Let Captain D help you discover Downeast Maine, Acadia National Par
IF QUETZANCOATL WERE REAL, I had to wonder, what would he regard as Downeast Maine? A popular magazine called Down East covers the entire state, although folks living in southern, western, central or northern Maine don't really regard themselves as Downeasterners. For most people, Downeast means an ill-defined area along Maine's eastern coast. Don't bother checking maps. Downeast doesn't show up on any of them. Quite arbitrarily, and for what I hoped would be in my best interests financially for my guidebook I included the western shore of Penobscot Bay as part of Downeast Maine. This got Rockland and Camden, two vital financial and cultural centers, into the mix.

Sometimes you can be faced with a very complicated problem, and the answer just seems to leap out at you. There can be thousands of possible answers, but one just seems way better than the others. That was how I felt right ten. If there were a Quenzancoatl, I thought I knew for sure where he would place his portal, a place both spiritual and sublime, a place more haunted than any other, and that would be the Olson House in Cushing, Maine.

I believed this even though the Olson house wasn't in the area I usually thought of as Downeast Maine. It was off Route 976, south of Thomaston. If Quenzalcoatl loved art and loved New England, he would have to be drawn to the work of Andrew Wyeth.

The Olson house was the home of Christina Olson, the crippled woman made famous by Wyeth in his haunting painting Christina's world.

On a whim I drove down to the Olson house, all but certain that if Quetzalcoatl were real, this is where he would hang out. If any place was filled with spirits, this place was. Maybe Quetzalcoatl's was among them. For many years, Andrew Wyeth had had a studio here. Several of his most memorable works were rendered here. The house is presently a sorty of museum, with Wyeth prints hanging in several years. Visitors pay a modest fee to soak in the rich atmosphere.

The place ie easy to find. It looms large and gray on the Hathorn Point Road. The house was built in the late 1700s. Originally it was a fram house, and later an inn. I walked down to the spot where Christina had lain reaching toward the house. I had done this several times before and always felt the specialness of the place. But I saw no green portal. Reluctantly I walked back to my car and drove back through Thomaston and slowly by Montpelier (said to be a faithful reproduction of the home of General Henry Knox, George Washington's Secretary of War, now a museum) and on to Rockland.

I didn't get to Rockland too often, but I always enjoyed it when I did. In the past decade, this one-time busy fishing port 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. I went into these places and looked around these places, but saw no sign of Portal Green.

My Website, CaptainD.com, includes a Travelogue that hits the highpoints of Downeast Maine. It begins in Rockland and goes west to east all the way to Calais, then north to south, from Bangor to Bar Harbor. I decided that if I were going to search for Quenzalcoatl's Portal Green, I would follow this systematic approach.

Not far outside of Rockland is a golf course Quetzalcoatl would have to like. It's the Samoset, arguably Maine's finest course. Hugging the ocean it's often 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. I spent two-and-a-half hours walking Samoset's scenic fairways, but could find no sign of Portal Green.

Back on Route One, I drove by Miss Plum's, where you can get a real chocolate malt with your burger. Great fifties/auto decor here. Furthjer on along this stretch is a shop specializing in maple syrup and the State of Maine Cheese Co.

I took a right and drove down into Rockport, one of Maine's more sophisticated and attractive small communities. I drove by Resource, the Maine Photographic Workshop's store for students and faculty as well as the general public, a place to find rare photo and film books along with more routine postcards and t-shirts.

I drove by Maine Sport Outfitters, which stocks an incredible supply of sports gear.

It was becoming a game. I wouldn't admit to believing in Quetzalcoatl. What rational person would? But, if there were such a being, where in all of Downeast Maine would he choose to place a portal? I knew of many magical places, which which was the most magical of all?

Still in Rockport, I swung by the Vesper Hill Foundation Children's Chapel. I had to think this open air chapel perched upon the rocks overlooking Rockport Harbor would appeal to a romantic like Quelzalcoatl. I slowed way down, but could see nothing unusual, certainly nothing that looked like a portal.

As I often did, I stopped at Maine Coast Artists, one of the few galleries in the state you can depend on to present cutting-edge, innovative work. I went inside and looked around. There were visual treats aplenty, but no sign of a portal.

Back on Route One, I drove by the Sweet Sensations Pastry Shop, resisting the temptation to indulge myself.

Soon I was caught in Camden's summer traffic. A summer home for many wealthy people, Camden has many upscale shops catering to both summer people and tourists. 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.

Once through Camden's busy downtown, I passed Norumbega, a real castle, now open as an inn.

I turned into Camden Hills State Park , one of Maine's finest. (This park provides 26 miles of hiking trails through more than 5,000 acres.)

On a hunch, I drove the road to the summit of Mt. Battie. It was here that Edna St. Vincenet Millay wrote Renascence, which begins with the im,mortal lines, “All I could see from where I stood was three long mountains and a wood...” Surely a romantic like Quenzalcoatl would find magic in such a spot. The view, which I had seen before, was spectacular, but I found no portal.

Back on Route One, I came to Lincolnville Beach. Here there is a cluster of neat shops — antiques, books, art, Maine Artisans collective, and the Uniquely Maine Gift Shop. I sensed there was no portal here.

