The Casco Bay Cottage:
The location of the Caso Bay Cottage in West Point makes an ideal “home base” for any vacation you choose. For those who “need to get away from it all” you can spend your entire vacation in West Point. Guests can lazily relax on our decks overlooking the ocean, or perhaps take a short stroll to Cat Cove for swimming and shell collecting. Cat Cove is a great location to launch your kayaks for a day of exploring nearby harbors and islands. A short trail through the piney woods leads to a secluded rocky area that is fun to explore. Among the rocks are tide pools where some of the locals learned to swim. Look for sea creatures that are trapped in the pools! Bring your fishing poles for an early morning of fishing. The rocks are a good place to cast your line in. Be sure to keep a look out for eagles, loons, cormorants and seals! A Maine vacation must is fresh seafood for a lobster or clam bake. You can take a leisurely stroll down to the local lobster pound for the fresh catch of the day.
History:
For those of you who enjoy more history and more activity, West Point and its surrounding areas provide just that. West Point is one of the oldest and scenic fishing villages in Maine. Many of the locals are descendants of the original fishermen who settled here. Close to West Point is historic Popham. Popham is one of the earliest English settlements during Colonial America being settled in 1607. Though it was unsuccessful it led to later settlement along the Maine coast. Popham State Beach is a beautiful 500 acre beach of white sand. It is definitely worth a visit. When the tide is out, you can walk across the beach to a nearby island. Fort Popham, from the Civil War years is close by and is ready to be explored.
The nearest city to West Point is Bath, “the City of Ships”. Maine’s first ships were built here in this area around 1607-1608. If you are interested in shipbuilding the Maritime Museum offers a glimpse into Maine’s boat building past.
Shopping and exploring:
Quaint shops and restaurants make Bath a fun day trip. Boat rentals can be found in Bath for touring or fishing the Kennebec River. Golf courses are also in the area. To the north of Bath is Boothbay Harbor. It is another excellent day trip for vacationers! It has shops, restaurants and antiques. Whale watching, Puffin watching and lighthouse boating excursions are available at the wharf. Brunswick, another historic town nearby offers shopping, restaurants, Bowdoin College and the Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum. L.L.Bean’s flagship store is located south in Freeport. It is opened 24 hours a day and is a good place to go on rainy days. Freeport also has many name brand outlets. Portland is about an hour away and has many historic sites, shopping and great restaurants as well.
