We’ve created a Google Map, featuring all our recommended lodging and the ceremony and reception site, so you can get oriented locally. We have provided three sets of directions. The first set of directions will take you from common starting points to the Camden/Rockport area, at the intersection of Maine Routes 90 and 17. The second set of directions will take you from this intersection (facing east) to the various destinations in the area (ceremony site, reception site, lodging). The final set of directions will take you between these destinations.
Directions to the Camden Area
These sets of directions will take you from your starting point to Maine Route 90 East, past the intersection with Maine Route 17 East. Once you have reached that point, see the directions below to get to your destination.
FROM GREATER BOSTON: NORMAL ROUTE
Our preferred route is more scenic and has more amenities; we recommend it during off-peak times (mornings, evenings, mid-week). The trip should take a bit less than four hours at those times; beware, heavy traffic can make it five or more.
Get on I-95 North and continue on it through New Hampshire and into Maine, where it becomes the Maine Turnpike. (There is a NH State Liquor Store on I-95 on this route in both directions; many visitors on this route enjoy this opportunity to replenish their supplies of cheap liquor.)
Follow the Maine Turnpike until the exit for I-295 North, in South Portland. Take exit 28 in Brunswick for the "Coastal Route" of US Route 1. Merge onto US Route 1 North. Please note: in Brunswick there is a place where traffic turns left in order to stay on Route 1 to Bath, Wiscasset and Waldoboro; make sure not to miss this turnoff (it's pretty well signed).
Continue to follow Route 1 through the towns of Bath, Wiscasset and Waldoboro. In Wiscasset there's a long and scenic bridge; just before the bridge on your left is Red's Eats, a food truck with stellar Maine food (lobster rolls, fried shrimp and fried dough.) We highly recommend a stop there if you have time and you can stand the lineup. The other recommended local food is at Moody's Diner, on your right in Waldoboro; we will be serving their pies at our wedding!
About 8-10 miles after Moody's, you will come to Maine Route 90 East; turn left to follow Route 90 East, and follow it past Maine Route 17 to your destination below. (If you're confused that turning left takes you east, it's because Route 1 is so winding that at this point Route 1 North has taken a slight dip to the south. Don't worry about it.)
FROM GREATER BOSTON: ALTERNATE ROUTE DURING HIGH TRAFFIC
If you leave Massachusetts on Friday any time between noon and 6 pm, or leave Camden on Sunday afternoon, you will find Route 1 extremely crowded by the time you get there. We recommend you take this alternate route (which is closer to what Google Maps recommends):
Follow I-95 past Portland, all the way up to Augusta.
Take the US-202 E/ME-17 E/ME-100 E exit toward Augusta, and merge onto Maine Route 17 East. Follow the signs for Route 17 East through Augusta. (This will involve going through two traffic circles in Augusta; at the first one, continue straight, and at the second one, take the first exit. Both should be marked 17 East; the second one might be marked Stone St.) Shortly after the traffic circles, turn left to stay on 17 East out of Augusta. Continue to follow 17 East for about 35 miles, until you reach the intersection with 90 East. Turn left on 90 East and follow the directions to your destination below.
FROM NEW YORK AND OTHER POINTS SOUTH
Take I-84 north and east out of Hartford and then go east on I-90 to the next exit, for I 290. Take I 290 through Worcester until it merges with I 495. Take I 495 North until it intersects with I 95 near the Massachusetts/New Hampshire border. Go north on I-95. From there, follow the Boston directions above (choose a set depending on timing).
FROM ONTARIO: SIMPLE BUT LONG ROUTE
This route is relatively straightforward and easy to follow; we recommend taking it from Toronto or southwestern Ontario. If you take it from Kingston, it will probably add only an hour or so to your journey time (relative to the complex route), which may be worth the diminished risk of getting lost. However, taking this route from Ottawa or Montréal will add several hours to your time, and we would recommend trying the complex route below instead.
Go south to Interstate 90 East (via the QEW from southern Ontario, or I-81 to Syracuse from Kingston). Drive east on I-90 into Massachusetts; as you approach Worcester, take the exit for I-290, and take I 290 through Worcester until it merges with I 495. Take I 495 North until it intersects with I 95 near the Massachusetts/New Hampshire border. Go north on I-95. From there, follow the Boston directions above (choose a set depending on timing).
