Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Hello all! After a really tough semester at school I really wanted to get away and visit somewhere new and enjoy my last days of vacation before starting yet another term. Two weeks of vacation isn't nearly enough time to fit in all of the summer activities I wanted to do but this trip to Maine with my classmates made it absolutely worth it. I've had a few people ask me why we decided to go to Maine of all places. If you want the short answer, it's that I just have been wanting to go. For those of you who are looking for a bustling city and big crowds, this isn't the place to be. However, if you're looking to escape from the stress of your daily life and enjoy some beautiful hikes and scenery, Maine may be just the place. Not to mention that Maine is most well known for its delicious fresh lobster for all you seafood lovers!
Although there are many places in Maine to explore, we decided to be in Boothbay Harbor for the duration of our stay. Boothbay harbor has a mixture of both amazing scenery and a variety of restaurants and food choices so it was perfect for us.
We started off our first full day in Maine with a trip to Monhegan Island. If you're going to be in the Boothbay area, you can't pass this one up. The downside was that the water was extremely choppy that day, so the boat ride there and back was the most unpleasant part of the trip. It's a one and a half hour trip out there, but I promise you that it's absolutely worth it. If you plan on hiking the whole island thoroughly I recommend you book at the inn there and stay the night because that way you can enjoy everything the island has to offer.
We passed the Ram Island Lighthouse along the way.
Once we reached the island it really was like we were on a whole different world. There are no cars on this island, just houses and dirt roads that you walk along. I must say it's very different to walk through a town with no paved roads or driveways. I swear every house looked like it could be a featured as a computer background, they were all so beautiful.
The view from the top of the hill.
At the edge of the world.
The view from Whitehead.
One thing to mention is that the trails on Monhegan Island are not really well marked. Lynna and I were all right with not always being completely sure of where we were going so it wasn't a problem for us.
This landscape looks just like a painting.
Speaking of paintings, apparently Monhegan does attract many artists such as this man who we struck conversation with about his residence on the island.
On day two we went looking for lighthouses and found Hendrick's Headlight. It was located right by a beach which was a nice surprise.
On our third day in Maine we went out whale watching! It was my first time going so I was pretty excited. Lucky for us it was a beautiful day out on the water this time!
We got to see dolphins along the way!
Shown above are the three fin whales we got to see together at the same time. It was a wonderful experience to be able to watch these beautiful creatures in the ocean.
Cuckhold's Lighthouse
Our last stop in our Maine trip was the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. This was another favorite of the trip because of how beautiful the garden was. We didn't have enough time to cover the garden in it's entirety because it was so massive, however we did get to cover the recommended areas.
There was a fairy garden area which I thought was absolutely adorable to see the different creations other visitors had made before us.
We decided to make our very own fairy house. We called it the AMC MPAS 18 Mansion after our PA program! In my biased opinion our fairy house was the best.
My favorite section was the Children's Garden! This cute house had children's toys and a tea set up inside, perfect for a garden tea party.
That was the gist of our trip minus pictures of the awesome lobster rolls and other seafood I had. Overall it was a fantastic trip with breathtaking views and delicious food; just what I needed to refresh myself before another semester of intense studying. Hopefully I will get the chance to see more of Maine in the future. Thanks for reading!
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
― H. Jackson Brown Jr.