Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Another sixty miles up the coast and we pull in to an RV park in Boothbay, Maine.  After setting up, we drive in our pickup truck a few miles to Boothbay Harbor, according to the internet one of the prettiest towns in Maine. 

Problem is, there's roadwork in progress.  They're getting ready for Windjammer Days, an annual celebration of the town's maritime heritage, and the city fathers are determined to finish the job today.  We wait in a long line of cars, nothing coming or going.  More than a half hour passes.  Frustration sets in.  We see other lines move, but not ours.  Finally, our turn comes, and we begin moving.  As we pass the worker who waved us through, Nancy yells at him, "You s******!"  Yes, dear sweet Nancy lays the s-word on some poor guy who was just following the orders of his boss.  I thought vacations were supposed to make you mellow.

But then we get to Boothbay Harbor, and it's a stunning little village.

We wander around, looking in the shopfronts.  We talk with a local contractor beautifully remodeling a house overlooking the bay which is in the process of being converted to rental apartments.  There's a nice mix of stores, shops, and restaurants.

We come across a little outdoor restaurant for which Nancy has seen nothing but five-star reviews on Yelp.  They are known for their lobster rolls, so we order two, with drinks.  I get ready to pay cash, but the guy says, "The total will be $52."  Gulp.  But they are historically delicious - two toasted New England style hot dog buns absolutely stuffed with tender lobster meat.  (The New England hot dog buns are without question the way to go for this traditional Maine sandwich.)

The next day we drive to several nearby towns - Damariscotta, Camden, Rockland, and Rockport - to see if all seaside Maine villages are so wonderful.  Nice towns, but none of them have the charm of Boothbay Harbor.

So with the roadwork completed, the following day we return to Boothbay Harbor, this time with our dogs, since the town advertises itself as the dog-friendliest community in Maine.  Our girls have a great time hiking up and down the hills and exploring the place. 

This evening, after shopping in Bath, Maine and hungry for seafood, we pass this fine restaurant ...

... in favor of the Sea Basket, which according to newengland.com is one of the top ten restaurants in New England for fried clams, another of the signature dishes of the area.  After steaming clams ourselves a week ago, and loving the results, we thought that those meltingly tender morsels coated with batter should be transcendent.  But the restaurant is a severe disappointment; the clams are tough, and the prices are high.  I'm beginning to think that not all the top ten lists on the internet are handed down from God.