The Camden Windjammer Festival takes place every year on Labor Day Weekend, and is a real celebration of this beautiful harbor on the Coast of Maine.   Billed as the place where the mountains meet the sea, this is a really spectacular spot to enjoy a late summer getaway. 

The Windjammer Festival celebrates the great sailing schooners which are a part of Camden’s maritime history.  The Maine Windjammer Fleet sails into the picturesque harbor and all of the ships are available for visits.  The festival itself is in the waterfront parking lot right behind all of the shops and restaurants of Camden and in the waterfront park overlooking the Harbor.  The Festival is replete with many exhibitions and performances throughout the Labor Day Weekend.  Schooner rides are available throughout the period, and many of the shops have specials for just this festival.  All of the restaurants gear up for this very popular weekend.

This Windjammer Festival is truly a celebration for this seaside community, and should be on everyone’s list of things to do and see in Maine this summer.  Luckily, one of our fantastic Distinctive Inns, the Camden Maine Stay Inn, is located right in the heart of Camden in the High Street Historic District, just a few blocks from this Festival.  So make your reservations as soon as possible, because both Camden and the Inn will fill up quickly.  Best of all, enjoy the Windjammers, as they are a spectacular treasure of Maine!

When visiting the Camden Maine Stay, make sure to take a day trip to Monhegan Island.  Monhegan Island is located 10 miles off the mid-coast of Maine and is known for its beauty and wonder.  Monhegan is scarcely a square mile in area and offers about 12 miles of trails, often steep and strenuous, leading through wooded areas and over rocky ledges up to the highest ocean cliffs on the Maine coastline.   A fairy village can also be found deep in the woods while hiking one of the trails that cross the  island.

Monhegan Island is accessible only by boat and there are no cars or paved roads on the Island. Since long before the explorer John Smith visited it in 1614, it was known to Native Americans as a prime fishing area, and today its economy is still ruled by those who make their living from the sea, fishing and lobstering. The year-round population has seldom exceeded 65 in recent times.  For more than 100 years, Monhegan has been a summer haven for artists and other visitors who appreciate its isolation, the beauty of its wilderness areas, its quiet relaxed atmosphere, and its unhurried pace.

Monhegan Island is lovely and truly a unique Maine experience.  Boats leave from Boothbay Harbor, New Harbor, and Tenants Harbor daily and advance reservations are suggested.

by, Rebecca, Quantum Hospitality

Looking to celebrate Mother’s Day in Camden, Maine?  Then we have just what she needs, cake!  The Camden-Rockport Historical Society and the Camden Historic Inns have organized their first annual Camden Cake Walk and it will take place on Saturday, May 8th from 1 to 4 P.M.  Get ready for fun and some sweet surprises!  A trolley service will drive Mom through Camden and will visit twelve lovely inns.  At the inn, Mom and her family will sample tantalizing cakes ranging from cheesecake to pound cake to cupcakes. Treat mom, treat yourself and help preserve local heritage! All proceeds benefit the Camden-Rockport Historical Society. 

As a member of the Camden Historic Inns, the Camden Maine Stay Inn encourages you to stay for the weekend and have developed tantalizing packages for the weekend.  Just pick the number of nights you would like to stay and they will package it with tickets to the Camden Cake Walk,  a commemorative copy of the Camden Cake Walk Poster, and a “sweet surprise” baked for just Mom will be waiting for her in your room! 

Here is your chance to say “thank you” to your Mom and treat her to a very special Mother’s Day! 

By Rebecca, Quantum Hospitality

Winter fun is in abundance at the U.S. National Toboggan Championships in Camden, Maine.  The Toboggan Championships happen every February in Camden, Maine and this year they are planned for February 5th-7th.  The rules are simple.  Get 2 or 3 friends together, dress in an outrageous costume, grab a toboggan, and get ready for the thrill of your life.  We did this last year and it was a blast.  Just imagine the adreline rush as your toboggan reaches speeds of over 30 miles an hour as your toboggan plunges down an ice chute and comes to rest on the lake below. 

