Camden, Maine...So Cute!

We met a couple at the B&B in Bar Harbour, who had just come from Camden. They loved it...great restaurants, nice scenery and they recommended a B&B. So off we went to Camden. We had lunch in Bucksport, where they are very proud of their new bridge. Rightly so! The old and the new...the closest tower is actually an observation deck, 420 feet up. It was pretty hot, so we decided to save that for another trip.

Camden, home of the US Toboggan Championships...who knew!

Camden, best known as the setting for Peyton Place...

It's a nearby getaway for the wealthy from Boston and New York...

The Timbercliffe B&B, owned by a lovely couple who got tired of corporate life, and gave it up to move to Maine.

It was a nice 20 minute walk to town, all downhill, so you know what that meant coming back! Lots of dinghies that the yacht owners use to get to shore.

Dave & Karen, the owners of the B&B, recommended a day trip to the Pemaquid Lighthouse, which is featured on the Maine quarter. The original lighthouse was built in 1827, but was so poorly constructed, that the walls began to disintegrate and it was rebuilt in 1835.

The light keeper's cottage, which is now a museum. Pretty nice!

You could see the different layers in the rock, which was really neat...

A trip up a spiral staircase to the top of the lighthouse gave you a lovely view. Six people could be at the top of the lighthouse at one time, but that was if no one wanted to move around! A fog bell was added in 1897 in this building beside the tower.

45 pound lobsters caught in 1907. The caption said "It is not known how they were caught." Really!

Jim was enthused about the differences in the rocks. The strip of rock showed that it was formed from volcanic activity, rather than from the layers of sediment like the rest of the rock.

In the lighthouse...

The roses were beautiful! I think we had just missed their peak...

Back in town, we noticed a lot of schooners offering sunset cruises. We decided on the 86 foot Appledore, which was built in the 1970s by an adventurer who took 15 people with him on a round-the-world cruise. It does cruises in Camden in the summer and then heads to Key West for the winter.

And we were off, past the businesses on the water...

And the summer "cottages"...

This yacht was flying the flag of Lebanon...

Holds 8 passengers???!! I hoped we didn't have to test it.

Looking pretty pleased with myself!

We passed this nest with the eagle coming home. Come to think of it, maybe it was an osprey. The nest was pretty big.

And the sun started to set. It was pretty chilly!

Lots of bells and whistles!

JP, one of the crew...you can help them if you wish. Not likely! I think you'd get rope burns pretty fast!

Brrrr...they do provide blankets because the temperature can drop 30 degrees F at sea!

It was so relaxing!

A little bottle of wine to keep you warm...

And a beautiful sunset...

And then we headed back to Camden...it was a great evening!

Mac, another crew member, looking very Johnny Depp-ish!

A cute bear in one of the shop windows...can you read his t-shirt?

Another recommendation from Dave & Karen. We heard so much about lobster pounds that we decided to give one a try.

It was a very pretty setting...

Standard fare is lobster, mussels and corn on the cob...

Anticipating my lobster!

The lobster was very good. They cook it when you order it, so it's served hot. Makes for interesting handling!

Quaint Camden...

The water runs under the businesses...

You can see the spire of this church from quite a distance...

There is yummy ice cream everywhere! We didn't qualify for a free one...

Adorable footbridge maintained by one of the hotels...

We loved Camden, but after three days, it was time to head to our next stop...Ogunquit!