Let Captain D help you discover Downeast Maine, Acadia National Par
IN THE PAST DECADE, Rockland has become one of Maine’s most attractive cities. Historically, it has been a working man’s town, Maine’s second major fishing port. City fathers still host the Maine Seafood Festival, a major summertime happening. In recent years, the city has become a Mecca for artists and intellectuals as well. The Farnsworth Museum, which has long had an intimate relationship with the Wyeth family, is a major draw. On Main Street, the Farnsworth Museum Shop carries prints of many paintings found in the museum’s extensive collection.

The Samoset is perhaps Maine's finest golf course; it has been called Pebble Beach East. There are ocean views from 14 holes. Golf Digest placed it among the top ten most beautiful courses in the Country. At Miss Plum's, you can get a real chocolate malt with your burger. Great fifties/auto decor here.
Along this stretch is a shop specializing in maple syrup and the State of Maine cheese Co.

Travelers proceeding east on Route One enter Rockport, one of Maine's more sophisticated and attractive small communities. Check out Resource, the Maine Photographic Workshop's store for students and faculty as well as the general public. Here you'll find rare photo and film books along with more routine postcards and t-shirts. Maine Sport Outfitters stocks an incredible supply of sports gear.

Maine Coast Artists in Rockport is one of the few galleries in the state you can depend on to present cutting-edge, innovative work.
You might want to check out the Sweet Sensations Pastry Shop.

A summer home for many wealthy people, Camden has many upscale shops. Downtown you'll find Maine Gathering/Finest Kind Candles stocking fine Maine crafts, Penobscot and Passamaquoddy Indian baskets, and dipped chocolates. The Foreside Company sells imported gifts and household accessories, while Starbird specializes in American and country decorative accessories.

Norumbega, now an inn, is a real castle.

Camden Hills State Park provides 26 miles of hiking trails through more than 5,000 acres.

Keep going on Route 1 into Lincolnville Beach. Here there is a cluster of neat businesses —the Lobster Pound Restaurant, Monroe Salt Works, Maine Artisans, the Beach Store, Jane Alden, and the Whale’s Tooth Pub.

The "H" in the H. Swanson Gallery and Studio stands for "Harry," its gregarious artist/proprietor. Harry keeps the place open year round and loves to show folks his work.

Keep on truckin' and you'll come to the Windsor Chairmakers, Ducktrap Motel, Painted Lady Antiques, Northport Antique Shop, Swans Island Showroom (blankets), Findings (jewelry gallery), Temple Heights Spiritual Camp, Art Gallery (fancy), Northport Campground, sportsman supplies, antiques, spiral staircases, Hideaway Diner, Northport Landing Gallery, Dos Amigos mexican restaurant, and Kendricks Antiques.


Not too many years ago, Belfast was known for processing vast quantities of chicken. So devotedly did it pursue this enterprise that it touted itself as the broiler capital of the world and celebrated this status with an annual festival. The chicken industry died—heating big barns became too expensive—but, contrary to the prediction of many, Belfast didn't. A lovely waterfront park with picnic tables now occupies the slope near the City Landing where the processing plants once stood, and Belfast is enjoying increasing popularity with sailors and tourists.

This old port town was saved by the counter-culturalists who during the early 70’s had emigrated to Waldo County’s relatively inexpensive boondocks. Many of them ended up coming to town—driven, some say, by hoards of blackflies÷and now this city may well be the cultural capital of Maine.

Maine Times readers declared that Belfast was Maine's "best little-known town to walk around in for an hour" thanks to its "good scenery, history, and many artsy nooks." Belfast is like Bar Harbor was 25 years ago. Things haven't gotten cutthroat here yet; rents are still low enough to attract young entrepreneurs with original ideas and wide-eyed enthusiasm for their enterprises. USA Today put Belfast on its list of five "culturally cool small towns." Lately, Belfast has been billing itself as a "City Full of Surprises." On Thursday nights during summer, there's music and performing arts on the streets downtown.

