Before you head northeast this summer, read up on the latest museums, shops and more in the Pine Tree State.
The Freeport outlets just keep expanding. Among the recently opened shops: Avenue 5, Del Sol, Freeport Cheese and Wine, The Wine Cellar, and Harris Golf Shop. For a full listing, maps, and more, visit the town's tourist web site at www.freeportusa.com.
The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor, which was nearly demolished in 1999, has been renovated. Events scheduled for 2005 include theater, concert, exhibits, community and children's programming and more. For more information, log onto www.opera-house.org or call tel. 207/633-6855. Also in Boothbay Harbor, a new bed-and-breakfast has opened. Originally a carriage house, the 1860s Fullerton Hill Bed and Breakfast offers three rooms close to the compact downtown district. For more information, call tel. 207/633-9820 or visit the lodging's web site and www.fullertonhill.com.
In nearby Southport, the popular fish restaurant Robinson's Wharf has just added a new post-and-beam pub and raw bar, making it a more attractive option than ever. For more information, call tel. 207/633-3830 or log onto the restaurant's web site at www.robinsonswharf.com.
The Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland is scheduled to open in June. The museum, which overlooks Penobscot Bay, will be part of a Gateway Visitor Center that celebrates the maritime, commercial, cultural, and environmental heritage of the mid-coast; it is said that it will contain the nation's most significant collection of lighthouse and lifesaving artifacts and lenses. For more information, call tel. 207/594-3301 or visit www.mainelighthousemuseum.com.
Also in Rockland (and also in June), the venerable Strand Theater -- which will become part of on the National Register of Historic Places -- reopens its doors. A Main Street landmark since 1923, the theater has undergone extensive renovations. The theater will screen classic, independent, and foreign and also host a number of live performances. hosting some live entertainment. For more information about the theater and event schedules, visit www.rocklandstrand.com.
You had to figure it was just a matter of time before Bar Harbor got a decent music festival; well, it's finally happened this year. The new Bar Harbor Jazz Festival will cut its teeth from August 19-28, 2005, with performances around the town in cafes, pubs, restaurants, the renovated Criterion Theater, and also outdoors on the pretty, central Village Green. For information about tickets, performance venues, schedules, and performers, log onto the web site www.barharborjazzfestival.com.
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