Maine's Scenic Peninsula Town Is A Haven For Sustainable Living, Stunning Views, And A Legendary Pizza Spot

If you delight in a seriously good slice of pizza against an idyllic and picturesque backdrop in a town that makes conscious efforts in sustainable living, then Brooksville, Maine, is the town for you. A coastal haven with a tiny population of just 923 at the time of this writing, Brooksville is located in Hancock County, sitting along the Penobscot Bay. Surrounded by the Blue Hill Peninsula, Brooksville is just under a two-hour drive from the state capital of Augusta and just under three hours from Maine's happening city of Portland. The delights this quaint coastal town has to offer are just waiting to be discovered.

What really sets Brooksville apart from popular Maine hot spots and the state's picturesque islands perfect for a summer getaway is its recognized efforts in promoting sustainability. This is largely thanks to The Good Life Center at Forest Farm. The Center pays homage to Helen and Scott Nearing, who are celebrated as dedicated activists for sustainable living. The Nearings built a life of self-sufficiency through homesteading, which focused on building stone houses, organic gardening, using local and indigenous produce, and energy-self reliance. 

This sustainability journey brought them from Vermont to Maine, where their final stone home remains today at Forest Farm in Brooksville. Everything that was once practiced by the Nearings, from organic gardening to sustainable living skills and more, is still at the forefront of The Good Life Center today. Interestingly, the center gets its name from the Nearings' book on homesteading, "Living the Good Life."

A visit to Brooksville is incomplete without a trip to the final stone home of Scott and Helen Nearing at The Good Life Center. While a simple enough pleasure is basquing in the natural beauty the space offers, visitors can also check out the hand-built yurts, organic gardens, and learn sustainable living strategies. Thanks to the legacy of Scott and Helen Nearing, the education of young people on sustainability is at the forefront in Brooksville. The town's local elementary school even hosts a summer garden camp, where kids grow their own vegetables while learning about farming and local community food producers.

While the legacy left behind by the Nearings is the focus of the town, it certainly isn't the only idyllic sight to pique your interest. To embrace the natural beauty of the land, a trip to Holbrook Island Sanctuary is a must. The 115 acres of sweeping natural beauty on Holbrook Island take getting back to nature to a whole new level and provide ample opportunities to enjoy the view. At this free-to-enter breathtaking sanctuary there are an endless number of activities to enjoy. From hiking to canoeing to spotting birds and other wildlife, this is the perfect opportunity to take a deep breath and reset. Other activities include salt water fishing and even snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter. While the summer is generally a beautiful time to visit Maine, the best time to visit really depends on your interests.

Learning about sustainability can be an insatiable business, but if there's one spot in Brooksville you can't leave without trying, it's Tinder Hearth. Serving up tasty brunch options, pastries, coffee, and, of course, delectable pizzas, menu items at Tinder Hearth differ from one day to the next. In fact, the pastry of the day as well as the meat, vegetarian, and vegan pizza options change regularly. This is great news for vegetarians and vegans especially, because you won't be stuck with the same dish time and time again if you visit more than once.

The pizzas at Tinder Hearth are seasonal and are served up four nights a week between Tuesday and Friday, from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Tinder Hearth's wood-fired bread is so sought after that you don't even have to travel to Brooksville to get it. It can also be found in markets, farms, and cafes throughout the state. It's even available in the lesser-known city of Bangor. Furthermore, Bangor International Airport is the closest airport to Brooksville, just one hour away.

If pizza isn't your thing, don't fret. There are plenty of other highly-recommended dining options to suit everybody's tastes. This includes Crazy Otto's Street Food, a road-side food truck you would be more than delighted to stumble across. This popular eatery serves up an array of international dishes, including Vietnamese banh mì and Greek gyros as well as comfort foods like hotdogs and sandwiches.