Belfast originally was known as Passagassawakeg—Indian for Place of Many Ghosts. In 1873, fire claimed more than 20 acres of the city, including 90 percent of the waterfront district. Fear of fire led to most of the downtown being rebuilt in brick. In those days, Belfast was a major shipbuilding center. The techniques that went into building great sailing ships helped create many of Belfast's wonderful Federal and Greek Revival houses. Two blocks of downtown buildings are listed in the National Historical Register. On Market Street, just around the corner from City Hall, is the local historical museum. Belfast's streets are spaced so as to allow as many views of the bay as possible.


Just past the Penobscot Bay Inn, your can turn off into Belfast. On your way downtown, you'll pass the Belfast City Park, the Republican Journal (Maine's oldest newspaper, founded in 1829)), the Belfast Dance Studio, Out on a Whimsy and the Jumbo Shop..

The Belfast Co-op Store provides participants affordable natural foods. Although open to all, members pay less; in general, they pay 25 percent over wholesale while non-members pay 50 percent. To join, you pay a one-time $25 fee and agree to work a bit. There are weekly specials available to members and non-members alike. Efforts are made to offer stock from Waldo County and Maine producers and to provide as much organic and additive-free food as possible. Call 207-338-2532.

Turn right onto Main St. and you'll come to All about Games, The Clown, Brambles, Uptown Jewely and Engraving, Out of the Woods (made in Maine stuff), Clara Johnson Quilts, Dockside Restaurant, Purple Baboom, a Thai restaurant, Lookout restauant, Front Street Pottery, Belfast CC, Wanderbird Expedition Cruises, ice cream place, Rollie’s Restaurant, Shamrack, Thistle and Rose, Dudley’s Diner, leather shop, Green Store.

M.H. Jacobs, who has a gallery/frame shop at 44 Main St., is a representative artist—his houses look like houses, his barns like barns. Jacobs—who includes among his inventory small, very inexpensive original watercolors—is highly critical of much that is happening with contemporary art and will happily discuss the issue with just about anybody. On most summer days, you can help yourself to coffee and cookies. Call 207-338-3325.

The Working Art Gallery shows work of regional artists. They’re a member of a group called Belfast Art Galleries; other members have been Art Alliance, Bay River Gallery, Belfast Framer & Gallery, Indigo Gallery, Jacobs Gallery, Parent Gallery, Shamrock, Thistle & Rose, and The Clown.

Hungry for old-fashioned candies? You’ll find these downtown at The Chocolate Drop Candy Shoppe. Here you’ll find a huge selection of jelly beans as well as Haven’s Chocolates.

How can the military organizations of the world be so culturally vulgar while sartorially cool? We don’t pretend to know the answer, but we do know that if you’re into military garb, you’ll like the stuff at the Belfast Army Navy Store. Owner Ronald Mullen says that at least 60 percent of his stock is military surplus--compared to less than 10 percent in many other so-called Army surplus stores. The emphasis is on authentic international military surplus, both new and used, at very reasonable prices.

Also in the main business district, in the Downtown Jewelry & Engraving Shop you will find fine jewelry as well as several brands of watches and repair service. Also estate jewelry, giftware, Zippo lighters, Italian bracelets, Hot Diamonds, engravables and engraving service. A family-owned and operated hometown store since 1959. Call 207-338-2663 or 1-877-338-0700.

Look for paper artworks by Belfast’s Robinsunne Postcard at Coyote Moon downtown.

Away We Grow on Main Street has quality used children’s toys, books, furniture and clothes, plus new educational toys.

New to town is the Belfast Bicycles, owned by Mike McDonald, a recent transplant. He has a good mix of really affordable and truly top quality bikes.

Lots of people doing relatively minor things to make the world a more livable place could finally make a big difference. This is the philosophy behind the Green Store, which sells environmentally safe, energy-efficient products at affordable prices. Casting itself as a general store for the 21st century, the Green Store stocks a wide variety of environmentally benign products, including recycled papers, energy efficient lighting, organic clothing, chem-free lawn-care products, environmental test kits, and energy sipping appliances.

Yo Mamma’s Home at 96 Main Street in Belfast has cool stuff for you and your home. It's a unique Retro Style gift and home décor store that is as diverse as it is colorful. Look for the bright Yellow Awning with the Yo Mamma’s sign.

On Main Street, check out Colburn’s, which is said to be the nation’s oldest, continuously-run shoe store. Folks have been outfitting their feet here since 1832. Besides being a historical curiosity, Colburn’s sells quality shoes at outlet prices.

