While vacationing in Maine, we were able to see a few lighthouses. Not as many as I had hoped, but…read morethe few we saw were great. Pemaquid Point was one of them. This lighthouse was first constructed in 1827 and again rebuilt in 1835 due to poor construction of the first tower. The lighthouse became fully automated in 1934.

This lighthouse felt extremely remote to me because we'd been driving from Camden and visited two…read moreothers prior to this. This one was about 30 minutes one way off the main road and was isolated from much else. There is a cute inn very nearby and a small town with an ice cream shop and a few stores and art galleries. It's charming and if you are staying anywhere nearby, this is a great spot to come and visit during the day, go through the museum and enjoy the grounds. We visited later after it was closed at 5pm so, parking was free, and we were free to roam around on the rocks and enjoy the views. This lighthouse by far had some of the best rock and views. Very pretty and you can get up close and personal with the lighthouse here.

I feel the need to preface all of my nature reviews with this: being 90% forested and having around…read more3500 miles of coastline, Maine has a tremendous amount of spaces, walkways, paths, and trails of all kinds and of all levels. There's something for everyone. What I'm reviewing is how a spot compares to similar outdoor spots in my personal opinion. Being in nature - and remembering to carry in, carry out - is always five stars! :) Parking? Yes. Loop trail? Yes and no. Well marked signs? Kind of. Element of surprise? No. I feel like the concept of Whaleback Shell Midden's State Historic Site is incredible. But, unfortunately, over time it's perhaps lost it's impressiveness. So, what is a shell midden? It's essentially an enormous pile of discarded shells (primarily oyster) located on the Damariscotta River that were formed, they believe, 1000+ years ago by Indigenous Americans. Originally the Whaleback Midden was more than thirty feet deep (and looked like the back of a whale) -- most of which is gone now since it was used to create chicken feed in the late nineteenth century, or because of erosion from rising sea levels, or because it was simply taken by people (there are lots of signs that kindly ask that you do not do this). As such, there isn't much to see here: there's a nice walk through a field, a lovely walk through a very small but historic apple orchard (the best part when we visited was the earthy smell of summer heat bouncing off the apples), a swinging bench that over looks some of the river, and some really interesting informational boards. But that's about it. Across the river, and completely inaccessible, you can see the Glidden Midden which is the largest mound left in Maine (and, again unfortunately, it's not that big).

Great place to visit, it is beautiful and very well marked and maintained. Trees and lush fields…read morewith wild flowers. We never made it to the oyster shell middens. The pictures I see on the website are great--just don't come at sunset when we arrived... else be devoured by hordes of mosquitoes!

Delightful tour offered by Historic New England, this house has been passed through the same family…read moreso all the things in the house is original. Limited parking is available on the front drive and there is a porta potty on site for visitors.

This is worth stopping in. The tour is really good and guide is very knowledgeable. The castle…read moreis all original which is unusual. It takes you back to the "old" days.

One of Boothbay Harbor's calling cards, the Pedestrian Footbridge. While not very long, it takes…read moreyou over the water and offers some nice views, albeit brief. While nothing exciting, this is definitely one of the things where it's about appreciating the little things. Its just a short wooden bridge across the water, but at the same time its so much more.

What a cool spot! We went to explore boothbay harbor and we didn't know this bridge was here. It…read moreconnects the two sides so you can go shopping and check out some other spots. They also have benches where you can just sit and enjoy the view. The history is also super neat!

Just at the very tail end of the day, we raced to see our final lighthouse of this Saturday tour…read more Arriving just at sunset, it is located at the end of about a mile or so of dirt road that could use some love from the local town transportation department. Yes, it's private property. And if they want to keep people off it, they can do what the folks at the Hendrick's Head Light did - post signs and enforce them. Located on the Kennebec River, the lighthouse was established in 1898 and remains an active aid to navigation today. It points out a sharp turn in the river for those going to or from the Bath Iron Works. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. The light station includes a tower, keeper's house, shed, and oil house. The tower is an octagonal wood frame structure, finished in wooden shingles, with an iron walkway around the lantern chamber. It is accessed via a three-span footbridge. Around the base of the lighthouse, there are some spots where you can walk out to get different angles. Some interesting driftwood on the ground if that's something that interests you. [Review 14897 overall, 399 of 2021, number 79 in Maine.]

We visited this historic lighthouse on our recent vacation, but as others have previously mentioned…read moreI would not return because it feels like you are, and in fact you are, in someone's backyard. I have no idea how or why such an arrangement arose, but it is is odd to say the least. Also, the access road is not not well maintained so be aware. The lighthouse itself is very interesting and it affords a nice view of the Kennebec river.

When we found out we would be driving past the world's largest rotating globe, we knew we had to…read morestop. Luckily for us it ended up being late in the evening so it was very dark and quiet and peaceful when we pulled in. Because it was so late we didn't end up going inside, but you really don't need to. We stood for about 15 minutes and watched her through the glass rotating slowly. It's actually quite beautiful to see and it's one of those things where you have to see it in person to really understand it. This could easily have been a 5-minute stop, or if we had come during the day, most likely a much longer stop because I would have wanted to go inside and examine everything close up. If you're driving through the area, especially after dark. It's definitely worth a quick detour. It's simple, unique, and it's way cooler in person than you can tell from the photos.

Fun stop on US 1 between Portland and Freeport. It used to be the DeLorme map company now it is…read moreGarmin. It is nice they kept Eartha in their lobby. Eartha is visible from the road and can be visited during business hours. Eartha is the world's largest rotating globe measuring over 41 feet and 5,600 pounds and is to scale. There is a coffee shop in the lobby and chairs around the lobby to sit and admire Eartha. There is educational material on the wall. Eartha is worth a quick stop if traveling between Portland and central/northern Maine

If you are a bit of a history buff you must check this out. A short boat ride from several…read morelocations. We left from Cook's Lobster House on Bailey's Island. Admiral Peary (aka the North Pole discoverer among many other things) bought this island, years later he built 2 homes and he and his families spent Spring through Fall there every year. Now it's a Maine State Park. Has working player piano custom made to fit his exploration ship (the Roosevelt), captain's chair from his ship as well as a restored duplicate of his desk. Old family gardens and 3 nature trails across the island with spectacular views. Also some rock gouges from the last glacier. He designed much of the house himself, including a library made of local stones, and a unique 3 sided fire place in the living room!

On July 19th, 1984 the incredibly unique and more than 1,000-foot long latticed Bailey Island…read moreCribstone Bridge - created specifically to withstand the wind and waves of the Atlantic (which can be much harsher in the spaces between islands) - was dedicated as a historic civil engineering landmark (it's also listed on the National Register of Historic Places). Yes, it's a bridge. But it's unlike any other bridge you'll ever drive across. It comes out of seemingly nowhere on Route 24, feels EXTREMELY narrow and like it sits VERY close to the actual ocean, and is at just enough of a curve to make things feel dramatic if you're driving even a tad too speedily (SO SLOOOOOOOOW DOWN). And I love ALL of that! It also provides sweeping views of Maine as its most quintessential: ocean, pine trees, lobster boats, buoys, etc. Regardless of when you come: winter for the glorious, sparkling whites and silvers; spring/summer for the thousands of shades of green and blue; or autumn for the ever-breathtaking hues of fiery reds, oranges, and yellows... it's beautiful round these parts.

World famous icon. Well worth the trip, and stop. Continue over to Cooks Lobstah house to get a…read morebetter view of the bridge, especially as a full moon is predicted.