Boston Canada Travel

What a beautiful hidden coastal paradise! Formerly a fish-processing town, stinking of sardines that drove the tourists away. Now it’s Bar Harbor without the high-ticket price, complete with gourmet restaurants, historic inns and a hopping art scene.

Berry Manor, Rockland’s Most Romantic Getaway

Arriving in Rockland, we were greeted at the Berry Manor with the same red carpet treatment all the guests receive. Built in 1898 by a Civil War General, this Victorian mansion has been ranked as one of the top 10 most romantic B&Bs by Country Almanac Magazine.

We were shown to our room, once a 3rd floor ballroom; the mod cons are a gas fireplace, hair dryer, plush burgundy robes and Hersey’s kisses on the pillows at night. Did I forget to mention the claw foot bathtub with the rain shower? The bed required a catapault to climb into it, once there, you could enjoy the steeply pitched walls covered in blue and white flowered wallpaper throughout.

The Berry Manor also offers the down-home hospitality of the owners, Cheryl Michaelson & Mike LaPosta. They even called ahead to arrange a visit to a local winery when we excitedly discovered it.

We were also invited to an event where we discovered oysters from the Pemaquid Oyster Company, Inc. POC was founded in 1986 with the goal of producing the highest quality cultivated, cultchless American oysters (Crassostrea virginica) for the half-shell market.

Their oysters are spawned in late winter at their hatchery and reared at their summer nurseries in the Damariscotta River.  In late fall, oyster seeds are bottom planted on their growing beds.

Because the Pemaquid Oysters are held in the river’s mouth near Clark’s Cove, the oysters obtain their distinctive clean, salty and refreshing flavor.

You can also visit their facilities in Waldoboro to see for yourself the oyster farming experience. Be sure to stop by the Pemaquid Oyster Festival, September 25 at the Schooner Landing in Damariscotta to sample the delicious result.

Seagull Cottage Boutique, Affordable Maine Art

On Main Street, we happened upon a wonderful little boutique of sea-inspired gifts and home decor: driftwood coffee tables, scallop shell ornaments, and buoys with painted New England scenes.

Elsa and Jim Stewart, the owners, both grew up loving the sea, Jim as a Captain, and Elsa, as a collector of sea shells and sea glass. After a successful stint in Florida, they both missed their New England roots, and settled in Warren, Maine.

They’ve recently expanded to Rockland, with a second store, so the idea is catching on.

Breakwater Vineyards, Rockland’s Newest Winery

Formerly a horse farm, the Johnstons bought Breakwater Vineyards in 2007, named after the breakwater in the Rockland harbor. They wanted a business together-Jeanne liked the sales and marketing aspect, Bill liked the science of winemaking. For the time being, Bill still works in financial services in Boston, making wine on the weekends.

They buy their grapes from the Finger Lakes region in New York. Last year, their 2nd year, they made 8500 bottles of wine, this year upping it to make close to 20,000 bottles.

Aged in both Hungarian Oak and French Oak, they prefer used barrels because they give a more subtle flavor than new barrels.

One of their most unique wines is a dry blueberry wine where the fruit is fermented dry or to negative brix. The result is a very dry, intense wine, akin to a barolo Italian wine.

We were surprised to learn that the Maine Wine Trail boasts of 16 wineries in mid-coast Maine alone. Here’s a good thing coming from climate change–wines from Maine, a delicious surprise.

So if you need an affordable weekend getaway, drive 4 hours north to mid-coast Maine. You’ll be pleasantly surprised!