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David's Midcoast Area Guide

Welcome to Midcoast Maine!

This is your guide to things to do, places to go, where to eat, plus a whole lot more in the Tenants Harbor and Midcoast area of Maine. My name is David Bruce, Area Guide and Realtor®. I live in Tenants Harbor and I'm here to help you navigate all the fun of Maine's Midcoast. The Midcoast of Maine is a wonderful, fun and spectacular area and I hope you find this resource helpful and entertaining!

There's a special magic to Midcoast Maine that makes you happy to be alive! You see the magic at sunrise and through the sea-smoke as lobstermen head out for the day. You feel it on a boat as you leave Tenants Harbor, past the American flag on Mouse Island, the Lighthouse on Southern Island and as you look back to the mountains of Camden. You hear it in the call of a seagull, the sound of a buoy bell or the laughter of your kids crabbing off a dock. Part of the magic in Maine is the physical beauty, but just as important are the people of Maine and the culture. There is an authenticity to Maine, in her beauty, in her people and in her places. I think Maine is a place you have "to get". Not all people do, but I sure am glad I do! Enjoy your Maine adventure! The way life should be!

Questions about the area? Questions about real estate? Suggestions for this guide? Call, text or email me. David Bruce, 207.804.0001,  David@DavidBruceMaine.com

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Fun Midcoast Maine Things To Do

The great thing about Maine is there is so much to do, see and experience. Here are some Maine fun things to do in no particular order.

  • Picnic on Mt. Battie. Just an incredible view that you never get tired of! You feel like you are on top of the world, looking down to the sea. Just north of Camden off Rt 1 in Camden Hills State Park. A must on any visit! You can drive or hike to the top.
  • Have a Lobster Cookout! Buy some lobsters, clams and mussels from a local fisherman or a market. Steam them up in a big pot of salted water. Add some potatoes, corn on the cob and melt some butter. Grab some cold Maine craft beer and enjoy!
  • Hike Clark Island. A beautiful hike around an old quarry with spectacular ocean views. Part of the Maine Coast Heritage Trust. Park at the Craignair Inn and walk across the causeway. Post hike grab a cool drink and bite to eat at The Craignair!
  • Hike to Roaring Spout.The Roaring Spout is located on Roaring Spout Road, off Harts Neck Road in Tenants Harbor. Pedestrians and bicyclists are welcome. At high tide you will hear the ocean roar through the rock formation and may even get sprayed by the spout!
  • Hike Camden Hills. Maiden's Cliff is a favorite! Access off Route 52 in Camden within the Camden Hills State Park trail system. Beautiful views of Megunticook Lake. Also check out the Ocean Overlook Trail and Bald Rock Mountain on the north end.
  • Take a Day Sail! Did you know there is more coastline in Maine than California? There are many old wooden schooners available for charter in Camden, Rockport and Rockland. We sail with Capt. Daniel Bennett aboard the Bufflehead out of Rockland, and with Capt. Aaron Lincoln on The Olad out of Camden.
  • Cruise aboard the Maine Windjammer Fleet!
  • Take a Lobster Boat Cruise!
  • Visit Camden Maine! Hike around town, shop, eat, drink and take in this picturesque coastal town. You'll feel like you are on a movie set — films like Peyton Place were filmed here.
  • Visit Rockland Maine! A vibrant working New England coastal town — a mini-Portland. A very cool and eclectic food scene, lots of art galleries, shops, festivals and music.
  • Take a Kayak Tour out of Port Clyde. All kinds of options including a Porpoise Tour and a Full Moon Tour! Port Clyde Kayaks
  • Go Mackerel Fishing! Just find a public landing or wharf, use a "Christmas tree" lure and cast it in. They usually run in schools and it's not uncommon to get 3 or 4 on the line at once!
  • Go to Drift Inn Beach! Rock and sand Maine beach between Tenants Harbor and Port Clyde. Go at low tide for best conditions — awesome for kids!
  • Catch a show at The Strand in Rockland.
  • Visit Monhegan Island. A beautiful island 11 miles off the coast from Port Clyde with 17 miles of hiking trails, hundreds of species of wildflowers and seabirds, and an art colony with up to 20 studios open in summer. Take a ferry from Port Clyde and have a cold beer at Monhegan Brewing!
  • Check out the Owls Head Transportation Museum. One of the finest collections of pioneer-era aircraft and automobiles in the world — over 100 historic aircraft, automobiles, bicycles, carriages and engines on permanent display.
  • Experience the Camden Snow Bowl. Skiing, tubing, toboggan run in winter; mountain biking and hiking in summer; scenic leaf tours in fall. Host of the US Toboggan Nationals each February.
  • Visit Marshall Point Lighthouse in Port Clyde. Yes — the Forrest Gump lighthouse! Only 5 minutes from Tenants Harbor.
  • More Lighthouses! A great way to tour Midcoast Maine. Highlights include Owls Head Light and the walkable Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse.
  • Have a boat? Check out the Maine Island Trail — a water trail spanning over 200 islands and coastal sites along 375 miles of Maine's coast.
  • Take on a ropes course! Zip lines, 30+ obstacles from 12 to 50 feet in the air and a giant swing. Monkey See Monkey Do
  • Enjoy a Maine Festival! St. George Days, Maine Lobster Festival, North Atlantic Blues Festival, Moxie Festival, Union Fair, Camden Windjammer Festival, Maine Boats and Harbors Show, and more.
  • The Maine Music Scene. Did you know Rockland is considered part of the Mississippi Blues Trail? Check local papers like the Free Press or Village Soup for schedules.
  • Tee it up on a Maine Golf Course! Options include The Samoset, Boothbay Country Club, Rockland Golf Club, Goose River Golf Club, and Northport Golf Club.
  • Visit the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland. 20,000 sq ft of gallery space, over 10,000 works including the Wyeth Center featuring Andrew, N.C. and Jamie Wyeth.