If coming from Canada, don't forget your passports!
FROM EASTERN ONTARIO AND QUEBEC: SHORT BUT COMPLEX ROUTE
This route is a significantly shorter distance from Ottawa and Montréal (as well as being much more scenic). It will save about four hours' travel time, so even if you get lost once or twice it may be worth it. If you take this route, we highly recommend buying a good map of New England (including New Hampshire as well as Maine) to assist you. Note: In New England you are far more likely to see signs for highway route numbers than for local street names, and the local street names change very frequently, so we recommend using the route numbers to guide your trip.
Take Autoroute 10 Est from Montréal, over the Champlain Bridge. Take Exit 121 to merge onto Autoroute 55 Sud. From Autoroute 55, take exist 21 toward Québec route 141 Sud. You will cross the border at the northeastern edge of Vermont; Québec route 141 becomes Vermont route 141 for about half a kilometre. It merges with Vermont route 114 "North" (which actually goes southeast); take this route across the New Hampshire border, where it will become the main street of West Stewartstown, New Hampshire.
At the end of this road, take a right to join US Route 3 South for about 13 km. In the town of Colebrook, NH there will be a left turn for New Hampshire route 26 East. Take this route for about 48 km to the border with Maine, where it will also be labelled route 26. Take Maine route 26 East for another 35 km until you come to a T-junction. At this T-junction, turn left to follow US Route 2 East.
Follow Route 2 East to the town of Rumford, where Route 2 East will split off to the left (Hancock St). Take this left fork; in the centre of Rumford, you will need to turn right to stay on route 2 East (Lincoln Ave). Soon after this, route 2 East will join route 17 East. From here, you just want to keep following route 17 East for a long time. It will take you through Augusta (see the Boston alternate route above for details); 35 miles east of Augusta, turn left on 90 East and follow the directions below to your destination.
If coming from Canada, don't forget your passports!
Directions to Destinations
Each of the preceding sets of directions will all take you to Maine Route 90, heading east from the intersection with Maine Route 17. Once you are at that point you are in the Camden/Rockport area, and almost to your destination. Your next steps will depend on your first intended destination:
TO CAMDEN/ROCKPORT HOTELS
Follow Rte 90 East past Route 17. You will pass one traffic light at Meadow Street (the turnoff for Ragged Meadow). Continue east on Route 90; the next traffic light after Route 17 is the intersection with Rte. 1, and is the end of Rte. 90. Turn right on Rte 1 for Rockport hotels (Schooner Bay Motor Inn, Claddagh Motel), left on Rte. 1 for Camden hotels (Birchwood Motel, Inns at Blackberry Common, Riverhouse Hotel). The Rockport hotels will be a straight drive on Route 1 from here; if you're in a Camden hotel, please consult your hotel and/or Google Maps for additional directions.
DIRECTLY TO THE WEDDING CEREMONY SITE (VESPER HILL CHILDREN'S CHAPEL):
Follow Route 90 east past Route 17. After Route 17 you will pass two traffic lights; the first is Meadow Street (the turnoff for Ragged Meadow); the official Route 90 will end at the second traffic light (where Route 90 meets Route 1). Continue straight on this road (now called West St, not a numbered highway route) until the end, where you will see Rockport Harbor ahead of you. Turn left and follow this road (Pascal) around the edge of the harbor and over a bridge that crosses the stream running into the harbor. Turn right immediately after the bridge and then bear left through the one block business district (brick buildings on either side). At the top of a slight hill is the Rockport Library, a white wooden building. Turn right here. The Maine Institute for Contemporary Art will be on your right. Follow this road (Russell Ave.) as it rises and leaves the harbor behind. Follow Russell until the junction with Calderwood Lane and turn right on Calderwood. You will cross a golf course, with the bay on your left. Take the first right after the golf course on to Chapel Road. The Children’s Chapel is on your left very shortly after the turn. If there is no room in the parking lot, park on Chapel Road. (If you get lost on the way, ask for directions to Vesper Hill Children's Chapel; most locals know it.)
