Hype for the Future 64G: Town of Brunswick, Maine

Introduction

The Town of Brunswick effectively represents the northern end of Cumberland County, Maine, directly across the Androscoggin River from the Town of Topsham in Sagadahoc County. Located near the Atlantic Ocean, the community of Brunswick is most notable for hosting Bowdoin College, part of the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium with Colby in Waterville and Bates in Lewiston.

Bowdoin College

Along with Colby and Bates Colleges in Waterville and Lewiston, respectively, Bowdoin College represents a significant private institution located within the State of Maine. Though each of the colleges are fairly similar in relatively suburban campus form, with historic features similarly associated with the three clearly distinct institutions, only Bowdoin is included within the Six Colleges, along with five other significant elite private institutions: Amherst, Carleton, Pomona, Swarthmore, and Williams. Though Bowdoin hosts the Bowdoin College Museum of Art on campus, as is the case with Colby and Bates Colleges further north, Bowdoin College also hosts the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum.

Off Campus

Just outside the official Bowdoin College campus limits is the Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum for his Civil War service at Gettysburg and his association with the college as well as the historic Brunswick Hotel directly opposite Noble Street. The Pejepscot History Center is also of significance within the community, and the Androscoggin Swinging Bridge to the northwest intends to separate the community from the Town of Topsham in Sagadahoc County over the river.

Geography

The Town of Brunswick is located near the northern end of the Casco Bay, with associated islands being home to the East Brown Cow, the Halfway Rock Lighthouse, the Eagle Island State Historic Site, and associated attractions. Also located relatively nearby within Casco Bay are the Little Whaleboat and Pettingill Islands, as well as Battery 202; South Point and Griffin’s Cove on Cliff Island; and the seasonal Museum of Chebeague History on Chebeague Island.

Hype for the Future 64F: Boothbay Area, Maine

Introduction

The Towns of Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor are largely associated with the summer season, both along the Atlantic Ocean with Boothbay slightly further inland (north) within Lincoln County, Maine. Though Monhegan Island and its associated plantation may be more accessible from Knox County to the east, the island area is also considered part of Lincoln County, albeit separately identified from the Boothbay communities. Boothbay Harbor is situated to the south of Boothbay and is home to the most significant of summer communities in the vicinity.

Boothbay

Within the Town of Boothbay, the most notable attraction in the community just south of Damariscotta is the Boothbay Railway Village Museum. Though the Boothbay Harbor area is situated nearby and to the south, Boothbay is also home to the Ocean Point area situated to the east of Boothbay Harbor. The village area at Ocean Point is home to the Bluebird Ocean Point Inn as well as the Ocean Point Walk, with the Ram Island Lighthouse located yet further to the south. While Damariscove Island, Pumpkin Island, and Outer Heron Island are located quite distantly from the mainland area of the Town of Boothbay, the three aforementioned islands are each included within the community.

Boothbay Harbor

Situated just to the south of the Town of Boothbay is the Town of Boothbay Harbor, consisting primarily of the relatively densely populated village area at Boothbay Harbor. At the southern end of the town are the Sail Muscongus Day Tours, though the Maine State Aquarium is located on the opposite (west) side of Boothbay Harbor. Further north, the major tourist attractions of the Boothbay Harbor area are the footbridge, the historic district, and the Mysterious Harbor Tours at Boothbay Harbor. Many of the town facilities, including the signature Boothbay Harbor Lobster Wharf, are seasonal, as with many of the otherwise related local amenities of the State of Maine and especially the MidCoast region.

Hype for the Future 64D: Lincoln County, Maine (North of Boothbay)

Introduction

Lincoln County, Maine, is located partly at the western end of the Waldo Patent and otherwise in the vicinity of the Atlantic Ocean, bounded by Knox County to the east, Sagadahoc County to the west, Kennebec County to the northwest, and Waldo County to the northeast. The county seat of Lincoln County is the community of Wiscasset, and much of the county is traversed by way of United States Route 1 along the Atlantic Ocean. On the eastern edge of the county is the Town of Waldoboro, descending from the Waldo Patent and home to the historic Waldoboro Inn, the Waldoborough Historical Society, and the Recycleart sculpture museum.

