Discover Lobsters, Lighthouses and Gilded Age Mansions
My lobsterbake is ready to enjoy
By GERRY BARKER
Photos/Video by Gerry Barker
Until last week, I never knew what a “lobsterbake” was. Or, that Camden, Maine boasts the only stop sign on the entire 2,370 mile-length of US Highway 1, the longest north-south road in the United States.
We learned that, and much, much more, during our recent 11-day “New England Explorer” cruise on American Cruise Lines' ship, American Constitution. And explore New England we did, a region steeped in lobsters, lighthouses and a region well known as the bedrock of American history. This was our third ACL cruise (previously we toured Great Puget Sound and the Upper Mississippi) and our first time to visit many of the ports along the Northeastern coast.
When it comes to exploring the waterways of America, American Cruise Lines owns the market (competitor American Queen Voyages ended operations in February). Family-owned and founded in 1973, what started as a single excursion boat now numbers 19 ships and counting: Two more are coming in 2025; three more in 2026. READ MORE.
Photos/Video by Gerry Barker
Until last week, I never knew what a “lobsterbake” was. Or, that Camden, Maine boasts the only stop sign on the entire 2,370 mile-length of US Highway 1, the longest north-south road in the United States.
We learned that, and much, much more, during our recent 11-day “New England Explorer” cruise on American Cruise Lines' ship, American Constitution. And explore New England we did, a region steeped in lobsters, lighthouses and a region well known as the bedrock of American history. This was our third ACL cruise (previously we toured Great Puget Sound and the Upper Mississippi) and our first time to visit many of the ports along the Northeastern coast.
When it comes to exploring the waterways of America, American Cruise Lines owns the market (competitor American Queen Voyages ended operations in February). Family-owned and founded in 1973, what started as a single excursion boat now numbers 19 ships and counting: Two more are coming in 2025; three more in 2026. READ MORE.
Embarkation: Boston's Fin Pier Marina
Our New England Explorer cruise started in Boston, where we had a pre-cruise hotel stay at the Boston Four Seasons. We had time to explore the city, including a city tour arranged by American Cruise Lines on one of their deluxe motor coaches. It ended at the pier, where we boarded American Constitution just in time for lunch.
Day Two: Portland, Maine
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Portland, like all of New England, has a history rooted in Revolutionary War times. Founded in 1786, it remains a bustling shipping center, with downtown undergoing a renaissance. We took a walking tour that included an impromptu stop at The Holy Donut, which did come close to a religious experience. Unlike traditional donuts, these don't use yeast, but incorporate, according to a source, riced Aroostook County potatoes, which make them denser and oh-so-delicious. They offer around 20 different kinds daily, which are quickly scarfed up by the locals.
We also saw a Sea Bags store, where you can buy "nautically inspired totes and accessories" made from recycled sails, as well as plenty of places where you buy or shop for lobsters, a New England mainstay. In the afternoon, we took a bus tour that stopped at Portland Head Lighthouse in Fort Williams Park, the "most photographed lighthouse in America." We also saw the boyhood home of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who was born in Portland in 1807. |
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Day Three: Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor, a town of some 5,000 people on the Maine coast, is a celebrated resort destination and summer home in the Gilded Age that hosted business titans J.P. Morgan, Cornelius Vanderbilt and the Astor family. It's also one of the main gateways to Acadia National Park. American Cruise Lines provided lunch in a waterfront park since weather conditions didn't permit the ship to dock at Bar Harbor, and guests were transported here in buses. Until our day in Portland, the weather turned cloudy and rainy, with a chill in the air.
Days Four and Five: Rockland and Camden, Maine
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Rockland is the first stop where we have to use the ship's tenders to go ashore. A town of some 7,000 people, it is known as the home of the Maine Lobster Festival, which attracts thousands from all over. In fact, our excursion here leaves from nearby Camden Harbor, where we will board a lobster fishing boat, the Lively Lady. During our hour-long cruise, we'll learn all about lobster fishing and see some of the area lighthouses. Because today is Sunday, no lobsters can be caught. We're okay with that.
Our second excursion is the Camden Hills State Park Experience, including panoramic views in the park and a tour of Camden, where we see the famous Scottish cows. Fortunately for us, the weather has turned beautiful again. |
We get gorgeous views of Maine's famous rocky coast here.
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Days Six: Bath, Maine
Historic Bath is known as "The City of Ships" -- ship building was a mainstay here. Nowhere is that showcased better than the Maine Maritime Museum, located just a short way from where American Constitution is docked. We take a tour of the museum before heading out on a shopping excursion to nearby Freeport, the world headquarters of L.L. Bean.
A visit to the Maine Maritime Museum:
A shopping excursion to Freeport, Maine:
Day Seven: Boothbay Harbor, Maine
It's another gorgeous summer day in Maine -- hot, actually -- and we are anchored in Boothbay Harbor, a bustling summer resort town known as "The Boating Capital of Maine." Today, we'll tender over to enjoy shopping by the waterfront and join an excursion of the nedarby Coastal Maine Botanical Garden, where we'll encounter -- surprise, surprise -- giant trolls!
Related: Finding Trolls at a Garden in Maine
Day Eight: Gloucester, MA.
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It's the Fourth of July, and we have left Maine behind and now are now docked at Gloucester in Massachusetts, which has a long fishing and seafaring heritage. It is featured in the movie, "The Perfect Storm." While here we go on two excursions -- one to Hammond Castle Museum, the home of John Hays Hammond Jr., a prolific inventor called the "Father of Radio Control." In the afternoon, we tour the city and take a cruise around Gloucester Harbor on a 65-foot schooner. After we depart, we watch fireworks as we sail off the coast.
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A Visit to Hammond Castle Museum
Touring Gloucester and Sailing on a Schooner
Day Nine: Newport, Rhode Island
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Our next stop, Newport, is a summer resort town famed for its Gilded Age mansions, as well as the location for the America's Cup races between 1930-1983. it also hosted the first U.S. Open championships in both tennis and golf. We will be taking an excursion to see its most famous mansion, "The Breakers" -- once the home of the Vanderbilts. Afterwards, the ship is hosting a Lobsterbake in historic Fort Adams, a large, coastal fortification built between 1824-1857.
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A Tour of The Breakers, the Vanderbilt Mansion
Lobsterbake at Fort Adams
Day Ten: Martha's Vineyard
Here we are, at our last stop before returning to Boston -- Martha's Vineyard, an island, only reachable by boat or air. Located south of Cape Cod, it has a year-round population of some 20,000, but during the summer months, it can grow to 200,000. A longtime retreat for the rich and famous, it includes the smaller Chappaquiddick Island. Let's take a tour and see what we can find.
