This week’s column is a little late, as the Warners were on the road in the northeasternmost state of the good old USA, the Pine Tree State of Maine. It had been a little over fifty years since we last visited the friendly folks of the upper reaches of New England, so it was time to journey to the rugged coastline of Maine and explore all the region had to offer.
Before regaling (or boring) you with tales of adventures, let’s take just a second to congratulate the Greenville football team and staff for winning the season opener over Eaton last Friday. Coach Steve Channell has started to instill a new sense of confidence in his charges, and the victory was a great way to christen the new Greenville Alumni Stadium and generate the enthusiasm so obvious in Wave fans. The next step forward takes place Friday evening as the Wave hosts the Pirates of West Carrollton in the first game of the Miami Valley League schedule.
Also, congratulations to all teams that opened their seasons with victories last week. There were some great games around the area with Coldwater defeating Valley View 49-48, Alter downing Fairmont 28-21 with two touchdowns in the final minute, and Arcanum beating Covington 14-13, among other significant contests. Nothing beats Friday Night Lights!!
Back to New England and Maine—Kathy and I flew into Portland and, after getting a rental car, drove about two hours northeast to the coastal community of Camden, population 5,200. Founded in 1791, Camden is located “where the mountains meet the sea” on historic Penobscot Bay, which is 26 x 48 miles in area and the site of powerful lobstering and commercial fishing industries as well as a sailors’ delight with its dramatic coastline, numerous islands, and charming towns (that last part came from a Chamber of Commerce brochure!).
We checked into the Lord Camden Inn, our home for the first three nights of the trip, located in the heart of downtown Camden, right on Camden Harbor and across the street from the Smiling Cow gift shop and the Buttermilk Kitchen. Everything you’ve seen or imagined in a small Maine harbor town was exemplified by Camden!
The first night in town, we made our way to The Waterfront restaurant on the harbor, and I got a little adventurous for a “meat and potatoes” boy from West Central Ohio. Not being particularly fond of most seafood, I sampled the clam chowder, crab cakes, and haddock offered by the “finest dining establishment” in Camden and was pleasantly surprised by the meal. I know, I know, you can’t believe that I haven’t relished all of those dishes in my many years here on this mortal soil, but evidently I must have led a seafood-deprived life!!
The next day, we ventured up nearby Mount Battie for an overall view of the harbor and the many different types of vessels anchored there, a great vista. Later that evening, we took a sunset cruise on the schooner Appledore, an 86-foot two-master with a crew of three and room for forty passengers. Two hours out in the Bay, under full sail, and a return to port as the sun was setting was a great way to end the day.
Day three was a two-hour trip to Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor (or Bah-ha-bah as pronounced by the residents of the town of 7,000). A quaint but touristy town, Bar Harbor is the gateway to the 50,000-acre Park, which hosted almost four million visitors in 2024. Cadillac Mountain is located within the Park and is the tallest mountain along the entire Atlantic Coast with an elevation of 1,527 feet (you can almost hear the people of Colorado laughing!). Unfortunately, the mountain was fogged in while we were there, and those panoramic views were just imagined in our minds. While in town, we ate at Galyn’s Restaurant at the suggestion of our daughter Lauren and were pleased with another fine seafood meal. I will say that lobster (lobstah) isn’t my favorite by any stretch, as the chewy texture just doesn’t float my lobster boat! The blueberry/apple crisp was superb, though!
Leaving Camden for two days in Portland, we made our way through the capital city of Augusta and toured an empty but impressive capital building. With a population of only 19,000, Augusta is the third-smallest of the US capital cities in terms of population. Can you name the two smaller capitals? By the way, most Maine residents were thrilled that the state legislatures wouldn’t be in session again until January, or as they said, “no harm, no foul”!!
We also made stops in Brunswick, population 21,000, and the home of Bowdoin College and a really nice downtown area, and later Lewiston, the second-largest city in the state with 39,000 inhabitants. The home of Bates College, Lewiston (for all of you boxing enthusiasts) was the site of the classic World Heavyweight Championship fight in which Cassius Clay (better known to younger generations as Muhammad Ali) won his first title by a technical knockout of Sonny Liston.
We ended our brief vacation with two days and nights in Portland, Maine’s largest city with just under 70,000 residents. Settled in 1632, Portland is the cultural and economic hub of the state and the second-busiest seaport in the New England region. It is also home to the oldest lighthouse in Maine, the Portland Head Light, commissioned by President George Washington and later completed in 1791. It’s still the most photographed lighthouse in the US. A great city with shops and restaurants galore, and a vibrant harbor life, it’s well worth the visit!
Finally, a few facts and the answers to the trivia question—Maine is ranked 39th in area of the fifty states and 42nd in population. Maine is the only state in the Lower 48 to border only one other state, that being New Hampshire! The state treat of Maine is the Whoopie Pie, not bad, but the state drink of Moxie (which has an aftertaste like cough syrup) is another story! Also, only Michigan has more lighthouses that the Pine Tree State, due in large part to consisting of two peninsulas. Only Montpelier, Vermont (population 8,000) and Pierre, South Dakota (population 14,000) are smaller state capital cities than Augusta.
Anyhow, a great trip that was way overdue on our list of places to visit in the US. We would highly recommend going to the upper reaches of New England if the opportunity arises! Where do you plan to travel next? Stay active and healthy!!