West of Waldoboro

To the west of the Town of Waldoboro and of the Waldo Patent, Lincoln County is also home to Damariscotta and Newcastle in the central portion of the county on either side of the Damariscotta River, with the Jan Kilburn Art Studio representing the eastern (Damariscotta) side while the Newcastle-Damariscotta Station is representative of the western (Newcastle) side of the community. Further south along the Damariscotta are the Frances Perkins National Monument on the west side and the Chapin Studio Gallery at Stoneridge and the Hawks House Inn on the east side.

The Edgecomb area, though nowhere near the true definition of the Down East region, is home to the Down East Gallery, with the Wiscasset community to the west serving as home to the Sylvan, Wiscasset Bay, and Maine Art Galleries as well as the Museum in the Streets, Castle Tucker, the Powder House, the Nickels-Sortwell House, and the Lincoln County Museum, with a welcome sign at the southern end along U.S. Route 1. Along Route 218, the Wiscasset, Waterville, and Farmington Railway Museum is located in the southern part of the Town of Alna.

Hype for the Future 64C: Southern Knox County, Maine

Introduction

To the south of the City of Rockland, the Penobscot Bay gives way to the more open Atlantic Ocean in the relatively more southerly immediate vicinity. With the transition from Rockland to the Atlantic Ocean comes additional islands, particularly the aforementioned island locations, as well as the Saint George Peninsula to the west of the Penobscot Bay.

Saint George Peninsula

In the southern fringe of the City of Rockland are the Sail Power and Steam Museum and Gallery Fukurou, and further south are the numerous amenities associated with the Saint George Peninsula. Owls Head, home to the village of Ash Point, is also home to the Knox County Regional Airport as well as the Owls Head Transportation Museum. Within the Spruce Head area of Saint George is the Craignair Inn by the Sea, while further south on the peninsula are the East Wind Inn on the Water, the Granite Gallery, and the Marshall Point Lighthouse and Museum.

West of the Saint George Peninsula

The Towns of Cushing and Friendship are located within Knox County, Maine, though they are each west of the Saint George Peninsula proper. The Town of Cushing is home to the Olson House and the Langlais Art Preserve, while the Town of Friendship is home to the Friendship Museum. The Town of Thomaston is home to the Thomaston Historical Society and the Montpelier facility of the Knox Museum, while the Town of South Thomaston is located at the northwestern edge of the Saint George Peninsula and is home to the Finnish Heritage House. Finally, the Town of Warren, Maine, is located directly to the east of the Town of Waldoboro and the Lincoln County line, with the community serving as home to the Warren Historical Society Museum.

Hype for the Future 64B: Notable Islands of Maine

Preamble

While novaTopFlex has already identified the notable attractions of Vinalhaven, North Haven, and Deer Isle, the following content will refer specifically to Monhegan, Matinicus Isle, Islesboro, Frenchboro, and Swans Island, as well as to the “mainland” termini of the ferry vessels. Each route shall be covered in an arrangement in which the distinct communities are referred to first.

Introduction

The State of Maine contains six (6) state ferries, with the most notable of ferry routes originating in the City of Rockland in MidCoast Maine. The MidCoast region provides access to the Vinalhaven Ferry, as well as to ferries for North Haven and for Matinicus Isle. Monhegan, located further to the south, is also served by ferry from the mainland at Port Clyde; however, the ferry routes are exclusively private, since the State of Maine does not operate a ferry route to the island.

Matinicus Isle

The ferry to Matinicus Isle, Maine, begins the journey from the City of Rockland, where Bixby Chocolate manufactures their chocolates and where the Farnsworth Homestead and Art Museum, the Center for Maine Contemporary Art, the hotel at Trade Winds on the Bay, and the Project Puffin Visitor Center are located. On the island side, Matinicus Isle is a plantation, thus with less autonomy than the cities and towns within the State. An island with a permanent population of under one hundred residents, the community is home to just a few amenities, such as the David Sears Gallery. The Maine State Ferry Dock at Matinicus is located on the eastern end of the island.