TO RAGGED MEADOW (RECEPTION, REHEARSAL DINNER, ACCOMMODATIONS FOR BRIDE'S AND GROOM'S PARTIES)
Follow Rte 90 east past the traffic light at the Rte. 17 intersection. At the next light (about a mile), turn left. (This is Meadow St.)
Follow this road down into a small valley with a 4 way stop. Turn left at the stop. (This is S. Main St., at Simonton Corners. It becomes Wiley Rd. when it intersects with Barnestown Rd., which is what you should look for when going back.)
Follow this road past the quarry and Goose River Greenery until you come to a T junction. This is Hosmer Pond Road. Turn left on this road and follow it past Hosmer Pond (a small lake) and the Camden Snow Bowl (it will become Barnestown Road). Do NOT go right at the junction with Molyneaux Road.
Climb the hill after the Snow Bowl and take the first left, just as it begins to level out. Follow this to the top and turn left at the T. It is a hundred yards down to the house.
The house is at the end of a cul-de-sac and has a homemade sign out front saying "Ragged Meadow." It is a large red farmhouse-type affair with a small pond and a balcony over the garage.
Directions Between Destinations
FROM HOTELS TO THE CEREMONY
We recommend asking staff at your hotel desk for directions to the Vesper Hill Children's Chapel, where the ceremony will take place.
FROM ROCKPORT HOTELS TO RAGGED MEADOW (REHEARSAL DINNER)
Take Rte 1 north until you see a Hannaford's supermarket on your left. Shortly afterwards you will see a Subway restaurant at the corner for John St. Turn left at John St. John St will merge with Mechanic St; follow the merged street until you come to a fork in the road. Take the left fork (Hosmer Pond Rd) and follow the directions to Ragged Meadow above, from Hosmer Pond Rd.
FROM CAMDEN HOTELS TO RAGGED MEADOW
Ask your hotel for directions to Mechanic St. Take Mechanic St west (out of Camden town). Mechanic St will merge with John St; follow the merged street until you come to a fork in the road. Take the left fork (Hosmer Pond Rd) and follow the directions to Ragged Meadow above, from Hosmer Pond Rd.
FROM THE CEREMONY TO THE RECEPTION
Reverse the directions above from Children’s Chapel to the light at the intersection of Rte 1 and Rte 90. Turn right here and proceed north on Rte 1 until you see Maine Sport ahead on your left (about a mile or a little less). Turn left immediately before Maine Sport on to Main Street and follow this road to a four way stop in Simonton Corners (cross street ar the stop is Park/Simonton). Go straight through the stop sign on Main Street, which becomes Wiley Road. Follow this to a stop sign at a T intersection,. The crossing street is Hosmer Pond Road, which becomes Barnestown Rd. Follow this road past Hosmer Pond (a small lake) and the Camden Snow Bowl.
Climb the hill after the Snow Bowl and take the first left, just as it begins to level out. Follow this to the top and turn left at the T. It is a hundred yards down to the house.
The house is at the end of a cul-de-sac and has a homemade sign out front saying "Ragged Meadow." It is a large red farmhouse-type affair with a small pond and a balcony over the garage.
FROM THE RECEPTION TO HOTELS
Exit the cul-de-sac and turn right down the hill, on Barnestown Road (which will become Hosmer Pond Road). A few other roads will merge with Hosmer Pond Road, until eventually the road splits into a fork. Both forks will take you to Route 1; the left fork (Mechanic St) will take you into the heart of downtown Camden (near Blackberry Common and Riverhouse Hotel, and on the way to Birchwood Motel), the right fork (John St) will take you onto Route 1 further south. To get to the Rockport hotels, turn right on route 1 and keep going. Please ask your hotel if you would like more precise directions.
Phone numbers
If you have trouble finding any of the sites, you can try asking us for help. Please bear in mind that many cell phones (including those of the bride and groom) have spotty reception in coastal Maine. Verizon service is generally reliable throughout, but other companies usually only provide reception in town; so, for example, you will probably be able to get reception in downtown Camden, but not at the ceremony or reception sites.
[Edit, 2013: While we're keeping this site up for its fond memories, we have deleted phone and email contact information to avoid spam and harassment. We haven't changed our contact info since the wedding, so if you were there, you probably know where to find us.]
