CRUISING THE MAINE COAST
Down East with PATRICK McMILLAN
JJUUNNEE 1199--2266,, 22001188 88 DDaayyss// 77 NNiigghhttss ETV ENDOWMENT CRUISING THE MAINE COAST DOWN EAST with PATRICK McMILLAN JUNE 19-26, 2018
Day One: Tuesday-June 19, 2018: Bangor, Maine. Arrivals. Arrive in Bangor, Maine, gateway to Maine’s north woods. Your guide will meet you at the Bangor International Airport in the baggage claim area and assist with luggage and hotel transfer. We look forward to our festive Reception and Welcome Dinner at 6:00 pm at our hotel The Residence Inn Bangor. Meals Included: (Reception and Dinner.)
Day Two: Wednesday-June 20, 2018: Wildlife watching on The Golden Road with Patrick. After breakfast, we head to Northeast Whitewater Company, an hour north of Bangor near Moosehead Lake. We will take their vehicles on the old logging road built by the Great Northern Paper Company in the 1920s to haul logs from the north woods to their mills. Depending on what version you hear, the Golden Road earned its name because the private road cost Great Northern so much to build (the legend is one million dollars per mile), or because it offers a direct passage into one of the largest patches of contiguous forest in the United States, creating new access to the natural riches of northern Maine for the timber industry. Either way, the name invokes images of grandeur. We will go wildlife watching today looking for moose and raptors, see the wild Penobscot River as it parallels the road and perhaps (weather permitting) we will view Mount Katadin in the distance, the end of the Appalachian Trail. Meals Included: (B, L) * This road is a weather-dependent activity. Plan B on paved roads is possible.
Day Three: Thursday-June 21, 2018: Maine North Woods and Kennebec River Float Trip. Dress warmly this morning as we travel with Northeast Whitewater again today at the southern end of the north woods. We head north out of Bangor back to the Moosehead Lake area. The rugged beauty of the Maine woods draws visitors from around the world. We will take a nature drive looking for wildlife like blue heron, raptors, beaver, osprey, bald eagles and ducks before arriving at the Kennebec River for lunch and then a mild float trip. We will learn the geology, hydrology and history of the Kennebec River on this adventure. We return to Bangor for our final night after trip. Meals Included: (B, L)
Day Four: Friday-June 22, 2018: Orono Bog Walk. Acadia National Park. We leave our Bangor hotel this morning and head to the Orono Boardwalk. The Orono Bog Boardwalk is a premier destination in the Bangor/Orono area for us to experience the beauty and fascinating plants and animals of a Maine bog. The 1-mile boardwalk loop trail begins at the forested wetland edge in the Bangor City Forest, and after 800 feet crosses the Orono town line into the portion of the Orono Bog owned by the University of Maine. Along the way, the boardwalk passes through a wide range of changing vegetation and environments on its way to the open, peat moss carpeted center of the Orono Bog. After our visit, we head to Acadia National Park. We will enjoy lunch on our own in Bar Harbor before we board buses to tour the park with experienced local guides. Acadia National Park is a 47,000-acre Atlantic coast recreation area rimarily on Maine's Mount Desert Island. Its landscape is marked by woodlands, rocky beaches and glacier- scoured granite peaks such as Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the United States’ East Coast. Among the wildlife are moose, bear, whales and seabirds. We will make stops for short walks at the various viewpoints. We return with free time to explore the charming downtown area before going to our hotel, the Hampton Inn in Ellsworth Maine. Meals Included: (B)
Day Five: Saturday-June 23, 2018: The Scoodic Peninsula. Acadia National Park. We return to the Bar Harbor area this morning to board our buses for a visit on the Scoodic Peninsula. A lesser known part of Acadia National Park, we will drive on the 6-mile loop road stopping in places that are premier bird watching areas. The Scoodic is about to become a world wildlife destination, but for now, we will hopefully be some of the few that venture into this part of Acadia National Park. The loop road offers views of lighthouses, seabirds and forested islands. Meals Included: (B, L)
Day Six: Sunday-June 24, 2018: Maine Botanical Gardens/Audubon Puffin Cruise/LL Bean. We leave our hotel early this morning and head to Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Our first stop will be at the premier Maine Botanical Gardens. After 16 years of planning and planting, the Maine Botanical Gardens opened in 2007. It is located on 128 acres of pristine land with 3,600 feet of tidal shore frontage in Boothbay. You will have time to explore the gardens and have lunch at your leisure before we head to Cap’n Fish Boat Tours for an Audubon Puffin Cruise. See first hand the National Audubon Society's success in reestablishing a Puffin Colony on Eastern Egg Rock. It is truly a magnificent "seafari" for all nature lovers with seals, blue heron, an occasional whale and other coastal wildlife along the way. "Cap'n Fish's puffin cruises are wonderful