Mom’s Eye View – Traveling through Maine – Camden & Rockland

My son had the day off from school and I had the day off from work so we decided to go to the ocean for the day. Although the day started off with overcast skies, by midafternoon, it had cleared off and the sun melted away the last of the gray clouds. Because we only had the day, we knew a trip to Bar Harbor or southern Maine would be too far away, so we decided to go to Camden and Rockland. It had been several years since we’d last been there and agreed it would be a fun way to spend the day.

At Lincolnville Beach, we wanted to stretch our legs and the small stretch of beach was the perfect place to have a picnic lunch and skip rocks. Afterwards we got back into the car and headed off for Camden Hills State Park and then the Breakwater Lighthouse in Rockland.

I had been to the state park many times over the years and knew what to expect, but the last time my son had been there was about six years ago. I knew the trails would be an easy hike for both of us but I also knew they’d be challenging enough for us to feel like we’d had a workout. I also knew how much he’d enjoy the rocky shoreline of the park and get a kick out wedging himself into crevices and scaling rocks. After about an hour though, the thrill began to wear off and we decided to go across the road and drive to the top of Mt. Battie. Once there we marveled at the views from the summit of Mt. Battie and after climbing to the top of Mt. Battie Tower decided that they were even more spectacular from that aspect.

After leaving the state park, we then drove through Camden on our way to the Breakwater Lighthouse in Rockland. As our day was winding down, we knew that the walk to the Breakwater Lighthouse in Rockland would be the perfect place to close it out. At 7/8 of a mile long, the walk to the lighthouse is the ideal time to relax and talk about the day’s events.

Our final stop for the day was for an ice cream in Thomaston. Except for some new, wonderfully attractive sidewalks, it was comforting to see that downtown Thomaston had remained unchanged. The most drastic, noticeable change, though for me, was the disappearance of the Maine State Prison. It was a gap in the landscape that left the square of field, where it had once stood, strangely exposed and vulnerable. As we continued to drive through the streets, I was delighted to see that many of the historical houses had been marked as sites for the town’s Museum in the Streets. With over 700 homes in Thomaston, 85% of them are 100 to 200 years old. Many of these homes once belonged to seafaring captains, generals and naval commanders. The purpose of this type of museum is to tell the story and history of the homes as well as, the importance of its past inhabitants to the community.

As we wearily drove home, a dense fog from the ocean rolled in and blanketed our vehicle in early darkness. My son stretched out in the back seat and immediately fell asleep. I drove with the radio on and had a feeling of peace from having spent a full day with my son, enjoying one another’s company.