The "Lunch in Maine" Trip - Five Stars for Five Islands Lobster Company!

When Alan and I spent a week in Maine last May, my only major disappointment was arriving at Five Islands Lobster Company in Georgetown to find it closed.  We stopped by on a Friday afternoon and the quintessential lobster shack wasn’t open on weekdays until June.  Unfortunately, we were heading back home early the next morning.  I was so dejected that Alan immediately starting working on making it right, and we returned to Maine “for lunch” on a long weekend that just so happened to include my birthday.  Was our Five Islands experience worth the return trip?  Come along and find out . . .

Spending time along the coast of Maine is always a treat for us.  There is no shortage of attractions, activities, delectable food or waterfront parks perfect for quiet contemplation to explore.  On this go round, in addition to a birthday lunch at Five Islands Lobster Company, we planned to visit the Maine Maritime Museum and return to Popham Beach State Park and the Fort Popham State Historic Site.  “Base camp” for this quick three night trip was a hotel near Auburn, Maine.  I don’t mind hoteling it when we’re on a short trip with just one destination, but I really start missing our travel trailer when we have to schlep our luggage and cooler from one hotel to another on a longer trip.  Admittedly, we are spoiled by the RVing lifestyle.  On this excursion, the impromptu three night weekend stay during the height of the summer vacation season deterred us from even trying to secure decent last minute camping reservations along the coast.

We arrived on Thursday evening, July 20^th, just one day before my birthday.  The weather forecast for Friday was a bit dismal with a chance of showers and plenty of clouds.  That type of weather wouldn’t make for the most cheerful of outdoor celebratory birthday lunches.  So, we spent my birthday at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, and crossed our fingers for better weather on Saturday.

The sprawling Maine Maritime Museum, as seen from the Kennebec River

The Maine Maritime Museum (link HERE) sits on 20 waterfront acres along the Kennebec River, just south of Bath Iron Works (BIW) in Bath.  BIW is a General Dynamics company that specializes in designing and building ships for the U. S. Navy.  Fifteen structures on the museum property house a wide variety of well-crafted exhibits that allow Maine’s maritime history to shine.  General admission to the museum was about $20.00 for adults, but Alan and I chose a $58.00 combination ticket that would allow us to visit the museum, plus take a trolley and boat tour of Bath Iron Works – a move that we decided later was well worth the extra time and cost.

Learning about lobstering at the Maine Maritime Museum

The trolley ride took us up the street and past BIW’s sprawling property.  The tour guides are former employees of BIW; their pride - and the pride of the entire Bath community - in their local shipbuilding company was evident.  I was particularly struck by the sign over the employees’ entrance:  “Through these gates pass the best shipbuilders in the world.”  Indeed.  If you’re building ships for the Navy, your workmanship ought to be excellent and highly respected.  It’s no wonder that the staff members take pride in their work.

Bath Iron Works, as seen from the Kennebec River

The boat cruise portion of the tour first took us down the Kennebec River for a bit, then back upriver past the museum and beyond the Bath Iron Works facility, so that we could see the ships undergoing maintenance.  Both the trolley and the boat tours were jam-packed with tidbits of information regarding Maine’s maritime history and the history of BIW.  Alan and I enjoyed our entire visit to Maine’s Maritime Museum.  It was a stop we had missed when we were in the area back in May.  This time, we were happy we had included it in our itinerary.

Ships in dry dock at Bath Iron Works

Fun fact: I found a couple of rocking chairs outside the lobstering exhibit on the museum grounds to be enchanting.  I had to applaud the craftsperson’s creativity – the chairs were fashioned from lobster traps!  Not only were they really comfortable, but I thought they’d make a perfect addition to the deck of a seaside cottage overlooking one of Maine’s many fishing harbors.

Saturday’s weather was a bit brighter, cementing our plans to return to Popham Beach State Park, as well as the Fort Popham State Historic Site nearby.  Alan and I had fallen in love with the state park on our prior visit in May.  Expansive and picturesque, the beach was absolutely gorgeous.

Popham Beach State Park - Phippsburg, Maine

Since we had taken this trip in Alan’s Camaro, we had no room to pack our camp chairs, but we remembered that there was a well-placed log that might, again, provide seating for us.  Imagine our surprise (and delight!) when we came upon L. L. Bean’s “Beach Box” – a treasure trove of all things beachy that were free for borrowing!  L. L. Bean is based in Freeport, Maine.  I don’t know for how many beaches the company provides equipment, but its generosity was very much appreciated by these two out-of-state visitors.  Sand chairs, beach umbrellas, sand toys – it was the most unique lending library I’ve ever seen.  With a cheerful, “Thank you, L. L. Bean,” we grabbed a couple of chairs and made ourselves comfy on the beach.