experiences for many reasons, not the least of which is the terrific scenery and the miles of coastline between Boothbay Harbor and Eastern Egg Rock. Perhaps the most unique aspect of the trip is that since the boat travels in deep waters the opportunity to see unusual wildlife like a minke whale or maybe even a finback whale is always there, in addition to offshore species of birds like northern gannets and petrels. But the real treat is in seeing the busy and exciting colony of Atlantic Puffins at their southernmost nesting island in all of North America. National Audubon Society is proud of the relationship they have had with the Fish family in collaborating on these eco-tourism cruises ever since the puffins were restored to Eastern Egg Rock, back in the 1980s. After our cruise we will head south again with a stop at the famous LL Bean store in Freeport, Maine, an institution since 1916. We will have dinner in Freeport before we head to our hotel, The Residence Inn Waterfront Portland. Meals Included (B, L, D)
Day Seven: Monday-June 25, 2018: Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge/Cape Elizabeth and the Portland Headlight/Free Time Portland. Farewell Dinner. We enjoy our final day with a visit to the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge south of Cape Elizabeth. The southern Maine coast has been treasured for over 11,000 years. The Abenaki, Sokaki and Saco peoples established thriving cultures using the coastal rivers that provided fresh water, transportation routes, abundant fish, shellfish, and lowland wildlife. The French explorer Samuel de Champlain arrived in the region in 1604. Shortly thereafter and into the 1700s, European settlers made their livelihood from the coast and adjacent marshes. Now those same marshes are a protected eco-system. Rachel Carson was a world- renowned marine biologist, author and environmentalist. She served as an aquatic biologist and editor-in-chief for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. During her tenure, she composed a series of articles on Atlantic Coast wildlife refuges. Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1966 in cooperation with the State of Maine to protect valuable salt marshes and estuaries for migratory birds. We will take a 1-mile walk along the Rachel Carson Trail to view one of Maine’s most valuable ecosystems, a salt marsh. This large meadow marsh was created when the waves of the sheltered bay slowed to ripples and let the cordgrass take root, creating this marsh. After our walk, we will head north with a stop at the Portland Headlight. When visiting this promontory where the iconic Maine Lighthouse is located, you will notice the waves crashing over an unusual rock formation. They appear to be petrified wood, but are actually quartzite and dark grey phyllite accumulating in alternating layers. We will enjoy time in the park and have the opportunity to walk the cliff path, seeing the waves crashing against the rocks, and visit the Lighthouse museum and gift shop. We return to Portland in time for you to have a leisurely lunch on your own and to enjoy the waterfront district with its many shops and restaurants before a festive Farewell Dinner at our hotel tonight. Meals Included (B, D)
Day Eight: Tuesday-June 26, 2018: Individual Airport Departures Home. Individual airport transfers to Portland International Jetport this morning. Have a safe trip home, and we hope to see you again on another ETV Endowment trip! Meals Included (B)
ETV ENDOWMENT CRUISING THE MAINE COAST DOWN EAST with PATRICK McMILLAN JUNE 19-26, 2018
PRICE PER PERSON: Single $4,839 Double $4,269
PRICE INCLUDES * Professional tour guides – Patrick McMillan and Sally Bell * $750 tax-deductible contribution to the ETV Endowment * Deluxe coach transportation * Airport transfers from Bangor International Airport on Day One and to Portland International Jetport on Day Eight * Seven nights’ hotel accommodations * Seven breakfasts * Four lunches * Three dinners * Tour includes visits and admission to: The Golden Road Maine North Woods Kennebec River Float Trip Orono Bog Boardwalk Acadia National Park The Scoodic Peninsula Maine Botanical Gardens Audubon Puffin Cruise Visit to LL Bean Store Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge Cape Elizabeth and the Portland Headlight Portland Waterfront District * Baggage handling for one piece of luggage per person * Bottled water and snacks on coach * All applicable taxes * Guide and driver gratuities
NOT INCLUDED: * Airfare to Bangor, ME and from Portland, ME * Items of a personal nature/incidentals at hotels * Alcoholic beverages * Travel Insurance NOTE: Please do not make flight arrangements for this trip until you have been notified to do so by the ETV Endowment office.
HOTELS
June 19-22, 2018: 3 Nights
The Residence Inn Bangor Maine 22 Bass Park Blvd Bangor, Maine 04401 Ph: 207-433-0800 Fax: 207-433-0811
June 22-24, 2018: 2 Nights
Hampton Inn Ellsworth Maine 6 Downeast Highway Ellsworth, Maine 04605 Ph: 207-667-2688 Fax: 207-667-2699
June 24-26, 2018: 2 Nights
The Residence Inn Portland Maine 145 Fore Street Portland, Maine 04101 Ph: 207-761-1660 Fax: 207-761-1661
June 26, 2018:
Portland Jetport Transfers