The New York Times: 36 Hours in Camden and Rockport, Maine (and Environs)

So honored to be featured among so many local friends in this New York Times Travel feature on Midcoast, Maine.

If Maine’s much-debated slogan, “the way life should be,” were a place, the towns of Camden and Rockport and their surroundings might be it. On the Eastern Seaboard, where mountains meet ocean, the area has long attracted rusticators and “vacationlanders” who far outnumber residents in summer. These clapboard-and-brick towns sit two miles apart on schooner-spotted harbors next to rounded mountains and sparkling freshwater lakes. What more does a rural getaway need? In this case, it’s a vibrant community of year-round locals who’ve created a nexus of arts, dining and outdoor activities to rival some cities. The area’s charm lies in an authentic belief in family businesses, locally grown food and ingenuity against the odds. Not to mention, they made it through the winter, and summer is everyone’s reward.

We couldn’t agree more. On to the part about us!

A scenic byway that leads to a wine-tasting room in a 1790s timber frame barn? It’s not in Napa, but at Cellardoor Winery, where Bettina Doulton has created a bacchanalian playground for wine lovers and casual day-trippers alike at the 5.5-acre vineyard in Lincolnville, about six miles from Camden. The tasting room opens daily at 11 a.m. for samples of the four estate wines by the glass ($8) with cheese boards and complimentary winery tours. Events include pairing lunches on Sundays with local producers, and pop-up dinners with partnering chefs, food trucks and music. The standout is Vino Al Fresco ($175), an open-air dinner with Trillium Caterers, Aug. 15, at a 120-seat table on a platform in the middle of the vines.

Read more: 36 Hours in Camden and Rockport, Maine (and Environs)