Islesboro

From the Town of Lincolnville, home to the Spouter Inn Bed and Breakfast and just a few other places to stay, the Margaret Chase Smith vessel provides access to the island town of Islesboro, home to the Grindle Point Sailors’ Museum and Lighthouse at the island terminus of the ferry as well as the Islesboro Historical Society more centrally located on the island.

Mount Desert Island

While Mount Desert Island is firmly accessible by way of the Maine road network, the communities on the island also provide access to Swans Island and to Frenchboro. At the Maine State Ferry Dock at Swans Island is the Swans Island Lobster and Marine Museum, while near the ferry terminal at Frenchboro is the community museum-library, simply named as the Frenchboro Museum-Library.

Each of the aforementioned state ferries contain the “mainland” terminus within Mount Desert Island at the community of Bass Harbor. At the southern end of the Bass Harbor area—and of all of Mount Desert Island—is the Bass Harbor Head Light Station. On the western side of the “mainland” island further north is the Sea Cove Auto Museum; however, the most notable portions of the island are further east, including the communities of Mount Desert and Bar Harbor as well as Acadia National Park. Within the latter is the Cadillac Mountain area, likely representative of the highest point in Acadia as well as throughout the entirety of Mount Desert Island.

Within the village area representing Mount Desert are the Somesville Museum and Gardens as well as the Gallery at Somes Sound. However, the Town of Bar Harbor is the chief settlement of the entire island, located on the eastern end of the island and most notable as the “Gateway to Acadia [National Park].”

Within the Town of Bar Harbor, the College of the Atlantic is located on the western end of the town, containing the George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History internally hosted on campus. The Bar Harbor Welcome Sign and Historical Society areas alike are located further east, along West Street following the junction with Eden Street. The West Street Hotel, even further east, is a signature place to stay in the town and on the island as a whole, with Balance Rock further east and the Bar Harbor Ghost Tours and the Abbe Museum located further south.

Monhegan

Located near the mainland terminus of the most traditional private ferry route to the Plantation of Monhegan is the community of Port Clyde, as well as the Marshall Point Lighthouse and Museum area. While Monhegan is often described as a summer colony due to the seasonal influx of temporary residents, as well as as an art colony thanks to the island nature and surrounding scenic beauty that residents will be exposed to, three of the most notable attractions for visitors on the island include the Lupine Gallery, the Monhegan House, and the Fish House Fish Market. With the exception of the residents situated internally within the island, automobile access is throughout the entirety of the area, and such vehicles must remain on the mainland by Port Clyde and the surrounding area.

Hype for the Future 63V: The Galleries of Knox County, Maine

Introduction

Knox County, located in the MidCoast region of the State of Maine, is home to numerous art galleries, particularly on the islands of Vinalhaven and North Haven as well as on the mainland at the communities of Rockland and Camden.

Camden, Maine

Within the Town of Camden, the principal art galleries of the community are the Camden Falls Gallery, the Page Gallery, the Harbor Square Gallery, and the Carver Hill Gallery.

Rockland, Maine

To the south of the Camden and Rockport areas is the City of Rockland, the county seat of Knox County, Maine. While the El Faro Salute! memorial is dedicated specifically to the lives lost to Hurricane Joaquin in 2015, the city is also notable for producing the chocolates of the Bixby Chocolate company at the site of a working marina.

While the Maine Lighthouse Museum and the Maine Lobster Festival share a venue, the City of Rockland is also notable for containing numerous art galleries, including the Eric Hopkins Gallery at the northern end of downtown as well as the Clarke, Triangle, Dowling Walsh, Blue Raven, Art Space, Landing, Caldbeck, and Jonathan Frost Galleries.

