, Curves, a dollar store, a video shop, and a McDonald’s. Also look for Landmark Properties and Ocean Edge Realty, Spring Fountain Motel, Tozier's Bar and Grill, Homemade Pies, Jerry's True Value Hardware, lies, a Rite Aide Pharmacy, a Subway, and a State Liquor Store, and the Shady Oaks Campground, EBS Building Supplies.

If you’re looking for a good, clean, fully-featured motel where prices are reasonable, the Spring Fountain Motel on Route One is your spot.

Bucksport Hardware and Jerry’s True Value Hardware in Belfast are two of the best-stocked and most organized stores of their kind in the Coastal Downeast area. Everything from A to Z in hardware and home and camping supplies as well as Equipment rentals and a large garden center make both stores a one stop shopping destination.


A left onto Rte 46 will take you to the Masthead Family Campground, Cosby's Takeout, the Bucksport Golf Course and, eventually, to Holden.


Check out the Penobscot Bay Yacht Exchange.

You'll find Tozier’s II Bar & Grill and a place offering homemade pies, past the Junction of 175 to Castine.


ORLAND

The Orland Historical Society operates a small museum with military uniforms, a mineral collection, and local memorabilia on Main Street (Route 175). Open daily 2 to 4 p.m. July and August.

Look for a turn to the Orland House B&B and Orland Pottery.

The road to your left leads down to the Alamoosook Lakeside Inn.

Watch for HOME Co-op, C&G Growers, Acadia Highway Dollhouse Treasures, Freshwater Stone and Brick Work, Outback Towing and Outback Auto Sales, the Love Barn & Flea Market, Soper's Market, the turnoff to the Wild Blueberry Patch Gift Shop, and the turnoff to Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery.

On Rte One in Orland is H.O.M.E. (Homemakers Organized for More Employment), an organization that assists local people in many ways. If you’re just visiting this area, you might want to check out H.O.M.E.’s marketstand with fresh produce, craft museum, thrift shop, and gift shop featuring work of Maine artisans. There are facilities for pottery, woodworking, weaving, leather, and a greenhouse. During the summer there is a non-stop flea market. In August, H.O.M.E. holds a country and crafts fair. At one recent book sale, you could buy a whole bag of books for a buck. Call 207-469-7961.



At ACADIA HIGHWAY DOLLHOUSE TREASURES, Mary Soper stocks a wide variety of dollhouses, miniatures, and tiny furnitures.

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Look for Outback Towing and Outback Auto Sales. The people here like to say that this is the place "where great auto things happen." They're located at 589 Acadia Highway, US Rte 1 in Orland. Call 207-469-3733

In Orland, the Love Barn & Flea Market sells neat used stuff from 15 mini-barns. On hand also is a well-run lunch wagon. Open weekends.

Rte 15 to your left leads down to Deer Isle.

Soper's Market is the place to get all your travel requirements—fuel, lobster and crabmeat sandwiches, pizza, beer wine, even specialty coffees. They’ll take your personal check or major credit card too.

Just a bit off the beaten path on Route 15 is the Wild Blueberry Patch Gift Shop. Combined here are edible blueberries and gifts with a blueberry motif. It is operated by the Allen family, which has been in the blueberry biz for five generations. Check out their giant wind turbine, the ecologically friendly way they freeze blueberries.



Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery in East Orland was established in 1871 and is the nation’s oldest salmon hatchery. It is situated on the shore of Alamoosook Lake on a road that isn’t marked very well, but it is well worth visiting. There is a Visitors’ Center with aquaria, a picnic area, and boat-launching ramp, all free of charge. Each year, Craig Brook produces upwards of half a million young Atlantic salmon for Maine’s restoration programs. We visited the hatchery on a lovely July day and had the place all to ourselves. At the hatchery housed in an old ice house is Maine’s first-ever Atlantic salmon museum. On display are intricately-tied flies of master artisans, century-old flyrods , assorted reels, gaffs, tailers, and other artifacts and memorabilia.

Further on, there is a boat launch, Duffy's Restaurant, the Pine Shore Motel and Toddy Lakeside Cabins.


DUFFY'S, a small but good restaurant, has new owners. They've introduced a terrific all--you-can-eat breakfast buffet for just $7.99. They're open daily for breakfast and lunch, and on weekends for dinner.



If you feel like you're ODing on Limbaugh, switch over to WERU at FM 89.9. Amy Goodman and Jim Hightower are good juxtapositions to the far right chatter that makes up most of talk radio. WERU is a community, listener-sponsored, ad-free station providing a nice balance of good music and public service (and most always politically correct) broadcasting, now makes its home on Route 1.

B. C. Burke’s Fine Jewelry on Rte 1 in East Orland offers diamonds and other natural gemstone jewelry as well as the region’s largest selection of Tourmaline — all at very reasonable prices. Most of the jewelry is created on the premises. Sizing of any purchase is free. Also here is the East Orland Antique Mall, a multi-dealer shop with estate jewelry, over 2000 pieces of costume jewelry, books, doll houses and doll house furniture., Wade figurines, and a wide variety of antiques and collectibles—all at prices even other antique dealers find irresistible. Call 207-469-1000.

Look for the Horsing Around Flea Market.


Questions or comments? Send them along to Captain D.

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