What to do and what you will see during your stay!

Dining: There are about half a dozen dining places, including “reservation only” inns and bed and breakfasts within 15 miles of Sea Ledges. Less than 5 minutes away are the best lobsters in the country! Go to the Cutler Wharf to buy your lobsters right off of the boat. It is best to call ahead. (Little River Lobster Company), to check their hours of operation. Other local restaurants in Machias include: Artist’s Cafe’, Helen’s Restaurant, Victorian Inn, Bluebird Family Restaurant, and some local chain eateries. Check the local phone book for numbers. You may also want to look in the cottage’s guestbook for information from other guests.

Groceries: The only grocery store for the area is located in Machias as you enter the town from the west. Hannaford has just about everything you could want including great local sea scallops, not to be missed! As you are arriving, it is probably bet to stop at the grocery store first, as Cutler is 20 miles away and there isn’t even a convenience store there. Keep in mind that the store hours are different from home-Hannaford closes at 8 p.m. If you will be driving from Bangor in the evening, you may just want to stop in Ellsworth at any grocery for breakfast items and such, and pack them in a cooler for your trek to the cottage. You will be happy that you did!

The Weather: The fog-if you don’t see it while you are visiting the coast of Maine, you have missed a very memorable experience! The “Cutler fog” is some of the densest! It will undoubtedly roll onto the road to Cutler, Highway 191, about sunset, and you will know what the phrase “thick as pea soup” means!
Drive carefully.
Maine weather varies in the summer-some days it can reach 80 degrees or so, but you will find it always to be at least 10 degrees cooler on the coast, and usually cool enough for a light jacket or sweatshirt at night. And speaking of the night, don’t forget to look up-the stars are incredible!

We are sure that you will have a memorable experience at Sea Ledges. Enjoy the peace and quiet of the Maine woods and the beauty of the surrounding areas.

Maine Day Trips: Eastern Maine affords fascinating trips that permit you to combine sightseeing, shopping, and fine dining. Nearby are Jonesport, Lubec, and Eastport, just to pick three. Each offers authentic port ambiance with quaint restaurants, antique shopping and other attractions. See East/West Quoddy lighthouses, and Mount Desert Island’s Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor are within a 2 ½ hour drive from Sea Ledges. A spectacular site in Acadia Park is “Thunderhole” which can only be experienced as the tide is coming in. You must time your visit to the area to see the natural wonder. Ellsworth has great antique shopping at their Creamery and along Maine Street. And don’t forget to visit Machias Burnham Tavern Museum for American Revolutionary history in the area. If you would like an interesting tour of the local beaches, visit Roques Bluff, Jasper Beach, and Herring Cove. The sand is a different color at each one! And if the trails of Sea Ledges aren’t enough for you, check out the vistas for the Cutler Trail on the other side of town.

Canadian Day Trips: Cross the border into the Maritime Provinces and you enter a world of English refinement and hospitality. The closest Canadian soil is less than an hour way on Campobello Island, reached by the bridge from Lubec. There you will find the famous summer house of FDR, gracious dining, golf, and a lighthouse accessible only at low tide. Just beyond Calais, is St. Andrews, the Canadian Bar Harbor. This beautiful place draws visitors from Maine and abroad, including visits from cruise ships. The Algonquin Hotel is one of the grand Canadian-Pacific Railroad resorts that include enormous fireplaces, five star dining, golf, tennis, and more. Don’t forget to stop at Ganong’s famous chocolate shop in St. Stephens.

Sailing and Canoeing: Cutler, with its fiord-like harbor, offers the most protected homeport in Maine. Day sail or picnic on the shores of Cross Island, or sail along the spectacular granite Bold Coast of Maine to West Quoddy Head. Or, you could always canoe the nearby Machias River and come back with a string of bass and memories of unspoiled wilderness. Bold Coast Tours of Cutler Harbor has full and half day trips along the local coastline and out to Seal Island, the nesting ground of the puffin and other sea birds. Please check the local phone book and the cottage guest book for other information on local canoeing tours and rafting.

Wildlife: While visiting Sea Ledges, you will see abundant wildlife, including many birds, rabbits, grouse, chipmunks, squirrels, and the infamous giant porcupine along the trails and roads. A large whale was sited right off of the cliffs in front of the main residence at Sea Ledges and it caused a lot of excitement. Eagles have been spotted flying near the Driftwood Pavilion, and a moose was making the bog area his home in summers past. A black bear was spied in the area-an animal that is ever present in the Maine woods but rarely seen for they are very elusive. So, consider yourself fortunate if you spot one! Deer inhabit the woods but their hoof prints are usually the only evidence. Mosquitoes are usually waiting to greet you in and around the woods, so it is best to have repellent on so you have a good time on your walks.

We feel that this is a very special place… A sanctuary in which to feel closer to God and rejoice in the beauty of the world He created for us. Enjoy. The Winn Family

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