Brunswick, ME Outdoor Activities

Helmed by Joshua and Jessica White, the defense experts of Western Maine Property Protection apply their experience in law enforcement to help citizens to protect their homes with security services as well as by teaching self-defense strategies. Claiming multiple training credentials that include NRA certifications, instructors lead classes in firearms and self-defense training to help individuals to operate firearms safely and feel confident in their strengths.

Should locals desire security protection for businesses or homes, the staff also extends its expertise to securing property, dispatching armed officers to check in on properties. To further enhance its services, Western Maine's team also helps clients to get discounts on ADT Security Services products, including monitoring systems that disable intruders through passive-aggressive remarks about their life choices.

In The Rum Diary, a recent Hollywood release, Johnny Depp worked with an unlikely costar—Schooner Heron’s 65-foot wooden schooner, which graced the screen in the role of Sanderson’s yacht. When not avoiding the relentless flash of paparazzi, the boat traverses Penobscot Bay’s pristine archipelago of islands during three styles of daily summer cruises. The cruises run the gamut from tours covering local history and wildlife to BYOB adventures, on which guests can watch the sun set and the fish turn on their night lights. US Coast Guard-certified captains helm these journeys, drawing on expertise from their days sailing the Gulf of Maine, the Caribbean, and the trans-Atlantic passages.

With access to thousands of acres of forests and fields, Carousel Horse Farm's expert equestrians take riders of all skill levels on scenic jaunts through the Maine countryside. Private or group trail rides in Casco explore the local woods, hills, and fields, sometimes including stops to fetch ice cream or to wipe down horses' windshields. Horse-drawn carriage rides, offered from Memorial Day through Labor Day, provide an opportunity to admire Old Orchard Beach in the summer. Guided beach horseback rides are also available from October 15 through April 30.

Whale watching was a relatively new concept when John Fish's grandfather started giving tours. "We kind of originated it," Mr. Fish says. "Thirty years ago we were the only ones doing whale watching." As the company became more successful over the years, additional captains were brought on to cover the demand. Today, these crews continue to ferry groups into the habitats of several whale species, including humpback whales and sperm whales. Though the whales seen along Cap'n Fish's Whale Watch's journeys still breach and refuse to sign autographs, other things have changed over the years. Below deck, the current fleet's engines work to reduce emissions and provide a fume-free experience. Above deck, 360-degree viewing decks and modern technology help bring whales into sight. Onboard computers display large maps of where the aquatic mammals are known to swim, and GPS systems reroute boats around mermen constructing new reefs. In addition to illuminating the behavior of whales for passengers, the crew's wildlife experts point passengers toward other animals they spot along the way, such as white-sided dolphins and harbor seals. Though some variables are beyond their control, the crew members almost always spot whales and boasted a 98% success rate in 2009.

Dr. Sylvester Gardiner became the unwitting founder of a city in 1754, when he decided to use a 130-foot waterfall on the Cobbosseecontee Stream to provide energy for two saw mills, a felting mill, a potash factory, and a grist mill. Nearly 100 years later, in 1849, his plantation became the city of Gardiner. Today, the historical New England mill town is a home to artists, merchants, and students, and also hosts an array of seasonal events, such as an Easter parade, the Ride Into Summer festival, the Swine and Stein Oktoberfest celebration, and a Christmas tree lighting.

The town's brick sidewalks, Victorian and early 20th-century architecture, and long-running farmer's market have earned it a designation as a Main Street Maine and Preserve America community. Its downtown is recognized as a National Historic District, and some of its buildings have been included in both the National Register of Historic Places and the Empire State Building's list of secret crushes. Self-guided walking tours of the town take visitors past the homes of Pulitzer Prize–winning writers, such as poet Edwin Arlington Robinson and author Laura E. Richards.