Annual trip to Maine

This year we decided to go further north and ended up in Belfast on Lake Passagassawakeag. The distinctive call of the loons is heard mainly at night. Falling asleep to the sound of the loons is the best.

 

Swimming in the lake was great—the perfect temperature.

A good friend from Maine suggested we go to Chase's Daily in downtown Belfast. It's part farm stand...

...part groovy vegetarian restaurant...

...part all-day cafe.

An outdoor art exhibit, “Please, Be Seated!” was another Belfast highlight. Seating sculptures sprinkled the sidewalks and parks of the city. Part of the Eco-Motion Street Sculpture Project, the exhibit is now in its third year (www.ourtownbelfast.org).

One day we drove through Blue Hills to reach Brooklin, Maine. The nautical and artsy feel of the very small coastal town (population under 1,000) was apparent on our drive into the tiny village.

You can spot the ocean in almost any direction and there are several shipyards decorated with beautiful wooden boats in their harbors. Known as the capital of wooden boatbuilding in Maine, Brooklin is also the home of E.B. White.

In Rockport, we went to the CMCA (Center for Maine Contemporary Art) to see art by Katherine Bradford (the second painting below wasn't at the CMCA but it's at the Edward Thorp Gallery in Portland. It's called Red Cape).

The fried haddock at Graffam's shack around the corner from the museum was delicious.

I found Madder Root's hand-made, Maine-made produce bags in Rockland. Their products were included in Down East's magazine Best of Maine 2012.

Mabel says goodbye to the lake...

...and on our way home we stopped at Chase's Daily to grab some breakfast to go.