The waterfront in Stonington is lined with cute stores and delicious seafood spots. It also overlooks bobbing lobster boats and a beautiful, granite-lined archipelago with more than 50 islands. This postcard-worthy coastal town is exactly what you picture when you dream about a classic Downeast Maine vacation.
Stonington is a small town — about 1,000 people live here year-round — off the coast of Maine. It’s due east of Camden, one of the best budget-friendly adventures in small American towns, on the mainland. It’s also perched on the southern tip of Deer Isle. The island sits on the eastern side of Penobscot Bay, which is considered a top cruising spot in the world. It faces Merchant Row, one of the largest island clusters in the United States. With its harbor being the biggest lobster port in the state, life clearly revolves around the sea in Stonington.
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Like most of the islands in Penobscot Bay, Stonington is never an accidental destination. Bangor International Airport (BGR) is the closest airport. The small airport receives nonstop flights from mostly East Coast cities. After landing and renting a car, you will drive an hour and a half south, crossing two bridges along the way. The Deer Isle Bridge is a brightly colored suspension bridge that connects Sedgwick, on the mainland, with Little Deer Isle. Just a mile later, the Deer Isle Causeway, built atop a sandbar, joins Little Deer Isle with larger Deer Isle. Stonington sits at the bottom of the island.
Wander around the shops overlooking Stonington’s harbor
Earl D. Walker/Shutterstock
Stonington’s Main Street runs parallel to the water along Deer Isle’s south coast. Boat ramps, ferry docks, and the fishing pier line one side. Buildings from the 19th century, including Stonington Town Hall and the Stonington Public Library, are on the other side. While narrow, winding streets, which can barely fit two passing cars, extend from there. The air is always thick with salt.
Many of the buildings facing the harbor are now filled with small shops, where you will find a lot of Maine-inspired items. Dockside Books & Gifts is a bookstore that features Maine and marine books. Island Approaches, a clothing store, has cozy Maine sweatshirts. Marlinespike Chandlery is a supply store that displays antiques and rope work. While the Dry Dock, “a creative department store,” has a little bit of everything, most of which is made in Maine, or at least New England.
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You will also find J. McVeigh Jewelry, which showcases one-of-a-kind pieces. They have been made by more than 30 artists from around the world. 44 North Coffee is a woman-owned roasting company. It sells small-batch, organic coffee. Then you can buy camping gear and kayaking accessories at Sea Kayak Stonington. The adventure company also offers guided trips, lessons, and rentals.
Find fresh-off-the-boat seafood along the waterfront
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Since Stonington is an important fishing community, it’s not surprising that you can find delectable seafood everywhere. Fin and Fern, with its upstairs bar, is the perfect sunset spot. Then head downstairs for heavenly fresh pasta dishes, like lobster ravioli and seafood alfredo. 27 Fathoms Waterfront Grille has a large deck with an outdoor bar. It’s a great place to order the classics: New England clam chowder and a chilled Maine lobster roll. Then Stonecutters Kitchen and Stonington Food and Ice Cream Company are more casual restaurants. The former has a large patio and serves fried seafood and build-your-burgers in plastic baskets, while the latter, a take-out window with outdoor seating, has more lobster rolls and Gifford’s Ice Cream.
If you have a kitchen to cook for yourself, you can buy fresh seafood, as well. The Stonington Lobster Co-op is a collective that was founded in 1948. It sells live lobsters right off the dock. Also, Greenhead Lobster is the largest independently owned and operated lobster dealer in Maine. In addition to live lobsters, they sell lobster claws, knuckles, and tails, the best parts of the crustaceans.
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While waiting for your catch of the day, you will probably stare at the water and imagine what else these idyllic islands hold. On Vinalhaven, Lawson’s Quarry is a hidden swimming hole with granite ledges and glassy waters. Plus, serene Warren Island State Park is only accessible by boat. Downeast Maine is even better than you dreamed.
TJ Biel scored 21 points and Newport native Ace Flagg added 10 points and seven rebounds as the University of Maine men’s basketball team held on for a 74-70 win over the New Jersey Institute of Technology on Saturday in Newark, New Jersey.
Logan Carey added 11 points and five assists for the Black Bears, who improve to 3-15 overall and 1-2 in the conference. Yanis Bamba chipped in 14 points.
Maine led by seven at the half, but NJIT went on a 13-0 run in the first four minutes to take a 43-37 lead. The Black Bears recovered and took the lead on a dunk by Keelan Steele with 7:53 left and held on for the win.
Sebastian Robinson scored 24 points and Ari Fulton grabbed 11 rebounds for NJIT (7-11, 2-1).
Clarissa Sabattis, Chief of the Houlton Band of Maliseets, foreground, and other leaders of Maine’s tribes are welcomed by lawmakers into the House Chamber in March, 2023 in Augusta. (Robert F. Bukaty, /Associated Press)
Maine’s gambling landscape is set to expand after Gov. Janet Mills decided Thursday to let tribes offer online casino games, but numerous questions remain over the launch of the new market and how much it will benefit the Wabanaki Nations.
Namely, there is no concrete timeline for when the new gambling options that make Maine the eighth “iGaming” state will become available. Maine’s current sports betting market that has been dominated by the Passamaquoddy Tribe through its partnership with DraftKings is evidence that not all tribes may reap equal rewards.
