Maine Lighthouse Itinerary

Day One

Start your tour with a visit to the ``Nubble Light" house sitting on a rocky island a few hundred feet from Cape Neddick in the town of York. Drive up Route 1 to Wells and stop by the Lighthouse Depot, the world's largest lighthouse gift store. You next stop it to Cape Elizabeth to visit the Fort Williams Park Museum and the Portland Headlight, which was commissioned by George Washington. Stop for lunch in South Portland, and then travel to the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath for a lighthouse cruise. Your final destination for the day is Boothbay Harbor where you will have dinner and overnight.

Day Two

From your waterfront accommodations, wake up to the sounds of the fishing boats chugging out to sea as fishermen head out for another day of work on the water. From Boothbay Harbor, head back to Route 1, then down the peninsula to Pemaquid Point and the Fishermen's Museum in the keeper's house. The historic village of Thomaston is your first stop for the day. Browse the Maine State Prison Showroom with its outstanding handmade wooden gifts and furniture. Travel to Rockland for lunch, then head south to the Owls Head Transportation Museum which has one of the finest collections of pioneer-era aircraft and automobiles in the world. More than 100 historic aircraft, automobiles, bicycles, carriages and engines are on permanent display. You can then detour to the Owl's Head Light. Take coastal Route 1 to the village of Camden where you have free time to browse the unique shops and dine at one of the many restaurants. Dinner and overnight in Camden.

Day Three

Day three begins with a drive to the top of Mt. Battie with expansive views of Penobscot Bay. Travel along the coast to Searsport and the Penobscot Marine Museum where you will tour four historic buildings. Drive Route 1A to Bangor for lunch in this bustling city that was once a thriving lumber exporting port. Bar Harbor is your next destination where you can learn about lobstering and take an educational marsh walk at the Mount Desert Oceanarium and Lobster Hatchery. After the Oceanarium, take some free time to explore the village of Bar Harbor or take a leisurely stroll along the Shore Path. Dinner and overnight in Bar Harbor. Tonight visit the Great Maine Lumberjack Show for exciting lumberjack competition such as speed climbing, axe throwing, chopping, sawing and much more.

Day Four

In the morning, take a whale-watching cruise, where you might also see seals, puffins and other assorted wildlife. Enjoy lunch on your own, and then explore Acadia National Park from the Loop Road. Visit Thunder Hole, and view the breathtaking Otter Cliffs before driving to the summit of Cadillac Mountain and its spectacular vistas of Frenchman's Bay. Following the tour check out the Abbe Museum and its collection of more than 50,000 objects representing 10,000 years of Native American culture and history in Maine. After a busy day of touring, settle in for another night in Bar Harbor.

Day Five

As you leave Bar Harbor behind, travel to the village of Southwest Harbor, home of the world-renowned Wendell Gilley Museum of Bird Carving. Your last lighthouse is the Bass Harbor Light, sitting on a rocky bluff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.