Category: Discover Wiscasset

Discover Wiscasset, Kids activities, Midcoast Maine Activities, Museums, Shopping, Weekends in Wiscasset

Weekends in Wiscasset – June 6, 7, 8, 9

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All activities listed here are either in Wiscasset itself or are in Midcoast Maine within and hour’s drive of Wiscasset Woods Lodge. For more details on each event go to our Events Calendar.

Thursday, June 6

10am Midcoast Craft Sidewalk Sale – Downtown Wiscasset
10am Members Art Show – Maine Art Gallery, Wiscasset
3pm Farmer’s Market – Wiscasset Recreational Pier – Opening Day
6pm Lecture: Harriet Beecher Stowe and the Hanover: The Romance and Reality of a Maine Shipwreck – Maine Maritime Museum
7:30pm Haunted History Tour – Bath/Damariscotta/Hallowell (7pm)

Friday, June 7

10am Members Art Show – Maine Art Gallery, Wiscasset
10am Midcoast Craft Sidewalk Sale – Downtown Wiscasset
11am Tours of Nickels-Sortwell House and Castle Tucker – Wiscasset

Saturday, June 8

6am Montsweag Flea Market – Woolwich
7:45am PIYO on the Pier – Wiscasset Commercial Pier (near the Yacht Club)
10am Midcoast Craft Sidewalk Sale – Downtown Wiscasset
10am Members Art Show – Maine Art Gallery, Wiscasset
10am Monkey C Monkey Do is Open – Wiscasset
10:30am WWF steam trains operating – Alna
11am Tours of Nickels-Sortwell House and Castle Tucker – Wiscasset
3:30pm Lighthouse Lovers Cruise – Maine Maritime Museum, Bath
4pm Historic Tidbit Tasting Tour – Hallowell

Sunday, June 9

6am Montsweag Flea Market – Woolwich
11am Tours of Nickels-Sortwell House and Castle Tucker – Wiscasset

These are just some of the many great activities available every weekend throughout Midcoast Maine. Keep checking our events calendar for more activities. And reserve your room at Wiscasset Woods Lodge today to make sure you don’t miss out on anything!

Reserve Your Room Today

wiscassetwoods.com (207) 882-7137 Stay@wiscassetwoods.com

Classes, Discover Wiscasset, history

Midcoast Maine Walking Tours

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If you love walking tours as much as I do you’ll want to check out all that Red Cloak Tours has to offer.

They started with Haunted History Tours but have branched out to do Maritime History Tours in Boothbay Harbor and Historic Tidbit Tasting Tours in Bath and Damariscotta and Hallowell.

The tours are designed to be family friendly, so no discussion of suicide and ladies of the night are referred to in oblique ways. The tours are not strenous and can be wheelchair or stroller accessible if needed.

Where ever your vacation takes you in Midcoast Maine there’s a walking tour there for you to discover.

Schedule of Redcloak Tours Walking Tours in Midcoast Maine.
Red Cloak Walking Tours in Midcoast Maine

For a full list of their tours and to register for one visit their website RedCloakTours.com.

Discover Wiscasset, Museums, Nature, Weekends in Wiscasset

Weekends in Wiscasset – May 11th and 12th, 2019

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Saturday, May 11th

Montsweag Flea Market

Midcoast Maine’s largest flea market, just opened for the season. This will be their first Saturday flea market

Art of Woodburning Class – Shelter Institute

“Explore tools, wood types and techniques to open a world of creativity, utilitarian uses and unique gifts. Wood burning has much to offer and does not require you to be an artist. In this hands on workshop you will learn the varied marks each burn tip can make and how to use them in lettering and imagery. Learn how to transfer images to the wood, the pros and cons of wood types, safety, adding color and so much more. Tools and wood will be provided. If you own a wood burning tool and/ or wood burnings you have done in the past please feel free to bring them. Participants will have the opportunity to make multiple completed projects. “

WWF Railway Steam Trains Running

Steam trains depart our Museum grounds at Sheepscot at: 10:30 AM • 12 Noon • 1:30 PM for a 40- to 50-minute, 5-mile round trip. 10:55 AM • 12:25 PM • 1:55 PM Tour our Museum grounds and see restoration projects underway in our shops. Try your hand at operating a hand car in our yard. Visit our gift shop and learn more about the Maine two-footers!

