The Darling Marine Center is located in Walpole, mid-coast Maine, 60 miles northeast of Portland and 100 miles south of the University’s Orono campus. The nearby town of Damariscotta offers year round shopping, restaurants and a movie theater. Walpole has a 9-hole golf course. During the summer season the Pemaquid peninsula comes alive with added opportunities for recreation, dining, art shows, music series and fairs.
By Plane, Train, Bus and Shuttle
Plan to fly into Portland (PWM) or Boston (BOS) (not Bangor or Augusta), and take a bus or a shuttle to the DMC. Good air fares can often be found to the Manchester, NH airport, but it is not easy to get from Manchester to Damariscotta by public transportation. You will need to rent a car for the 2.5-3 hour drive.
From Boston's Logan Airport, you can hop a Concord Trailways bus for the 4-5 hour trip to Damariscotta. Buses to Damariscotta leave Logan Airport twice daily. Visit the Concord Trailways website for a current schedule, or call 207-828-1151, 800-639-3317. A round trip ticket from Logan Airport to Damariscotta costs $58. Price as of 1/13/09.
Along the Coast offers shuttle service from Portland directly to the DMC. A one-way ticket for one person costs $70. For more information, group pricing or to make a reservation call Garry Wheeler at 1-888-729-1853 or 1-207-319-6476. Garry can also be contacted by email at texredcoat@myfairpoint.net. Price as of 6/1/09.
Country Coach Chaters is another airport shuttle option offering door to door service 24/7, 365 days a year. Round trip fare (Portland Airport to Damariscotta area) for their 6-person Suburban is $150. To and from Logan air Port in Boston the fare is $480. For more information visit the Country Coach Chaters website or call 1-207-832-7241 or 1-207-380-7201. Price as of 1/13/09.
Mid-coast Limo will take you from Portland to Damariscotta. A one-way ticket for one person costs $70, additional passengers cost $10 each. For more information visit the Mid-coast Limo website or call 207-236-2424, 800-937-2424. Reservations required. Price as of 1/13/09.
It is also possible to take Amtrak's Downeaster Line from Boston's North Station to the Portland Transportation Center. This is not the recommend means of transport from Logan Airport to Maine; the bus is more convenient. The Downeaster, however, is a scenic and comfortable ride. The Portland Transportation Center is also a Concord Trailways bus station. If the timing is right you can hop a bus to Damariscotta. In addition, any of the above shuttles also service the Transportation Center. A round trip ticket costs $48. For more information visit the Amtrak Downeaster website. Price as of 1/13/09.
Driving Directions
From Orono and points north (via the back roads):
- Drive south on Interstate 95 and take exit 174 Carmel/Newburgh/Route 69.
- Turn left onto Route 69, travel two miles to blinking light
- Turn right on Route 202/9 South, travel 21 miles
- Turn left onto Route 220 South, travel 42 miles (Moody's Diner at corner of Route 220 & Route1-stop for pie)
- Turn right onto Route 1 South, travel 8.5 miles
- Turn left onto Business Route 1 (Andrew's Pine View Restaurant is on the left), travel 2.5 miles past the Hannaford on the left and the Coastal Market Place on the right
- Just past Cheney Insurance and Adams Travel, on your left, is a large white Baptist Church. Turn left at the Baptist Church onto Routes 129/130 travel 3 miles (Hanley’s market is on the left).
- Veer to the right onto Route 129 where Routes 129/130 separate and travel 3.5 miles.
- Turn right onto Clark's Cove Road, travel 1 mile and our driveway is on the right.
From Orono and points north (via the main roads, recommended in winter weather when snow/potholes/frost heaves make the back roads a bit treacherous):
- Drive south on Interstate 95 and take exit 180 Cold Brook Road to Hermon/Hamden.
- Turn left onto Cold Brook Road, travel 2.5 miles to Hamden
- Turn right on Main Street/Route 1A/9 South, travel 20 miles to Stockton Springs
- Turn right onto Route 1 South, travel 30 miles to Camden/Rockport
- Turn right one Route 90 West, travel 11 miles to Warren
- Turn right onto Route 1 South, travel 13 miles to Damariscotta
- Turn left onto Business Route 1 (Andrew's Pine View Restaurant is on the left), travel 2.5 miles past the Hannaford on the left and the Coastal Market Place on the right
- Just past Cheney Insurance and Adams Travel, on your left, is a large white Baptist Church. Turn left at the Baptist Church onto Routes 129/130 travel 3 miles (Hanley’s market is on the left).
- Veer to the right onto Route 129 where Routes 129/130 separate and travel 3.5 miles.
- Turn right onto Clark's Cove Road, travel 1 mile and our driveway is on the right
From Portland and points south (In early 2004, exits along I-95 were renumbered. Exit numbers listed here are the new, current, numbers.)
- Drive into Maine on Interstate 95 and take Route 295 through Portland and north.
- Take exit 28 "Bath/Brunswick Coastal Route 1"
- Travel north on Route 1 through Brunswick, Bath and Wiscasset.
- Take the Damariscotta exit and follow the exit ramp onto Main Street (Business Route 1).
- Turn right after the First National Bank of Damariscotta onto Routes 129/130 and travel south toward Bristol and Pemaquid for 3 miles.
- Veer to the right onto Route 129 where Routes 129 and 130 separate (Hanley’s market is on the left) and travel 3.5 miles.
- Turn right onto Clark's Cove Road (just past Wawenock Golf Course) and travel 1 mile. Our driveway on the right.
