LIGHTHOUSES 
& LOBSTER

DAY 1 - MONDAY

Welcome to Vacationland with Champlain Tours! Stop at Maine’s southernmost lighthouse in Cape Neddick at Nubble Lighthouse for a photo and take in the picturesque view before Stop for a photo of Maine's southernmost lighthouse, the Nubble Light in Cape Neddick near York Beach. From Nubble Light you will also spot the infamous Boon Island Lighthouse, located just off-shore. Travel to York, Maine for a visit to Stonewall Kitchens, manufacturers of Maine-made specialty condiments. A stop here for lunch on own. Next, make your way to the Maine Maritime Museum where you’ll have an hour to explore. Located on the banks of the Kennebec River, the museum depicts Maine's shipbuilding industry from the 1600's to the present. Numerous hands on exhibits, boat building demonstrations, a lobstering exhibit and a special lighthouse exhibit (see the view from the top of the lighthouse without climbing any stairs!). If A Victorian shipbuilder’s home is also here on the grounds of an historic shipyard. Most of the shipyard's original buildings, plus tools and equipment are on view. Next you’ll board the boat for their Shipyard and Lighthouses River Cruise. Explore the Kennebec River where American shipbuilding began more than 400 years ago and continues today. Cruise past Bath Iron Works for spectacular views of the Navy’s most advanced ships under construction, then cruise down river for a water view of the museum’s historic Percy & Small Shipyard and a close-up look at two lighthouses: Doubling Point Light and the Kennebec Range Lights.

 

Dinner tonight included, offering a multi-choice seafood dinner menu and selections for landlubbers too. Enjoy the view of the cove and giant osprey nests with a fresh seafood dinner! Travel to Boothbay Harbor where your souvenir lobster hats will be waiting for you when you check in to the Boothbay Harbor Inn in beautiful Boothbay Harbor, Maine, for a one night stay. The hotel is located on “the quiet side” of Boothbay, just a short stroll form downtown across a charming footbridge beside the hotel that is a short walk to the picturesque downtown Boothbay Harbor is known for its brick sidewalks and waterfront activities. Unique shops with handcrafted goods, jewelry, books, antiques and clothing are located along the waterfront, along with a variety of art galleries to explore. (Lobster Dinner)

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DAY 2 - TUESDAY

A breakfast is included at the hotel this morning. Enjoy a Scenic Harbor & Nature cruise on Linekin Bay this morning. You’ll pass by beautiful vacation homes, lighthouses, small islands and out to see the seals on the ledges on this fully narrated, two hour cruise with open and enclosed decks. Have lunch on your own in this popular resort town which has retained the atmosphere of an old New England village. Fishing craft lie alongside wharves that follow the quaint, winding village streets. Yachtsmen and artists began vacationing here in the early 1900's. You'll have free time to explore the local galleries, boutiques and plenty of casual restaurants from which to choose. This afternoon you travel to beautiful Pemaquid peninsula today. You’ll tour the Pemaquid Lighthouse, one of Maine's most scenic beacons and the light featured on the Maine state quarter. Stop for a photo here, climb to the top of the lighthouse and visit the Pemaquid Fisherman's Museum on site with artifacts from the fishing and lobstering industries and the lighthouse service.

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Then sit back and relax for your drive along the coast “downeast” to Bar Harbor. You'll see quiet little protected harbors filled with working lobster boats along the way. Ospreys and bald eagles nest high in the spruces along the rugged shores, deer browse the open fields, moose forage the wetlands and harbor seals make their annual pilgrimage to quiet coves. Check in to your Bar Harbor hotel for a two night stay. Dinner is included this evening at a local favorite restaurant. (Breakfast, Dinner)

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DAY 3 - WEDNESDAY

Enjoy your included breakfast at the hotel this morning. This morning you’ll take a cruise, the Somes Sound Lighthouse and Park Tour. On this tour you will visit Somes Sound, famous for its spectacular fjord-like sound with mountains, waterfalls and cliffs. You’ll also see Egg Rock, Winter Harbor, Baker Island and Bear Island Lights. We also take in all the park highlights and extra mansions. This trip has excellent narration and offers ample time at each light for excellent photography. All the park highlights and mansions with extra mansions. This trip is 3 hours long with ample time for photos and is includes excellent narration. Free time for lunch on your own in Bar Harbor and some time to explore the shops, boutiques and galleries in downtown Bar Harbor. This afternoon, you’ll meet your local guide for a tour of Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. Bar Harbor has been celebrated for its breathtaking beauty ever since the island was discovered in 1604 by Samuel de Champlain, who named it "Isle de Monts Desert" (Mt. Desert Island) for its bare, desert-like mountaintops. Here in the first national park founded east of the Mississippi, you’ll see 9 mountains over 1000 feet high, stone bridges, lakes, ponds, trails and carriage roads. You will travel the entire Park Loop road with stops at Cadillac Mountain, Thunder Hole on Ocean Drive and Sieur De Mont Springs Wild Gardens of Acadia, plus learn about the rich and famous visitors who built summer cottages in Bar Harbor. A traditional Maine lobsterbake dinner tonight in a casual setting overlooking Hulls Cove, near Bar Harbor. Your meal will be steamed in a large cooker where you can watch and ask questions about lobster fishing and lobster cooking. You'll want to bring your appetite and camera when the cover is lifted to reveal a colorful blend of lobsters, clams, potato and corn-on-the-cob amidst a cloud of steam. Grilled steak and baked haddock dinner options are also offered. (Breakfast, Lobster Dinner)

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DAY 4 - THURSDAY

After your included breakfast, make your way south to Camden village. Here you’ll meet your local guide for a narrated tour of Camden and Rockport. Your tour includes a photo stop atop Mt. Battie in Camden Hills State Park – where the mountains meet the sea (park entrance is included). You’ll see the towns made famous by the movie Peyton Place, a seal named Andre, and poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. Continue south to Rockland – the lobster capital of Maine! Free time for lunch on your own and to explore the boutiques and casual restaurants along the waterfront. Tour the Maine Lighthouse Museum here, which houses a unique collection of historic artifacts and local lighthouse culture. See the pretty Rockland Harbor Lighthouse guarding the harbor entrance from here as well. Pick up some bargain souvenirs at The Maine State Prison Showroom – a landmark gift shop just south of Rockland where the inmates make unique Maine gifts. Travel south to Freeport Village for free time to explore the world-famous L.L. Bean flagship store and a myriad of outlet shops. (Breakfast, Dinner)

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DAY 5 - FRIDAY

Enjoy your included breakfast. Meet your local guide for a narrated tour of Portland, Maine's largest city-by-the-sea. You’ll see views of Longfellow’s boyhood home, sea captain houses and the elegant Victoria Mansion as you drive through historic neighborhoods overlooking the islands of Casco Bay in Portland Harbor. Your tour includes a stop at Portland Head Light. This historic landmark is the most photographed lighthouse in America, set in Fort Williams Park. You’ll have time for shopping along cobblestone streets and lunch on own in Portland's historic waterfront district, the Old Port Exchange before heading for home with your fond Maine coast memories!

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