Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Brunswick also functions as the commercial hub of this region, whose population
mushrooms in summer. Explore the town and you will find a traditional village green,
Federal-stylemansions,seafoodrestaurants,andanarrayofantiquesshopsandartists'stu-
dios.
2.
Bailey Island
Just east of Brunswick, Rte. 24 exits the sometimes traffic-choked Rte. 1 for small towns
and natural splendors along a 16-mile run to Bailey Island. Among the cottages it passes is
Pearl House, once the summer retreat of famous author Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Slow down at the Cribstone Bridge, a 1,200-foot span linking Orrs and Bailey islands,
tonoticeitsunusualconstruction.Massivegraniteblocksarearrangedinahoneycombpat-
tern,withgapsthatallowthetidesandtherunofffromspringthawstorushthroughwithout
causing damage.
From the docks at Bailey Island, sportfishing excursions depart in search of bluefin
tuna,someofwhichweigh500poundsormore.Attheisland'sfartipasmallbeachnestles
among granite boulders.
3.
Bath
Located near the mouth of the Kennebec River, Bath has long been a boatbuilding center.
Visit the Maine Maritime Museum to learn about the industry. More evidence of the city's
prosperous maritime past can be seen along Washington Street, where wealthy merchants
and captains built their fine mansions.
Lying just before the Sagadahoc Bridge is the sprawling Bath Iron Works, where ships
continue to be built. (Traffic can be heavy here, particularly when the shipbuilders get off
work in the afternoon.) While in Bath, stop by the revitalized business district, taking spe-
cialnoteofthe19th-centurystorefronts,bricksidewalks,andlamppostsalongFrontStreet.
4.
Popham Beach State Park
TheKennebecRiverempties intotheseahere,some150milesfromthesourceofitshead-
waters at Moosehead Lake. Sandbars, salt marshes, and a sandy beach are intermingled in
this meeting place of fresh- and saltwater. Among the salt-tolerant vegetation that flour-
ishes here is cordgrass, one of the plants characteristic of such salt marshes. Other hardy
survivalists able to endure the alkaline conditions include seaside goldenrod, sea lavender,
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