Midcoast Best Nests

	Best Nests: Midcoast
	► Bath Hampton Inn - Bath. This brand new hotel gets three diamonds from AAA. Two more gems are just down the road: Popham Beach State Park and Reid State Park - sites 23 & 24 on the Maine Birding Trail. The inn lies right between the two parks in a city renowned as the City of Ships because of its seafaring and ship-building history. The inn is so well located for birders that it is within a half hour drive to eight trail sites - nearly a tenth of the state total! Indeed, there are 25 Midcoast lighthouses within 25 miles of the inn, too, and you're less than an hour's drive from two of the puffin boats that visit Eastern Egg Rock. Better plan to stay awhile. ► Sebasco Harbor Resort - Phippsburg. Birders may find it hard to leave the grounds of the resort. Common Eiders along the shoreline, orioles in the courtyard, waterfowl in the lagoon, flycatchers in the pines - all are pleasantly distracting. The resort is near Popham Beach State Park and the Morse Mountain/Seawall Beach refuge. The Basin, a 1900-acre preserve of The Nature Conservancy, and several properties of the Phippsburg Land Trust are minutes away. Certified: Environmental Leader. ► Rock Gardens Inn - Phippsburg. This inn and ten cottages are located on a private peninsula next to Sebasco Harbor Resort, providing a chance to take advantage of all the same birding and resort opportunities, while enjoying a little more seclusion. This location is so scenic and tranquil that artists have flocked here for 100 years, and Artist Workshops have taken place for the last 25 years. Chase all the birds at the various hot spots nearby, or just sit on the rocks by the ocean and let them come to you.
► Craignair Inn - Spruce Head. It's not just the location that makes this a favorite among birders, although it's an excellent jump off for a day on Monhegan Island or an Atlantic Puffin trip to Eastern Egg Rock. It's also the oceanfront setting, lush landscape, and rich history that are most appealing. There are many private spots to bird nearby, and the entire Midcoast area is within easy reach. The owners are particularly skilled at creating opportunities to enjoy this part of the coast, with discounted daytrips to Monhegan, sea kayak adventures, and reduced admission to nearby Owls Head Transportation Museum - home of vintage aircraft from days gone by. Good rooms, good food, good location: Book now. Certified: Environmental Leader.
► Flagship Inn - Boothbay Harbor. This inn defines eco-friendly. Not only is it one of Maine's "Environmental Leader" inns, but it is connected to and supports a terrific land trust property behind the inn - a 55-acre fresh water wetland recognized for nesting and migratory birds. The inn is conveniently located just a mile from the docks from which the whale and puffin watching boats depart. In season, leave your car parked and take the Trolley downtown. In winter, it is one of the few inns to remain open in this attractive vacation community, and offseason birders take advantage of its accommodations to search the nearby ocean views for King Eiders, scoters, grebes, loons, and many other ocean species. Though the rates are very reasonable, the list of amenities is pleasantly long. Certified: Environmental Leader.
► Hampton Inn & Suites - Rockland. Rockland is the centerpiece of the Midcoast Region. A reinvigorated downtown hosts The Farnsworth Museum - home of the world's largest collection of Wyeth artwork, the Maine Lighthouse Museum, and the Project Puffin Visitor Center. It is homeport to many of the windjammers that sail the incredibly scenic waters of Penobscot Bay. The Maine Lobster Festival takes place in Rockland every summer. A traveler plunking down at Hampton Inn and Suites will find the biggest challenge is the sheer volume of things to do and places to bird. Weskeag Marsh is just down the road; Camden Hills State Park is just up.
► Seaside Inn - Port Clyde. The Seaside Inn is conveniently located across from the Monhegan Boat Line Wharf where you can board the mail boat to Monhegan Island, a world famous migrant trap. The inn offers the advantage of being able to park and walk to the wharf for a day trip to the island, or perhaps one of the mid-day cruises to see the Atlantic Puffins at Eastern Egg Rock. It's ideal for travelers who arrive the night before their Monhegan trip, or who want to experience Monhegan without being restricted to staying on the island - a plus for the countless birders who also want to visit the numerous birding sites on the mainland nearby. Certified: Environmental Leader.
► Birchwood Motel - Camden. "Camden's Best Value" is not a mere boast. Excellent rates and clean, modern rooms are what birders-on-the-go look for. The motel is located just one minute from the entrance to Camden Hills State Park and merely four minutes from downtown Camden. Birders will relish the little touches, such as the solar-powered hot water that was added in 2011, the fair-trade coffee served with the fruit and pastries at breakfast, and the native plantings in the flower gardens that surround the motel. Stay close to hiking in the state park, sea kayaking along the shoreline, or day sailing aboard one of Maine's famous windjammers nearby. Certified: Environmental Leader.
► Mount Battie Motel - Lincolnville - Camden. The location can't be beat. This reasonably priced motel lies in the shadow of Camden Hills State Park - Site 32 on the Maine Birding Trail. The park features good birds, great views, and over 25 miles of excellent hiking. There are many other great birding sites nearby, both inland and on Penobscot Bay. The popular tourist towns of Camden, Rockport, and Rockland are just to the south. Acadia National Park is a daytrip north. One of Maine's puffin tours is 45 minutes away. Wireless Internet, in-room refrigerators, and the convenient continental breakfast are big pluses for birders on the go.
Also try: EdgeWater Farm B&B - Phippsburg

Best Nests: Midcoast