I am doing an update to my review because most recently we were able to go on the all-day Head of…read morethe Lake cruise rather than one of the shorter ones. Many similarities to the shorter cruises exist: the ticket buying an departure process, the available seating and the narration provided by history teacher Ben. Due to the constraints of needing a larger crew and the logistics of the meals offered, slightly fewer tickets are sold and it only took place once this year. The cruise sells out, so reserve early if you can. This year the cost was $90 per person, which may have been the senior price. As you are boarding at 10:00, they are serving coffee and hot water for tea or cocoa, and three kinds of juices. There is also a continental breakfast assortment: pastries, blueberry cake, yogurt and granola and fruit. After everyone including the crew have been served, they allow people to get seconds. Sometime after 1:00 they served a turkey dinner. The turkey itself seemed dry and slightly overdone to me, but turkey is not my thing. The mashed potatoes, stuffing, squash and canned veggies were fine. A roll and gravy tops the meal off, and dessert was pie and vanilla ice cream or canned whipped topping. I had the blueberry pie and it was fine. Water or soda comes with the meal, but they also sell wine and beer in the galley. The rest is the scenery up to the head of the lake and back again, the stories behind older businesses and legends that have been passed around about people in the region. And of course the history of the Katahdin boat itself,

What a marvelous way to spend time on Moosehead lake! We have been staying at a cabin on Moosehead…read moreyearly for 4 years now and this was our first venture on the Katahdin, taking the 3 hour Sugar Island tour. As another Yelper mentioned, the ship is boarded by calling out names (I do believe in order of purchase,) so no need to get there early to grab a good seat (not a bad seat in the house), but parking is limited so you may want to arrive earlier to secure a spot in the lot. Tickets can be purchased right there at the museum/gift shop ahead of time or online. They have a really good food and beverage selection ( a menu is provided when boarding) , or you can bring your own food (but not your own alcohol-that is for sale onboard). We brought our lunch but did purchase some sodas (long slow moving line). We sat on the bow for most of the journey there and back, but also walked around to check out the views from different vantage points. There are lots of photos and historical items scattered throughout. The way out is narrated with historical and other facts and landmarks. The way back is not narrated as they are doing tours of the engine room and the bridge. The captain and crew were friendly, jovial and knowledgeable. We loved the opportunity to steer the ship! Awesome experience. I would highly recommend this trip to not only get a different perspective of Maine's largest lake and it's surroundings, but to fully appreciate its enormity and beauty. Breathtaking. The ticket also includes a visit to the Maritime museum right at the dock. Fantastic all around!

What a fabulous fun experience sailing out of Rockport, ME on The Heron. It was the highlight of…read moreour trip. Bonnie did a great job telling us some of the history of the ship and area. Love when the sails are lifted!!! Motor turned off, quiet, smooth ride! So relaxing. It is a beautiful ship. Lots of shinny teak. Delightful with great crew and just a few guests on board. Free parking right by dock. Thank you, Bonnie and Twig for making my sail special. Highly recommend!

