Ok, so you’re in the Bangor area, maybe you’re a resident, perhaps you’re just visiting. The city of Bangor is a delightful city with a lot to offer, from shopping to dining to entertainment, and have you checked out some of the city’s beautiful building architecture? Wow.
But it’s a city, which typically means it’s big. Wouldn’t be great if you could just park your car in one place and have all of those things within a short walking distance? Even better, wouldn’t it be nice to get out of the city for the day? I thought so, so let's fire up our car’s GPS head south to the town of Belfast.
Just a quick 45 minute ride down US highway 1 brings you to the historic, quaint little town of Belfast, situated at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River on Penobscot Bay. This lovely town, far from the traffic of the big cities, is home to many antique shops, fine dining, things to do and see as well as building architecture that keep the imagination active. Belfast is the perfect place to go if you feel the need to stretch your legs and breathe in some fresh harbor air.
Once home to a thriving ship building community, Belfast was known for those famously tall, multi masted schooners it built by the thousands. This type of business produced some very wealthy residents, who in turned built some extremely beautiful homes and other buildings, many of that beautiful architecture survives to this day.
Walking around town brings you into contact with countless home grown shops, many selling made in Maine products and goods. Walking and shopping can build up your appetite, and Belfast offers some mouthwatering fine dining possibilities. Check out Darby’s Restaurant along Main Street. If the atmosphere inside doesn’t make your heart go pitter-pat the food will.
Would you rather enjoy an outside dining experience overlooking the harbor? You have your choice…The Weathervane or Dockside restaurants. Or are you more interested in something light but classy, perhaps a coffee and a homemade desert? Check out Chases Daily, an upscale, down to Earth family run restaurant that serves breakfast and brunch. All of these places are casual dining, accept plastic and take reservations.
When you’re done eating, you might enjoy a stroll down by the harbor to take in some of the nautical sights and sounds. Belfast harbor is not as sizeable as some which is part of its charm. Depending on the day you happen to be in town, there is an outfit that looks for volunteers to go rowing with them, a great way to get some exercise and see the bay up close and personal. For more information on that, check out www.comeboating.org .
The town a Belfast, it’s off the beaten path and a breath of fresh air for city folk who just want to relax and enjoy a day walking around town. It’s one of Maine’s finest and worth a visit. For more information on things to do and the history of Belfast, check out www.belfastmaine.org
Until next time, enjoy the state of Maine, one day at a time.
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