Things to Do in the Region
Experience the Downeast Way of Life
Explore on your own using maps and guides described below, or arranged with other organizations. Give your senses the zest of Downeast Maine and the Downeast way of life, with these opportunities to participate in hands on activities. (The activities listed are provided by other organizations. APPLE and Tours of Lubec and Cobscook are not responsible for their content or quality.)
Basket Weaving
Janice
Bronson of Whiting and her mom, Susie Calder, have been weaving and selling baskets
and teaching basket weaving since 1983. You can try your hand at basket weaving
for free, to get an idea of how it works. If it appeals to you, take a lesson
for the cost of the basket and materials. Call Janice at 207-733-2434, or Susie
at 207-733-4673.
Birding
This region
is a New England birder's paradise. It has every northern forest habitat: mature
hardwood, mixed growth, and thick stands of boreal softwood. It has fast and
slow rivers, marsh and bog wetlands, rocky coasts and mud flats, grasslands and
blueberry barrens, and some of Maine's best bird nesting islands.
All of Maine's most sought-after species are found here; Spruce Grouse, Black-backed Woodpeckers, Boreal Chickadees, and Gray Jays in the dense spruce forests, Common Eiders, Long-tailed Ducks, grebes and scoters along the coast, Atlantic Puffins, Razorbills, Common Murres, and Black Guillemots visited by boat tours, and Cape May, Bay-breasted, and Blackpoll Warblers. Puffin boat tours to Machias Seal Island are available from Bold Coast Charter Company.
The mud flats of Lubec attract large concentrations of shorebirds during migration times. It is important in the fall not to disturb these populations, for they are feeding in preparation for the long flight to South America, and need every calorie they can consume! The Annual Downeast Birding Festival organized by the Cobscook Bay Area Chamber of Commerce during the Memorial Day weekend publishes a birding guide to the area.
Bradshaw's Cranberry Farm
Harvesting cranberries from the bog - a DownEast tradition. See how cranberries are grown, processed, and sent to market. By appointment late September and October only. 207-726-5065 or bradshaw3@pwless.net.
Blueberry Point Chefs and The Ice House Wine and Cheese
This
wine and cheese shop offers an international selection of fine wines and cheeses
from around the world. Fine wine need not be expensive. They also have one and
two-day cooking classes from June 1 to October 1. You will enhance your cooking
skills, expand your repertoire of recipes, and of course share fine food and
wine with fellow students and make new friends. There is a limited class size
and the classes use both hands-on and demonstration techniques. Classes feature
locally made Maine products, fresh organic meats and produce, and seafood from
our rivers and bays. Classes are held on a unique 150 acre blueberry farm perched
above Passamaquoddy Bay, with 180 degree views of Deer Island and St. Andrews,
New Brunswick. 207-853-4629. Perry, Maine.
Burnham Tavern
On Main Street in Machias, built in 1770, a National Historic Site and one of the 21 homes in the U.S. with the most significance to the American Revolution.
Chess
Every Friday - Friday Night Chess, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., Cobscook Community Learning Center, Trescott. Hosted by the Washington County Chess Federation, this weekly event is open to anyone looking for a relaxing evening of chess, and will provide activity for all levels of play depending on who is there and what they would like to see. They can provide instruction for beginners, lessons for intermediate players, or top level play with USCF rated players. Bring a board, set, and clock if you can, or just come and join the fun. Info: 207-733-2280.
Chocolate Shops
Lubec is fortunate to have TWO chocolate shops in town, alike but with interesting differences. Visit both and enjoy!
Bayside Chocolates and Monica's Chocolates
Cobscook Community Learning Center
The CCLC is
a locally-created folk school that supports lifelong learning, enrichment programming,
public school outreach, access to technology and the arts, environmental education,
social/political engagement, and community activities and events for people of
all ages. Visitors to the Cobscook region are most welcome to stop in anytime
to learn about the Center, and to participate in programs and activities. Regular
programs include 2nd, 4th & 5th Monday night music circles; 2nd Saturday
evening film and discussion nights; traditional arts and crafts workshops and
lessons including pottery, fiber arts and blacksmithing; regular workshops and
courses in arts, ecology, personal development and contemporary issues; and 3rd
Tuesday evening of the month Fundy Audubon programs. The Center also offers public
computers with high speed internet access and boasts hiking trails along the
shores of Cobscook Bay. The CCLC is located on Commissary Point Road, 10 miles
from downtown Lubec on Route 189 and 1.5 miles towards Lubec from Route 1 in
Whiting.
Cobscook Hikes and Paddles
Offers sea kayaking, lake kayaking, and canoeing on the waters of Passamaquoddy and Cobscook Bay or on the nearby freshwater lakes. Bird watching. Hike the rocky coast and inland trails led by Registered Maine Guides Steve and Tessa Ftorek. Located in Robbinston, Maine, 207-454-2130 or 207-726-4776.
