Camden, Maine, the Jewel of the Maine Coast

Some years back, my husband and I stumbled into Camden, Maine, during their fall arts festival. Since we were stuck in the traffic jam that spanned three towns, we parked the car and joined the party. While I have vague reminiscences of the paintings and crafts, my most prominent memories are of my very first lobster roll purchased from a street vendor and taking a two-hour cruise on the windjammer Olad, whose crew informed us that Walter Cronkite used to be a frequent guest.

Camden, Maine, is part of a local triumvirate completed by the nearby towns of Rockport and Lincolnville. The center of Mid-Coast Maine, Camden is located next to Penobscot Bay between Mount Megunticook and Mount Battie and surrounds a sheltered harbor. Its waterfront has been described as one of America's most scenic, and it offers boutique shopping and high-end dining.

ACTIVITIES: Camden, Maine, offers year-round activities and events. Ten historic schooners call Penobscot Bay in Camden home and run day or weeklong sails. Other boating opportunities include Island Hopping by ferry, kayaking tours and canoeing on Megunticook Lake. Hike to magnificent overlooks at Camden State Park, enjoy leaf peeping and apple picking in the fall and skiing and ice skating in winter.

Windjammer Cruises: These cruises afford magnificent views of the rugged Maine coast from historic sailing vessels, many from the 1800s. Be warned, you may be enlisted to raise the sails or steer the boat. The cruises take you by historic lighthouses and into the realm of native wildlife. Visit this site for information on the Maine Windjammer Association Fleet.

Island Hopping: Nearby Rockland and Lincolnville, as well as Port Clyde run ferries to nearby islands, and the opportunity to see the Maine coast on the ride out is half the fun. Visitors are invited to bring their bikes or rent them on the islands to explore on their own. Lighthouse fanatics will be in their glory, as several lighthouses grace the islands. Click here and here for more information on the islands and ferries.

Camden Hills State Park: Camden Hills State Park is a few minutes north of Camden, atop Mt. Battie and near Mt. Megunticook. It offers panoramic vistas of Camden, Penobscot Bay and the islands and, on a clear day, you can see Cadillac Mountain at Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor. The campground offers comfort stations with hot showers and Battie Auto Road is a favorite route to view the blazing fall foliage. Park website.

ANNUAL EVENTS: Camden hosts myriad annual events, including the "Festival of Independence" over the 4th of July and the Windjammer Festival every Labor Day weekend. Their Summer and Fall Harbor Juried Arts and Craft Shows draw over 100 artists and craftspeople. Maine Faire in September celebrates Maine-grown and produced food and drink. Later in the fall, the Camden International Film Festival and Maine Literary Festivals are held. In December, Camden is transformed into a fairytale town during "Christmas by the Sea," hosting Santa's arrival by boat, along with concerts, parades, open houses, tours and craft fairs.

In January/February, Winterfest highlights the art of ice carving, and offers free horse and wagon rides, children's crafts and live music. Other annual events held in Camden include the Mid-Coast Wedding Expo, the Maine Home and Design Mid-Coast Home Show, and the Toboggan Nationals. Visit this site for a listing and dates of these events.

THE ARTS: The Camden Opera house and Bay Chamber Concerts stage year round productions of music and dance, ranging from traditional plays to avant garde productions to "Dancing with the Local Stars," and sponsor an annual Summer Music Festival. Visit this site for event listings.

HISTORICAL FIGURES: Bohemian poet Edna St. Vincent Millay was born in nearby Rockland, and grew up in Camden. The historic Whitehall Inn, where Millay read her poetry and where a good deal of the movie Peyton Place was filmed, has devoted a parlor room to Millay, containing her books and photographs, and presents an hour-long video retrospective. A bronze statue of Millay stands in Harbor Hill Park. Visit this site for more information on Edna St. Vincent Millay.

For those of us who know what "down east" means, who could eat lobster every day, and whose parlor archway ledges are graced with scores of mini-replicas of lighthouses visited, a more heavenly vacation I cannot imagine.

Map of Camden, Maine. Sources: Events in Camden Maine; Camden Hills State Park; Island Hopping; Experience Camden, Maine; Poetry.Org