Gouldsboro, Maine
With unparalleled 180 degree ocean views, Clamshell by the Sea sits on 4 acres with 300' of shoreline on the east side of Frenchman's Bay overlooking Mount Desert Island and Cadillac Mountain. Boasting 7,000+ square feet of charm and comfort, Clamshell has 6 bedrooms, 6 full bathrooms, with a kitchen and fireplace on each of the 3 levels and a cathedral ceiling on the third floor. Conveniently located, secluded and unique, it is an excellent location to explore, hike, fish, read, paint or watch the sunset over the bay. The views are in the top 10% of all of Maine's 3,000 miles of Tidal Coastline! Watch the lobster boats moored in the harbor. Walk down to The Lobster Pound to buy them fresh off the boat. This home promises a truly magical Maine experience!
This house has 6 bedrooms, 6 bathroom, 3 fully equipped kitchens, 3 dining rooms, 3 living rooms, a 3-car garage and fireplace on every floor. There are 3 decks facing the shoreline just 80' away. The Schoodic entrance to Acadia National park is 3.7 miles away and it is only 3 miles to Winter Harbor where there are 2 ferries to Bar Harbor, a golf course, a library, as well as unique stores, galleries and restaurants. Enjoy hammocks, 4 kayaks (3 singles and 1 double), a hot and cold outdoor shower, gas grill, fire pit and a pond, all on the property! Please inquire about rentals during the winter months. Important to note: Google Maps / GPS coordinates are wrong and send people to 12 Hopes Drive instead of 12 Clamshell Road which is about 300 feet past Hopes Drive on Route 186. We don't want to annoy a good neighbor by mistakenly driving down a private drive.
Great rocky shoreline provided unlimited fun for all the kids. The view of the bay with lobster boats, buoys and the occasional cruise ship in the distance was ever changing with the daylight, tides and occasional fog. Kayaks and ping pong tables were a hit, as well as the hammock. We roasted s’mores a few nights in the fire pit as we watched the beautiful sunsets. It’s a bit of a drive to get to the Acadia areas on Mt Desert Island, but very doable. It is very close to the Schoodic side of the park, which we found to have some beautiful hikes. Lobster can be bought locally only a couple miles away. Grocery stores provide very limited supplies, but the house was pretty well stocked with a variety of seasonings and spices, as well as other non perishable food items that have left by others. A few things needed a bit if handyman attention, but no big deal. All in all, our group of 18 had a super time!
The house was great for our large family. We really enjoyed the area and the multiple decks. The house is close to many walks/hikes and several restaurants. We enjoyed our stay.
This is our second time coming to the same house in Maine. The property is stunning, spacious and has everything one would ever need. The location is perfect for both just staying in the house or exploring the surroundings. This time we had 16 people in our group and the house did not seem crowded. It has so much room, truly amazing. One feedback to the management would be to invest into new linens, towels, and pillows as they are too old and stained from all the usage over the years.
We had a mixed group of 12; ages ranged from 13 - 71; including 4 teenage boys. This property is beautiful inside and out; more so than the online description and pictures. The location was great; closest to the Schoodic Peninsula portion of Acadia National Park. We enjoyed hiking, biking, golf, kayaking, great photography opportunities, sea glass hunting on the shoreline, relaxing by the outside firepit, ping pong and varied indoor games, investigating some of the small towns closes to us, as well as Bar Harbor and great food! We would recommend this property to anyone with a large group who would like some private space combined with great community gathering space. We had the privilege of some text communication with the owners who requested that the cleaning staff provide a welcoming glass of wine as well as helpful local information about grocery stores, restaurants , etc. Our only regret was not staying longer!
The home was wonderful and the location was beautiful. It was very private. The owner was very kind reaching out to make sure everything was just right. Clean and cozy. Definitely recommend!!!
Our family of 8 (3 households from 2 states, ranging in age from 9 to 71) spent the first week of August at Clamshell by the Sea. This was an excellent choice! I would highly recommend this house to friends and family who are looking for a similar place, and would happily return in a heartbeat! What we loved: Spacious, clean house with a phenomenal view. Quiet location. Privacy. Well equipped main kitchen, plus 2 smaller kitchens on the other levels. On the water. Kayaks and life jackets included. Very close to the Schoodic Peninsula part of Acadia National Park. Owner was quick to respond and helped to solve the problem when the internet had a small glitch. He is personable and has a great sense of humor. We knew going into the week that we would be staying about 45 minutes to an hour from Bar Harbor and the main section of the national park. This worked well for us! We liked having the option relax, take in the views, and hike the peaceful trails close to Clamshell, or go to the crowded, touristy town across the bay and see the sights there. Having stayed in quite a few vacation rentals, and this one tops our list!
The property is beautiful and very accommodating for a large family or group. Our only complaint is with the furniture in the house which is all very, very dated. We could not find one chair, couch or sofa that was comfortable. When you sat in any of these, you sank almost to the floor and very difficult to get out of. We have some drone footage and pictures which we can share if you'd like them. Overall, it was a spectacular stay and would do it again.
When we first arrived at the house, we could smell mustiness. Not a big deal, until we found the source. Standing water and mold in the lower level, which is where two bedrooms are located. The mold was climbing up the drywall in some areas. We later found mold on shower curtains throughout the house. (We do have photos). Trying to be reasonable (and also, what else were we to do at that point with 12 people), we contacted the property manager, searched for cleaning materials, found a dehumidifier that was not turned on, started cleaning as best we could, and opened all the windows. The following day, we bought more cleaning supplies to try to kill off as much as we could. We had to clean most days. The mustiness never fully left, but we kept all windows open except the day it rained. We asked for a refund of the cleaning deposit, since it was most definitely not clean and probably not safe, but the owners refused to grant it, alleging we did not tell them right away. We literally sent an email to them about it the first day, probably in the first hour. We also sent photos proving the conditions. We in no way exaggerated what happened. We are actually very chill people, and we’re polite to everyone, even when addressing issues (including a mouse in the kitchen). This place has a lot of deferred maintenance and really old furniture. That said, the location is beautiful and the size of the house is nice. Kayaking from the back yard and enjoying a fire in the fire pit were highlights of the visit. The porches are great and have beautiful views. It could be a great place if they took care of it and invested a little. It would be much better for future guests if the owners listened to feedback and fixed the issues rather than sticking their heads in the sand to keep a cleaning deposit. We have stayed in many VRBO’s throughout the country, and we are very low maintenance. We leave places spotless when we leave to try to make it easier on the cleaning crews. This is the first negative review we have ever submitted. Hopefully they will listen.
The house is beautiful and had loads of room for the family to gather together or have some space. 3 bedrooms had full bathrooms attached and the other 3 had full bathrooms close by. One bedroom had a crib. 2 washers and 2 dryers helped our large family. The large decks were beautiful with plenty of tables and chairs to accommodate everyone. The firepit was wonderful in the evenings with a nice drink. Kayaks were included so we were able to take everyone out in the water. The hammock in the backyard was a nice addition and enjoyed by many. There are several nice restaurants not too far but they book up so suggest making reservations before your trip. The views from the house, the decks, and the firepit are absolutely stunning. I would highly recommend this property.
Home was big enough to accommodate our entire group of 12. The home décor was great. There are maintenance issues the owner needs to address. These issues did not affect our stay. The location to Acadia Park on average is a one hour drive. The ferry launch times did not fit into our plans. I would be more than happy to discuss the maintenance issues with the owner.
Clam Shell by the Sea was everything we hoped it would be very spacious with a beautiful view of the harbor, we were there the first week of October and the leave change was in full bloom.
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