Mother’s Day Tea at WWW Railway

Ride the Noon train to Alna Center for our Mother’s Day tea. An english-style tea will be served and special gifts and surprises are in store for Moms. Tickets are reservation-only and limited, so get yours now!

Sunday, May 12th (Mother’s Day)

Pop up Florist at Spruce and Little Maine Mercantile

“We are excited to announce we will be hosting a floral pop up shop on Mother’s Day, Sunday May 12th at Spruce & Little Maine Mercantile! These incredible floral creations are brought to you by floral artist @eldebery & her lovingly crafted arrangements are sure to dazzle & warm the hearts of all you mama’s out there! “

Mother’s Day at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

Treat mom to flowers – entire gardens of them.
Enjoy our early bulb display and other spring ephemerals with mom this Mother’s Day – all moms receive free admission to the Gardens on Sunday, May 12.

Mother’s Day Brunch at Robinhood Free Meeting House

“We welcome you to join us for our annual celebration of moms! Your brunch faves, some new dishes, and special mommy juices will be available.
We maxxed out this event last year so call or mssg us for reservations to secure your table. Don’t let mom down!” (207) 613-5682

For a full list of events check out our events calendar on our website

Breakfast at Wiscasset Woods, Discover Wiscasset

Breakfast is Served!

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We’ve opened for the season and breakfast has been as popular as ever.

Sample of one of our breakfasts at Wiscasset Woods Lodge.

The wife of one of our guests who stayed with us this weekend just wrote to book a stay for her husband next weekend as well. She wrote

Breakfast at Wiscasset Woods always includes a wide variety of food that can meet all dietary restrictions.


Garry so enjoyed his stay and the excellent breakfasts which he has described to me several times!

Because we cook everything from scratch we can accommodate most dietary restrictions. Why don’t you book your next stay with us today!

Reserve your room 

Discover Wiscasset, Made in Maine, Shopping

Maine Pottery Tour Weekend May 4th and 5th

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Logo for Maine Pottery Tour

Every year the “Maine Pottery Tour” is on the first weekend in May. During these days pottery and ceramics studios in Maine open their doors to the public. It’s a fun day and a chance meet the artists, peek in the kilns, see demonstrations, and shop for pottery and other handmade goods.

Several studios are welcoming guests in locations near our hotel.

Map of studios participating in the Maine Pottery Tour
Map of participating Midcoast Studios

The closest studio is a brand new one just in the process of opening here in Wiscasset. Midcoast Crafts is located at 75 Main Street, just up from Red’s Eats. They’re in the process of remodeling their studio but are opening up early for the event.

Other nearby studios include:

Neighborhood Clay & Liz Proffetty Ceramics in Damariscotta

Van Der Ven Studios in Lincolnville

Fireside Pottery in Warren.

For a full list of participating studios visit Maine Pottery Tour.

And don’t forget to make Wiscasset Woods Lodge your homebase for your Midcoast Maine adventures.

Discover Wiscasset, history, Wiscasset

Hotel with a History

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Wiscasset Woods Lodge has been welcoming guests to Mid Coast Maine for over 100 years. Our cottage rooms were originally rustic roadside cabins built in the woods beside the road when the “Atlantic Highway” was developed to bring tourists to Maine around 1912. These types of cabins were once common along what is now Route 1 as a way to earn extra money during the summers. Moody’s Diner got its start in the same way at around the same time. In addition to the ten original cabins, six cabins were built by the water in Newcastle, then in the 50’s moved across from Foster Auction House and finally moved to our property in 1975.

Picture of Wiscasset Woods Lodge circa 1930's found in the book Around Wiscasset: Alna, Dresden, Westport Island, Wiscasset, and Woolwich
Photo of cabins circa 1930 from the book “Around Wiscasset”
Newspaper article of Forest Inn AKA The Bloody Bucket burned to the ground.
1975 Newspaper Article courtesy of Wiscasset Newspaper

The property also housed the Forest Inn. Originally built as an open-air dancehall located on the south end of the property. In the 1960’s the inn was bought by the famous Maine wrestler Jackie Nichols. By then it was enclosed with a dance floor and restaurant on the ground floor and 6 rooms on the second floor. It was the only nightlife between Bath and Boothbay which meant that many people frequented it even though it was known for being a rough place. Jackie’s wife nicknamed it “The Bloody Bucket” because of all the paid and free fights that took place there. One night in 1975 the inn mysteriously burned to the ground. The cause was never determined but many locals think the fire might have been started by some of the women in town. That’s how unpopular it was with the wives.

