Road Trip Through MaineDestinAsian Page 3

Depending on your point of view, 2012 was either a great year for lobster or a disastrous one. Good conservation techniques and a warm winter conspired to produce a record lobster harvest in Maine, glutting the market and dropping prices to a 30-year low. Driving down Route 123, which cuts through the Harpswell Neck peninsula, we see signs advertising lobsters for as little as US$3.25 per pound. “It’s not good for us, it’s not good for the local economy,” complains a young lobsterman when we stop to watch the fishing boats come in. Later, we spot a sign that proclaims GOD BLESS THE U.S.A. EAT MORE LOBSTER CHEAPAH THAN HOT DOGS, and resolve to do our bit.

It’s back into the wilderness at our next stop, Bath, an unpretentious little town on the Kennebec River. Sitting outside the Kennebec Tavern, my husband marvels at the un-broken line of trees across the water. “I haven’t seen so many trees since Papua,” he says. At the little cabin where we’re staying, hummingbirds dart around the blossoms outside the kitchen window. One afternoon, we watch a furiously screeching osprey chase a bald eagle that’s snatched its dinner. And a whale-watching trip from nearby Boothbay Harbor rewards us with sightings of harbor porpoises, minke and fin whales, and a colony of plump harbor seals lolling in the sun.

Maine’s Mid-Coast region is a maze of peninsulas and inlets, and we spend the rest of our days exploring them, stopping to examine 18th-century Congregationalist churches, browse musty antiques shops, and yes, eat more lobster. But the perfect American summer moment doesn’t come while we are doing any of these things. Instead, it unfolds as we’re hurtling down Route 209, past Phippsburg, no destination in mind and barely any other cars around. Though it’s late in the afternoon, the sun is still strong, its rays filtered through the pine trees. The windows are rolled down and the stereo turned way up. I’ve got my feet on the dashboard and one arm out the window, catching the breeze. I look over at my husband and we smile conspiratorially. See you next summer.

THE DETAILS

GETTING THERE Portland’s regional airport is served by regular flights from New York, Chicago, and other major U.S. cities; by road, it’s about a five-hour drive from New York.
WHERE TO STAY In Portland, the West End Inn (146 Pine St.; 1-800/338-1377; doubles from US$160) delivers cozy accommodation and fabulous breakfasts; spacious Room 5 is the one to book. Angell Cove Cottages (1-207/524-5041; weekly rentals from US$950) is a collection of homey cabins around Androscoggin Lake, while Bath’s Inn at Bath (99 Washington St.; 1-207/443-4294; doubles from US$150) is an 1840s Greek Revival house turned eight-room B&B.
WHERE TO EAT Sure, it’s a touristic rite of passage, but having a seafood roll at the Clam Shack (2 Western Ave., Kennebunkport; 1-207/967-2560) is not to be missed. In Portland, standout restaurants include Eventide Oyster Co. (86 Middle St.; 1-207/774-8538), Fore Street (288 Fore St.; 1-207/775-2717), and Five Fifty-Five (555 Congress St.; 1-207/761-0555); be sure also to drop by Duckfat (43 Middle St.; 1-207/774-8080) for the twice-cooked fries.
WHERE TO SHOP The Avalon Antiques Market (536 Bath Rd., Wiscasset; 1-207/882-4029) is a barnlike space where 100 antiques dealers peddle everything from hand-carved duck decoys to vintage linens. There are some real finds, if you’re patient. Quality collectibles—including antiquarian maps and books—also await at Cabot Mill Antiques (14 Maine St., Brunswick; 1-207/ 725-2855), which occupies a restored mill on the Androscoggin River.
WHAT TO DO To best appreciate Maine’s marine life (which includes four species of whales), head to Boothbay Harbor for a naturalist-led boat trip with Boothbay Whale Watch (tickets US$48).