Eat, drive, and be merry

Warhols in Rockland -- I'll be darned. This would not be the only pleasant surprise on this trip.

Rockland was one of two destination spots on this long weekend trek last month; Camden was the other. Part of the appeal of traveling to these small, seaside villages was to get to them before the summer crowds arrived. The other was to simply get away from the city and hear the roar of the ocean. Rockland, with its hard-working harbor and quaint Main Street, is best known for the waterfront lobster festival it hosts every August. Camden is more serene; its harbor fills in summer with the boats of the well-heeled and its pretty, lace-curtained bed-and-breakfasts vie for attention along Route 1.

We decided to stay in Camden and, for the most part, play in Rockland, towns only about 10 minutes apart in the off season. Side trips to nearby Isleboro Island and Owls Head also figured into the itinerary, which began in earnest with Friday afternoon lunch in Portland.

We chose to eat at a new place called Blue Spoon, where the motto is ''food from friends, family, and travels." The tidy 10-table restaurant had its own arty appeal with several black-and-white portraits of mod-ish looking women as the decorative focal point.

We started with the red pepper puree, a velvety delight that warmed us on this rainy, chilly, spring day, with a house salad on the side. The BLT was a tasty take on the ordinary, with thick-cut bacon, mesclun greens, and tomato on home-made bread with rosemary mayo.

Refreshed, we climbed back in the car, and although we loved our lunch, we knew the ultimate Maine eating experience was about an hour away: Red's.

Red's Eats is a clam shack right on Route 1 in downtown Wiscasset. It is not to be missed, especially if you are a lobster roll aficionado. Red's are a study in simplicity: A hot dog roll overflows with the succulent meat of one whole lobster, a sheet of aluminum foil holds it together, and a plastic fork is your key to heaven.

We arrived at A Little Dream on High Street at about 3:30, stiff and overstuffed. Owners Joanne Ball and Bill Fontana have transformed their 1888 Victorian home into a welcoming oasis filled with beautiful antiques.