In the summer of 2008, I ventured to Rockport, Maine with my much younger sister (and my fellow Roving Rover Reporter for Travel Dog) so that she could study video production and video editing at the world renowned Maine Media College and Workshops. I had visited the very-pet friendly coast of Maine several times before and have found many wonderful pet-friendly hotels throughout the state. On this particular trip, we decided to stay in a pet-friendly vacation rental just a stone's throw away from the harbor since it was within walking distance to the college.
When you drive into Maine there is a large sign that declares: "Maine - The Way Life Should Be." This declaration could not be more fitting to describe our 10-day stay in this small and beautiful mid coastal town. Rockport is on the west side of Penobscot Bay, between Rockland and Camden. Once upon a time, Rockport was home to lobstermen and fishermen who built their weirs in the harbor, but today the harbor is mainly for pleasure boats. Margaret and I ventured down to the harbor to the Rockport Marine Park with our canine companions, Sunny and Cash, every single day to enjoy the sites and to meet other pet parents and their dogs. Our dogs had a romping good time at this pet friendly park playing with their new friends.
When Margaret was away at school, I took daily walks with Sunny and Cash along Mechanic Street and out towards Beauchamp Point where there are public access points to the rocky shore overlooking the harbor. Margaret joined us on one of her days off and snapped a photo of my girl, Sunny, with the harbor behind her. One of my favorite pics of my beautiful girl and it was captured on a cell phone (thank you Margaret!). Along my daily walks, I took in the splendor of the large and beautiful estates. The locals informed me that these magnificent homes with lush gardens were owned by some of today's most elite business people and former CIA operatives. Regardless of who owned the grand homes we passed by, we were greeted with warm and gracious salutations. So, not only is Rockport, Maine very pet-friendly, we found it to be splendidly people-friendly too. Everything and everyone we encountered during our stay exuded charm and character.