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. I drove on by, but wondered if Quetzalcoatl might not find Harry appealing. .

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.

Downtown I stopped in to say hi to M.H. Jacobs, who has a gallery/frame shop at 44 Main Street. He is a representative artist—his houses look like houses, his barns like barns. A bit set in his ways, 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. This day he wasn't there, but I helped myself to his complimentary coffee and cookies.

My next stop was the Working Art Gallery, which 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.

The Purple Baboon on Front Street is a great little gift emporium nestled between the antiquity of the town and the charm of the bayfront. On hand are gifts, souvenirs and sweet temptations from the State of Maine along with special gifts for the whole family.

I always liked checking into the Porcupine Emporium, which describes itself as a purveyor of "curious goods." Lots of neat old stuff here. I didn't really expect to find Quetzalcoatl here, but I liked seeing what was new.

I slowly drove by the shops of Downtown Belfast. I was familar with them all. I know you can find an outstanding selection of locally made crafts at Corner Country Crafts, 74 Church Street. Go to Out on a Whimsey on High Street for Boyds Bears and Madam Alexander dolls. The Eclectic Closet on Main Street, a funky boutique for both men and women, features clothing, accessories, and collectibles Main St. Gifts has a really interesting mix of old and new stuff. Prices seemed quite reasonable. The Good Table, whose mission it is to outfit the gourmet chefs among us, has a wonderful assortment of cook books. The Jumble Shoppe at 135 High Street offers a mix or old and new art, collectibles and antiques.

I drove by The Chocolate Drop Candy Shoppe (Where you’ll find a huge selection of jelly beans as well as Haven’s Chocolates) and Colburns (said to be the nation’s oldest, continuously-run shoe store. Folks have been outfitting their feet here since 1832), and turned right toward the Belfast Army Navy Store. (This place and others like it always made me wonder how the military organizations of the world be so culturally vulgar while sartorially cool? 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.)


Belfast also has Maine’s oldest weekly newspaper; The Republican Journal was founded in 1829.

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."

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.

Downtown, there is a nice Salvation Army store.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Darby’s, 105 High Street, has been the site of a restaurant/pub since 1865. Rollies Cafe, Lower Main St. looks like a bit of a dive, but the burgers are outstanding. Great prices too. Stop by Inside Scoop for dessert. They feature Smiley’s Ice Cream and an outstandingly friendly ambience. Great sandwiches, too.

It is 17 miles on Rte. 1 from Belfast to Bucksport. There are no fast food restaurants along this stretch and no all-night gas stations. Without doubt, the most notabcle attraction is the Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport.

You’ll want to stop by and see Jennifer at The Sea Witch just over the bridge on Route One in North Belfast. This is the place to go to rejuvenate The body mind and soul. A large selection of New Age and metaphysical books along with a nice selection of gifts, Jewelry and cards are presented in a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.

Flora Creations and Gifts emphasizes holidays, changing stock for any of several annual occasions.

Next door, Halls Antiques has many venerable woodworking tools reasonably priced.

Across Route One, Book Lover’s Attic has several specialties, including children’s books, maritime, military, music, and modern first editions.

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.

I stopped in to say hello to Kim at BENNETT’S GEMS & JEWELRY . She 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.

I wondered if Quetzalacoatl would choose an accommodation for his portal. If he did, I suspected it would have to be a highly unusual one. He wouldn't check into a hum drum motel or a typical holiday inn. Maybe someplace there was a bed and breakfast that could charm his pants off.

I pondered all this as I passed the Admiral’s Ocean Inn, where kids under 12 stay free. There are several nice places to stay hereabouts. The Wonderview Cottages all have fireplaces or woodstoves. 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.

It was lunchtime, and I turned into the Maine Chowder House's spacious parking lot. This popular eatery offers affordable and simple fare as well as an ocean view that is absolutely unsurpassed. In 1990 and 1991, it 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

At Just Barb’s Restaurant I took the right and drove down into Stockton Springs, a sleepy little town by-passed by most visitors. It's a bit of a wel-kept secret, but here is one of the safest harbors on the Maine coast. I cruised by Birdworks and the Penobscot Bay Art Gallery and headed towards the Victorian House Book Barn and its 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.

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.

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.

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.
The Bucksport Indoor Marketplace offers good-quality crafts from regional artisans.

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 on Maine Street 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.

MacLeod’s Restaurant combines excellent food with reasonable prices. Also on Main St., check out the floral displays at Sheehan's. These guys have won awards for their designs.

I had to figure that Quetzalcoatl would have to be a film buff, and as such would know about the Alamo, 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.
Wiz Dogs are sold from a lunch wagon across from the Alamo Theater. For a quick lunch, there’s no place better for great hot dogs, burgers, sandwiches, fries, and hot and cold drinks.

Intenational Paper makes light-weight coated papers for such publications as Time, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated and TV Guide. You might want to consider taking one of the company’s free tours; they are conducted hourly 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during summer months. Call 207-469-1700.
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.


BUCKSPORT TO ELLSWORTH

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.

According to Jack, Quetzalcoatl has a taste for bizarre. That being so, he might have a taste for Buck Monument. On this tombstone is 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. I gave the stone a close look, but saw no portal.

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,.

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.


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.

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.

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.