Our week at the Cushing cottage was nothing short of heavenly. The cottage is in excellent repair, adorably furnished with antique and
collectible accents, comfortable beds and a very well appointed kitchen. Sheila and Bud are the most thoughtful landlords renters could wish for. A homemade coffee cake
waiting for us when we arrived and fresh cut flowers on the table were warm and inviting gestures. The setting beside the water is almost too perfect to describe. The
cottage is in a quiet spot where you can sit outside and read or just relax and watch the birds and boats go by. It's picture book quality. Cushing is also a really
convenient location for a bunch of wonderful short day trips. We hiked at Camden Hills State Park, went to a chamber music concert at the Wyeth Center (a part of the
Farnsworth Museum in Rockland), took a schooner tour out of Camden and visited the really interesting town of Belfast. All of these adventures were well under an hour's
drive from our quiet retreat. Having had a summer experience in Cushing, we're willing to bet spring (May) and fall (September) would be a special treat, too. Whatever time
of year it might be, we are definitely going back next year!
Dana & Russ
Hummelstown, PA
We have been coming to Cushing Cottage for 15 summers and hope to continue to be able to do so for many more years. Previously, we spent our 2-3 week vacations elsewhere in Maine and when we found our hideaway at the lovely Vinal's Point, we knew we had found where we wanted to return each year! The setting is idyllic -- wooded, verdant grounds right at the shore, with a rocky ledge and beach, shorebirds abound (along with the resident eagle), and seals swim by as lobstermen haul their catch. The cottage is a classic Maine cabin, comfy and rustic, along with modern amenities (including efficient heating sources).
The Montgomery family, who own the place, have been there for generations and care for the cottage lovingly, while respecting guests who are seeking privacy and serenity. As we endure our chilly winters in the city, we get by imagining ourselves at Cushing Cottage -- spring, summer or fall -- enjoying the natural gifts of Maine in beautiful Cushing.
Patty & Neil
Cambridge, MA
People often start counting the days until their annual vacation a few weeks in advance. The countdown for our annual return to Cushing starts the week after we get home! We often stop for pizza for lunch when we're out doing errands on the weekend and often we will end up comparing it ( unfavorably ) to the pizza at the Thorndike in Rockland or from Randy at the Movie/ Pizza Shoppe in Waldoboro ( not to mention his great cappacino frappes ).
Those two weeks at the cottage let our batteries recharge. It's so quiet and peaceful there. Walking on the shore looking for seaglass and shells and walking out on the shellbar at low tide is very relaxing. While we sit out back a stones throw from the river watching the lobster boats and seals and osprey while having lunch or reading we can't help but wonder what the poor buggers at home are doing! And although we have done it two or three times each year the trips to Camden to browse the shops and have lunch on the deck at the Camden Deli never gets old. Watching all the boat traffic in the Camden harbor isn't a bad way to spend some time either. Nor are the walks out to the lighthouse on the Rockland Breakwater or the Owl's Head Lighthouse. But our favorite way to while away the time is to sit on the ledges at the Pemaquid Lighthouse while we eat our picnic lunch and just soak up the scenery and listen to the waves crash on the rocks! Only six more months to wait!
Dave and Pat
Alburtis, PA
I first stayed in "my" little midcoastal cottage in August of 2000--I've been back every summer since--and during those two weeks I fell hopefully in love. From a letter I wrote soon after that first visit:
. . . a charming old cottage in an utterly beautiful place. (The owners, lovely people, are in a cottage right up the road.) In good weather, I was taking a tray out onto the rocks and having my breakfast, lunch, and drink on my "stone sofa," beside my beloved big wide oceany St. George, the sort of long inlet of the sea that in the terminology of the lacy Maine coast is a river. At low tide I'd watch the loons and gulls and cormorants and an egret I think -- a brilliant white wading bird -- and assorted other characters, with the great blue heron making an occasional appearance; at high tide the water came right up to where I was sitting. For a few hours either side of the high tide I could swim off the back side of my little point--where yes, the water was cold, people kept warning me--as if I hadn't been visiting Maine for ten years--but not as cold as where we used to swim, when we stayed at the far end of Hathorne Point. And oh yes, much lobster, and mussels in red wine and like that--Maine mussels are wild, unlike most PEI and New Zealand mussels, and better than any I've ever tasted--and wild blueberries, in shortcake breakfasts and in various other forms. . . .
I often say that every time, every time I look out or walk out and see that view my heart soars. My mother, who was with me the first half of each stay until this past summer--she died a year ago--loved it every bit as much. She was a remarkable person, entirely herself and working full time into her late eighties, but what was so wonderful was that even in her last few summers, when it was often easier/better for her to stay inside, that porch let her remain very much in the river's company, and in the company of all its creatures, with the breeze drifting through. Even in bad weather, you never feel shut in--it can be very interesting to watch weather happening out over the water. What moonrises and rainbows I've seen--the "ordinary" night sky is breathtaking to a city woman like me.
Over the years my love has only grown, as I've come to know the area better. If you feel like being active there are all sorts of things to do and see--day trips to Monhegan or one of the other islands, or to Pemaquid Point, the scenic train ride down to Brunswick and back, the Owl's Head Light. In the past couple years I discovered a terrific sculpture garden built by a welder-turned-artist just off Route 1 in Warren; I first met the man himself at one of Rockland's gallery nights. Eating being one of my favorite things to do, anywhere, it's a treat to go out to any number of excellent restaurants: Cafe Miranda and the Lily Bistro in Rockland are favorites; the Big Fish Cafe serves terrific fried clams; and for very special occasions there's Primo, on the Rockland/Owl's Head Line.
But I'm not sure I don't eat just as well cooking with the beautiful local produce and fresh--cheap--seafood. And I have just as much fun staying home and enjoying goings-on on "my" little point. One year there were two great blue herons warring for feeding rights--much drama!--and it's always exciting when a seal visits. What I haven't managed to do in twelve seasons is have a bad time.
It is and has been one of the nicest things in my life. Many happy returns is what I always wish myself, when it's time to leave.
Nora
White Plains, NY
An exquisite gem of a cottage; perched on a rise of land where the Maine woods meet its waters.
The cottage made me feel like I was a visiting house guest, rather than a weekly vacation renter.
Innumerable thoughtful details such as a well stocked kitchen and a notebook full of local activities helped me feel welcome and made my vacation stay there the best ever!
Anne
S. Egremont, MA
Cushing Cottage was perfect for our week vacation. It was immaculate and had everything you could possibly need. I was especially impressed by the variety of kitchen tools and dishes. The beds were very comfortable and, of course, the highlight was the water view. We loved eating breakfast at the picnic table facing the water and taking naps on the enclosed porch. Just perfect. Thank you for a great stay!
Sabahat and Marc
Washington, DC