Toboggan teams of all levels compete in this three day event and all participants should register in advance.  There are the diehards with their custom made toboggans and then there are others that just use the toboggans which are furnished as part of your registration.  Test runs begin on Friday and the real competition happens on Saturday and Sunday with 2, 3, and 4 person teams.  There are awards for best costume, oldest team, fastest team, fastest women’s team, fastest children’s team, fastest high school team, and fastest college team.  Between taking a toboggan run, warm up while tasting the Chili and Chowder Competition and vote for the winner of the season. 

Even if you think that tobogganing is not for you, this is a great spectators sport as well!  It is just as much fun to watch all of the madness from the bleachers and cheer on your favorite teams.   Food, fun, friends, and snow make this a delightful winter weekend.  Once you visit the Maine Stay Inn to enjoy this weekend, it will be added to your winter “must do” events!   

by Rebecca, Quantum Hospitality

Holiday traditions are cherished by all, especially by those that enjoy Christmas by the Sea in Camden, Maine.  Many guests of the Camden Maine Stay Bed & Breakfast make their yearly repeat visit to enjoy the festivities of Christmas by the Sea each year.  This year they will ring in the Christmas Season on December 4-6 at the 23rd celebration of Christmas by the Sea.

The three full days of festivities kick off on Friday as the parade begins and leads to the lighting of the Christmas tree along with Santa’s arrival by tug boat in Camden Harbor.  How else did you think he would arrive?  Carriage rides, cider, cookies, and ice skating with Santa are just a sampling of Fridays’ events.   A wide variety of entertainment will also be enjoyed such as performances by Maine Pro Musica, The Nutcracker by Atlantic Ballet Company and roving carolers which are sure to get you in the holiday spirit.  Top this off with Holiday fairs, road races, and shopping and you will experience all that Christmas by the Sea has to offer. 

Surely, this is the way to kick off the Holiday Season on the coast of Maine!

by Rebecca, Quantum Hospitality

Camden, Maine is a lovely village to visit at any time of the year, especially during the Fall Season.  “Where the mountains meet the sea” is a familiar phrase that describes Camden perfectly.  If you follow the Atlantic coastline from Florida to the Bay of Fundy, this only happens in two places.  Both locations are in Maine and they are Camden and Mt. Desert.  Camden is located at the base of two of these mountains, Mt. Battie and Mt. Megunticook, which are both part of Camden State Park. 

Guests of the Camden Maine Stay can enjoy one of the most scenic outlooks from the summit of Mt. Battie.  It has been the tradition for over 100 of the past years and is sure to be continued.  The summit can be reached by hiking one of the many trails or by a short car ride up its paved road.  Once at the top you will enjoy the scenic views overlooking Penobscot Bay and the quaint town of Camden below.  Peace and quite are abound and we suggest that you pick up a lunch from the Camden Deli to take along with you.  This is just the perfect spot for it to be enjoyed! 

I always add this to my must do, especially in time to view the Fall colors!

by Rebecca, Quantum Hospitality

Camden Maine Stay Bed & Breakfast was voted by Karen Brown’s Readers Choice as the “Warmest Welcome” for 2009!  This is the second year that the Readers’ Choice awards have been awarded.  After all the votes are tallied, one winner is chosen for each of the seventeen award categories in each country.   The Distinctive Inns of New England are extremely happy to have one of their members receive the prestigious award. 

Built in 1802 by a direct descendant of John Alden, the very first Pilgrim of the Mayflower to set foot on Plymouth Rock. The Camden Maine Stay is a delightfully decorated eight room Bed and Breakfast and is the perfect place to enjoy the history and the tradition of Maine.  It is surrounded by wooded gardens, which bloom constantly from spring thru fall.  Located in the historic district of Camden, Maine, guests enjoy an easy stroll into town to enjoy shopping and boating on Penobscot Bay.   A perfect getaway for any season.

by Rebecca, Quantum Hospitality

The Camden Opera House hosts a thrilling occasion for the musically enthused. Scheduled for the summer of 2008 are several showings varying from Deathtrap! to Seussical the Musical! The atmosphere is equivalently pleasurable as the highlighted shows. What additionally makes the opera house exquisite is the recently renovated Victorian style together with grand chandeliers, a horseshoe balcony, and antique moldings. The 500-person capacity and three distinct function rooms cater to all performers any size. And better yet, a quality seat stands at a sheer $16.00 per person; so don’t hesitate to see more than one show. Settle down after a show to elegant and romantic ambiance not even a half a mile down the road.