Volunteers bring local flavor to Castine tourism

BY CASEY BERNARD

European explorers first arrived in Castine in the 1500s, quickly making it one of the most important ports on the East Coast. And visits by sea continue today. The location, where the Bagaduce River meets Penobscot Bay, is ideal for sailors. The approach is deep and Smith Cove provides protective cover from foul weather. Yacht clubs and independent sailors add Castine to their summer cruise itineraries while luxury yachts dock in town to refuel.

Once visitors tie up and step off their boats, however, they are met with a challenge. The town of Castine meets the water at the bottom of a steep hill. While there are a few shops and a lunch stand open at the base of the hill, visitors on foot have to embark on a half mile trek up Main Street to reach the top of the town, and walk even further around the peninsula to visit the Dyce Head Lighthouse and other significant historic sites.

Recognizing the challenge, in 2016 three local women banded together to form the Castine Touring Company. The volunteer organization, with the help of donations, purchased a six-seat electric cart to provide tours around the town. The red cart, nicknamed Scarlett, waits at the dock each day with a volunteer tour guide available to take visitors around the community.

The guides provide colorful commentary along the route, a mixture of historical record, legends, and entertaining embellishments. Each tour is as unique as the guide behind the wheel. The tour stops at the lighthouse and other sites such as Fort George, the site of action from the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. At the Castine Historical Society, riders can step inside to see the current exhibits as well as the impressive Castine Bicentennial Quilt. Created by 60 members of the community in 1996, the quilt spreads 24 feet wide and depicts the history of Castine from the time of the Abenaki to the Revolutionary War, from the 19th century years of prosperity and shipbuilding and trade to the 21st century.

Beverly Bishop, one of the founders of the Castine Touring Company, said the tours have an impact on the town that extends beyond the tour.

“Visitors get to see so much more of the town than they otherwise would have and many have come back years later to stay for several days,” Bishop said. “Without the tour many visitors might not know how much there is to come back for.”

If the tour happens on a Wednesday or Sunday, visitors may stop at the Wilson Museum for demo days. The antiquities museum founded in 1921 showcases the collection of Dr. John Howard Wilson, and, on demo days, features a local blacksmith and woodturner who create their crafts using traditional methods.

In a place like Castine, Scarlett also works as a bit of a small town Uber. Sailors out for a day cruise have been known to pack their golf clubs and hire Scarlett to drive them to the top of the hill for a round at the Castine Golf Club.

The Castine Touring Company operates as a non-profit organization. Proceeds raised from the tours are donated back to the town’s arts and cultural institutions that make Castine worth visiting. In 2023, more than $3,000 was distributed to local nonprofit organizations. Members of the group are constantly looking for ways to enhance the Castine experience for visitors. In 2024, two oversized porch swings handmade by two industrious volunteers will be installed at the town beach and Fort George.

This year, Castine Touring is also adding to the fleet with a second vehicle nicknamed Sally, which is available by reservation from the group’s website at CastineTouringCompany.org .