A Perfect Day in Camden, Maine
After a few days spent adventuring around Mount Desert Island, we decided it was time to explore a bit more of what coastal Maine had to offer. We packed out early and hit the road for Camden, located 2 hours south of Bar Harbor.
Fort Pointe Lighthouse was on our route, so we decided to make a quick pit stop and enjoy our first Maine lighthouse. Though much of the property is private, we still enjoyed the lighthouse views.
Once we made it to Camden, our sights were set on caffeine. We are millenials, after all.
We stopped in at Whistling Whale Coffee Company, perched on the harbor of the northern side of Camden, where we were rewarded with the most picturesque harbor views. Gorgeous yachts and sailboats centuries outside of my tax bracket filled the sparkling waters. The pier was studded with adorable boutiques and restaurants. It’s almost as if Hallmark said, “Hmm…let’s have a coastal backdrop for our next movie” and created the town of Camden.
After picking our jaws up off the boardwalk, we walked through the doors of Whistling Whale. We both ordered the two cold brew specials (which they are known for), one of which happened to be Kentucky Bourbon Barrel. I mean..if that’s not fate, then what is?
I am not exaggerating when I say this cold brew was the best cold brew I have ever had. As it turns out, the shop is owned by Tom who used to own a large-scale cold brew bottling company in Knoxville, TN. It’s clear: Tom knows his stuff.
Tom is ALSO the talk of the town. Local after local walked through the doors & greeted Tom cheerfully with inside jokes and remarks about the pizza night that Whistling Whale had hosted the night before.
The cold brew was also only as good as the biscuits made by Tom’s wife (who we are convinced is auditioning for the role of the Wizard of Oz because we never saw her face, though Tom often chatted with her through the wall). These biscuits are so delicious that they often sell out by 10:30am because they are such a hit with the locals! We grabbed an orange glazed biscuit and loved it so much that we returned for a savory biscuit as soon as the next batch made its way out of the oven.
Okay, at this point I’m just rambling about how much I loved this place, but just know that Whistling Whale was our favorite coffee shop of the trip. Delicious coffee. Incredible pastries. And not pretentious in the slightest. If you’re in Camden, Maine, here’s your stop.
After filling up on caffeine and biscuits, we headed over to the Rockland Breakwater, a 1-mile granite pier leading to a lighthouse. With the wind whipping, we navigated the bumpy rocks across the breakwater, hopping over gaps and enjoying the unique views of the harbor.
For those who do not know, I can walk in a straight line, but if you make me walk in a straight line on a ledge that I can fall off of, my hands immediately become clammy. I can’t even do this on Mario Party without falling off over & over again. At this point, it’s just embarrassing (& hilarious…like a shameful party trick). I channeled all of my strength to avoid falling off into the water, even though Phil says we weren’t even close to the edge. All I know is that my fingertips are still getting sweaty just thinking about it.
When we reached the lighthouse, it became clear that the building had been heavily damaged in a recent storm. Nonetheless, we enjoyed the interesting 2-mile hike & we worked up an appetite for a seafood lunch, where we stopped in at Graffam Bros. for sandwiches & live music.
Our jaunt through Camden was the last of our Maine adventures. Up next is our trip to our 44th state of New Hampshire!
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