Best Nests:
Downeast and Acadia |
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Old Quarry Adventures - Stonington.
Paddle a kayak among eiders or climb aboard the "Nigh Duck"
to visit Atlantic Puffins, Razorbills, and Great Cormorants
at Seal Island. This award winning facility offers a quiet,
wooded campground and a 3-private room bunkhouse, for a
peaceful nights sleep after an exhausting day of adventure.
The Penobscot Bay is home to nearly 30 species of pelagics
and the Stonington archipelago is home to the largest concentration
of bald eagles in the lower 48 states.
(See: Wings, Waves, Woods Festival)
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Inn On The Harbor -
Stonington.
Perfect. On the waterfront overlooking the scenic harbor,
in town among the shops galleries, and restaurants - each
room is named after one of Maine's famous windjammer sailboats.
the harbor is a famous launch site for kayaks, and the puffin
tour from Old Quarry Adventures is close by. Bird hard;
rest easy. |
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Pond Lodge Bed & Breakfast - Bucksport.
Designed from its inception to be an eco-tourism destination,
this photovoltaic-powered B&B is nestled against a secluded
pond beneath the shadow of Hoxie Hill. Cozy guestrooms with
gas fireplaces, private baths, and beautiful views over
the pond and surrounding woods. With over 20 forested acres
and over 3000 feet of shoreline, guests can rise early and
get right into nature before a delicious breakfast; enjoy
free use of the canoe and kayaks waiting on the shore. It's
an hour to Acadia National Park, a half hour into the Bangor
area, or just a quick trot down Route 1 to the Midcoast
area. The Wildlands - site #39 of the Maine Birding Trail
- is just around the corner. Other sites on the Blue Hill
peninsula are nearby.
Certified:
Environmental Leader. |
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►Alamoosook
Lakeside Inn
- Orland
This is one of the first Inns to be certified under Maine’s
Environmental Leader Program, the Alamoosook Lakeside Inn
provides guests an opportunity to savor the beauty of nature
in a retreat-like setting. The area supports a diverse wildlife
population including loons, bald eagles, deer, beaver and
even a passing black bear. After a hearty breakfast, enjoy
a day of sightseeing or simply swimming, fishing, or canoeing
at our lake. The Inn is the perfect central location for
visiting famous Maine tourist attractions in communities
such as Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park, Blue Hill and
Camden.
Certified:
Environmental Leader. |
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Twilite Motel - Ellsworth.
When the top priority is birding, birders
love the location and the economy of this motel. Sited just
a mile west of Ellsworth, it is a quick run into Acadia
National Park and the Bar Harbor area, but it is also within
easy striking distance of the rest of the coastline and
the boreal birding hot spots. It's 40 minutes southeast
to Deer Isle. It's merely 30 minutes east to the Schoodic
portion of Acadia National Park. It's just a half hour west
to Bangor and then on to northern forest areas above the
city. A big trip list often results from a stay at this
motel because it is central to so many different habitats.
Simple. Convenient. Affordable. |
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Ann's Point Inn - Bass Harbor.
This inn is a luxurious four-diamond contemporary B&B on
the quiet side of Mt. Desert Island--secluded and romantic,
yet close to beautiful Acadia National Park and the towns
of Bass Harbor, Southwest Harbor and Bar Harbor, Maine.
Sitting on two acres at the end of a peninsula in Bass Harbor,
this lovely inn is surrounded on three sides by scenic harbor
waters. Four luxurious guest rooms with water views, an
indoor heated pool, a Finnish sauna, a jet-filled hot tub,
and nearly 700 feet of private shoreline suggest why some
guests tell us Ann's Point Inn is “a little piece of paradise”.
Birders like the quiet solitude and the proximity to some
of Acadia National Park's best birding sites, including
this harbor, the Bass Harbor Head Light around the corner,
the Wonderland and Ship Harbor trails just minutes away,
and the expansive ocean views at Seawall in Manset.
Certified: Environmental Leader.
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Bass Harbor Cottages -
Bass Harbor.
These unique accommodations perfectly fit the lifestyle
of a visiting birder: quiet, secluded, waterfront, close
to some of the best birding spots in Acadia National Park,
and equipped as an ideal headquarters for a multi-day exploration
of both the park and the downeast coast. Get comfortable
in a room at the Country Inn, or select housekeeping accommodations
with a suite in the Boat House Cottage, or choose a fully
furnished personal cottage. Located on the 'quietside' of
Mount Desert Island, the harbor-side cottages have spectacular
views of the water from a country-garden setting. Built
in the late 1800s, The Country Inn is reminiscent of a by-gone
era and offers comfortable rooms with queen beds, fireplaces,
in-room refrigerators, in-room coffee and private baths.
Full kitchen facilities allow birders the flexibility to
keep any schedule. |
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Oceanside Meadows Inn - Prospect Harbor.
Located very near Schoodic Point of Acadia National Park
but just off-the-beaten path, this inn is surrounded by
extraordinary birding habitat. Guests are within driving
distance of all the boreal and ocean species hidden along
the downeast coast, but may find some of the birds they
want just by walking out the front door. There's a sheltered
bay across the street, a hidden saltwater marsh behind,
and a warren of footpaths and dirt roads through the adjacent
spruce forest. The mansion was originally built for a sea
captain and has operated as an inn since 1860. The owners
share backgrounds in education and marine biology, and their
knowledge of the surrounding ecosystem is unparalleled.
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Machias Motor Inn - Machias.
It's simple. This is where birders stay downeast. It's ideally
located, midway between the two puffin tour boats that visit
Machias Seal Island. It is near many of the better boreal
birding sites along the Maine coast. Best of all, every
room looks out onto the Machias River which is often teeming
with birds. Shorebirds at low tide give way to terns, gulls,
and waterfowl at high tide - maybe even a harbor seal out
your back window. Expect a Bald Eagle roosting across river.
Walk up to the Sunrise Trail and find the Nelson's Sparrows.
When you're tuckered out and ready to eat, you're right
next to one of the most popular restaurants in downeast
Maine. The motel is much more comfortable than its economical
price would suggest. No wonder all the birding tours stay
here. |
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Lubec Bay Cottage - Lubec
This is an extraordinary opportunity. This stylish rental
cottage looks out onto the South Lubec Sand Flats, arguably
one of the top ten places to bird in Maine. Sit on the porch
and listen to the Nelson's Sparrows. Hit the flats in shorebird
season and marvel at the diversity. Wander up the road to
Quoddy Head State Park and scan the Grand Manan Channel
for Razorbills and Common Murres. You're less than 10 minutes
away from one of the most notorious Spruce Grouse sites
in the state. This is the epicenter of birding downeast,
and you can wake up every morning right in the middle
of it. Book quickly. It fills fast.
Certified:
Environmental
Leader. |
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