11 Enchanting Spots In Maine You Never Knew Existed, Part Two
Now that summer is here and leaving the house doesn’t lead to a full face melt, we’re re-discovering some of our favorite spots in Maine. It’s easy to forget the beauty that exists all around us after being stuck inside for an entire winter, but hopefully these summer temperatures are bringing out the explorer in all of us. If you’re looking for a bit of adventure inspiration, you might want to check out these enchanting places. It’s possible you’ve seen them all before, but you never know what a new trip will reveal.
The town of Lemoine migt not be on anyone's bucket list, but it's the perfect example of an under-the-radar Maine town. This photo was shot during an early morning drive to Acadia and truly shows the magic of ALL of Maine. We're not just the coastline.
Portland Head has the distinction of being Maine's oldest lighthouse. Completed in January 1791, the original tower stood at 72 feet and was made of rubblestone and lime. One of the most notable features of the historic tower is its many changes in height. Between the years of 1813 and 1881, the tower was lowered and raised by about 20' 4 times! The only significant change since then came in 1989, when the previous light was removed and replaced with an airport-style revolving beacon.
There are many hikes in Acadia, but not all of them include a nearly private beach. In addition to that, the hike includes access to a bluff overlooking Frenchman's Bay, incredible wild flowers and the sea cave pictured here that is only accessible by hiking down.
While it's not absolutely imperative that you go to Frenchman Bay, it IS pretty important to take in the "sea smoke" phenomenon at least once in Maine. This happens when temperatures outside are very cold. So, be prepared to explore while bundled up!
We challenge you to go anywhere else in the USA and find something like this: Fog drifting over the harbor, completely engulfing a small island area. You just won't find it! Take a minute to look out over the harbor to see a sight like this. And then visit...
One of the best walks in Maine is made more special by the fact that you can only access it for a certain part of the day. Head here during the low tide when a sand bar is exposed creating the perfect path from the mainland to this small island. Once there you'll need to climb over some rocks to get a real lay of the land, but we highly recommend it! If only to say you explored something many people will not!
Schoodic Point can be found at the southern end of Schoodic Peninsula in Winter Harbor. It just might be the best place to take in the classic pounding surf of the Maine coast, along with one of the best known features of Acadia National Park - Cadillac Mountain.
About 20 miles east of Ellsworth and directly south of Winter Harbor, the Schoodic area is the only portion of Acadia National Park that is located on the mainland. While the Schoodic Peninsula is just about five miles from Mount Desert Island as the crow flies, driving there takes about an hour and will have you meandering around the rocky coast of the island.
Part of what makes this garden so special is that there's a good chance you'll never be able to see it! The garden, built in the 1920s, includes inspiration from both Eastern and Western cultures. It's only open one day a year in July and visits are distributed using a lottery system.
Cobscook is a wonderful place to simply explore. Take in the wildlife, especially bird-watching. But, make sure you're there to witness another example of Maine's dramatic tidal changes. The range averages about 24 feet and can reach 28 feet. That's significantly larger than the 9 foot average along the coast of Southern Maine.
Vaughan Woods is actually a lovely nature preserve with a fun system of historic trails for walking and hiking. The trails are mainteained by the non-profit Vaughan Woods & Historic Homestead. In the summer, it's great for picnics by waterfalls, but you can enjoy it in the winter for snowshoeing or in autumn for some awesome Maine foliage.
Located on the Sandy River, these falls are one of our favorites! Not only are they impressive to see, but the pools created by the falls are great for swimming and a number of trails surround the area making for a full summer day!
For more of our favorite enchanting spots, click here to see what we included in an article back in 2016!
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