Irwin Family Vacation in Mid-Coast Maine

Talk of this trip started years ago when my Dad heard of the Maine Lobster Festival, but it just wasn't possible until this year at last.


While at home in Titusville over Christmas 2009, we all got together and decided it was time to make it happen. My mom and I started looking for a rental house in the area of Rockland (where the festival is held), and she found this GEM of a home - a converted barn in Waldoboro, owned by an NYC gallery owner (evident after we arrived given the art on the walls and the antiques around the house).


We all arrived Saturday - Mom and Dad drove up from Titusville, Kurt flew in via Buffalo and the Colorado crowd flew into Portland, met up with Kurt and drove up to the house. When (we) the kids all arrived, Mom and Dad had a huge lobster dinner waiting for us! Fresh from the docks, 14 cooked soft-shell lobsters, melted butter, fries, two rolls of paper towels and newspaper spread over the table - what a perfect welcome to Maine!! Now... how do ya eat one of these things?


Sunday morning we walked through the fields by our house to the water's edge... which was a bit farther than we thought given the low tide. Van wasn't deterred by the mud and enjoyed picking up all the snails and "relocating" them. Later that day we drove into Rockland to check it out - very cute, small town. We hit the main street for some gallery browsing and a little shopping (the latter of which was very reasonably priced given the touristy area). We ate at the Waterworks Grill, where Mom tried a surprisingly good blueberry beer, and Dad and I had the BEST fish-n-chips we've ever had. Sounds simple but it just blew us away - fresh cod, never frozen. Josh had to really convince me to give him a taste - ha ha!


Monday a few of us attempted to go blueberry picking only to find that we missed the peak by about a week. There were still enough pick-able berries to get about one container, and they let us go at the raspberries as well. Van never got more than a handful of blueberries in his box before deciding it was time to snack. The experience wasn't as fruitful as we were hoping but we got enough berries for a scrumptious blueberry coffee cake the following morning, and that was enough.


After a less-than-stellar picking experience we thought we needed a guaranteed win for lunch: Broad Cove Marina for fresh soft-shell lobster. Woo hoo!! We just parked next to the fishermen's trucks, walked down to the end of the dock and met two very nice people who helped us pick our lobsters and cooked 'em up for us, plated with a pick and cracker, chips and 4-bean salad. We got to talk to them about the whole scene, and Dad was chattin' it up with a woman and her daughter who'd come in from working their lobster boat (500+ traps) for some lunch. They couldn't have been more friendly and welcoming!

After lunch Mom, Kaity, Abe, Josh & Kurt went kayaking around the harbor at Damariscotta - they came back happy and tired from their paddling experience. Eagles, crabs and oyster farms were some of the sights they got to see.


Tuesday was one of my favorite days - we went to Freeport to the Outlets and to the L.L. Bean flagship stores! It wasn't set up like any other outlet mall I'd been to, but rather just like their down town area. L.L. Bean didn't hold the treasures I was hoping for but the Patagonia outlet did, as did Crabtree & Evelyn's outlet. :-)


That evening after dinner the family had a huge surprise: Abe and Kaity took a walk and came back engaged!! Apparently Dad and Kurt knew, but Mom, Josh and I (and Kaity) were totally blown away! Dad even had champagne on hand to toast when they returned! The ring is gorgeous, and looks beautiful on Kaity (who's not a jewelry person really). The only thing they know about the ceremony is that it will be in Colorado... and that Kaity is tossing the idea of doing her own cake around, but that is yet to be seen.


After Tuesday nights sparkly excitement, Wednesday was W day: Whale Watching & Wine. Well, the whale watching tour kinda turned out to be a dud since we had to head to the inlets since the outer waters were too choppy, but we saw a harbor seal and some porpoises, as well as osprey and lots of gorgeous homes along the coast line of Boothbay Harbor. Dad, Mom, Josh and Van decided to stay off the boat and went to see Pemaquid Light House (as seen on the Maine state quarter) instead and had a blast!

After everyone had reconvened at the house we rallied and went out to hit a couple wineries in the area. First up was Sweetgrass Winery that specialized in fruit wines, ports and a few other liquors. Their gin was a big hit... and no one there were gin drinkers! Next stop was Savage Oaks Vineyard, which was more traditional in that they were grape based wines, but it was still a farm atmosphere with a big black lab greeting us, chickens in the yard and "banded galloway" cows in the back field. Everyone ended up with bottles from each place - not only were the wines good, but the folks we met were super friendly and easy to talk to.


Okay... the reason we came: the Maine Lobster Festival! It was a bit smaller than we expected, but still fun to spend a day at. We got there early to get good parking (which worked out well) and saw the cooking competition with some Q&A which was quite interesting. Some gooooooood stuff cookin' up there! Dad found a pirate in the crowds - awesome! Fun local art & crafts tents, and LOTS of traditional carny food, as well as the big lobster boiling tent. After seeing all the fun carny food Mom was the only one that actually got the lobster plate for lunch - ha ha! Van, Josh and I hit down town again, then a little beach after lunch and headed home. Meanwhile the others headed out to the USS Whitbey Island for a tour - right up Dad's alley! All the "good" information was classified according to the tour guides, but for some reason we could look most of it up on Wikipedia that evening - hmmmm.


So, after a week of eating and touring our way through mid-coast Maine, it was time to depart. Our first family vacation in 20years and it was a huge success! The next time we all get together there will be one more family member to celebrate with... in December. Until then we can talk wedding with Kaity!



Click HERE for pictures.