Camden, Maine is an idyllic New England coastal town and holiday destination. The charming town was used for location filming for the movie version of the popular 1956 novel Peyton Place. A soap opera in the 60s was also produced. As you head north on US Route 1 you will first enter the town center. There are numerous shops and restaurants lining the streets with the marina just past the main drag.
As you pass the marina on the right you will get to the area where there are some spectacular hotels and guest houses mixed in with some extraordinary mansions. It is fun to take a stroll or slow drive past the mansions and marvel at the extravagance of the oceanfront homes.
My mother was born in Eastport, Maine and we took an annual pilgrimage to my grandmothers house every summer. Leaving the Boston area and pulling a travel trailer we would stop halfway to Eastport in Camden Hills State Park. We would camp in the camping area on the left of the highway. One of my favorite early memories was eating lunch when we arrived. We would often travel with my Uncle Fred and Aunt Peggy and prior to leaving Uncle Fred would pick up deli meat from the North End in Boston and we would make spukies when we got to the campsite. Access to the rocky Maine shore line is across the street.
Adjacent to the campground is the auto road up Mount Battie. Views from the top of the mountain are fantastic.
You can definitely make Camden more than a one day stopover. There is culture with the opera house and galleries, adventure with the schooners and harbor cruises and ample hiking opportunities.