Culture Pass
CulturePass is the on-line and regional network that explores, connects and promotes the cultural resources of the international Passamaquoddy Region. A detailed listing of current and on-going cultural events and announcements for both sides of the border can be found on the Events page. Whether you are seeking the hours for the local library, contact information for an area artist, or theater and gallery information, you will find the latest information on CulturePass. CulturePass is a project of the Tides Institute & Museum of Art of Eastport and Collaborating Partners.
Done Roving Farm and Carding Mill
One
of the oldest working farms in Charlotte, raising natural meats with an on-site
fiber processing mill. Done Roving Farm offers tours as well as shopping in their
onsite Artisans' Gallery. Visit their new "Producers’ Pantry" for delicious
and healthy Downeast foods. Located at 20 Charlotte Road, Charlotte, Maine 04666
, 207-454-8148.
The Downeast Heritage Museum
The People of the Dawn: Created to help preserve and share the Passamaquoddy culture.
L'Ile Sainte Croix - St. Croix Island: The story of the nearby island settlement in 1604.
Living with the Sea: Learn about the rich Downeast sea-going heritage, as well as the dramatic tides and diverse marine life here. Touch live sea creatures in the indoor tide pool.
Living with the Land: The rigorous history of the people who earned their living from the land and a peek at ways people make their fun in the forest.
Located at 39 Union St., Calais, 207-454-7878
Downeast Night Sky - Downeast Amateur Astronomers
Visit the Downeast Amateur Astronomer's Observatory in Pembroke and revel in the incredible beauty and clarity of our pollution-free night sky, where you can still view the Milky Way. Bring light jacket, insect repellant and an outdoor reclining chair (optional). Come for a quick look or stay an hour! Donations to Downeast amateur astronomers are welcome. Charlie Sawyer csawyer7@roadrunner.com 207-726-4621.
Downeast Salmon Federation / Wild Salmon Resource Center
The
Downeast Salmon Federation (DSF)(Est. 1982) is a locally based organization dedicated
to the conservation of wild Atlantic salmon and its habitat, the restoration
of a viable sports fishery, and the protection of other important river, scenic,
recreational and ecological resources in eastern Maine.
Wild Salmon Resource Center (Est. 1992) in Columbia Falls is open to the public and features educational displays, a lending library, and conference room. The WSRC is open 8-4 M-F please stop in.
Pleasant River Hatchery (Est. 1992) The volunteer run hatchery is in the basement of the WSRC raises 50,000 Atlantic salmon fry each year and is open for tours. info@mainesalmonrivers.org, 207-483-4336.
Greenland Point Center
The Greenland Point Center in Princeton, Maine, is open year-round and provides
opportunities for environmental and outdoor education. Situated on a 64-acre
peninsula which extends into Long Lake, the peninsula is covered with a mature
forest rich with wildlife. Its mission is to promote healthy lifestyles and environmental
stewardship by providing all children and adults, including those with disabilities,
with a natural setting and programs that teach outdoor skills, leadership, ethics,
and alternatives to substance abuse. greenlandpoint@verizon.net (207) 796-5186
Hiking
Hiking opportunities abound in this area. Varied terrain and habitats can lead an intrepid explorer along high, bold cliffs or through moss-covered forests in which one expects to see a gnome pop its head out from behind a tree any moment.
There are several boardwalks through raised coastal bogs with informational signs during the summer season. This habitat exists only in a very small slice of the U.S., and coastal Lubec can boast several of these fascinating and fragile ecosystems. Soils are thin, weather can be extreme, and very changeable. Tides and currents are impressive and formidable, so be careful, be prepared, tread gently on the land, and enjoy! There are choices for hikes that are long or short, meandering to challenging - all within a short drive from Lubec.
The best hiking resource is a local publication called Cobscook Trails with descriptions, directions, maps and general hiking information. The booklet is available from Northern Tides, West Quoddy Gifts, Whiting Store, Quoddy Regional Land Trust office and other spots. It is also available online.
Raye's Mustard Mill and Museum
The Raye family has been grinding mustard in the same location since 1903.
In 1900 J.W. "Wes" Raye, whose father captained coastal schooners on
the Bay of Fundy, set up his first mill in the family smokehouse to grind mustard
sauces for the growing sardine industry. Raye's is the last American stone mill,
still grinding and aging mustard in the traditional manner. The mustard mill
in Eastport is a working museum and visitors are always welcome. The staff at
Raye's will provide tours to those interested in seeing the mill and learning
the history of Raye's Mustard. The Pantry Store features a broad range of regional
arts, crafts, and foods. 207- 853-4451.
The Ruggles House
The
Ruggles House, of Adamesque style Federal period architecture, was built in 1818-1820
on Main Street in Columbia Falls for Judge Thomas Ruggles. It was lived in for
100 years, until 1920, by three generations of the Ruggles family. Through the
diligence of Ruggles descendent, Mary Ruggles Chandler, restoration efforts began
in the 1920's and were completed in 1951 when the house first opened for tours.
