Escape to the Maine Seascape
Portland Head Light overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Cape Elizabeth, Maine.
We all need a break sometime, and for me, it’s visiting the ocean and coast.
What’s the allure? Sounds of crashing waves, kids playing in the surf, sailboats tacking in the wind. Seagulls following freighters. A beautiful sunrise. To many people, lighthouses and their histories are most alluring.
An osprey sits in the nest overlooking Robinhood Harbor, Georgetown, Maine.
To discover some of this history, in August I visited Auburn, Maine, 35 miles north of Portland. Auburn sits on the Androscoggin River, which flows toward the ocean past Brunswick, Merrymeeting Bay and into the Kennebeck River. Ten miles south and you’re in Bath, home of the world-famous Bath Iron Works and shipyard. Parking at the Doubling Point Lighthouse (above) is just feet away from the bridge.
Lewiston, Maine, across the Androscoggin River from Auburn.
Like many places in Maine and New England, rivers often have Native American names, or an Anglicized version. The Androscoggin River is named for one of the important bands or subgroups of the Abenaki tribe native to the region. The Androscoggin means "river of rock shelters." Jay Burns at Bates College offers some interesting explanations for the name of the Androscoggin River.
Bath Iron Works shipbuilding facility on the Kennebeck River, Maine
Kennebeck is named “for the bay it emptied into,” possibly Atkins Bay today. A post on NativeLanguages.org says that “after the arrival of Europeans, the Kennebecs merged into other Abenaki and New England Algonquian groups and today there is no distinct Kennebec band.” Sadly, this is part of our history.
Since 1743, Bath has been a ship building center. According to Maine, An Encyclopedia, “by the 1840’s Bath Iron Works (BIW) began producing the finest steel hulled ships in the world.” Since then, BIW has built battleships, frigates, cruisers, and destroyers for the Navy while also building yachts, fishing trawlers and a host of commercial vessels. “Today, BIW, the largest private employer in the Maine, builds AEGIS Destroyers – said to be the most advanced and capable warships in the world. BIW operates with highly skilled union labor, unusual in a state in which organized labor is not strong.”
It's worth a trip to the Maine Maritime Museum to explore the exhibits about Maine's maritime heritage, culture and the role Maine has played in regional and global maritime activities.
Portland Breakwater Bug Light welcomes mariners into the harbor.
There are 65 lighthouses along Maine’s jagged coast, inlets, and islands. We visited a few that were accessible by car from Bath, including the Doubling Point light and the majestic Portland Head Light. The lighthouse at the Fort Popham State Historic sits on the river side of the fort, which was built during the Civil War to protect ship-building at Bath. Nearby Fort Baldwin, was used to station troops and artillery during World War I and World War II.
Marinas east of Phippsburg in the town of Georgetown offered beautiful harbor vistas, seafood houses and pizzerias, where people gathered after a day of sailing. Robinhood Harbor was one of my favorites. Osprey rested upon pole-top nests in the harbor. A statue honoring Indian Chief Mahotiwormet, a Sagamore leader named Robinhood by the English, reminds us of American Indian tribal roots in Maine.
South of Portland sits the dominant Portland Head Light overlooking the Atlantic, and the Portland Breakwater Bug Light, welcoming boats to the harbor. You can bring or rent a bike to explore the coastal trails.
Inland and southwest of Auburn is Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, with a working sheep farm and Shaker-style crafts for sale. Marvel at the beautiful hand-made brooms, benches, straw hats, as well as locally made jams, herbs and soaps for your kitchen and bath.
Local parks invite visitors to swim in the clear rivers, or jump from a rope swing into the river flowing under one of the historic covered bridges.
At the end of your day, and hungry for a good meal, there are plenty of seafood restaurants in the area. If you prefer to skip the fried foods, try the baked or broiled haddock at the Chick-A-Dee of Lewiston, popular with locals; the upscale J.R. Maxwell & Company or the Kennebeck Tavern in Bath, offering outside seating along the scenic Kennebeck River.
There is more to explore in Maine — next trip!
The iconic Portland Head Light over looking the Atlantic Ocean.