Motel Building at Wiscasset Woods Lodge in Midcoast Maine.

The steady increase in tourism into Maine led to the construction of a two-story motel building to double the number of rooms available. The Whitfields, who were then the owners, didn’t want to take on any debt, so only built what they could pay for in cash. In 1971 the ground floor of the motel was built and rented out, then in 1972 the second floor was built in three parts and lifted on top of the first.

Wiscasset Woods Lodge room with knotty pine interior

In 1990 the Gillies bought the hotel. Bill Gillies loved woodworking. He gutted and remodeled most of the cabins giving them vaulted ceilings and a knotty pine interior. When trees fell on the 8 acres of woods around the hotel, he would often mill them himself and use the wood in the rooms.

Trail signs for the 1/4 mile trail at Wiscasset Woods Lodge in Midcoast Maine.

We purchased the hotel in the winter of 2015. We put in a commercial kitchen and now serve our famous hot, homemade breakfast to our guests every morning. We also built a trail through our 8 acres of woodlands which kids and dogs love. In addition we gutted and remodeled 6 of the old cabins that had stood vacant for 20 years. We now have 7 pet friendly rooms, 2 suites and a handicap accessible room.

Free, hot breakfast buffet at Wiscasset Woods Lodge in Midcoast Maine.

If you’ve found this excerpt interesting, you might enjoy reading the full history of the lodge from which this was drawn.

We’re hosting an open house in conjunction with the Wiscasset Area Chamber of Commerce. The even will take place on Thursday, May 16th from 5 – 7pm. We’ll have several rooms open to walk through and you’re welcome to try our famous hot breakfast. If you’re in the area please stop by and visit.

Discover Wiscasset, Pet Friendly, Shopping

A Love of Historical Buildings

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Sarah Castro has always loved architecture. Growing up in North Carolina she always drawn to Maine because the architecture is so approachable. “You don’t have to be a millionaire to own an historical house here.”  In fact her mother, Mary Castro, bought an older house in Wiscasset after retiring 4 years ago.

With her love of historical buildings, Sarah picked the right place for her store. Little Maine Mercantile is located at 49 Water Street, just down the road from Red’s Eats. Her store is in Wiscasset’s oldest commercial building, built in 1797. Over the years it’s been a hardware store, general store, and toy store. The building has charming remnants of its days as a hardware store. Behind the front counter are cubbies where bolts were once stored, the size markings can still be seen on the face of the bins. Cut into the floor towards the back of the building are different sized holes used when selling rope. The bulk of the rope was stored underneath the building and was threaded up through the holes where it could be cut to length depending on the buyer’s needs.  

Little Maine Mercantile shares the store space with Spruce – a coffee and smoothie bar run by Julie Ambrosino. The two met at their full-time jobs in Portland. Sarah worked in a marketing firm in the same building where Julie worked. They both still hold down their full-time jobs, because of this the store is only open part of the week.  Sarah’s mom helps her run the store on the days Sarah works in Portland.

Their best selling items are the Vena’s Infusions, little jars of dried fruits, bitters and sugar that you add alcohol to for a flavorful and interesting drink. The other big sellers are dog treats purchased by people living in the village. She also sells carefully selected goods made exclusively in New England. Sarah believes in supporting local artists and is open to carrying whatever items people let her know they need.

Sarah really enjoys Midcoast Maine. “The area is so beautiful and the people have been exceptional, really nice to us.” Sarah also feels blessed to be doing this together with Julie from Spruce. She hopes the store will become a community gathering place and can envision a day when they might be able to host small performances or screen movies.

Little Maine Mercantile opened at the end of the tourist season last year so they don’t know what to expect for business during the summer but said they did well around Christmas time. For now they’ll remain open Thursday through Saturday from 10am – 5pm.

You can find them on facebook or on their website Shop Little Maine.

