Maine town has coastal scenery, the arts, good food
People walk on the Rockland Breakwater, a manmade granite jetty that stretches nearly a mile into Penobscot Bay from Rockland, Maine.
The Olson House in Cushing, Maine, was depicted by Andrew Wyeth in his famous painting, “Christina’s World.” The house, a National Historic Landmark, reopened in May after being closed to the public last year for renovations, including the replacement of clapboards.
People walk on the Rockland Breakwater, a manmade granite jetty that stretches nearly a mile into Penobscot Bay from Rockland, Maine.
Every town in mid-coast Maine has its unique charms and attractions. Freeport is the place for shopping at outlet stores and the legendary L.L. Bean. For beautiful beaches, there’s Reid State Park in Georgetown or Popham Beach in Phippsburg. For a view of the water from up high, hike (or drive) up Mount Battie in Camden. A poem by Maine native Edna St. Vincent Millay is engraved on a plaque at the summit.
But for scenery, the arts and great food all in one spot, there’s no destination in Maine quite like Rockland, located on picturesque Penobscot Bay. A day in Rockland might include a visit to the Farnsworth Art Museum, dining at one of many excellent local restaurants and a walk on the Rockland Breakwater, a man-made granite jetty that stretches nearly a mile into the sea. And in the tiny nearby town of Cushing, Maine, you can tour the Olson House, a National Historic Landmark that was depicted in Andrew Wyeth’s iconic painting “Christina’s World.”
Here are some tips for a visit to Rockland.
It almost feels like you’re walking on water as you make your way along this unusual granite walkway leading to a lighthouse nearly a mile offshore. Completed in 1899, the breakwater took 18 years and more than 700,000 tons of granite to build. In 1902, a manned lighthouse replaced a beacon light here, and the lighthouse was automated in 1965.
The view as you walk on the Breakwater out into Penobscot Bay looks like a classic painting of the Maine coast: a band of green trees on the horizon separating the blues of water and sky; the harbor dotted with sailboats and ferries. The waterfront Samoset Resort, which offers luxury lodging and a golf course, is located on the other side of the Breakwater in neighboring Rockport.
A word of caution: The Breakwater surface is uneven with gaps between stones. Wear sturdy shoes and mind small children. Beware bad weather: The stones are slippery when wet, and people have been struck by lightning there.
The artist N.C. Wyeth spent summers with his family in Maine, and the Farnsworth Art Museum owns an extensive collection of works by N.C., his son, Andrew, and grandson, Jamie. While N.C. was mainly known as an illustrator, the Farnsworth has just opened a show of his paintings, on view through Dec. 31.
Another special exhibition at the museum, which opened Saturday, is called “Pushing Boundaries,” described by the Farnsworth as “large collaborative pieces by some of the most important names in post-WWII American art,” with works by Jim Dine, Morris Graves, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg and James Rosenquist in collaboration with Donald Saff. The Farnsworth is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 31. Admission is $15.
The Farnsworth also owns the Olson House in nearby Cushing. Andrew Wyeth used the home as a subject in some 300 works of art, including his iconic “Christina’s World,” which depicts a woman crawling across a field in front of the house. The painting was inspired by Christina Olson, a disabled woman who lived in the house with her brother. The original “Christina’s World” hangs in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
The Olson House has just reopened to the public after 18 months of renovations that included replacing the worn clapboard exterior. Guided tours tell the story of the house, the Olsons, their relationship with Wyeth, and why and how “Christina’s World” became one of the most renowned paintings of mid-20th century America. House tours are given Wednesdays through Sundays at noon, 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. Admission is $10.
The Farnsworth is hosting separate “Wyeth Experience” tours offering an in-depth look at some of Andrew Wyeth’s works in the museum, followed by a tour of the house, from 9:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Fridays in July and August. Cost is $50.
Also on display at the Farnsworth: one of pop artist Robert Indiana’s “LOVE” sculptures. Indiana owns a home across Penobscot Bay on the island of Vinalhaven.
Ferries take visitors from Rockland to Vinalhaven several times a day in summer; http://maine.gov/mdot/ferry/vinalhaven/. On Vinalhaven’s Main Street, you can’t miss Indiana’s large Victorian home, with massive American flags painted on the exterior.