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Framed by the rolling hills of Camden Hills State Park, the town of Camden
lies along a curving plateau overlooking Camden Harbor and the islands of Penobscot Bay. The historic downtown, built from bricks fired in long-vanished Penobscot River kilns, and the surrounding neighborhood of leaning cottages and 19th century captains’ homes, contribute to the charm of the village. Over the years, Camden voters have chosen to preserve the architectural integrity of the town and for that, Main Street today looks much as it did at the turn of the last century. The changes are mostly within: the Knox Woolen Mill, once manufacturer of felts for Maine’s paper mills, now houses a cluster of unique businesses. “Unique”, literally: chain stores are destined to build elsewhere.
Maine is a national leader in the revival of small family farms which in turn has spawned farmers’ markets brimming with local produce, cheese, meats, and breads, and a renaissance in Maine’s heritage of seasonal cooking. A star on the culinary honor roll, Camden offers some of the best opportunities to sample the robust harvest from local farms and the sea and from several nearby wineries that bottle award-winning vintages.
Well fed, the opportunities abound: the Camden Opera House attracts a quality venue surprising in a geographical outpost. The Hope4Jazz Festival in True Park every August and Wednesdays in the Park are free events ; artisans and artists open their galleries and studios; and a ring of museums including Farnsworth Art Museum and Wyeth Center, Owls Head Transportation Museum, Maine Maritime Museum, Center for Contemporary Maine Art, and the Conway Homestead – Cramer Museum lie within a short drive.
However, for many residents and visitors, the real attractions take advantage of the diversity of activities that the natural environment invites. Among the possibilities: a sail on a windjammer, a day trip to an outlying island, kayaking, motor-boating, cycling, fly-fishing, mountain biking, hiking, golf, swimming, canoeing, skiing, and tennis. Maine Media Workshops offers classes across the summer and throughout the year in photography and film, drawing both professionals and beginners from around the world. Sailing classes, kayaking workshops, furniture craftsmanship for novice to advanced woodworkers, and adventure tours add to the possibilities. Or check out a book at the Camden Public Library and pull up a bench in the public gardens. Take in the view of the Camden Falls and Camden Harbor, read, site osprey, and watch sails furl and unfurl as windjammers and sailboats come and go.
The character of Camden is grounded in its beautiful setting and in the fact that the town carries forward an abiding sense of place; it looks like it is dressed for visitors, but its charm lies in the fact that Camden does what it does for its own pleasure and well-being. Camden is a town grown, preserved, and protected by the businesses and families who live there and who notably take into consideration durable qualities such as aesthetic comfort and community soul. |
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