Summer in Maine’s Casco Bay islands looks a bit like an old-fashioned postcard. Bright-red lobsters decorate picnic-dinner plates; towering evergreen trees stand along rocky shorelines; colorful banners fly from masted vessels; and blooming daffodils and hydrangeas paint rolling hillsides. There’s no better way to become a part of the postcard this summer than a three-day kayak trip, and there’s no better organization to guide you than Maine’s best-loved outdoor outfitter, L.L.Bean.
Start at the Outdoor Discovery School headquarters in Freeport, and as you head toward the first night’s campsite, spy great blue heron taking flight from the shallows, giant osprey perched in treetop nests and curious bay seals bobbing among lobster-pot buoys. Indulge in succulent lobster pulled straight from the sea and cooked over a campfire; then sleep under the stars on the Goslings, a pair of private, uninhabited islands in the northern part of the bay. On day two, paddle to the Chebeague Island Inn, where iced tea and Adirondack chairs await on a harbor-front lawn. Paddle back to home base on day three, making stops for lunch, pictures and basking in Maine’s warm summer sun and cool coastal breezes. No postcard can capture it all.
- BOOK your island-hopping trip now. Trips are available starting in July.
- COME with years of kayaking experience or none at all. L.L.Bean’s expert guides will provide necessary paddling instruction and tailor the trip to the group’s needs.
- LEARN more at llbean.com.
