Last spring, I had the opportunity to join several other travel influencers to experience The Heart of Maine’s Art Scene, in Rockland, Maine. We had such a great time traveling to this gorgeous coastal town. We were hosted by the nicest people who all took time out of their busy schedules to share their love for Rockland. Also traveling with us was Cait Bourgault, an amazing photographer, and she captured so many fun moments. (Check out her website: www.caitbourgault.com)
It’s not common for me to have an itinerary made for me, and it was so nice to sit back and not have to plan a thing. Here is what we did on our trip. Enjoy!
We started our day at the Maine Lighthouse Museum. I love lighthouses and always stop to take pictures of them, so I was happy this was our first stop. I loved seeing the pennies on the floor showing where the Maine lighthouses were!
The museum had so many fun pieces. This one rotates.
After our drive from Portland, we needed to get some food into us, so we were treated to Clan McLaren for lunch. This hip spot served delicious sandwiches and salads. I had a chicken salad called the Lorelei, and it was so good I’ve tried to replicate it at home.
Our first stop on our art tour of Rockland, Maine was the striking new home of CMCA, designed by architect Toshiko Mori. The building is a work of art itself, with its 11,500 square foot building with 5,500 square feet of exhibition space.
One of the things I loved most about Rockland is how walkable it is. The CMCA (Center for Maine Contemporary Art) is directly off Main Street and within walking distance to the Farnsworth Art Museum and Wyeth Center, the Strand Theatre, and dozens of art galleries, boutique stores, restaurants, and hotels. We were thrilled to get a private tour of the museum.
My favorite exhibit was this installation piece made completely of wood.
You can walk the path as you immerse yourself in the art itself.
Photo credit: Cait Bourgault
Wade Kavanaugh + Stephen B. Nguyen | Hubris Atë Nemesis
There were so many neat pieces of art.
This was another captivating one. Notice the shadow on the polar bear is of a wolf!
Our next stop was Bixby Chocolate Factory, a family owned and operated company that is Maine’s first bean to bar chocolate factory. The presentation showing us how chocolate is made was so interesting and it was great to hear it is made only with ethically sourced ingredients.
We also got to see the actual production taking place.
But I will admit…the tastings were my favorite part!
Since it was Seaweed Week in Maine, we got to try some special treats.
We had such a lovely visit.
Next, we headed out to Rockland Breakwater to walk out to the lighthouse. The breakwater is about a mile long and extends from Jameson Point into the Rockland Harbor.
It is a breathtaking view with water surrounding you and waves crashing into the rocks. We even saw some adorable seals.
The lighthouse, which was built between 1900 and 1902, was so beautiful. Although you can’t go inside, you can walk up to the balcony and get a great view.
We walked around downtown Rockland, stopping into the adorable shops and looking at the colorful murals around town.
We also stopped for some delicious lattes at Rock City Coffee.
After a long day of exploring Rockland, I settled in at the Berry Manor Inn for some relaxation before dinner.
My room was gorgeous and the inn pays attention to every detail.
I loved my stay here and can’t wait to bring my family back.
For dinner, we headed to Café Miranda, where we had a lovely dinner with lots of laughs.
Their food is made with fresh local ingredients and they even make their own pasta in house.
Finally, it was time to go back to the inn for a good night’s sleep…after a piece of the inn’s famous pies of course.