Boothbay Harbor

Oy vey! Pandemic still? We were able to do our North Carolina Casita trip this spring in that short, precious window between getting fully vaccinated and the Delta variant rearing its ugly head. (We went in early June rather than May this time because we needed to pop out to California to meet our grandson!) I’ve posted about that trip a few times: click here to go to the two-part extravaganza, “To the Beach” and “To the Woods.”

In July, we loaded up the kayaks and headed to Maine. Last year we had a great time camping at the Lobster Buoy Campsites in South Thomaston (see “Coast of Maine”), so this time we set our sights on Boothbay Harbor. Todd found a fun little RV park on the grounds of a brewery (no kidding!), which not only gave us access to local craft brews and wood-fired pizza on site, but was a great jumping off point for hikes, paddles, and more.

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Okay, so we don’t have a drone — I snagged that middle photo online, but you get the idea. Nothing like the seaside charm of Lobster Buoy, but great fun! We found a sweet little nature preserve, Oven’s Mouth, for morning walks with Rosie. The first morning was foggy — very atmospheric — and the second morning was sunny and clear. We all three enjoyed the five miles of hiking trails through the woods and the views of the Back River and it’s swiftly flowing tidal waters. (A little too exciting for kayaking!) It’s a sweet little dog -and kid-friendly place off the beaten path. Highly recommended!

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We spent one morning at the terrific Maine Coastal Botanical Gardens. It’s beautifully maintained and includes a number of enormous wooden trolls that lead children (and Jane) on a treasure hunt. There’s also a Fairy House Village where kids build their own fairy houses out of sticks, rocks, and anything they can find in the woods. Brilliant, really. We were thoroughly entertained.

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Our afternoons were passed happily paddling from public boat ramps, with Rosie napping contentedly in the air conditioned Casita listening to music. (Yes, ruff life!) We ventured around Green Island one day and Spectacle Island the next, checking out moored fishing boats and enjoying the antics of Ospreys.

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In the evenings we returned to the boat ramps with Rosie, camp chairs, libations and snacks to watch the sunset. Perfectly lovely.

And finally, we can’t forget the seafood! Our best discovery on this trip was a tiny little lobster shack called Karen’s Hideaway, which just happened to be only a mile away from our campground. We devoured enormous haddock sandwiches, piles of crab salad, and fried scallops. Heavenly. Thank you, Maine!

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