Midcoast Maine Places To Eat

Breakfast

  • The East Wind Inn — Tenants Harbor. Quaint seaside inn restaurant with a great breakfast and an amazing view!
  • Home Kitchen Café — Rockland. Fresh organic ingredients. Huevos Rancheros are legendary! Great omelets, pancakes and sticky buns.
  • Boynton-McKay — Camden. Fresh, eclectic, tasty dishes in an old drugstore. Also home of Ruckus Donuts!
  • Mariner's Restaurant — Camden. Old school diner overlooking the harbor.
  • Moody's Diner — Waldoboro. Incredible blueberry pancakes!
  • Brass Compass — Rockland. Diner style, good consistent home style cooking!
  • Willow Bake Shop — On Rt. 1 between Rockland and Rockport. Homemade doughnuts!

Lunch

  • Ancho Honey — Tenants Harbor. Eclectic, casual, gourmet, hip food. Gourmet grilled cheeses, craft burgers, amazing fried chicken and fish sandwiches. Mostly takeout with a few spots to sit inside and out.
  • Home Kitchen Café — Rockland. A favorite lunch spot too! Wicked good lobster sandwich on homemade bread, fish tacos with fresh tortillas, lobster tacos, the reuben, chowder — go there!
  • Owls Head General Store — Owls Head. Voted best burger in Maine. Takes at least 7 napkins to eat!
  • Picnic on Mount Battie. Stop at Camden Deli, grab a sandwich, drive up to the lookout and enjoy the best view in Maine!

Lobster Shacks & Seafood in the Rough

  • McLoons Lobster Shack — Spruce Head. Authentic Maine lobster shack directly across from a working lobster wharf. Awesome lobster and crab rolls, clams, incredible view!
  • The Black Harpoon — Port Clyde. Good seafood, pasta, steaks. The best fisherman's bar in Maine — peanut shells on the floor, lobster buoys hanging from the ceiling.
  • The Happy Clam — Tenants Harbor. Classic Maine-German cuisine. Family restaurant with a playground for the kids and a Biergarten for the adults!
  • The Slipway — Thomaston. Shore dinners, classic seafood baskets and a killer raw bar. Come in a t-shirt or a blue blazer — awesome spot!
  • The Dip Net — Port Clyde. Wharf-side dining specializing in hot toasted lobster rolls, steamed lobster and seafood specialties. Great vibe and great view!
  • The Barn — Port Clyde. Funky informal spot open 4–9pm. Cold beer, cocktails, fresh raw seafood bar, and an art gallery upstairs. Thursday happy hour is an awesome local event!
  • Doug's Seafood — Thomaston. Small family run business serving classic New England fare. Lots of fried goodness and lobster rolls!

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