A national anti-online gaming group also vowed to ask Maine voters to overturn the law via a people’s veto effort and cited its own poll finding a majority of Mainers oppose online casino gaming.
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Here are the big remaining questions around iGaming.
1. When will iGaming go into effect?
The law takes effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns this year. Adjournment is slated for mid-April, but Mills spokesperson Ben Goodman noted it is not yet known when lawmakers will actually finish their work.
2. Where will the iGaming revenue go?
The iGaming law gives the state 18% of the gross receipts, which will translate into millions of dollars annually for gambling addiction and opioid use treatment funds, Maine veterans, school renovation loans and emergency housing relief.
Leaders of the four federally recognized tribes in Maine highlighted the “life-changing revenue” that will come thanks to the decision from Mills, a Democrat who has clashed with the Wabanaki Nations over the years over more sweeping tribal sovereignty measures.
But one chief went so far Thursday as to call her the “greatest ever” governor for “Wabanaki economic progress.”
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3. What gaming companies will the tribes work with?
DraftKings has partnered with the Passamaquoddy to dominate Maine’s sports betting market, while the Penobscot Nation, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and the Mi’kmaq Nation have partnered with Caesars Entertainment to garner a smaller share of the revenue.
Wall Street analysts predicted the two companies will likely remain the major players in Maine’s iGaming market.
The partnership between the Passamaquoddy and DraftKings has brought in more than $100 million in gross revenue since 2024, but the Press Herald reported last month that some members of the tribe’s Sipayik reservation have criticized Chief Amkuwiposohehs “Pos” Bassett, saying they haven’t reaped enough benefits from the gambling money.
4. Has Mills always supported gambling measures?
The iGaming measure from Rep. Ambureen Rana, D-Bangor, factored into a long-running debate in Maine over gambling. In 2022, lawmakers and Mills legalized online sports betting and gave tribes the exclusive rights to offer it beginning in 2023.
But allowing online casino games such as poker and roulette in Maine looked less likely to become reality under Mills. Her administration had previously testified against the bill by arguing the games are addictive.
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But Mills, who is in the final year of her tenure and is running in the high-profile U.S. Senate primary for the chance to unseat U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said Thursday she would let the iGaming bill become law without her signature. She said she viewed iGaming as a way to “improve the lives and livelihoods of the Wabanaki Nations.”
5. Who is against iGaming?
Maine’s two casinos in Bangor and Oxford opposed the iGaming bill, as did Gambling Control Board Chair Steve Silver and the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, among other opponents.
Silver noted Hollywood Casino Bangor and Oxford Casino employ nearly 1,000 Mainers, and he argued that giving tribes exclusive rights to iGaming will lead to job losses.
He also said in a Friday interview the new law will violate existing statutes by cutting out his board from iGaming oversight.
“I don’t think there’s anything the board can do at this point,” Silver said.
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The National Association Against iGaming has pledged to mount an effort to overturn the law via a popular referendum process known as the “people’s veto.” But such attempts have a mixed record of success.
While influenza remains the top concern for Maine public health experts, other viruses are also currently circulating, including norovirus and COVID-19.
“Influenza is clearly the main event,” said Dr. Cheryl Liechty, a MaineHealth infectious disease specialist. “The curve in terms of the rise of influenza cases was really steep.”
Maine reported 1,343 flu cases for the week ending Jan. 3, an uptick from the 1,283 cases recorded the previous week, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Hospitalizations increased to 147 from 108 during the same time periods.
“I hope the peak is now,” Liechty said, “but I’m not really sure.”
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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Friday that all of New England, except for Vermont, is currently experiencing “very high” levels of influenza. Vermont is in the “moderate” category.
“What we are seeing, overwhelmingly, is the flu,” said Andrew Donovan, associate vice president of infection prevention for Northern Light Health. “We are seeing both respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses in our patients.”
Norovirus also appears to be circulating, although due to its short duration and because it’s less severe than the flu, public health data on the illness — which causes gastrointestinal symptoms that typically resolve within a few days — is not as robust.
“Norovirus is the gastrointestinal scourge of New England winters and cruise ships,” Liechty said.
According to surveillance data at wastewater treatment plants in Portland, Bangor and Lewiston, norovirus levels detected in those communities are currently “high.” The treatment plants participate in WastewaterSCAN, which reports virus levels in wastewater through a program run by Stanford University and Emory University.
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Dr. Genevieve Whiting, a Westbrook pediatrician and secretary of the Maine chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said viruses are prevalent right now, especially the flu and norovirus.
“For my patients right now, it’s a rare encounter that I hear everyone in a family has been healthy,” Whiting said. “I’ve had families come in and say their entire family has had norovirus. Several of my patients have had ER visits for suspected norovirus, where they needed IV fluids because they were dehydrated.”
Both Liechty and Whiting said they are seeing less respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, likely because there has been good uptake of the new RSV vaccine, which is recommended for older people and those who are pregnant. The vaccine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2023.
“The RSV vaccine has been a real success, as RSV was a leading cause of hospitalizations for babies,” Whiting said.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases increased to 610 in the final week of 2025, compared to 279 the previous week. Influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations are available at primary care, pharmacies and clinics across the state.
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“If you haven’t gotten your flu shot yet,” Liechty said, “you should beat a hasty path to get your shot.”