For a memorable experience, check out the Institute of Advanced Thinking on Salmond Street in Belfast. Open daily year round, the Institute features outdoor sculpture shows, indoor art shows, festivals and readings. Admission is free. The Institute is the brainchild of Bern Porter, who has been variously described as a "maverick publisher, rebel physicist, master of found art," and "The da Vinci of the Atomic Age."

Downtown, there is a nice Salvation Army store.

Turning right back onto High Street, there is a pizza place on corner, High Street Studio and Gallery, Phoenex Gallery, Colonial Theater, Harbor View House, Audubon Expeditions, and the Belfast Center.

Darby’s, 105 High Street, has been the site of a restaurant/pub since 1865.


BELFAST TO BUCKSPORT

BACK ON ROUTE ONE, it is 17 miles from Belfast to Bucksport. There are no fast food restaurants along this stretch and no all-night gas stations.Watch for Flora Creations and Gifts, which emphasizes holidays by changing stock for any of several annual occasions.

Ya gotta love fudge, right? Well, you really can’t beat the fudge at Perry’s Tropical Nut House on Route One. Or the nuts either. There’s plenty of other wicked good stuff as well.

BENNETT’S GEMS & JEWELRY offers an interesting and varied assortment of gemstones, minerals, and fossils. Open year round, Bennett’s is the place to find affordable gemstone jewelry from Maine and the world. Here you’ll find Maine’s largest assortment of polished stones. There is always a good selection of Maine tourmaline appealingly priced. You can spot the place by the pink dinosaur out front. Owner Kim Dunn is both knowledgeable and friendly.
Nearby, Book Lover’s Attic has several specialties, including children’s books, maritime, military, music, and modern first editions. Across the road, Halls Antiques has many venerable woodworking tools reasonably priced.

Nearby is a good used book shop, Jed’s Restaurant, Lupin Cottage (crafts co-op), Foxey’s Steakhouse, and a Thai and an Oriental restaurant.

Kids under 12 stay free at the Admiral’s Ocean Inn on Rte 1. Call 207-338-4260. The Wonderview Cottages all have fireplaces or woodstoves. 207-338-1455. Sometimes the Belfast Motor Inn offers guests free lobster dinners at the adjoining restaurant. The Yankee Clipper Motel has H.B.O. cable color TV. 207-338-2820.

The Maine Chowder House offers affordable and simple fare as well as an ocean view that is absolutely unsurpassed. In 1990 and 1991, this place was the top winner in the Bar Harbor Chowder Festival.

The Monroe Salt Works has taken the ancient technique of salt-glazing and combined it with modern technology to produce unusually beautiful stoneware. At its factory outlets in Belfast and Ellsworth, it sells seconds at 50 percent.

You can see the work of more than 20 Maine potters at Mainely Pottery. Included is stoneware, porcelain, earthernware and raku. Some of the work is quite expensive; much of it is priced quite modestly. Out front, there is a table of seconds at reduced prices. At the adjacent studio, you can see the work of master potters in progress.

Along this stretch are Wing’s Restaurant, Papa John’s Lobster Bar, several more motels, All Small Antiques, and more used books,

There is no camping at Moose Point State Park, but it’s a good place for picnicking or hiking along Penobscot Bay. The views from here are spectacular.

One of my favorite places to go when my sweet tooth acts up is Abbracci Bakery and Espresso Bar. The word Abracci means in Italian to embrace or hug. Which is how you feel when you walk through their doors. The wonderful aromas and eye appealing fresh baked pastry makes your mouth water. I particularly like the Almond  Croissants.

Keep an eye out for Searsport Shores Oceanfront Camping, Watchtide By the Sea B&B, and Cranberrry Hollow. Heading into Searsport you'll pass two art galleries, the Mystery Book Shop, All Muddled Up Antiques, Left Bank Books, Mariner’s Restaurant, a sandwich shop, the Grasshopper Shop, the Penobscot Marine Museum Shop, and the Penob

At the Penobscot Marine Museum, you can see one of the country’s finest collections of marine paintings and artifacts. Located on Rte 1 in Searsport, collections and special exhibitions are housed in eight historic structures, including the newly renovated Capt. Jeremiah Merithew House (1816). Here you’ll find a new permanent exhibition, "Working the Bay: Ports and People of Penobscot Bay". The Merithew House also contains the museum’s collection of 25 marine paintings by James and Thomas Buttersworth. Open Memorial Day thru Oct. 15. During your visit, you’ll want to check out the Stephen Phillips Memorial Library and Museum Store. Call 207-548-2529 for more information.

Penobscot Books has a really fine selection of books pertaining to architecture and the fine arts as well as a good general assortment. Howard LaRue, a retired minister, collected books for many years before going into the business. For Howard, itâs a labor of love. Prices are reasonable. Call 207-548-6490.
Cranberry Hollow is one of the prettiest gift shops in this or any other territory. Call 207-548-2647.

Searsport Landing is where you’ll find "hand-painted furniture and other useful country items.

Nearby, Captain Tinkham’s Emporium is the place to shop for beautiful, old tools and other items of inerest. Also you'll want to visit the Penobscot Marine Museum Store.

The newest Grasshopper Shop, located on Searsport’s Main Street, stocks women’s clothes, housewares, gifts, cards and all the rest of the neat stuff that’s made the other Grasshopper Shops so popular.

McElvain family members have been making things from copper for two generations. Inspect their work at Weathervanes of Maine on Rte 1.

Searsport is antiquing heaven. In a five-mile stretch, there are no fewer than 15 dealers. The Searsport Antique Mall is a major group shop. There are also three regular summertime flea markets.

The Waldo County Crafts Co-op features the work of over 25 Maine crafters.

Mosman’s Park is a pretty spot overlooking Penobscot Bay with picnic facilities and playground equipment.


The Searsport Pines Golf Course is the decade-old dream of Bert Whitten. It took root in his mind in the late eighties when he was a professor at Michigan Technological University. Heir to a 300-acre family homestead, he was aware of stats indicating that Waldo County golfers had fewer places to play than golfers anywhere else in Maine. What he has created is a pretty 9-hole, par 35 course cut out of a century-old pine forest. The layout has watered fairways, and most of the tees and greens are elevated. Water comes into play on five holes. In one of the ponds is a foot-long goldfish. Daily greens fees are just $15 for nine holes and $20 for eighteen.

The Hidden Gardens are, well, hidden and a little hard to find, but if you’re into lovingly pampered flora, they’re worth the trek. You head north out of Searsport for six or seven miles, following the occasional signs. Just when you think you’re hopelessly lost, you’re there. You’re welcome to browse to your heart’s content through the huge variety of both perennials and biennials.


Along here there are several old sea captain’s houses turned into inns, including the Homeport Inn, Carriage House, and A.V. Nichols Inn.

Hamilton Marine is the largest discount ship’s chandler north of Boston. It’s a good source for much traditional, hard-to-find hardware and gear. Further on, the Searsport Antiques Mall houses several dealers.

Searsport is a Mecca for serious modelers of historic wooden ships. It is the home of BLUEJACKET SHIPCRAFTERS, manufacturers of the world’s finest modeling kits. In terms of accuracy, attention to detail, and quality of materials and instructions, no other plank-on-frame kits are comparable. The company has been manufacturing fine ship models and model kits for a century; it is the nation’s oldest such company (and quite likely the first). Founder H.E. Boucher, naval architect with the US Navy, has placed fine models in museums worldwide—more than 40 in the Smithsonian alone.
In their showroom at Lighthouse Place on Rte 1, you’ll find the largest selection of finished models on the Maine coast; all of which are museum quality. Their primarily mail-order business offers kits starting at a few dollars to $565 for the U.S.S. Constitution. If you wish, they’ll build a finished model, do restorations, or even build the boat of your choice on commission. Call 1-800-448-5567; Email: info@bluejacketinc.com.

Silkweeds has expanded to become a major gift emporium—three two-story buildings providing 7,000 square feet of floor space. Things you’ll find include wreaths, rugs, Yankee Candles, dried & silk flowers, country furniture, jams & jellies, and a complete Christmas Shop. This is mid-coast Maine’s largest gift emporium. Call 1-800-711-1136.

