Rob and Dorothee have been welcoming guests to Whale’s Tooth Pub for almost 20 years! Authentic British style fish’n'chips are our favorite – the entire menu is delightful. Happy Hour is 4-6pm, with drinks and nibbles, great views and glimpses of local conversation. Open Wed – Mon (close Tue) for dinner, additionally lunch on the weekends at 11:30am.

Especially in this day of technology surrounding our kids, a Maine camp experience can reignite a child’s relationship with nature. And, as MaineCamps.org puts it, “Facebook friends are nice, but they are no substitute for real friends and mentors”. MaineCamps features a full guide to how to choose the best camp for your child, as the options are many and there is something for everyone.

And don’t forget to pamper the parents while kids are at camp.

©IStockPhoto.com/Elenathewise

It’s not on Elm St (Route 1 through town), so you have to know it’s there. And you have to know it’s there well in advance as it’s often hard to make a last minute reservation. Dinner is served Tuesday through Saturday, 5:30 – 9. Semi-finalist for the 2012 James Beard Award for Best Chef Northeast and restaurant owner Brian Hill describes the fare, “We try to be really unpretentious. I love to just take these little tricks and apply them to simple, comforting food, and hopefully that comes across as providing a really extraordinary experience.” The menu changes daily and is available only on their website.

Here’s a Frommer’s review that does Francine’s justice: “This place feels more like a French brasserie in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District than a coastal seafood joint — and that’s a good thing. A meal from chef Brian Hill might begin with fish, onion, or lentil soup; a sevicheof halibut, Serrano chiles, and red onions; mussels in Bordeaux and shallots; or skewers of grilled lamb served with white pesto, orange, and endive. What a refreshing wakeup call in a section of coast dominated by fried/baked cod/haddock and lobsters. The night’s entrees might run to roast chicken with a chèvre gratin or a cauliflower-cheese hash; duck a l’orange; a crispy skate wing with Jerusalem artichokes; a roasted sea bass in caramelized garlic sauce; seared halibut with shrimp; a haddock stuffed with scallops; or reliable steak frites. Eat at simple tables from church-pew-like seating.”

As most lobster eaters know, the typical lobster size is 1-1.5 lbs. Here are some regulations for harvesting from the Maine Lobster Council:

“Maine harvesters have been environmentally conscious and “eco-friendly” since long before it became fashionable. They harvest their lobsters the same careful way they have for over 125 years — by hand, one trap at a time — thus protecting the quality of their product and the marine environment. Some rules and regulations that help ensure the health of the lobster resource include:

Tail Notching: Female lobsters with visible eggs cannot be harvested. Before releasing her, the harvester notches her tail to identify her as a good breeder, thus protecting her for life from being harvested.

Minimum Size Limit: Minimum 3 1/4″ carapace measurements allow juvenile lobsters the chance to mature and reproduce before they can be harvested.

Maximum Size Limit: Maximum 5″ carapace measurements protect the large, healthy breeding stock.

Apprentice Program: New harvesters must apprentice with veterans to learn the regulated, sustainable practices.

Trap Limits: The total number of traps per harvester is limited by both the state and the individual lobster zones.

Harvest Method: Harvesting in Maine is by trap only — no dragging or diving is allowed. Traps include escape vents for under size lobsters as well as biodegradable escape hatches to free lobsters in lost traps.

Lobster Seed Fund: Supported by license fees, the Fund purchases females that extrude their eggs after being harvested. This unique buy-back program helps to ensure that the good breeding stock is returned to the ocean to reproduce.”

Here’s a map to get you started. A lot of sugarhouses are open for tours, demonstrations and best of all, samples! Simmons and Daughters here in Waldo County will be boiling sap on their wood fired evaporator and serving ice cream with warm syrup. Many farms offer activities, games, treats, music and more. Read a day by day journal of the last month or so leading up to this Sunday – from Mitchell and Savage Maine Maple Syrup.

Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport (about 25 minutes north of here on Route 1) is home to one of the largest archives of historical photographs in Maine, counting more than 100,000 in its collections. Glass plates, negatives, photographs and other media have been professionally assembled into one place. Not only can you view the archives online, in your home and at your leisure, but the museum has made it possible to search the database with keywords.

From the Elmer Montgomery Collection at Penobscot Marine Museum

The Museum houses small crafts, ship models, furniture, tools, art, scrimshaw and photography. The Museum is just a short drive and makes for a great day trip in the summer, when it’s open 7 days a week (Mon-Sat 10-5 and Sun 12-5 at the time of publication).

St George, Thomaston, Owls Head, Rockland, Rockport, Camden, Lincolnville, Hope, Appleton, Union, and the islands of Vinalhaven, North Haven, Monhegan, and Islesboro.

It’s available to view online, or you can have one mailed to you, free of charge, by filling out the request form.

Thus marks the closing of a fantastic destination wedding.  Last night, right in the living room Dominik and Samantha exchanged their vows!

The couple hosted their reception in the pub and the festivities rolled right into the new year!

Congratulations Dom and Sam!

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