Numbers have been up at the Regional Visitor Information Center in Bath, with an average number of 150 visitors per day in the first two weeks of July. This week those numbers have kicked into overdrive, and the guestbook includes entries from Indiana, Ontario, Israel and Holland, as people from across the country and around the world are discovering the attractions of Maine’s Mid-coast.
Many visitors are here to take advantage of having friends or relatives who live in Vacationland.
My own company arrives in two weeks. My guests will range in age from 6 to 65, and I’m looking forward to taking some time to play tourist in my own backyard.
We are lucky here on the southern Mid-coast to live in a wonderfully central location for experiencing the beauty of the region. If you, like me, will be looking for things to do to entertain your guests, there are a number of great activities and places to explore that require no more than an hour’s drive.
My bucket list for new excursions this summer includes the following nearby attractions:
— Seguin Island Light Station: The Seguin Island Ferry leaves five days a week from the dock by Fort Popham for the island, where you can spend a few hours hiking, picnicking, and visiting the historic lighthouse, which has one of Maine’s last working Fresnel lenses.
— Port Clyde: I’ve sent many visitors to see the Marshall Point lighthouse that “Forrest Gump” runs to in his trek across America, but haven’t visited yet myself.
— Penobscot Narrows Observatory: If we have time to get as far as Belfast, I will make sure we take the elevator to the top of the 420-foot tower for the panoramic view of Penobscot Bay and the mountains to the west.
— Portland Museum of Art: This summer, an exhibit of modern art collected by CBS mogul William Paley includes works by Matisse, Picasso, Cezanne and Gauguin.
— Bowdoin College Museum of Art: Another intriguing exhibit, featuring art by Maurice Prendergast, with the bonus of free admission and an opportunity for the kids to run around on the grass afterwards.
Favorites we will repeat:
— Coastal Botanical Gardens: Along with petting the sharks at the aquarium in Boothbay, this has become an annual excursion to enjoy the children’s garden and the garden of the five senses, in particular.
— Reid State Park: We will watch the tide for opportunities to ride the little river as the sunwarmed tidal basin empties back into the ocean.
— Sebasco Harbor: A sail from this harbor with friends has the added bonus of a dip in the saltwater pool afterwards.
— Maine Maritime Museum: I look forward to showing my guests the new masts of the Wyoming sculpture, and seeing this summer’s “Beyond the Breakers” lighthouses and Coast Guard exhibit.
— Maine State Music Theater: Crossing my fingers I can still get tickets for the children’s show “Cinderella” in August.
— Monkey C, Monkey Do: Not particularly “Maine-ey,” but a great adrenaline rush and a fun challenge for all ages.
— Gazebo concerts: The Bath Municipal Swing Band and Pan Fried Steel will be performing in Bath during the weeks my guests are here. We always get an ice cream cone at Dot’s to eat while we listen.
— Bath Farmers Market: Saturday mornings are for planning the week’s menu and stocking up on local produce, followed by coffee or hot chocolate at Café Crème.
When we’re not daytripping, we’ll spend lots of time swimming and kayaking on the local pond, and hanging out at home drinking cold drinks and eating local clams, mussels and corn, plus the obligatory lobster fest. We’ll make trips to downtown Bath for books, T-shirts, wine, sundresses and Made-in-Maine souvenirs. We’ll use lots of sunscreen and live outdoors as much as possible.
Across the Mid-coast and throughout Maine, other residents will be doing the same this summer, visiting their own favorite attractions and sharing them with friends and family.
I, for one, am glad to have the added incentive of guests to get me out from behind my desk and my comfortable routine to take advantage of all the summer activities that visitors to the state enjoy.
Winter will be here soon enough.
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