The Best of Both Worlds...enjoy an exhilarating day kayaking on the water, soothe your muscles under the warmth of hot shower, sample the fruits of the sea, and relax in the comfort of a cozy Maine Inn!
Experience the Coast of Maine... it's dramatic and meandering coastline, it's working waterfront, it's quintessential Maine Inns and B&Bs, it's world renowned seafood, AND it's incredible paddling opportunities! Join us on this five-day kayak trip and you'll understand why we think Maine is "The Way Life Should Be".
Maine offers a coastal landscape that is unique - 3,000 miles of jagged coastline, that runs anything but straight. Finger-like peninsulas, many of which were once the peaks of mountain ranges, jut far out into the sea creating deep bays, coves, and sheltered harbors for the sea-faring communities.
Hundreds of island within these bays and just offshore create natural barriers that break up the ocean swells and further provide safe havens for mariners. The combination of these islands, peninsulas and irregular shoreline creates an ocean playground for paddlers that can't be beat!
We'll begin our trip from the picturesque southern end of Orr's Island launching our kayaks into the quiet waters of Harpswell Sound and paddling over to the unique Cribstone Bridge that connects Orr's and Bailey's islands. Recently renovated, you will have the chance to paddle beneath and alongside this amazing architectural creation that was built in 1928. The crib work design, many liken it to Jenga (a wooden block game), allows the movement of the tidal waters to pass through the cribwork openings created by the large granite blocks obtained from a quarry here in Maine. It is the only one of its kind in the world! The sea conditions around Orrs and Bailey island can vary dramatically - the eastern shores of both islands face the open Atlantic often times giving us great opportunities to paddle in rolling swells with unlimited visibility. The western side of the islands face the eastern shore of Harpswell Neck, a peninsula that starts just south of Brunswick and continues approximately 9 miles into the sea. The sound created between these two land masses offers protected waters in which to paddle and explore. Many ledges and rocky outcroppings in this area provide ideal rest spots for harbor seals, eider ducks, and cormorants. At the end of the day, you'll stay in a real authentic Maine Inn perched high on the cliffs overlooking the sea. It's weathered shingle exterior is characteristic of Maine's coastal cottages.
Midway through the week we'll steer our kayaks west and paddle around the tip of Harpswell Neck venturing north into Maquoit Bay to our second Inn, situated midway down the Neck. This beautiful large white Inn with an expansive lawn was once a sea captain's house and offers its guests bright cheery rooms with all the comforts ofhome. From this location we'll head off to explore many of the nearby islands and ledges, and visit Eagle Island once the summer home of Arctic Explorer Admiral Robert E Peary. The island is now managed by the State and his home is now open to the public to wander through and enjoy the many artifacts he collected on his explorations and read the newspaper articles about his journeys to the North Pole. What else is interesting to observe is the architectural design of the house itself and why it came to be what it is today. An expansive lawn provides a wonderful picnic location and the park trails meandering through the island offer stunning views overlooking the bay. This is certainly a highlight of the trip!
Throughout the week, you'll have opportunities to work on any number of skills that you would like to improve such as your paddling skills, rescues (if you choose), navigation skills and more. Most importantly, this trip is designed for you to have fun and see Maine's coast from a different perspective. Open to all levels of paddlers. Have a non-paddler in your group who wants to come anyway, no problem...give us a call to find out more.
