For many travelers, a vacation simply wouldn’t be a vacation without catching up on their reading. During our normal day to day lives, it can be hard to find time to sit back and lose oneself in a good book. Luckily for bookworm travelers, Camden has you covered.
The phrase “wine country” may not prompt you to think of the rocky coast of Maine. However, a growing number of winemakers have realized that the state’s moderate ocean climate makes for happy grapes. Therefore, like the rest of Maine’s culinary scene, the last twenty years have seen an explosion in wine production. After all, gourmands need something to pair with all that delicious seafood. Luckily for you, there are some great wineries and breweries close to Elms of Camden. If you care to sample some wine, beer, or ale, see beautiful wineries, or learn how it’s all made then read on.
April showers bring May flowers. It’s a saying we’ve all heard and that’s because it’s true. Up here in Maine, April is called “Mud Season” for a reason. The snow melts, rains come, and it gets muddy. But that’s okay because in May a whole new world emerges, full of every color, shape, and size imaginable. That world is flowers, trees, shrubs, and gardens. Some assume that because Maine gets so cold we don’t have a lot of variety when it comes to gardening but au contraire. The colors are amazing with everything from small flowering ground cover to dinner-plate size dahlias. We have it all. Here are a few noteworthy public gardens and nature centers that are worth a look when in Camden!
There’s no denying the natural beauty of Maine. It’s spectacular regardless of Season. But during Spring and Summer, it begs you to be outside. Whether it’s hiking, kayaking, biking, swimming or enjoying a picnic while reading or soaking in the sun there’s no better place to be than at a Maine State Park. As we approach warmer temperatures it seemed fitting I blog on Maine State Parks that are an easy drive from Elms of Camden. Definitely check out their website links for more information but I guarantee there’s a park or two just for you! The picture above is from Camden Hills State Park and since it’s the most famous that’s where we’ll start.
Most people don’t use world-class museums and Camden in the same sentence but they should. We are fortunate to have some amazing museums and not just for art lovers. These are great activities for a rainy day or for anyone who is inspired by art, the history of transportation, and lighthouses. Here are my four top museums that should be on your list of “must-see” things to do.
I definitely have the “sweet tooth” gene, which I inherited from my mother. After almost every dinner, I can still hear her saying “I need something just a little sweet.” And yes, Snicker’s do satisfy but there are times when I (and I assume you) want something really good, unique, decadent, hand-made, and a truly sweet treat. Don’t worry, there are four places near Elms of Camden that satisfy on all levels. And what I think is another plus, they are all locally owned and operated small businesses.
What do Kathy Mattea, Derek Gripper, Ranky Tanky, Palaver Strings, Bee Parks and the Hornets, Cold War, Tim Sample, The Hal McIntyre Orchestra, Mile Twelve and Low Lily, On The Basis of Sex, Odeon Chamber Orchestra, and Donizetti’s La Fille Du Regiment have in common? They are all entertainers, movies, or operas appearing at one of three amazing event venues in Camden, Rockport, or Rockland.
This past Saturday Elms of Camden participated in the 15th Annual Pies on Parade event to benefit the Area Interfaith Outreach organization. It was a lot of fun, a lot of hard work, and a lot of money was raised for a good cause. Being the fool I am, I volunteered to make and distribute samples of pie for the Saturday event in Camden at our B&B. You know I love to cook, bake, and eat so this type of event had my name written all over it! Pie oh my! During the event, several people asked for the recipe so I promised my next blog would be my Lemon Chess Pie recipe. So, keeping my promise, here it is.
I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to do a food blog. I guess because I’m not a chef and my previous career was all about wireless telecommunications and nothing about food. But after cooking thousands of breakfasts a year for guests I know when a plate comes back clean time after time, it’s popular.
There is no better place to be for fall leaf peeping than in Maine. The melting of hues of leaves from green to yellow, to burnt orange and crimson begins as early as mid-September in Fort Kent in northern Maine, and as late as Halloween in Kittery, at Maine’s southern tip. The vibrant process begins in August as the warm weather wanes and Maine’s 57 species of broadleaved trees begin preparing for autumn. Instead of slipping quietly into hibernation, nature trumpets the bright oranges and yellows of sugar maples, the purples of white ash, the scarlet of red and mountain maples, and the rich, earthy browns of black and white oak. Few sights satisfy the soul like the brilliant colors splashed across Maine’s forests each autumn.