Discover Wiscasset, Restaurant, Wiscasset

Born to Bake

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Many of Meghan Olcott’s favorite childhood memories are of playing in the kitchen with her mother. By the time she was 7 Meghan knew that she wanted to own her own bakery. She set out with determination to do just that.

Baked goods on display at Creamed Baking Co. in Wiscasset, Maine next to Red's Eats.

Meghan is now a classically trained chef with a passion for baking, she earned her associate degree in Baking and Pastry and a bachelors in Culinary Arts and Management from The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Charleston (South Carolina). During and after college, Meghan worked in front of house and in kitchens in order to learn all aspects of the industry.  She had two goals, to own her own bakery and to move to Midcoast Maine where she’d summered every year as a child.

Meghan was working as a pastry chef in New Harbor when she saw a facebook ad for what is now Creamed Baking Co. She hadn’t planned to open her own place for another 5 years but when she saw the opportunity she jumped on it. At 24 Meghan achieved her dreams. This will be her second year. In celebration of her first year, Meghan will be raffling away a birthday cake on Creamed’s birthday, May 5.

Creamed baking company's coffee selection in Wiscasset Maine next to Red's Eats.

She had a great first season with her most popular items being her homemade hot fudge, favored whoopie pies, lattes,  cakes, cheesecake, fresh lemonade, ice cream sandwiches, and bagels (several people now have weekly bagel orders). Meghan serves Wicked Joe and offers a variety of latte flavors. Meghan loves making food like you would see in a magazine that you can enjoy here and that is affordable. She enjoys braiding pie crusts and decorating cakes and cookies, she’s even held a couple of decorating classes where people get to decorate their own cakes and cookies.  

Creamed Baking Co. shows off homemade lollipops in their store in downtown Wiscasset next to Red's Eats.

Meghan has many plans for her second season. In addition to making and selling homemade baked goods in her store she’s also going to run a booth at the Union Farmer’s Market, will be part of the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival, and a vendor at the roller derby in Camden. In her store she’ll add new items to her menu such as popsicles and mini cakes. She’ll also start selling milk, eggs and increasing her selection of sandwiches on her fresh baked bread – as she gets numerous requests for these items.

When asked if anything surprised her, Meghan said “The community was a lot more welcoming than I expected and I’m really happy about that” adding  “everyone’s so friendly”. She says that Wiscasset is the picturesque small town she has always dreamed of having her shop in.

Her store is located down the stairs right next to Red’s Eats. Her store has a back porch with chairs looking onto the water and the newly paved Railroad Avenue with its lit walkway. Meghan said that once the paving was complete, she saw an increase in customers who would stop in on their way to or from their cars and she’s looking forward to even more business this year.

Creamed Baking Co. opens for the season on April 10th. You can stop in and try her baked goods for yourself from 9 – 5 during the spring, fall and early winter and 9 – 7 during the summer.

This article was written as part of a project by Friends of Wiscasset to highlight local businesses. This article was written by Saundra Neperud. More articles in this series can be found below.

Classes, Discover Wiscasset, Kids activities, Museums

The Morris Farm: A Story of Wiscasset’s History

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Al Morris of Turner, Maine moved his dairy operation to Wiscassett in 1839 to be closer to the Turner Creamery, which was located on the waterfront on what is still locally referred to as Creamery Pier.

The Morris Farm and Morris Farm Store on Route 27 in Wiscasset
Morris Farm and Farm Store

At that time, Wiscasset Harbor was a busy commercial port, as Wiscasset’s scenic protected harbor and location at the crossroads of several frequently traveled land routes made it appealing for the dairy farmer, the merchant and the traveler alike, much as it is today.

He married Wiscasset born Mildred Dunning, and they bought the parcel of land known today as The Morris Farm from the Albee family, which still farms Albee Farm here in Wiscasset today. Together Al and Mildred raised four children who all went on to be a part of the growth of the town. Son Forrest continued to farm the land on Rt. 27/Gardiner Road, and passed it to his children, who allowed the community to preserve it in Trust for future generations through the Maine Land Trust Forever Farm conservation efforts after Forrest passed on.

