Maine

3 New Maine Hotels For A Summer Escape

Published

2 years ago

May 29, 2024

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Dunes on the Waterfront, Ogunquit.

Dunes on the Waterfront

There is nothing like a Maine summer, and as this summer approaches, three enticing new hotels have just opened their doors for the 2024 season.

Dunes on the Waterfront, Ogunquit

Dunes on the Waterfront, a group of 21 white clapboard cottages with green shutters on 12 acres of lawns overlooking Ogunquit’s famous beach, dunes, and tidal river, debuted this month. Ranging from one to three bedrooms, the cottages date back to 1936 and were owned by three generations of the Perkins family. Hotelier Tim Harrington and his company, Atlantic Hospitality, bought the cottages last year from the Perkins’ and spent $10 million renovating the property. Harrington has a strong record of restoring and reimagining vintage Maine coastal properties, including The Claremont in Southwest Harbor and Salt Cottages in Bar Harbor. He’s also a partner in the Kennebunkport Resort Collection, 10 hotels that include Hidden Pond in Kennebunkport. You can stroll to the resort town’s many restaurants, bars, and shops or take one of the hotel’s complimentary bikes and ride into town. It’s a short distance from the famed Ogunquit Playhouse, Maine’s most beloved summer stock theater. All cottages have a private porch or patio, the better to soak up the coastal atmosphere. Pursuits include relaxing in the heated swimming pool with ocean views, paddle boarding, kayaking, and waterfront yoga classes.

Rockport Harbor Hotel, Rockport.

Rockport Harbor Hotel

The Rockport Harbor Hotel, Rockport

The Rockport Harbor Hotel has been flying under the radar since it opened in December 2023. This 20-room boutique hotel is now ready for its first summer, a new luxury property on Rockport’s busy main street, with its restaurants, galleries, and shops. Rooms are traditional in style—no trace of trendy minimalism here — and every room has a marble bathroom, a gas fireplace, and a balcony, with views of either the harbor or the Camden Hills. The Oak Room restaurant, which looks like it’s been there for about 100 years but is, in fact, brand new, offers creative comfort fare from Chef Travis Nestor. Atrium, the hotel’s fine dining restaurant with views of the harbor and Penobscot Bay, will open soon on the hotel’s fourth floor. There’s plenty to do in town, and if you need more, the tony port town of Camden is just up the road. The Farnsworth Art Museum’s incredible collection of Maine-born artists, including three generations of Wyeths, is a short walk from the hotel.

Longfellow Hotel, Portland.

Longfellow Hotel

Longfellow Hotel, Portland

Longfellow Hotel, originally scheduled to open in 2023, finally opened this month in Portland. The Congress Street location is in Portland’s historic West End neighborhood, one of the city’s best locations, amidst 19th-century Victorian and Italianate architecture. The hotel is within walking distance to areas like the Old Port, East End, and the Arts District. The city’s first independent, full-service hotel to open in many years has 48 rooms and a Nordic-inspired spa. The 1,800-square-foot spa, Astraea, focuses on whole body and mind wellness. Dining options include the Twinflower Café, a wellness-focused restaurant serving wholesome breakfast and lunch offerings. The Five of Clubs is the bar and serves cocktails, beer and wine, and small bites. The Maine-based, family-owned hospitality group Uncommon Hospitality is behind the Longfellow Hotel, named for Portland-born poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, one of America’s most-beloved bards.

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Related Topics:#Rockport-harbor-hotel Dunes on the Waterfront Featured Longfellow Hotel Maine new hotels Ogunquit Portland Rockport Summer Tim Harrington

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Maine

18 jaw-dropping views from Katahdin to help you plan for warmer weather

Published

1 hour ago

April 19, 2026

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18 jaw-dropping views from Katahdin to help you plan for warmer weather

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in September 2022.

When it comes to Maine hiking, summiting Katahdin is the ultimate achievement.

