Windjammer Festival: Important

Schedule Changes/Hurricane Earl

Here is our original post on August 9, 2010 for the upcoming Camden Maine Windjammer Festival event, however the scheduled has been changed due to Hurricane Earl. Our local chamber has posted the following important information regarding the event:

Following consultations with public safety officials and based on the best weather information available the evening of Wednesday, September 1, the Camden Windjammer Festival committee organizers are delaying the start of the festival unti 4pm on Saturday, This means that the Festival is cancelling all of Friday’s and most of Saturday’s events.

This is due to both the prospect of heavy rain and strong winds from Hurricane Earl Friday night into Saturday early afternoon and because as a responsible community we do not want to start an event that brings large crowds to town at a time when Emergency Management Agencies are likely to be counseling caution and limited travel.

The festival will begin officially at 4pm on Saturday with an official announcement over the PA. Saturday’s events will consist of:

7:30pm  outdoor movie, Library Amphitheatre (wind permitting)
7:30pm (doors open) Paranoid Social Club and guests, Camden Opera House

On Sunday, we are adding the pancake breakfast (7-10am) and the Chowder Challenge (11:30am-2pm)- both contingent on availability of both volunteers and product from the Rotary Clubs. We are also moving the fireworks to 9pm on Sunday evening, contingent on an ok from the Coast Guard and Central Maine Pyrotechnics (the fireworks company).

All other Sunday events will proceed as scheduled, unless changing weather conditions require further changes.

Full Revised Schedule: Available online atwww.camdenwindjammerfestival.com/events

Camden Windjammer Festival is packed with events and fireworks and is scheduled for Friday September 3rd through Sunday September 5th 2010. Well over a dozen historic windjammers, sleek day sailing yachts, and motor fishing boats will enter Camden Harbor Friday afternoon for the Labor Day weekend gala.  For years Camden Harbor has been the home port of this event each Labor Day weekend and it attracts old salts, historians, boat builders, woodworkers, and sailing enthusiasts from around the globe.

A Fleet Of Schooners

The windjammer event provides a unique opportunity to board and take a walking tour of each of these beautifully and impeccably restored historic sailing ships.

Nathaniel Bowditch

Nathaniel Bowditch is an 82′ schooner that was built in 1922.

Schooner Captain

Speak one on one with schooner ship Captains and their crews who are eager to share their ship’s history, tales of the sea,  in addition to their own sailing adventures.

Boarding Schooners

Camden Harbor Maine

Camden Harbor with Mount Battie rising above the harbor.

Day Sailor

Climb aboard and take a 2 hour sail out of picturesque Camden Harbor Maine. You will sail past spectacular islands and lighthouses and view seals, eagles, porpoises and may even see a lobster fishermen hauling traps.

Day Sailng Out Of Camden Harbor

Camden Harbor is quaint and unquestionably picturesque and with the dramatic backdrop of  Mount Battie it is certainly an eye catcher.

Schooners in Camden Harbor

Impeccably restored old schooners fill the harbor and offer day trips or overnight cruises.

Camden, Maine

Mount Battie, Camden Hills

The arrow indicates the turret at the Mount Battie summit (Camden Hills State Park) which can reached by driving the auto road or by hiking the various trails in the park.

Camden Harbor Views From Turret Atop Mount Battie

Overnight Schooner

Beautiful Yachts In The Harbor

Day Sailer

This time of year has been unseasonably warm and we have been thoroughly enjoying our walks to the top of Mount Battie.

Reaching The Top At Sunset

Turret Atop Mount Battie

Viewing the sunset over the western mountains and the moon rising in the eastern sky illuminating Penobscot Bay.

An Easterly View

Camden Harbor, Southerly View

A sign of quieter times where recently filled parking lots are empty and lonely view finders stand.

Watching The Moon Rise

View Finders Will Soon Be Stored Away For Winter

Lighting The Star

Each year we look forward to the lighted star that is mounted on the turret atop Camden Hills State Park. As a tradition it is lit the day after Thanksgiving and remains erected until New Years Day. The star can be seen from miles away, a true sign of the holiday season.

Funny how after years of walking the auto road our timing on this trip coincided with Bob Oxton’s firing up the generator which illuminates the star.

Bob spoke of challenging past winters and his difficulty reaching the top some evenings to light the star and yet he has never missed a night for over 40 years of volunteering. Now that is a commitment!

The Lighted Star

A Beautiful Evening

We grow over 100 dahlia’s and we cherish every one of them, however there are some that perform like work horses and we consider them must haves for our gardens and in floral arrangements. Each of these varieties are prolific with strong and long stems and ideal for cutting. Here are a few of our picks.

Ferncliff Copper

Ferncliff Copper has 5″ blooms and is especially gorgeous arranged in harvest bouquets.

Snoho Betty

Perfect purple Snoho Betty is continually remarked on by our guests.

Kenora Wildfire

This low bush beauty Kenora Wildfire pumps out volumes of huge bright red blooms and requires minimal support.

Scarborough Brilliant

And of course the intense colors of Scarborough Brilliant are stunning.

If you love beautiful flowers as we do and are interested in creating fresh dahlia floral arrangements also look into Bliss and Rosella, they are fantastic as fillers. All of our healthy dahlia tubers were purchased locally from endlesssummerflowerfarm in Camden, Maine.

Another one of the “Jewels” in Midcoast Maine is the picture perfect views atop Beech Hill in Rockport. The setting is special, and after a short and easy walk to the top of this 295-acre preserve you’ll see why. If the pastoral landscape of the beautiful grasslands with the Camden Hills as a backdrop don’t grab you while your walking along, than surely the scenic ocean vistas at the top will.

After a few paces the trail quickly opens up to views of low bush wild blueberry’s growing in the grassy field.

Starting Out

Protecting The Blueberries

A Colorful Field Of Wild Blueberries

Trail

Looking Back At The Camden Hills

Soon after the half way point views of Chickawaukie Pond then Penobscot Bay appear.

Chickawaukie Pond

Chickawaukie Pond(Rt) and Penobscot Bay(Lft)

Fall creates it’s own special beauty in Maine and especially so here. The preserve’s field of golden grasslands dappled with the fiery red leaves of wild blueberry shrubs is reminiscent of a painting. At the top of the hill sits a beautifully restored stone house known as “Beech Nut” handsomely adorned with a sod roof.

Beech Nut

An Easterly View

Mountains Of Acadia National Park(Background-Rt)

Beech Nut

Restored Sod Roof

Although the preserve is open year round, Beech Nut’s open house dates for the remainder of the year is Sat. Sept. 11, Wed. Sept. 22, Sat. Oct 2, and Wed. Oct 13 2010. For more information on this beautiful preserve you can visit www.coastalmountains.org.