One of our favorite things to do when in Rockland is sailing aboard the Schooner Heron. We sailed…read more2x with them in 2020 and the first thing we did when we got back to Rockland this year was to look at the weather and book a trip with them. I picked an afternoon with an expected 14mph wind, so I knew we would sail smartly. I was surprised that Taylor was captaining the boat this trip instead of Twig, but his boat handling was conservative and flawless. Of coarse Bonnie was aboard to do her excellent narration regarding the history of Rockland's lime, timber, ice, shipbuilding and lobster industries and also tell us all about the lighthouse, islands, and seals we saw. Twig and Bonnie's personable adult daughter Rachel was also on board as crew. Bonnie and Rachel handled hoisting, trimming, reefing and tacking the sails as a well-oiled team. We started out conservatively with the fore mast and main mast sails both reefed, but were later able to shake out the reef on the fore mast sail for a little more speed without heeling the boat. We were able to sail near Robinson's Rock and saw that there were several seals sunning them selves there. We sailed midweek on a Thursday and there was lots of room for everybody on board. Taylor and Rachel cheerfully answered my many questions about the boat, the boat's offshore passages to and from the Caribbean each year and about local events. This was the first time sailing for the family seated across from us, but they had a good time. There was another group forward of us that pretty much kept to themselves so I didn't have a chance to chat with them, but they seemed to be enjoying themselves too. I did a bunch of small boat pleasure sailing and medium sized keelboat racing while I was at the University of Texas. I don't own a sailboat so the only sailing I have done since has been on Hobie Wave catamarans at all-inclusive resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean. I really enjoy chances to sail on bigger boats like the Schooner Heron. The Schooner Heron sails three trips daily from Rockport Harbor: Private morning sail, an afternoon Educational Eco Tour, and a Happy Hour Sunset Sail. Custom charters are also available on request. There is free parking in the harbor lot. Whether you have sailed before or just want to try it on vacation, I highly recommend sailing on the Schooner Heron as a solo, couple or family activity. You will have fun and be entirely comfortable with the ship and crew. They will treat you right. We're back in Rockland in a couple of weeks and will surely sail with them at least once more before heading back to Texas.

The staff and service I encountered at Northern Waters Outfitters in Errol, NH was the most…read moreunprofessional that I have ever experienced in my 30 years of wilderness travel. After a 2 hour paddle to my campsite on Lake Umbagog, I unloaded my kayak and discovered that the kayak had taken on significant water due to a leak in the rear bulkhead. There was a gallon or two in the compartment, along with my belongings. It was a mess. And the added water weight explained why the boat was dragging. I left numerous polite voicemails and wrote several emails over the next 24 hours, describing the problem and requesting a replacement boat. No one returned my calls, and the one email I received indicated I'd get a replacement kayak brought to me that day. But it never arrived. With an impending storm, we thought it was risky to attempt to paddle back in a boat that was already leaking, and with no replacement boat, we decided to be safe and cut our trip short to avoid paddling in the rain. So, our trip was cut short due to the leaking boat provided by Northern Water Outfitters. More so, it was cut short due to the complete lack of response to the problem. When I arrived back at Northern Waters Outfitters, I had to hunt down someone to assist me (as it had been when I'd initially rented the kayak). When I explained what I had been through to the staff member, he belittled me and insinuated that I was not "patient enough" when waiting for the replacement boat. Note: We had been waiting all day the previous day, at the campsite. We had not been able to kayak around and enjoy the lake on our trip, because we were waiting for the boat, and because it didn't feel safe. I was forced to cut my trip short as I did not feel safe returning with a leaky boat, along with taking in rain (no spray skirt was issued). This staff member was rude and condescending. He again stated, with an attitude, "I was bringing you the boat". When I explained that my concern was based on my extensive experience and knowledge as a wilderness guide in the past, he reacted by mocking me for being a "world renowned expert" (which I never claimed to be) and continued to belittle me. At that point, I told him I expected a refund for the full rental period. He responded with statements such as "you'll get your refund" "whatever you want, expert". His attitude was perplexing, as I'd been extremely patient and polite for the duration, despite the circumstances. While I was issued a refund for the rental, no one from Northern Waters Outfitters had contacted me with an apology or to learn more about how they could have prevented this situation in the first place. Based on the condition of their boats, their customer service, and disregard for my safety, I cannot recommend this outfitter to anyone who is seeking to rent kayaks in Errol, NH. I see that this business has good reviews in the past. Perhaps the owner needs to take note of who he's leaving in charge.

Overall a great place to rent gear while at Lake Umbagog!…read more I'll be honest there was a staff misunderstanding/snafu that could have ended up being a really sour spot in our weekend, but the owner Thomas was amazing about going out of his way to fix things. The boat was in great condition, lifejackets were new, and the location of the shop was great for exploring and putting in. One thing to note, they apparently have spots on the lake that you can rent to camp at? Also their boats are cheaper than those at the state park, so maybe next year we'll go directly with NW for everything. Thanks again Thomas :) Jen

First time doing the tour. (We've been to Old Fort Western before, but never went inside.) We…read morehad a couple of dressed-up, knowledgeable and idiosyncratic docents/tour guides (the Fort is strictly tour-guided), with a peculiarly interesting repertoire that sometimes over-shadowed the Fort's history being recited (at least for me). Nothing negative; just interesting. The Fort itself had never seen war and a good majority of the Fort has simply been recreated) so its historical history is strictly Maine -- I believe it may be the oldest standing wooden fort in the USA. Overall, if you like old forts and history, definitely take a tour.

