To Revisit a Place in Maine

Do you remember the first time you went to Maine? You probably have an early memory of Maine. From when you were 6 or 16 or 30. Maybe there were sailboats. Perhaps you ate a lobster for the first time by the sea. It could have been summer camp. Or your family’s home by the lake. Perhaps you drove up with friends from college. It could have been a sailing trip. Did you discover the Maine coast, the Maine woods, the Maine mountains, and think: “this must be the place!”? We know this feeling. We can relate to this sentiment. This is the reason we bought a Maine inn. This is the reason people come back, year after year, many generations on. We probably don’t need to sell you on the singular beauty of Maine. But allow us to add our voice to all the other reasons you are planning a vacation here. 

Do you know that Maine has the 4th longest coastline in the United States of America? Probably you have read this in your research. After Alaska, Florida, and Louisiana, there is Maine. Alaska’s coastline is wild and vast with 33,904 miles when including its many islands, inlets, and shorelines. Florida is famous for being a peninsula, geographically that means it has water on three sides. Maine has more coastline than the great western state of California. Maine’s coastline is fascinating. Because there are so many little peninsulas and inlets and offshore islands, that accounts for the oft cited, estimated number 2,660 miles of tidal coastline. 

It’s incredibly cool to explore the coast of Maine. The southernmost points of Maine boast sandy beaches, and often with waves powerful enough to surf. There are resorts and tourist towns and a general atmosphere of well-heeled families on vacation, especially in the summer high season. Think of the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport. This is a lovely part of the state to begin experiencing the summer pleasure of Maine. As you travel further north, somewhere around Portland, the landscape changes. The shores become more rocky, the pine tree stands more dense. Beaches here tend to be smaller, with less pristine sand. But the sublime beauty of MidCoast Maine is in its wildness. 

Beyond the MidCoast, where we are located, in Spruce Head, you will reach Downeast and eventually Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island. Acadia National Park is a testament to the American spirit, one of our best ideas. We recommend our guests visit Thunder Hole to witness the sheer power of nature when left untouched. Acadia is an ideal spot for a romantic honeymoon, a family camping vacation, and a site to explore with friends. You can hike, bike, walk, birdwatch, even swim, if you don’t mind the cold. For even in summer, the waters can be chilly. But perhaps that’s a sense memory that has stayed with you for decades, and whose siren song calls you back to this land of pines. 

Many of us have a recollection of windy roads and windy shores, of vast stretches of nature unblemished by billboards and shopping centers, or data centers, or corporate ugliness. Maine is the last bastion of wildness. You can drive from Maine to Canada, you can discover the easternmost point in the United States, you can wake up to the sound of seagulls, or chickadees, or other meadow songbirds. We believe that Maine is a haven. And a place for American families to reunite, and remember their roots. Now is the time of year when reservations start rolling in. 

As winter winds down across the Northern Hemisphere, and summer looms in the middle distance, many of us are planning what we want to do this summer. Do you want to road trip? Do you want to visit historic sites? Do you want to get everyone you love together for a week of fun and relaxation? There is a simplicity and an ease to life here. There is a slow pace in Maine. Maine is vacationland. It welcomes you back warmly, even if you haven’t been in years. Maybe you visit Maine every summer. Maybe you have a family camp or cottage. But have you spent time in the MidCoast? The Midcoast is a region worth spending time in. 

You must get out on the sea. Go out on a schooner, or windjammer, the wooden ships that gently graze the bays. What about a pontoon? There are smaller sail boats you can learn to sail. There are motorboats. Consider a lobster boat. Discover what lobstermen do all day. Try hauling traps. It’s an exercise and an adventure. Work for your supper! When it is time for supper there is nothing more picturesque than a lobster bake. Lobster dinners are a quintessential Maine experience. You can add steamed clams. You can have an ear of delicious sweet corn. You can have blueberry pie. You must have warm drawn butter for dunking the tail and claws. It gets messy, but that is part of the fun. 

There is a nostalgic feeling around Maine that is both hard to articulate and easy to explain. Maybe it’s the good life. Maybe it’s a yearning for a simpler time. There are not a ton of flashy tourist attractions in this part of the state. If you visit Old Orchard Beach, near Portland, in Southern Maine, you can enjoy some of this excitement. There is a pier with old fashioned arcades, with rides and games and bars and French fries. But in Midcoast Maine there is a slower, gentler pace and a quietude. We think you will understand the quiet, still feeling that the soul longs for when you stay at The Craignair Inn.

As a guest of The Craignair Inn by the Sea you have access to Clark Island, with miles of trails, sandy beaches for swimming, and a salt water quarry. It is an idyllic spot. This is where core memories are formed. Dine at The Causeway, Play games on the lawn. Have a gin at the bar. Take a kayak out on the water. This is a destination and a jumping off point. You can relax in your room, on a private balcony, and not even need to leave the property. Spruce Head is a pretty fishing village with a summer population. You can purchase lobster straight from the dock. Check out Port Clyde and Tenants Harbor, nearby charming seaside villages. We are lcoated on the St. George peninsula. There are many nooks and crannies to discover. Walk on wild trails through the woods. We know that you will remember this place. It will get in your bones. You will reminisce about this special place and think about your time here for decades to come.