Maine’s tallest mountain stands at 5,269 feet, and there are a number of different trails hikers can take to get up and down Katahdin. And while some are harder than others, none are easy.

But the views are incredible.

Whether it’s the rugged terrain of the Knife Edge or the vast landscape of the 200,000 acres that compose Baxter State Park below, here’s a look at what it’s like to climb Katahdin.

Hunt Trail

Hunt Trail traces the edge of a ridge on the west side of Katahdin known as Hunt Spur. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN

Katahdin Stream Falls is one of the many scenic highlights of Katahdin’s Hunt Trail. It’s located about a mile from the trailhead at Katahdin Stream Campground. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN

Abol Trail

Chimney Pond Trail

Cathedral Trail

Saddle Trail

Northwest Basin Trail

Knife Edge

Hikers on the Knife Edge of Katahdin have few options for getting off trail to relieve themselves of human waste. Above treeline, Leave No Trace principles recommend planning ahead to avoid the necessity of going to the bathroom in fragile alpine areas, or getting off trail as far as possible to relieve themselves on rock or gravel. Credit: Courtesy of Brad Viles

Tablelands

South Peak

Hamlin Peak

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Maine

Maine Township Residents OK Purchase Of Building For Food Pantry – Journal & Topics Media Group

Published

13 hours ago

April 18, 2026

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Maine Township Residents OK Purchase Of Building For Food Pantry – Journal & Topics Media Group

Maine Township residents vote in support of purchasing building for the relocation of the township food pantry.

A proposal for Maine Township to purchase a building at 9850 Milwaukee Ave. in Glenview to move its popular and growing food pantry received strong approval at the township’s Annual Meeting held last week at the Town Hall on Ballard Road.
More than 100 residents attended the meeting where they approved buying the property for $1,429,000. The 3,000 sq. ft. building, which is located within the township, had been the home of a local restaurant. It is currently vacant.
In March, Supervisor Kim Jones explained that the food pantry needs more space for food and to accommodate clients who need food. “We’ve totally outgrown it,” said Jones at the time. “We’ve been looking for more than a year.”
Following last week’s meeting, Jones said about the vote, “That magical moment really encapsulated the strong support system that’s been built from neighbors helping neighbors throughout our community. The food pantry has grown in leaps and bounds throughout the last five years thanks to the dedicated work of its staff, volunteers and the public.”
Des Plaines City Clerk Dominik Bronakowski served as ceremonial moderator for the event.
Jones also recognized a number of employees and officials who currently serve the township. They included Assessor Susan Moylan-Krey and MaineStay Youth and Family Services Director Richard Lyon for their 20 years of service to Maine. Assistant Director of MaineStreamers, Therese Tully was recognized for her 25 years of service.
The meeting also recognized former Des Plaines Self-Help Closet and Pantry Director Debbie Walusiak who was presented the Sgt. Karen Lader Good Citizen Award for her more than 20 years of service to the Des Plaines community.
“Debbie is an exceptional community leader and volunteer,” said township Clerk Pete Gialamas whose office runs the annual award program. “Her work with the Des Plaines community, particularly her leadership navigating the Self-Help Closet and Pantry’s 2020 move to a larger location in the midst of the COVID pandemic really shows the depth and resolve of that leadership and dedication to service.”
In 2011, the clerk’s office instituted the award in honor of Lader, a resident of Des Plaines and a 15-year veteran of the Cook County Sheriff’s Police who lost her battle with cancer in 2010. She was deeply involved with the township’s Neighborhood Watch program and active in Maine’s National Night Out Against Crime event held each August. She also worked on Special Olympics and animal rescue.

If you like this story, you can get a whole lot more practically every day of the week by subscribing to journal-topics.com. Click here to choose your preference of either print or online, or call 847-299-5511.

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Maine

Spring birding events are happening across Maine. Here’s where to go.

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Spring birding events are happening across Maine. Here’s where to go.