Ya gotta love the Beach Box!

As the day wore on, we began to get hungry, and I’ll bet you know what came next.  We stopped briefly at the Fort Popham State Historic Site, hoping to see seals frolicking in the cove like we did during our visit in May.  Alas, no seals.  But we did take the time to explore parts of the fort that we hadn’t seen during our last visit.  Finally, with our hunger pangs becoming more and more insistent that some action on the culinary front be taken, we headed over to Five Islands Lobster Company on the east coast of the Georgetown Peninsula (link HERE).

 “Today’s forecast: 100% chance of lobster rolls.” (Unknown)

Even though it didn’t seem remotely possible because I was already raving about the place, Five Islands Lobster Company exceeded our expectations.  The restaurant’s location, perched on a deck overlooking the Sheepscot River, was just spectacular, and the views of the river, the harbor and the islands were simply stunning.  Five Islands Lobster was comprised of three separate buildings – one where you could order most of your food and all of your drinks, a second (painted a bright lobster red!) where you could order and pick up freshly cooked whole lobsters and a third that was the ice cream shop for “just desserts.”

Get your fresh whole lobsters here!

You know what they say about the best laid plans.  Believe it or not, I didn’t get a lobster roll.  (Alan did, and it looked - and was - scrumptious.)  Do you know why I didn’t order a lobster roll?  Because I was already planning a return visit to Five Islands the next day and there was a salmon sandwich on Saturday’s menu.  (I love salmon.)  We hadn’t even gotten our food yet, and I was already figuring out how to fit lunch on Sunday into our travel plans, since that was the day we’d be returning home.  As soon as our order came up, Alan and I grabbed a picnic table on the deck overlooking the harbor to enjoy our lunch – and I was thrilled that the exquisite experience I had envisioned months ago had come to fruition.  (Thank you, Alan!)

Alan (at the far right table) enjoying the view

Earlier I used the word “quintessential” to describe Five Islands Lobster Company.  As far as lobster shacks go, this one was as authentic as it gets.   Tucked into an incredibly scenic spot on the quiet coast of the Georgetown Peninsula, it’s far from the bustling tourist districts along the main coastline.  (Main coastline, not Maine coastline.  Because it is on the Maine coastline, but definitely not the main coastline.  Got it?)  You’d think that Five Islands would be a sleepy little place, a favorite for locals only, but that’s not the case.  Late on a Saturday afternoon, the lunch crowd was still going strong, and we were lucky to get a parking spot.  In fact, a crowd of that size at such an odd time of the afternoon led to our decision to be at Five Islands when it opened the next day at 11:30.

Five Islands Lobster Company has plenty of fans!

Sunday dawned sunny and gorgeous – I can’t imagine a better day for lunch along the coast of Maine.  By the time we arrived at Five Islands, shortly before 11:30, a line had already started to form.  That day, it was lobster rolls for both of us, another order of onion rings to share and, of course, ice cream for dessert.  (You didn't really think we'd pass up the ice cream, did you?)  After picking up our lobster rolls, Alan and I enjoyed another delicious and delightful meal at the water’s edge – a perfect ending to our “Lunch in Maine” trip.     

So, in retrospect, pondering whether or not our “Lunch in Maine” trip was worth the drive, the answer is a resounding yes.  Dining on traditional Maine lobster rolls at a picnic table within sight of the bright red lobster shack, the blue waters of the river, the small harbor of hard-working lobster boats and the tree-covered islands was a divine experience.  This little gem was simply charming, and I can’t imagine a better representation of the iconic Maine lobster shack.  I have a feeling that the next time I plan a trip to Acadia, my heart is going to jump up and shout, “Don’t forget Five Islands!”

“The proper place to eat lobster … is in a lobster shack as close to the sea as possible.” (Pearl S. Buck)

About a month ago, Maine was hit with a treacherous winter storm that caused an enormous amount of damage along the coast.  Reid State Park, on the Georgetown Peninsula just a short distance south of Five Islands, sustained serious damage to the access road leading to the park and the park remains closed to date.  Some of the decking at Five Islands Lobster Company was torn up by the storm, but the buildings were not lost – which cannot be said for some others along the Maine coast.  The good news is that Five Islands will be up and running on May 11th, as planned.  Just remember – it’s weekends only until the middle of June, be sure to order the onion rings along with your lobster and don’t forget to leave room for ice cream!