ROCKLAND, Maine – Atlantic breezes, sailboats, lobsters and works of art are the hallmarks of Rockland, an invitingly walkable town in Maine’s mid-coast region. Several of Maine’s overnight windjammer fleet of historic schooners sail out of Rockport (the Ladona, pictured above, is one), oceangoing cruise ships call on the little town, lobster is king at casual restaurants such as Claws and Clan MacLaren and a harborside path leads to panoramic views of the harbor, a swimming beach and one of Maine’s favorite attractions, an independent ice cream stand.

Capturing memorable photos and learning the community’s history are a breeze. After a significant industrial past (timber, lime and granite extraction, boatbuilding, fish processing), tourism emerged as a major economic player starting in the 1990s. Main Street is full of local shops, non-chain restaurants and attractions such as the nationally recognized Farnsworth Museum that showcases works of New England artists, particularly the Wyeth dynasty of N.C., Andrew and Jamie.

Sitting on the rock of the bay

The afternoon sun warms a Rockland visitor as she inspects sailboats at anchor close to shore and a cruise ship out beyond the breakwater. Rockland’s harbor is part of Penobscot Bay. Image by Tom Adkinson

Historic breakwater helps tame the waves

Anyone who strolls along the Rockport breakwater quickly learns to step carefully because of its uneven surface and irregular spacing between blocks of locally quarried granite. It is almost a mile’s walk to the Rockport lighthouse. The structure required 700,000 tons of granite to construct. The structure is a giant trapezoid, 43 feet across on the walking surface and 175 feet wide at the base. Image by Tom Adkinson

Lighting the way at the Maine Lighthouse Museum

The twinkling lights on this coastal map mark Maine’s 65 lighthouses. The Maine Lighthouse Museum, which started as the dream of just one man, claims to have the largest collection of lighthouse artifacts and mementos anywhere. Image by Tom Adkinson

Art education at the Farnsworth Museum

Rockland’s Farnsworth Museum houses 15,000 works by many of America’s greatest artists. It has one of the nation’s largest collections of sculptor Louise Nevelson’s work, and it always has Wyeth paintings on display. One visit offers glimpses of work by N.C., Andrew and Jamie Wyeth. Image by Tom Adkinson

Windjammers at rest

Harbor lights illuminate some of the nine overnight schooners in the Maine windjammer fleet. The sailboats – the oldest two were built in 1872 – carry on Maine’s maritime history with leisure cruises on boats that had earlier lives at cargo haulers and fishing vessels. Image by Tom Adkinson

Watch out for lobsters

The lobster tank at the Rockland Cafe on Main Street carries a light-hearted warning. You would never stick your hand into the tank, would you? Image by Tom Adkinson

Remembering a tragedy at sea

A statue called the “El Faro Salute!” on Rockland’s harbor walk commemorates the 33-member crew of the El Faro merchant ship that sank in a hurricane near the Bahamas in 2015. Several crew members had connections to Rockland and the Maine coast. Image by Tom Adkinson

Mainers all scream for ice cream

Mainers are proud of their locally made ice cream spots, and it’s almost obligatory to sample them given any opportunity. This “small” cone is at Newty’s on the Rockland harbor walk. Newty’s invites guests to borrow folding chairs to take to a nearby beach and enjoy their dairy treats there. Image by Tom Adkinson

Trip-planning resources: 
CamdenRockland.com
VisitMaine.com
MaineWindjammerFleet.com
MaineLighthouseMuseum.org 
FarnsworthMuseum.org

(Travel writer Tom Adkinson’s book, 100 Things To Do in
Nashville Before You Die, is available at Amazon.com.)