People have been vacationing in Maine camps and cottages for many years. Residents and visitors alike enjoy “getting away” to a lakefront or oceanfront cottage or to a remote camp in the mountains or the woods, for hunting, fishing, hiking, swimming or boating, or just enjoying a quiet change of pace.
The camp experience is usually quite rustic; the difference between a camp and a cottage, according to one proprietor, is “a camp is a cottage with no electricity.” But not all camps in Maine are without electricity, so you’ll need to carefully review the descriptions. Some camps offer the American plan, where three meals a day are served on the premises as part of the package. At other camps you may be doing your own cooking on a wood stove, which also provides the only heat.
A cottage may provide all the modern conveniences you enjoy at your home, with a fully equipped kitchen and a variety of amenities for the whole family, including cable TV and a washer and dryer. More rustic cottages, while offering a very special experience, may be heated only by a woodstove or fireplace. One cottage will be on its own and “an easy walk to town and attractions,” while another will be part of a colony, but right on the beach; some are available for short stays, and others rent only by the week or longer.