The house museum is supported and maintained by the Ruggles House Society.
Quoddy Mist
Quoddy
Mist produces Gourmet All Natural Sea Salt in Lubec. With high tide and fast
ocean current water just outside the door, Quoddy Mist processes sea water into
sea salt in an environmentally controlled facility at the RJ Peacock Factory
building. Follow the process from holding tanks to automated technology evaporators
and heating sources and then see salt being raked from the salt tables. A variety
of gourmet salt products are displayed (available in several stores locally).
Free tours. Ask about the urchins while you’re there. Phone: 207-733-4847.
Roosevelt Campobello International Park
Franklin
D. Roosevelt spent many enjoyable vacations at his summer home on Campobello
Island, in New Brunswick's Bay of Fundy. His magnificent 34-room residence is
today the centerpiece of Roosevelt-Campobello International Park, preserved as
a memorial and as a symbol of the close friendship between Canada and the United
States. Owned, funded, staffed, and administered by the peoples of both Canada
and the United States, Roosevelt Campobello International Park is enjoyed by
tens of thousands of visitors each year.
Scythe Supply
Scythe Supply and Shore Road Farm in Perry Maine will be open for visitors from 10 am to 4 pm on Fridays only, beginning May 23rd until September 12th. They welcome drop-ins, but it is best to telephone ahead: 207-853-4750. There will be mowing and sharpening demonstrations as well as tours of the vegetable gardens and incredible views of Passamaquoddy Bay.
Saint Croix Island International Historic Site
Maine's
second National Park site, after Acadia National Park. On Route 1, eight miles
south of Calais, Maine, commemorates the French settlement in 1604 with interpretive
panels and attendant bronze statues along a wheelchair accessible interpretive
trail to the river’s edge and view of the island.
SummerKeys Musical Program
The Summerkeys
musical program vacation, weekly from the end of June until Labor Day, is designed
to offer the busy adult student the opportunity to become immersed in music study
and practice. There are no admission requirements, and the premise is: "Come
as you are to enjoy the study, the work and the beauty of the Maine Coast." Study
at your level: piano, jazz piano, clarinet, violin, cello, voice, celtic harp,
flute, guitar, composition, or mandolin.
SummerKeys Free Concerts
Every Wednesday at 7:30 PM during the SummerKeys schedule, SummerKeys faculty present a concert in the Congregational Christian Church.
Sunrise Canoe and Kayak
Kayak trips, guided canoe trips, and outfitting services focused on the waters of eastern Maine.
Up Close Tours
Guided boat tours of the St. Croix River in Calais, Maine. Visits to historic St. Croix Island, pulling lobster traps, sighting birds and wildlife, and historical interpretations are offered during a scenic two hour trip. Contact Louie Bernardini at 207-454-2844 days, and 207-454-2285 evenings, or email: info@upclosetours.com.
West Quoddy Head Light Keepers Association and Visitor Center
Located
adjacent to West Quoddy Head Light, the easternmost lighthouse in the U.S., the
visitor center museum is located inside the 1858 Light Keepers' house. Natural
history displays, films, dioramas, and historic photos. Lighthouse and Lubec
original art on display and for sale in our Art Gallery. FREE ADMISSION. Open
daily, Saturday before Memorial Day to Mid-October, 10am-4pm. Handicap Accessible.
Phone 207-733-2180.
Weirs
The Passamaquoddy
and European settlers built weirs, a fence-like trap in the bay to catch fish.
To learn about weirs and watch a video on how to build them, visit Eugene Greenlaw
at Bayside Chocolates, 37 Water Street, Lubec, 207-733-8880. www.baysidechocolates.com.
Whale Watching
Eastport Windjammers of
Eastport, Maine
There are two cruises planned each day on the Sylvina W. Beal
,the afternoon whale watching cruise for three hours and the evening sunset cruise
for two hours. The Quoddy Dam will take you on a two hour morning fishing trip.
The newly built schooner Halie & Matthew has 2, 4, and 5 day cruises. For
the 2-day weekend cruise the wind and tide set the course, destination unknown.
Every cruise features lighthouses.
Captain Riddle Whale Watch Cruises, departing from North Road in Campobello, offers a guided marine whale watching tour, a lighthouse tour, romantic sunset tours, and fishing charters.
Island Cruises depart from Head Harbour Wharf in Campobello and feature a variety of whale watching and nature/ lighthouse tours. In addition, Captain Mac Greene is on staff at the New England Aquarium in Boston, MA as captain of their whale rescue boat and works with the Center for Coastal Studies, Provincetown, MA doing whale rescue. He is the leader for the only Whale Rescue Team on the East Coast of Canada which is located on Campobello Island and services the entire Bay of Fundy.
"Lubec ... not easy to get to, but hard to forget."
