A Trip On This Maine Steamship Is Like Traveling Back In Time

For centuries, Maine has been a destination for those wishing to escape the summer heat (and smell) of New England's major cities.  The state's coast and western mountains were dotted with resorts designed to entertain the country's wealthy for the duration of the summer.

At one time, about a century ago, one of the busiest tourist areas in the state was Moosehead Lake and the surrounding towns.  The shore of the lake was home to some of the best resorts in New England.  The world famous Kineo Hotel, for example.

One major part of those days still exists, and not just in a museum, either!

The M/S Katahdin is a steamship that has been cruising the lake for well over a century.

The steamship Katahdin, or "Kate" as she is often referred, was built at Bath Iron Works in 1914.  At first, she was used as a passenger vessel, carrying people around Moosehead Lake.  Later, she was used as a log tower.  In the 1970s, she was saved from the scrapyard by a group of concerned citizens.  In the 1990s, she was restored to her former (now current) glory and started making passenger runs around the lake.

There is even a museum filled with artifacts from the vessel's past.  get more details about the museum and the history of the boat HERE

Throughout the summer months, there are several different Moosehead Lake cruises.  The lengths of these cruises vary greatly.  The shortest one is about 3 hours, the longest is about 8 hours.  So, depending how much time you want to spend on the lake, there is a cruise for you.

While the ship is constantly being maintained, there are times when she needs a little extra TLC.  Every few decades, she goes through a multi-year overhaul.  She is in the process of going through one of these right now.

Check out this video explaining what is being done.

Want to take a cruise around the lake?  The website has all the details about schedules and getting tickets.