Now the fun begins, as many birds and quite a few birders return to Maine for the summer. It’s time to get organized.

Birding is generally a quiet, solitary pastime — a stroll in the park, a walk in the woods, a paddle in the marsh.

Penobscot Valley Audubon’s Neighborhood Bird Walks kick off May 6. There are 13 walks scheduled at birding hot spots in Greater Bangor throughout the month. These walks have been immensely popular since they began nine years ago.

The benefits are many. It’s a chance to walk with experienced local guides, finding birds you might otherwise overlook. You can start to associate specific species with their preferred habitats. It’s a great opportunity to learn and practice identification skills and gather tips from others. Many participants enjoy the social camaraderie of guided bird walks.

A Baltimore oriole perches in Maine. Spring birding events take advantage of the surge in returning species. Credit: Courtesy of Bob Duchesne

I will lead two of these morning walks and probably tag along on several others. I chuckle at how easy it is to find birds in May. I’ve done these same walks so many times over the years, I usually know where different species will be before I even arrive. It’s almost like cheating.

Penobscot Valley Audubon members have already received the walk schedule in the most recent newsletter. Nonmembers can find the schedule on the chapter website at pvc.maineudubon.org. The walks are free and open to all.

Morning bird walks are fun. But for a full weekend adventure, try a birding festival. There are four great festivals to choose from.

The Wings, Waves & Woods Festival occupies the third weekend of May. Most events occur in Stonington and Deer Isle. Highlights include a Sunday visit to the Atlantic puffin colony on Seal Island, preceded by a Saturday cruise around the islands outside Stonington Harbor. I’ll be one of the guides on both.

I must say I am particularly excited about the archipelago cruise. Last year was the first year we did it, and I was not prepared for how many winter seabirds were still loitering around the islands. The numbers and variety were astounding. This festival is ideal for seeing the overlap of Maine’s overwintering birds and newly arrived spring migrants, all on the same weekend.

A rose-breasted grosbeak perches in Maine. Migratory songbirds return in May, drawing birders to walks and festivals. Credit: Courtesy of Bob Duchesne

The Downeast Spring Birding Festival spans Memorial Day weekend. I’m awed, or maybe odd, to say I’ve been guiding for this festival ever since it began in 2003. Indeed, I led the very first walk of the first festival. That was amazing enough to convince me to keep doing it for the next 23 years.

Cobscook Institute coordinates the festival from its campus in Trescott. Events cover birding hotspots in Washington County, Campobello Island in New Brunswick and nearby offshore islands. Two different boats will visit two different puffin colonies over the weekend.

I might get an argument from the organizers of other festivals, but I personally think this one is the birdiest for two reasons. Memorial Day weekend is about the time the last returning migrants pass through Washington County, adding to the number of songbirds that have already established breeding territories for the summer. The Cobscook Bay area also has some of the most diverse habitat in the state, creating opportunities to see a wide variety of species in a relatively compact area.

The Acadia Birding Festival is the granddaddy of them all. Now in its 27th year, it’s the biggest of Maine’s festivals and attracts nationally recognized guides and speakers. It offers the advantage of birding in and around Acadia National Park.

The official dates for the festival are May 28-31, but three pre-festival trips are offered: one to Monhegan Island, one to Saddleback Mountain near Rangeley seeking the elusive Bicknell’s thrush and one to visit the puffins on Petit Manan, with a second post-festival trip to Petit Manan also available.

And now for something completely different: The Rangeley Birding Festival. The mountainous forests of western Maine host a different selection of bird species compared to the three coastal festivals. This is the realm of Canada jays, boreal chickadees, black-backed woodpeckers and that elusive Bicknell’s thrush.

By June 5-7, when this festival occurs, spring migration is over. Birds have settled into their nesting territories, where they can be predictably found. Very few organized events introduce birders to the boreal forest, so this festival has its own unique appeal.

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