the Bay (http://www.ledgesbythebay.com/index.php) which is a beautiful facility right on Glen
Cove, just north of Rockland on US 1. The rooms are spacious and comfortable with views out over the bay. The heat works well in the winter. If you go to the website, you can find great deals on rooms in the winter--just click on the Special Offers button at the top of the page.
We drove up on Monday from New Hampshire through rain and mist, which raises an interesting question -- what does one do in the off-season when the weather isn't good (which is frequently the case). We stopped at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath which is located on the site of a boatyard that built wooden schooners well into the early part of the 20th century. (http://www.mainemaritimemuseum.org/) In the winter, only the museum exhibits in the main building are open -- one cannot go out into the rest of the yard to visit the wood working shop, the boat restoration shop, or the lobstering exhibit.
However, there are plenty of exhibits discussing the use of Maine built boats, not only in the coastal trade, but also in the trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific trade of the 19th century. In addition, there is a fascinating temporary exhibit entitled "Some Burdensome-Big Ships, Big Cargoes" which describes modern trade using container ships and their increasing size. There is a fascinating video which melds the unloading and loading of a large container ship in 48 hours and the building of a very larger container ship and the modifications being made to the ports which it will service.
From the Maine Maritime Museum, we made our way to Sarah's Cafe in Wiscasset which is located on the south side of US 1 just before it crosses the water. Sarah's has been in business for over 25 years, and we always like to check out the soup bar. One can get a bowl of haddock chowder or either of two other soups plus and assortment of homemade breads for $4.99; refills are $1.00 each. There is a large menu with many other options, but the soup hits the spot on a cold, rainy day.
If one is heading up to Bar Harbor, one can take I-95 to Augusta and cut over to Belfast on Rte. 3, but I generally prefer to drive up US 1. One drives through farm land, commercial land, and forests. Traffic on the road is not bad except on Saturdays during the season when rentals are changing over. Wiscasset aforementioned is a particular bottle neck, either through the town going north on US 1 or the bridge coming south on US 1 into town -- that's just one of the reasons that we prefer offseason.
Having arrived in Rockland yesterday afternoon, we checked into the Ledges and then headed out to dinner. Rockland offers numerous dining opportunities -- last night we ate at the Boathouse Restaurant and Raw Bar at 58 Ocean Street (get directions from Google). The seafood is very good -- we had seared scallops on angel hair pasta with pesto. Both scallops and pesto were excellent, though the scallops were just a tad better done than optimum. And the view from the Boathouse -- even in the rain -- is spectacular. You look back over the lights of Rockland or out to the ocean.
Tuesday morning, it was still raining, and we debated our itinerary for the day while having breakfast at the Rockland Cafe (http://www.rocklandcafe.com/). The ambiance is "diner" but the food is great. Blueberry pancakes with maple syrup are excellent. House specialty is a "crab cake" Benedict (crabcake with hollandaise sauce). I didn't have it, but one of my fellow travelers said it was excellent. As we came out, the rain was still coming down hard, but the sky was beginning to lighten, and we chanced heading back to Boothbay Harbor to the Maine Botanical Gardens.
On the way, we stopped to see a couple of Episcopal churches -- St. John the Baptist in Thomaston (a carpenter Gothic building currently being repaired and painted on the inside) and St. Andrew's in Damriscotta -- a wonderful Henry Vaughan church situated right on the water.
By the time we left St. Andrew's, the sky was beginning to lighten, and we drove down the River Road toward Boothbay Harbor.
The Maine Botanical Gardens opened their facility several years ago, and they are in the process of expanding constantly. Many of the plantings are young, so visiting it regularly gives one a sense of its growth. The outdoor exhibits are free in from January to March, though if you go, be sure to wear solid shoes or boots -- the walks were covered with snow, ice, and slush this
morning, Nevertheless, it is a great experience to walk around in the winter and to see the "bones" of the garden exposed by rain and snow melt, with the promise of much more to come in the spring. Construction is progressing on the Children's Garden.
Returning from Boothbay, we made our way to Port Clyde, a working harbor that was covered in Downeast Magazine, January 2010 (http://www.downeast.com/node/13322). There was a wonderful little seasonal restaurant on the dock (covered by blue tarps in the photo to the right of the dock), but I am not sure whether it will re-open: their lease was not renewed. Check for news at their website as June approaches (http://www.dipnetrestaurant.com/).
Rockland has three interesting museums -- the Farnsworth Museum which houses a major collection of the Wyeth Family work; the Lighthouse Museum; and the Owls Head Transportation Museum. The first two are not open on Monday and Tuesday during the winter; the Transportation Museum is open year round and well worth the visit (http://www.ohtm.org/).
On Tuesday night, we had dinner at Lily Bistro at 321 Main St. in Rockland, just beyond the Farnworth on the opposite side of the street (go down several more store fronts and you get to the Rockland Cafe mentioned above).
Lily Bistro is really something. My wife and I had a five course dinner there on New Year's Eve that was spectacular -- and a steal at $50. On this trip, we each had the Prix Fixe dinner (3 courses) for $35. (http://www.lilybistromaine.com/) I had a medium rare duck breast on a bed of toasted almond barley with poached quince and watercress. The duck was succulent, and the watercress tender, crunchy, and peppery as it should be. Lily Bistro tries to use as much local produce as possible -- its menus vary according to what is available--and this watercress was much more appetizing that the bags I get at the supermarket. One of my friends had the steak and frites with blue cheese butter, root vegetable, and frites (glorious French fries) that came with garlic and herbs in a cast iron pot that kept them warm; my other friend had the rack of lamb with polenta and sauteed greens. Desserts were also excellent; two of us had a chocolate "lava cake" with vanilla ice cream; the third had creme brulee which he thought the best he had ever had; I tasted it -- the caramelized sugar on top was substantial but easily frangible; the custard beneath was smooth and delicate. We all agreed that this was the best meal we have had on these trips.
Lily Bistro is not fast food -- dishes are prepared individually, and this takes time. Dinner is leisurely, as it is in Quebec City or Europe. The background music is wonderful and not overpowering, making for easy conversation. We sat in a front window and folks walking by all seemed to be looking in to see what was happening. If you ever have the chance, check this out. Calling ahead for reservations is very helpful.
Tomorrow we head back to New Hampshire. We will have breakfast at the Home Kitchen Cafe. I'll let you know how that is in the next installment.
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