Cows at pasture at the Morris Farm in Wiscasset

Today the farm is open to the public from dawn till dusk, and locals and visitors are welcome to enjoy a self-guided tour of the barn and gardens, hiking trails, educational programs, a summer farm camp for children and many events open to the community. The farm also features the Morris Farm Store, which carries products from local farmers and craftspeople, local produce, eggs and dairy, and participates in the Farm Fresh Rewards program to help families use food security benefits to buy fresh, healthy from local farmers.

The other Morris children who went on to help shape the Wiscasset we know today were, Stanley, who ran the Wiscasset Oil Company, Dorothea, who became the telephone switchboard operator for the town, and daughter Millie married Red Delano and they established another longtime family business and Wiscasset visitor favorite, Red’s Eats.

One of Morris Farm's heard of cows.

The children weren’t the only offspring of the farm to thrive in the community after the farm became community owned. The herd from the Morris Farm dairy operation were sold to farmer Lee Straw of nearby Newcastle. To this day, Straw’s Farm heifers and sheep graze the pastures of the Morris Farm in summer, and Straw’s Farm fresh raw milk is available at the Morris Farm Store and in the 24-hour egg and milk stand in the lobby of the Education Center, which also features local favorite Willow Hill Farm eggs.

This article is part of a series produced by Friends of Wiscasset to highlight area businesses. This article was written by Elizabeth Palmer. Other stories in this series include:

Discover Wiscasset, Shopping

Out of the Rat Race and In the Clover

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Kasey McNamara’s story is similar to several of the people we’ve met during our interviews of local merchants. People who were living somewhere else doing something else when they decide they needed a quieter, simpler life for themselves and their family.

Kasey was living in Boston and working in finance on the regulatory side of mutual funds. There she met her husband, Jay, and had their first child. They quickly decided that Boston wasn’t where they wanted to raise their children. Houses were so expensive that the only ones they could afford meant long commutes into work each day. And they wanted a quieter pace of life and safer surroundings to raise their children. They decided to move back to Maine where Kasey grew up and Jay’s parents moved to in 1986.

In the Clover in Wiscasset Village, Midcoast Maine.
In the Clover, Wiscasset Maine

While living on Westport Island, Kasey had her second child and in 2008 began working part time at In the Clover. Once the kids grew older she decided to start working full time again. She left the store and went back into the world of finance. That only lasted a couple of years. Kasey quickly found that she was no longer wanted to spend her day sitting behind a computer screen and missed working with the staff and customers at the store. She and Jay discussed it and decided to take a chance and see if then owner, Kelley Belanger, would be interested in selling someday.  

In the Clover sells clothing and accessories in Wiscasset Maine

The timing was perfect for everyone and in 2017 Kasey and Jay bought the store and haven’t looked back. Jay handles all the accounting, bill paying and business management side of the company. Kasey manages the staffing, purchasing, the look and feel of the store, and the day to day running of it. They now have just a 10 minute commute to work and are able to be there for all their kids numerous school and extra curriculum activities.

Kasey is enjoying buying the clothing and goods sold in the store. The first year most of the merchandise was already purchased and the second year she was conservative as it was her first time buying. This year she’s felt able to take more risks and is always looking to update her collections. She makes an annual buying trip to NYC and quarterly trips to Portland to meet with vendors. She aims to keep up with trends while not being “trendy”.

When asked what the style is in fashion, she said that fashion is more wide open then it’s ever been. “Fashion is now about being comfortable and feeling good about yourself. If you like a particular style of jean then wear them. Nothing is ‘out of style’ anymore.”

A variety of belts for sale at In the Clover in Wiscasset Maien

As a store they try to support that, they don’t just cater to one look. If customers have clothing preferences  they’ll try to bring in items that match it. This has brought them a loyal customer following as has their focus on customer service. If they get an item that they know a regular customer will like, they’ll call them or even send photos. They have several out of state customers who regularly purchase clothes from In the Clover and have them shipped.

If you haven’t visited In the Clover recently Kasey invites you to stop by and see what’s new. She and her staff are happy to help you find the clothing and accessories that makes you feel both comfortable and beautiful whatever your style.

In the Clover is located at the corner of Route 1 and Middle Street. Or find them online, on Facebook, or Instagram.

This article is part of a series produced by Friends of Wiscasset to highlight area businesses. This article was written by Saundra Neperud. Other stories in this series include: