June 2026

Crashing waves, a jagged rocky shoreline, and memories of fresh lobster were calling. Letting such memories guide our route, we spent most of June along the Maine coast. We worked our way through Pennsylvania, New York, and Vermont while heading north. Happily, we were able to visit family and friends along the way. Thanks, everyone, for your good company and gracious hospitality.

Camden, Maine
A return visit to Camden Hills State Park provided a quiet overnight and a chance to stroll through Camden. Although increasingly touristy, Camden remains a picturesque seaside town with scenic views and upscale shopping and dining. Sailboats bob in the harbor marina. Businesses sport competition-worthy windowboxes bulging with geraniums thriving in the seaside mist. It was a perfect welcome for our journey ahead.

Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Many travelers make the ferry trip from Bar Harbor on the Maine coast out to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Further north, after crossing into Canada, there’s another ferry that runs from Saint John to Digby, Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia wasn’t in our travel plans this time around. However, we decided to dip a toe into Canada for a few days and explore the city of Saint John.

We camped at New River Beach Provincial Park. In our experience, Canada’s parks are consistently well-managed, maintained, and tidy. No exception here: our site was woodsy, private, and close to a recently renovated bath house.

A quick walk took us to the tidal beach on the Bay of Fundy.

A bit too chilly for swimming, but good for people watching, including a bridal photo shoot on the beach.

The real bonus was the Gull and Herring restaurant right in the beach parking lot. Here, we enjoyed the first of our fish and chips dinners.

The next day, we ventured into Saint John to see its bustling City Market.

The market building serves as an indoor connector to other shopping areas, government offices, and businesses. Art installations along the hallways invite you to play.

Strolling further led us to the waterfront and a shopping/dining/park/entertainment venue housed in a block-long cluster of shipping containers. A clever construction idea. There’s an open air park with picnic tables, ice cream stands, and giant games to keep kids busy. It’s a neighborhood destination, as well as one for cruise ship passengers who land in Saint John.

Murals and artwork brighten even the backstreets of Saint John.

Historic buildings are honored and repurposed to house modern businesses.

We topped off our afternoon in Saint John with a drive out Red Head Road to Mispec Point.

We left feeling that New Brunswick has much more to explore on future visits.

Acadia National Park and Schoodic Peninsula
The National Park on Mt. Desert Island is the grand enchilada of Maine. We knew that we wanted to pay a return visit, but camping sites in the park are hard to snag. I was also intrigued by what I’d read about the Schoodic Peninsula. It’s the only mainland section of Acadia National Park. It’s visited by many fewer tourists, yet it has its own panoramic headlands and a shoreline with crashing waves. Small islands nearby sounded worthy of exploration, so the Schoodic Peninsula and environs became a focus for this trip.

South Deer Isle and Stonington, ME
A cluster of islands dot the bay between Camden and Bar Harbor. We decided to stay near Stonington on South Deer Island. Stonington is small, but when it comes to lobster production, it’s a mighty giant.

Crossing the bridge to the island brings you to a less hurried, island way of life, Maine style.

We stayed at Greenlaw’s Campground. Nestled in the woods, just outside the village of Stonington, it was quiet and fine for our stay. Our only issue was mosquitoes, a circumstance that comes with deep woods camping. I’ve been told that the mosquito is Maine’s state bird. Well, this may have been where that was decided. But, we were out and about during our time here, so we survived.

You had me at lobster roll.

On a Friday, we stopped at the Stonington Farmers Market.

We met some very talented artisans, including Susan Hutton. Susan is a jeweler who – small world department – grew up in Delco and went to Springfield High School. I admired her artistry and I now have a pair of lovely earrings to remember her, the day, and our time in Stonington.

On Friday night, we went to the Burnt Cove Lobster Boil. We drove out to the very end of a cove to the lobster docks. Sitting outside at a makeshift table, we enjoyed Jonah crab, lobster, corn on the cob, and ice cream. To open the crab and lobster, we were provided a fist size granite rock. Interesting. We cheated and got some kitchen shears out of our van.

It was a terrific, memorable evening. There were just five tables of guests. We sat on the water’s edge and watched as evening came and the mist rolled in. So glad we didn’t miss this!

Driving around the island, actually through much of Maine, you see lupines growing wild on roadsides. Gardens overflow with lupines. Some folks fill their yards with wildflowers, instead of grass. It all added to the beauty of the island.

Deer Isle and Stonington were great fun. From here, we moved on to Sullivan, Maine, and a campground close to the Schoodic Peninsula.

Acadia Seashore Camping and Cabins, Sullivan, ME
This privately owned campground was a great basecamp for our time on the Schoodic Peninsula. The campground is a open grassy loop. Many of the sites have a water view of Flanders Bay. Here’s the view from our camp spot.

The campground managers were friendly. Facilities were super clean. No bugs! And it’s a dark sky community which makes for excellent star gazing at night. If you ever plan to camp in this area, this one’s a winner.

We spent a day driving the Schoodic loop, stopping along the way for amazing views. Schoodic Point is breathtaking. Waves splash high overhead.

Afterwards, we drove back roads on the peninsula and found a fun spot for lunch – Lunch on the Wharf – for…lobster rolls!

The next day we went into Acadia National Park on Mt. Desert Island. The best ways to get around are either to take the free park shuttle or bike. We chose to shuttle. The park was so much busier than our experience on Schoodic. I think the best experience would be to plan further ahead and book a campsite inside the park. That way, you could beat the crowds by touring at the start or end of the day. Midday, it was crowded. Still, it was beautiful and I wouldn’t have wanted to miss it (even if it meant standing in a long line for the shuttle…)

We wrapped up our time in Maine with a stop in Freeport. A little shopping at LL Bean.

For our final coastal stop, we camped at Hammonasset State Park in Connecticut. This is a large, popular park. Lots of families with kids on bikes and scooters. But this is a good park. Folks are casual and friendly. There’s a nice bike trail that goes to a nature center and along Long Island Sound.

The massive rocks and surf rival Maine’s. We’ve stayed here before and would return again.

On a rainy, slowly clearing day, we made a day trip to Gillette’s Castle in Lyme, CT. Gillette was quite an eccentric. (For instance, he had 20 cats) He was an actor, best known for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes. His massive stone castle on the Connecticut River is quirky and clever and cost a fortune in its day. There are secret rooms, doors and furniture that open like puzzles, and handcarved doors, panels and furnishings. Worth a visit, if you’re in the area.

The towns around Hammonasset provide all you need in the way of shopping and dining. In Old Saybrook, we found a Polish grocery called Little Polska and picked up a treat of homemade mushroom and sauerkraut perogies.

And in Madison, we had our last lunch at Donahue’s Clam Castle before heading on down the road. Lobster rolls!

It seemed to be the appropriate way to wrap up this coastal adventure. And we ate just the right number of lobster rolls. But who’s counting?

Next up: Road trip to the Great Lakes