Lots of folks here on the peninsula were excited to learn months ago that BikeMaine’s 2014 outing included a stop in Boothbay Harbor, especially when they found out that the bikers would not simply be passing through, but would instead be overnight guests and spend an entire day in our region, doing whatever they wanted.  Well, they came, they stayed, they loved it, and we don’t doubt for a minute that many of them will be back.

We owe the success of their visit to Boothbay Harbor Town Manager Tom Woodin, Superintendent of Schools Eileen King and their many volunteers who made sure all the I’s were dotted and the T’s were crossed to insure that everything went off smoothly. 

We’ve been listening to the Channel 7 interview with BikeMaine representatives who have had nothing but good things to say about Boothbay Harbor’s all-out efforts to make them feel welcome, including shuttle service between the athletic field and downtown area, a boat ride, paddle boarding and kayaking, shopping, meals which included a lobster bake, a music concert, visits to the Botanical Gardens and many other offerings.

Our high school football team even stepped up to the plate as goodwill ambassadors to help with tent set-ups and lug gear from one place to another.

Thanks to Channel 7 and Jonne Trees, peninsula residents can routinely keep up with all the goings-on here right from the comfort of their living room, and we all got to watch the 275-plus cyclists pull into town, and settle in at their temporary tent village on Sherman Field.  Our local access channel seems to be everywhere these days covering events from selectmen’s meetings to athletic competitions. Be sure to repeatedly let them know how much they are appreciated and give them your financial support.

We hope BikeMaine’s visit is the first of many for our peninsula, because we’d like nothing more than to see us earn a reputation as an ideal headquarters for all sorts of outdoor activities. We have so much to offer cyclists, kayakers, sailing enthusiasts, hikers and other nature enthusiasts who appreciate the Maine coast.

Focusing attention on this aspect of tourism makes good sense, considering the fact that we have such a wide variety of overnight accommodations, restaurants and shops to meet their every need.  We feel that we have what today’s young people are looking for. We’re convinced that efforts in coming years to create more bike and walking paths will further encourage visitors. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the late Chetley Rittall’s dream of an off-road bike path from Route 1 down Route 27 becomes a reality some day?

Boothbay Harbor’s all-out effort for BikeMaine’s visit made us all very proud. It created the kind of good PR that money can’t buy. We not only earned a lot of goodwill, but we’ll wager a guess that our peninsula gets a lot of visitors as a result. Great job, Tom Woodin, Eileen King and all those who helped make BikeMaine’s visit a success.