The tour was great it is not free but worth the history lesson and the experience. The guided tour…read morewas very good the people who worked there was knowledgeable and friendly.

My family and I took this tour the other night. There were 12 people on the tour. Our guide…read morecombined stories about the history of the city as well as a number of different ghost stories. She was articulate and told some very good stories both as to the city and its origins and the different buildings that are haunted. At the end of the tour I kept looking in Opera House hoping to see the ghost that apparently still hangs out there. We all enjoyed the tour and would highly recommend it if you are visiting the town.

My mum and I absolutely love red cloak tours!! The stories are very interesting and spooky. The…read moretour guide is really kind, and happily answers any questions. I went to the bath and wisscasset tours and found out so much about houses and places I may have overlooked if not for this new knowledge. Call me crazy, but I think I may have saw a ghost in the top window of a house in wisscasset, when nobody was home.

This is The Frost Place, the former summer home of American poet Robert Frost turned museum and…read morehistorical landmark. The property is not very big, but nonetheless it is quaint and charming. A beautiful mid 19th century farmhouse situated on a quiet, rural dirt road with woods behind the house and breathtaking mountain views from the front porch. You can definitely understand why Frost loved spending his summers here with his family. A good portion of the house is closed off and used as a private residence; it was explained to us that they use it for a poets-in-residency program, meaning that they select a poet to live in the house each summer as a way to give them space and time to concentrate on their work. The part of the house that is open to the public is filled with artifacts including photos, newspaper clippings, old samples of Frost's writing and even original furniture. There's also a barn on the property where they hold a variety of workshops for poetry and the arts, and have poetry collections from some of the poets they've hosted for sale. There is also a short trail in the woods behind the house featuring signs reading some of Frost's works. There is a small, reasonable admission fee. I will also say that I don't think you necessarily have to be a big fan of Robert Frost to appreciate this place and the history of it. So if you're in the area and you have an hour or so to kill, it might be worth stopping by The Frost Place.

We only visited this place during a time it was closed, but the trail was well worth a stop to take…read morea relaxing stroll. It was exactly what we needed.

This is very small but equally interesting and there is no charge, so why not check it out. The…read morehistory of the road up Mt. Washington is fascinating, I never knew it has been privately owned for over 100 years. Definitely take the drive up as well, worth the time and cost in my opinion.

We really enjoyed the small museum after going up the auto road. It's free. Stop in!read more

If you ever want to see a moose but also learn EVERYTHING there is to know about them, you have to…read morebook a moose tour with Moosehead Area Guide Service! I thought I loved these beautiful animals but Harold, the tour guide, surpasses my passion! He goes beyond anyone I know to explain in a detail and in a respectful way how moose live in nature to include their habitat, diet, temperament, physical features, mating season, difference between male and female moose, behavior etc. I could go on and on but you HAVE to experience this yourself! I just took my 12 yo grdson on a tour the end of July. He said it was better than Christmas! This was my 2nd time with Harold where I had taken another grdson. Both experiences unexplainable and wonderful! A memory they'll treasure forever! Call today and book a tour! You'll be so happy you did to see and learn about these amazing, magnificent animals!

The tour was great. Harold, our tour guide, was phenomenal! He's really informative and knows the…read moretrails like the back of his hand. My family and I saw our first moose ever it was great! Definitely would recommend. You're in great hands with Harold.

Great history tour with a train ride! :) A nice variety of neat old trains and equipment they're…read morerefurbishing. An awesome window into the past with knowledgeable volunteer staff.