five islands + damariscotta….it’s possible it just can’t get any better than this – at least on a sunny, dry maine summer day!
on the sheepscot river, down the peninsula is five islands – home to 2 of my favorite places – the five islands farm market and five islands lobster
this is the BEST place to provision for a day on the boat or an evening on the porch with friends – local meats + cheeses, the best of condiments + spreads and grown-right-here berries, fruits + vegetables. i have put together some wonderful hostess or house gifts at the market – and they have their own bags which make the perfect “wrap”
unfortunately i wander on wednesdays, not fridays
around the bend and down the hill to five islands lobster co. – for a lunch with a view! a working harbor filled with a local fleet of lobster + fishing boats and a small group of pleasure craft. i love the dock + pier – shared with the fleet + five island lobster!
quick stop to check the view from the back porch of the grey havens inn – looks like a potential stop for a cocktail in the future
for years i have been enjoying oysters + bubbly in damariscotta – so i have no idea how i missed out on the damariscotta oyster cruise until this year. it’s our new ‘thing’ – we can not wait to return! the yacht of choice is the river tripper – just the right size – an incredibly knowledgable + friendly crew – loved everything about it!
the oyster ‘middens’ (piles of oyster shells left by the native population 1000+ years ago – they summered along the shores) are not part of the cruise – they are ‘up river’ – but are quite intriguing. i have included links to a smithsonian study + the info on the historic site, which includes the access trails! this will be a definite autumn venture (and if you’ve never been to the damariscotta pumpkin races (xl pumpkins, hollowed out in the harbor with engines!) then you may want to consider making it a weekend!
there are some awesome currents right at the bridge
this is a real geniune oyster farm – right on the river
over 80% of maine oysters come from the river! perfect conditions.
our hostess purchasing some oysters, ‘fresh from the farm’ for our cruise
oysters + bubbly – being enjoyed with the view
well hello there!
you will learn a lot about oyster seeds, harvesting, ages, why the shells are certain shapes, oyster ancestry….and more – but somehow it just feels like an afternoon of complete relaxation!
in the boat – ready for delivery to the in town restaurants
we didn’t do any fishing – so i can’t vouch for the experience….but i will say this guy had a great boat and appeared to be a real ‘character’!
the smithsonian : mining a midden
whaleback midden historic site
a girl can never have enough oysters + bubbly….traffic was bad so we did a quick stop at row 34, portsmouth – more deliciousness – and this wonderful sparkling rose!
[…] river cruise + lobster rolls al fresco (and byob….could it be any better). check out our day on the river 2016 for an idea of why you MUST check this cruise out!…a really great addition in 2017 – […]