Bath calls itself the City of Ships. Located on the Kennebec River with its deep water and gently rising shore, Bath has always been a perfect place to launch a boat. Through the years, more than 100 shipyards have populated its shores. Today, the huge cranes of Bath Iron Works, which builds ships for the US Navy, dominate the skyline, and BIW is the main local employer. But this little gem of a city is much more than a busy shipyard now. It boasts a compact, lively downtown free of chain stores and modern eyesores, and with many gracious old homes. The significance of its architecture led the National Trust for Historic Preservation to name it one of the 12 most distinctive destinations in the nation. Bath also offers a terrific maritime museum, some fine inns and restaurants, opportunities for canoeing and kayaking, an array of river cruises, and what officials claim is the best bass fishing on the East Coast. The Chocolate Church Arts Center, an 1847 Gothic Revival structure named for its dark brown color, offers year-round concerts and other performances. Nearby are glorious Popham Beach State Park and several wildlife preserves and sanctuaries.
The city of ships
Maritime history, lively downtown are among its many draws
Spend
Bath Iron Works may be the largest employer, but the commercial shops downtown are the heart of Bath today. Stores range from the Design Connection (132 Front St., 207-443-7406), offering posh home furnishings and clothing, to Renys (86 Front St., 207-443-6251), a discount department store with all sorts of odds and ends: Dum Dum gum, CD players, flower bulbs, sportswear, camp supplies, and more.Lisa Marie's Made in Maine (170 Front St., 207-443-2225), sells local arts and crafts and specialty foods. The Mariners' Compass Quilt Shop and Fingerguard Safety Ruler Co. (190 Front St., 207-443-2900) has handmade local quilts, sewing supplies, and quilt-making classes. Halcyon Yarn (12 School St., 207-442-7909) is lauded by Martha Stewart for its array of yarn and fiber crafts. Now You're Cooking (49 Front St., 207-443-1402) sells assorted kitchen appliances, picnic supplies, and food-related gadgets.
This town of under 10,000 has four independent bookstores. The most unusual is The Library Bookstore (194 Front St., 207-443-1161), a nonprofit shop run by volunteers who sell donated books to support the local library. Bath also boasts several antiques shops, including Brick Store Antiques (143 Front St., 207-443-2790) and I Must Have It (180 Front St., 207-443-1064).