Hype for the Future 63U: Places to Stay in Camden, Maine

Introduction

The Town of Camden is a surprisingly significant tourist draw located in Knox County, Maine, along the Penobscot Bay. Despite not having the typical services associated with resort communities across the nation, the community of Camden may be silently welcoming to the LGBTQIA+ community in many of the following lodging options:

Places to Stay (Not an Exhaustive List)

• Elm Street / Main Street / U.S. Route 1 (South to North)
  • Cedar Crest Inn
  • Elms of Camden
  • Blackberry Inn
  • Captain Swift Inn
  • Blue Harbor House Inn
  • Towne Motel
  • Hartstone Inn
  • Downtown Camden Hotel
  • Lord Camden Inn
  • Camden Windward House
  • Abigail’s Inn
  • Camden Maine Stay Inn
  • Whitetail Inn
  • A Little Dream Bed and Breakfast Inn
  • Timbercliffe Cottage Ocean View Inn
  • The Lodge at Camden Hills
  • Birchwood Lodge and Farmette
• Tannery Lane
  • The Inn at Camden Place
  • Camden Riverhouse Hotel and Inns
• Bay View Street
  • 16 Bay View
  • Grand Harbor Inn
  • Camden Harbour Inn
• Pleasant Street
  • Hideaway Inn Maine
• Belmont Avenue
  • Green Gables Inn
  • Belmont Inn

Hype for the Future 63T: Towns of Camden and Rockport, Maine

Overview

Both Camden and Rockport are located along the Penobscot Bay in the northern part of Knox County, Maine. However, most of the educational, academic, and historical facilities are located in the more southerly Town of Rockport while the more northerly Town of Camden is notable for more modern amenities and a historic urban core. The special-focus higher-education institution of the Maine Media Workshops and College is located within Rockland, along with the Camden-Rockport Historical Society and the Country Inn at Camden Rockport. The Rockport Harbor Hotel is another lodging option, more closely associated with the Penobscot Bay, along with the Starlight Lodge at Rockport Harbor.

Hype for the Future 62C: Town of Vinalhaven, Maine

Introduction

The Town of Vinalhaven, Maine, is not just an island town in the State of Maine—it is also the town representing the largest of the offshore islands of the State of Maine officially accessible by state ferry from the mainland.

Ferry Service

As the largest island—and only island with over one thousand permanent residents—accessible by ferry from the mainland, the Rockland-Vinalhaven ferry must maintain two (2) separate vessels on the same route, compared to one (1) for every other ferry route.

Fox Islands

The Island of Vinalhaven is, though the largest and most populated of the Fox Islands, often considered coextensive with the Island of North Haven to the north, with the combined Fox Islands providing insights into Eric Hopkins and his close and extended family, as descendants of Theophilus Hopkins connected to Vinalhaven.

Infrastructure

Within the Island of Vinalhaven, not a single state-maintained highway services in any direction nor at any particular location. Though ferries do not directly serve access to North Haven nor to Matinicus Isle, the ferry to the mainland city of Rockland provides access to the other aforementioned MidCoast islands.

Places to Stay

While the Wild Sea Rose Inn and Boutique is located within the island on Main Street, the Tidewater is typically the most popular of the official places to stay on the island. The Tidewater is more centrally located along Main Street, though smaller bed and breakfast sites also exist within the surrounding areas.

Tourist Attractions

Like the Hopkins Wharf Art Gallery and adjacent North Haven Gift Shop on the island to the north, the Island of Vinalhaven provides access to a candy shop on the west side while also providing access to similar amenities associated with island life, including the Homeport Family Restaurant in the same building. The Sand Bar and the Island Wave are two other restaurants located on the island, though on the eastern end of Main Street and the village area.

Interestingly, the Maine State Vinalhaven Ferry Service is known for ferries departing early, so visitors are encouraged to arrive at the ferry terminal at least somewhat in advance to ensure a smooth experience on the return to Rockland on the mainland.

Perhaps the most important of the attractions on Vinalhaven are the High Street attraction of the Vinalhaven Historical Society and the Main Street attractions of the Dot and Millie’s Restaurant, the New Era Gallery, and the historically significant Galamander.

Additional Amenities

The Island of Vinalhaven also provides the Vinalhaven Community Brewery for most of those at or above the age of twenty-one (obviously), as well as multiple coffee shops and smaller stores of different specialties. The Marston House represents the antique market of the island, while Carver’s Harbor Market attempts to be as authentic an island grocery store as possible.

Vinalhaven Public Library

The Island of Vinalhaven also provides access to free Wi-Fi by way of the Vinalhaven Public Library. The Wi-Fi of the library has been reported as a largely unique amenity that separates the library area from the significantly slower pace of life elsewhere on Vinalhaven.