07/06 to 07/13 Searsport Shores Oceanfront Camping

  Searsport Shores Oceanfront Camping Searsport, Maine

07/06  to 07/13, 2026  

Welcome. Well, here I am. This marks my 12th year that I've made this trip to Maine, nine of them staying here at Seasrport Shores Oceanfront, home also to the Makers Guild Arts and Crafts of Maine. Maine is the Pine Tree State, the only one syllable state, the only state that does not have a state flower, the only state that borders only one other state and the only that has a state highway sign that reads, "Welcome Home" when you cross its border. Besides inventing the donut hole, or having a desert (near Freeport), or once being the toothpick capitol of the world, or having over 4,000 coastal islands (only 15 are populated year-round), it is the summer home of my dear cousins, John and Barbara.

My trip from Strafford, NH, was only 165 miles but it seem to take forever. I-95 and I-295 most of the way but little things like waiting more than 20-minutes for a Burger King double cheeseburger at a Service Area or driving into a tight gas station only to find the diesel pump is "out of order." I "researched" diesel prices in Maine vs. New Hampshire and found New Hampshire was cheaper. So, about a mile before crossing into Maine, I topped off at $5.599, which was pretty high to me; crossed the border into Maine and saw a station selling diesel for $4.49. If you were outside around 11:00 a.m. that day, perhaps you heard me cursing. Then a market stop at Hannafords in Belfast added more time. Love this stop. Wine, liquor and sushi; one stop shopping.

Take a peek at last year's blog HERE to reminisce. Last year was one of my best. Fellow RVer, Jack, joined me and we experienced and shared some terrific memories. Unable to join me again this year, I assured him I'll be making plans for our trip back in 2027.

Sunrise with a cloud cover

The view from my deck looking northeast toward Searsport just doesn't get old. Everyday I'm greeted with Mother Nature's newest painting. A sky painted in different colors and hues, different than the day before. The calm waters, be it high or low tide, complement and allow the peace and relaxation that makes a morning cup of coffee much more satisfying. As is often said, "It doesn't get any better than this."

Compared to my two previous campground stops, temps that reached into the 100º+ daytime, 80º nightime ranges are now in the 70º's daytime, 50º's nightime range.

Tuesday evening, my Uber driver, cousin John, picked me up for the 20-minute, 11 mile drive back to his summer cottage in Northport. Dinner by Barbara, as usual, fresh and delicious. Their son, John, wife Jen and children, Nico and Lyla are on vacation and spending time at the cottage. Friend Paula also joined us. The kids welcomed the "campfire" after dinner and enjoyed s'mores.

Sunrises

5:02 a.m. sunrise... 

...over Searsport Terminal

Tides

One of the fun things I do is watch the tides. You can do that when you have no life, you know. The less adventurous folks like to watch paint dry. Not me. I live on the edge. Here on Penobscot Bay you can't help but notice that nothing in Nature is fixed. Nature breathes. It inhales and the tide ebbs leaving kelp covered rocks, tidal pools and food for foraging gulls. Exhaling, the tide returns and the shores swell with new life provided by the ocean. This timeless converstation with the moon is never static. Listening to crashing waves is Nature's reassurance that the returning low tide will once again bring a soft quiet upon the beach.

Low Tide at 11:20 a.m.

High Tide at 5:40 p.m.

ships

On the high tide, enter the Canadian oil/chemcial tanker, New England, flying under the Marshals Island flag. It's on the way to Long Cove to anchor at Searsport. Sprague and Irving Fuel Terminals are located there. The ship is 597' long and regularly makes the trip from the St. John's refineries, through the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of Maine to Searsport.

Wikipedia notes: Searsport supplied one-tenth of all U.S. deep-water sea captains in the 19th century—more per square mile than anywhere else. They called it the home of the famous sea captains for a reason; one tiny town launched over 300 of 'em, with 17 shipyards cranking out 200 ships.

The State of Maine. The Maine Maritime Academy’s brand-new training ship, a 525-foot National Security Multi-Mission Vessel delivered in March 2026.

It’s the fifth ship to carry the name and the first one purpose-built for the academy — previous ones were converted from Navy vessels. It can carry up to 600 cadets, has a top speed of 18 knots, and is designed not just for training but also for humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions. Right now it’s docked in Searsport because their usual spot in Castine is across the bay and the new ship’s too big for the old pier. ~~AI generated.

At night, an impressive sight

Kayaks aren't exactly "ships" but it is a favorite pastime activity for anyone living near Penobscot Bay....

...as is paddleboarding

Vistors

My Thursday Visitors: L. to R: Barbara, John, Nico, Lyla, Jen, John Jr.

Nico and Lyla enjoyed a walk on the beach with daddy and grandma as the tide continued creeping to high tide. 

My long-awaited toasted Lobster Roll was delivered by Barb and John. Thank you. My choice of mayo is preferred more by Southern Maine folk whereas, butter is the favored choice of Mid-Maine or Downeast Maine (which is northern Maine.)

"Campfires"

The sun sets, the temps drop. When it hit 66º, I decided to have a mini campfire.

5 cups of wood pellets, a few shards of kindling on top and a match.

Good for about 90 minutes of warmth before darkness claimed the day

Dining Out & In

Saturday night was the only night I was able to treat my hosts to a "thank you dinner." Along with our friend, Joe, we drove a short way north to the Angler's Seafood Restaurant in Searsport.  Check out their menu HERE. Scroll down to see the varied and delicious offerings. Lots of "homemade" listed. My choice tonight was their (pricey) Baked Lobster Mac & Cheese with a side of "homemade onion rings." Delicious for lunch the next day as well.

On the way, Joe pointed out an incredible carved statue that used to be a dead tree. This fantastic piece of chain-saw art was done by Josh Landry. By all means you must check out his website. My drive-by photo doesn't do it justice. To avoid copyright infringements, please go to his website for more of his work. 

Research indicated that "this 20-foot-tall chainsaw sculpture of Poseidon was carved from a rotting tree stump by artist Josh Landry. It is located on the front lawn of the Yardarm Motel in Searsport, Maine. The statue features the Greek sea god holding a trident, a compass rose, and an eagle, and it is illuminated at night. The project was commissioned by the motel owners in August 2025 to repurpose a dead tree." Each of his other works of art are masterpieces. Go see for yourself.

My last meal in Maine Sunday night was at John/Barb's place in Northport. We were joined by their long time friend, Joe. 

Joe, John, Barb

Grilled pork cutlets, applesauce, green beans...

Fresh, fresh, fresh.. For dessert, rhubarb-lemon cobbler with a scoop or two of butter pecan ice cream. Thank you, Barb and John. See you again in July of 2027. But before I leave tomorrow, breakfast at Bell the Cat in Belfast. Check out the menu and guess what I had.

As a final note to end this post, I, Poppa Charlie, donated again this year to adopt my fourth nesting site on a beach in Miami. Granddaughter, Sara, in charge of and overseer of nests sent some photos.

Great shot, Sara, making the sunrise look like a light bulb atop my stake. Well done.

My nest last year had an 82% success rate.

This little fella was from last year's nest. Sara writes, "We are actually pausing our adopt a nest program at the moment because the Miami Heat basketball team adopted 100 nests and is promoting our program at their games, which is great, but we can’t keep up with all the adoptions at the moment so we’re taking a break."

"Come slowly. The tides are older than your worries, the granite older than your dreams. Stay long enough to hear the foghorn answer the gull, the lobster boat answer the dawn, and the sea answer only to the moon. Then you'll understand why people leave Penobscot Bay... yet somehow never quite depart."~~AI generated