Bob and Jane Mercier, proprietors of The Harbor House, say they’re the unofficial tourist information bureau for mid-coast Maine. They’re friendly people who will take time to chat with you about just about anything. In very low-key fashion, they sell porcelain dolls, miniatures, and other gifts.

At A Touch of Country, you’ll meet Colleen York, who says she has been preparing jams and jellies for the last 50 years. She still makes all her own, keeping overhead low, allowing her to charge less than other shops. "I have customers who have been coming back for 25 years," she boasts.

Further on, Just Barb’s Restaurant has a $6.95 Friday night fish fry featuring a half-pound of fresh haddock.

If you take the right fork at Just Barb’s Restaurant, you’ll head into Stockton Springs, a sleepy little town by-passed by most visitors. Here is one of the safest harbors on the Maine coast. Across the road,

The Penobscot Bay Art Gallery in Stockton Springs has a good selection of Maine art, fine art, portraits, and seascapes of Penobscot Bay. Women and the Sea is a specialty. If you want you can arrange to have your portrait painted. Vits Knuble’s permanent collection also is housed here. Open seasonally; call 207/567-4098.

At Cape Jellison, Fort Pownall (1759) once defended upper Penobscot Bay. Now you can see the pyramid-shaped bell tower of Fort Point Light. For recreationists, Sears Island is something of a well-kept secret. It’s a great spot for hikers, swimmers, and picnickers. Parts of the island are a state wildlife sanctuary. There is an access road near the Searsport-Stockton Springs line.

The Victorian House Book Barn has an impressive assortment of used and out-of-print books of virtually every kind. There are thousands of them here. Bookseller Andrew MacEwen specializes in Maine books, and won’t charge you when he searches for that elusive title you can’t find anywhere else.

Back on Route One, watch for the sign to Fern Hill Fine Art. A short drive up Meadow Road brings you to William H. Landmesser’s studio. Highly original, his oils and watercolors are for those who have grown weary of mainstream art aimed at tourists. "I don’t do lighthouses," he points out.

Perry’s is known far and wide for its crabmeat sandwiches, a full half-pound of meat for $5.50. This place has the lowest gas prices in the territory.

Sarah Nickerson uses hooked rugs as the medium for her folk art. Creating the rugs from wool scraps and burlap bags, she treats them as canvasses to describe many incidents in her life, such things as former residences and stages of her children’s growth. She shows them at her shop, The Rug Rat, on Rte 1 in Stockton Springs. The setting is humble, but her work has been attracting some major collectors. Her prices — $60 per square foot — are well below most comparable creations.
There are three old cemeteries along this stretch and a scenic overlook providing a view of the Penobscot River.

Watch for Russel Marine and then a scenic outlook for a good view of the surrounding territory.

At 420 feet, the Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observatory is the world's tallest. For five bucks (three for kids) you can shoot to the top in Maine's speediest elevator. (It travels at 500 feet per minute. Do the math. It'll get you there in less than a minute.) Once there, you'll be treated to one of the world's grandest views. This is one of the best deals you'll find Downeast. Your five dollarss gets you free parking and a tour of Fort Knox in addition to your trip u the tower.

Construction on Fort Knox began in 1844 and continued for 20 years. The project never was completed. As has always been the case with military projects, cost over-runs ran rampant. Today, it is a great place for kids to play; there are underground stairways, brick archways, and other ramparts of master stone masons. Twice yearly, the 20th Maine Company B Civil War Re-enactment Regiment stages authentic Civil War-era exercises; visitors can see how infantrymen of the period lived. Daily tours of the facility are conducted at 1 p.m. Admission: adults, $1.50; children, 50 cents; children under 5 free.

Once you cross the Waldo-Hancock suspension bridge, you’re on Verona Island. It was here that in 1905 Adm. Robert E. Peary had built the Roosevelt, the vessel he used as a base for his successful dog-sled dash to the North Pole. On the island, the folks at Mayari Gift Shop make 12 varieties of soap—all from goats’ milk. Every day the guys at Kravings fresh-bake everything they sell right there on the island.

You'll find a Rock Shop and a Barbecue place as well as a sub shop and Kravings, a restaurant and pub with live entertainment on Verona Island.

If you turn left into Bucksport, you'll come upon Ming’s Garden, MacLeod’s Restaurant, Bookstacks, the Vineyard, the Verso paper mill, the Bucksport House of Pizza, Blind Faith Tattoes, martial arts, and a motel.,

In downtown Bucksport, the chamber of commerce operates a small information center. The Bucksport Depot Museum, housed in an old railroad depot, has artifacts dating back to the days when Bucksport was a seafaring settlement. Admission is free, although donations are accepted. Near here, Bucksport has developed its waterfront with benches providing nice views of Fort Knox and the bridge. Much work has been completed on Bucksport’s waterfront, including a new marina.

JAK’s Custom Matting, Framing & Laminating provides high-qualtiy picture farming at reasonable prices. JAK also sells wholesale Maine’made-candles. Great place to find some local color.

Among the treasures found at Bittersweet Gifts are decorative Russian boxes made of birchwood. This shop’s original tin ceilings make it a one-of-a-kind original.

If your looking for the best place in Bucksport to have your prized photos and artwork mounted and framed stop by Sundial Framing and Photography LLC on Main Street adjacent to the Downtown Water Front. Owner Leslie Wombacher also offers a unique package. You and your sweetie in a photo taken at your favorite Downeast location. Makes a great keepsake and well worth doing.

Richard Rosen of Rosen’s Department Store is carrying on a family tradition that goes back for 93 years. Great clothing and footwear and sensible prices and situated on Bucksport’s beautiful waterfront.

Also on Main St., check out the floral displays at Sheehan's. These guys have won awards for their designs.

Also downtown, there’s a theater that just won’t quit. Built in 1916, the Alamo was a popular movie house for 40 years before entering in a period of considerable TV-induced degradation. It was, at times, an A&P, a health clinic, a bar, and a video store. By 1992, things had become grim; the structure faced foreclosure. This was when Northeast Historic Film—a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving films of the Northeast—came riding onto the scene. Acquiring the place for a headquarters, this group began a struggle to replace the original 600-seat auditorium with a more intimate 120-seater. A major part of the project includes climate-controlled storage vaults for three-million-plus feet of irreplaceable historic film. NHF intends to be the country’s premier regional moving image archives. Open at present is the Theatre Store, which stocks Hollywood films relating to Northern New England and unusual movie-related gifts and toys.

Keep heading out on the Orrington Road and you’ll get to Vance’s Tropical Fish and Exotic Pet Shop. Vance is very knowledgeable about fish and devoted to their care. His selection is the best in the Downeast area.


IT IS 18 miles from Bucksport to Ellsworth. Leaving Bucksport, you’ll see a Dunkin’ Donuts and a McDonald’s. There are no all-night gas stations along this stretch.

Bucksport Hardware and Jerry’s True Value Hardware in Belfast are two of the best-stocked and most organized stores of their kind in the Coastal Downeast area. Everything from A to Z in hardware and home and camping supplies as well as Equipment rentals and a large garden center make both stores a one stop shopping destination.

Buck Monument has the outline of a foot and leg said to be the result of a curse put upon Col. Buck by a woman he had executed for witchcraft. Just before departing this world, she promised to dance on his grave. Don’t try to convince locals she hasnât made good.
f
Bucksport Motor Inn offers clean quiet rooms at an affordable price. All rooms come set up with DSL Internet connections and many rooms have microwaves and refrigerators . Located close to downtown Bucksport for easy shopping or strolling along the scenic waterway park area,.

Along this stretch, there is a Dunkin’ Donuts, Soups Whole Earth Kantina (Asian and Natural Food Products and take out), a dollar store, a video shop, and a McDonald’s

If you’re looking for a good, clean, fully-featured motel where prices are reasonable, the Spring Fountain Motel on Route One is your spot.

If you stay at Don and Joyce Nelson’s Shady Oaks Campground for six days, you’re welcome to stay the seventh day free. The Nelsons also will provide you with a free site for however many nights you can introduce new campers to their campground.

You'll find Tozier’s II and a place offering homemade pies, past the Junction of 175 to Castine.


ORLAND

The Orland Historical Society operates a small museum with military uniforms, a mineral collection, and local memorabilia on Main Street (Route 175). Open daily 2 to 4 p.m. July and August.

On Rte 1 in Orland is H.O.M.E. (Homemakers Organized for More Employment), an organization that assists local people in many ways. If you’re just visiting this area, you might want to check out H.O.M.E.’s marketstand with fresh produce, craft museum, thrift shop, and gift shop featuring work of Maine artisans. There are facilities for pottery, woodworking, weaving, leather, and a greenhouse. During the summer there is a non-stop flea market. In August, H.O.M.E. holds a country and crafts fair. At one recent book sale, you could buy a whole bag of books for a buck. Call 207-469-7961.

When you’re at Acadia Highway Market , don’t get proprietor John Hutchings talking about golf. Both avid and highly skilled, he will go on about it for hours. This is the place to get all your travel requirements—fuel, lobster and crabmeat sandwiches, pizza, beer wine, even specialty coffees. They’ll take your personal check or major credit card too.

Just a bit off the beaten path on Route 15 is the Wild Blueberry Patch Gift Shop. Combined here are edible blueberries and gifts with a blueberry motif. It is operated by the Allen family, which has been in the blueberry biz for five generations. Check out their giant wind turbine, the ecologically friendly way they freeze blueberries.

In Orland, the Love Barn & Flea Market sells neat used stuff from 15 mini-barns. On hand also is a well-run lunch wagon. Open weekends.

Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery in East Orland was established in 1871 and is the nation’s oldest salmon hatchery. It is situated on the shore of Alamoosook Lake on a road that isn’t marked very well, but it is well worth visiting. There is a Visitors’ Center with aquaria, a picnic area, and boat-launching ramp, all free of charge. Each year, Craig Brook produces upwards of half a million young Atlantic salmon for Maine’s restoration programs. We visited the hatchery on a lovely July day and had the place all to ourselves. At the hatchery housed in an old ice house is Maine’s first-ever Atlantic salmon museum. On display are intricately-tied flies of master artisans, century-old flyrods , assorted reels, gaffs, tailers, and other artifacts and memorabilia.

Further on, there is a boat launch, the Pine Shore Motel and Toddy Lakeside Cabins.

B. C. Burke’s Fine Jewelry on Rte 1 in East Orland offers diamonds and other natural gemstone jewelry as well as the region’s largest selection of Tourmaline — all at very reasonable prices. Most of the jewelry is created on the premises. Sizing of any purchase is free. Also here is the East Orland Antique Mall, a multi-dealer shop with estate jewelry, over 2000 pieces of costume jewelry, books, doll houses and doll house furniture., Wade figurines, and a wide variety of antiques and collectibles—all at prices even other antique dealers find irresistible. Call 207-469-1000.

WERU, a community, listener-sponsored, ad-free station providing a nice balance of good music and public service (and most always politically correct) broadcasting, now makes its home on Route 1.

At Annegret Cukierski’s Big Chicken Barn, there are some 100,000 old books and 21,000 magazines—the largest assortment in all of New England. Downstairs, 34 dealers provide a vast assortment of antiques and collectibles.

Talk about nice—at COUNTRY CRAFTS Maudine Cunningham sells unique Maine crafts on consignment without taking a cut for herself. Her idea is to create good word-of-mouth and to help the crafters, many of whom are elderly folks on limited fixed incomes. The result is great Maine-made crafts at heretofore unheard-of attractive prices.

Further on is Patton Pond Camping and a motel with brightly painted cabins.

The Surry Road is to your right.

Haffas Farm began life as Halfass Farm, a name rejected by Ellsworth city fathers as too raunchy to adorn a local roadside sign. To owner Claire Wallace, it was just a play on words; seems that half of her animals are donkeys. That and the fact that the farm is a part-time thing; its operation, she admits, can be a bit halfass. Being an unusually good-natured and accommodating person, however, Claire changed the name. Visitors are welcome to stop by to see her friendly critters.

After a dozen years in the furniture refinishing business, David Conary has opened a gallery at DOWNEAST REFINISHING that can only be described as a unique cross between a new furnture showroom and an antiques shop. Featured are remarkable pieces of furniture he has lovingly restored and refinished.

Coming into Ellsworth, you'll see the Twilite Motel and Court House Gallery.