Wife and I are going to take a trip to coastal Maine for our 25th Anniversary. Going last week of June for 7 days. Flying in to Portalnd. Looking for advice on places to stay, eat and see, etc. Looking at Bar Harbor, Camden , etc. Especially looking for a memorable fine dining dinner recommendation for anniversary night. Thanks in advance for any suggestions
The Kittery Trading Post in Kittery is a must see store. It's like a locally owned Cabelas, but has a much broader outdoor gear selection. The store is huge and will not disappoint. You can get a lobster dinner there, but it is very casual.
My wife and I ate at a different mom and pop lobster place every night. Most places were picnic tables or utility spools in the parking lot or yard. We never did see an indoor restaurant, but we weren't looking for one, either.
Also, Do Not Forget Skeeter Dope!! They are wimpy compared to Wis skeets, but they are plentiful.
Bar Harbor is a tourist trap but you CAN catch a whale watching cruise if you're into that sort of thing.
My wife and I did a similar trip a few years ago. Acadia NP is a Beautiful place. Also I don't remember where it was exactly but we managed to get a camp site right on the ocean and had the place to ourself for the most part. The campground loaned out lobster boiling pots and utensils and hooked us up with a local that sold sea food right off the boat within walking distance of the campground.
Another suggestion is to hit the LL Bean headquarters store in Freeport.
Other than that we pretty much just enjoyed hitting the little shops in a bunch of no-name towns along the coast. The food was good everywhere we went, but then again we were not use to REALLY fresh seafood and we ate a lot of it.
They say everything happens for a reason. For me that reason is usually because I've made some bad decisions that I need to pay for.
Lobster for breakfast, dinner and supper, what's not to like. Just find your way, it all works out. Be careful though, those liberals are real weird about where you can drink a beer.
It's funny to me, the more north you go the more "liberal" but the less liberties.
make sure to stop by old orchard beach in the summer for the annual migration of speedo wearing hairy french canadians. men and women. its a fricken treat.
A great place to eat is the Dolphin restaurant in south Harpswell. Fantastic food and great views. Off the beaten path but well worth the drive. Southeast of Brunswick
make sure to stop by old orchard beach in the summer for the annual migration of speedo wearing hairy french canadians. men and women. its a fricken treat.
The lack of southern migration from Quebec has been the main positive outcome of the scamdemic, IMHO. I hate it for the businesses, but can't help but enjoy my summers more.
�Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn't even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior, and he will bring the others back.�
We avoid the touristy places , like Bar Harbor , Kennebunk, etc. Enjoyed Acadia and little bar in B irch harbor called Pickled Wrinkle, where they serve pickled wrinkes.
Near Acadia and airfields near bar harbor offer bi-plane flights.
We flew in a Waco ( Cover Girl) similiar to this . Lotsa fun , as radial engined planes always are.
The Hearthstone in Camden is a nice B&B. check out the Lobster “Shacks” along the way. Portland and South Portland has some great eateries, use trip advisor. If you go to Freeport the home of LL Bean, the Haraseekett Inn, the Tavern Restaurant has excellent lobster rolls and great place to stay for the night and eat. Take a left out of the Haraseekett and walk 5 minutes you will see the sign for Isabella’s - stop in for coffee and a sticky bun, get it warm. Bailey’s island has some good eateries for lobster. Cole’s guns has a store off the beaten path if you like shotguns. Red’s Eats is pretty well know but haven’t eaten there. I will get back to you on other places along the way. How far up the coast do you intend to drive?
make sure to stop by old orchard beach in the summer for the annual migration of speedo wearing hairy french canadians. men and women. its a fricken treat.
The lack of southern migration from Quebec has been the main positive outcome of the scamdemic, IMHO. I hate it for the businesses, but can't help but enjoy my summers more.
i almost forgot the stroke inducing cold water at the beach. i wondered why nobody was swimming. i got out and i was blue.
Boothbay Harbor is beautiful. 45 minute drive or so over to Damariscotta and down to Pemaquid Point lighthouse, the one on the Maine quarter. This inn was always our favorite: https://www.boothbayharbor.com/stay/inns-at-greenleaf-lane/ Owls Head transportation museum is superb. Everything there flies and drives and, if you're lucky, you'll see it happen. https://owlshead.org/default.aspx Owls Head lighthouse is near there, too. Restaurants. Never ate at a bad one, so... YMMV. Enjoy your trip.
"Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing." Robert E. Howard
Kittery - Trading Post & outlet chain style shopping
Ogunquit has some nice seafood & breakfast spots - Omelette Factory is great. Flo’s Hotdog stand is a must stop. Wells Beach has some mini golf & perhaps has the best sandy beach in the area.
York Beach Neddick Lighthouse is cool & shops too.
North of Wells Beach there are lots of antique shops The Scoop Deck ice cream shop has 100 flavors and is a must stop.
Kennebunkport - Bush Compound, good quaint downtown shops, sweet little sea glass jewelry store - original stuff & worth the stop
Beyond Kinnebunkport is Biddeford and then I’d go to Portlands old port - restaurants & touristy stuff
North of Portland is mostly small town coastline and much is original Maine but not noteworthy.
Bath Maine is a cool town - excellent restaurants & lodging nice walking
paid to take a boat out and collect lobster traps and take you on a tour of the harbor area in Portland - sold you lobster they caught at the end of the trip for $5 a pop, your choice, walk up the steps at the dock and paid a restaurant $10 to cook them with a baked potato, cole slaw and a drink. It was straight up tourist but I enjoyed it.
I liked Portland alright but I wouldn't spend more than a day there.
Last edited by KFWA; 02/14/22.
have you paid your dues, can you moan the blues, can you bend them guitar strings
Chickadee restaurant in Lewiston for lobster stew, Village Inn in Auburn for fried clams, 5 Islands Lobster Co. in Georgetown for fresh lobster. We go back home every year and make it a point to stop at these places for some of the best seafood in the state.
We went for our 49th anniversary. We stayed in a former whaling captain's house VRBO, right next to the park at the north end of town, up on the hill. Walking distance to eateries and lots more. But next time we go, we'll stay at one or more of the many quaint little coastal B&Bs between Portland and Bah Hahbah.
Our plan was to stay in Portland and drive to the various other sights. Turned out all the places we visited were north of Portland. Hence the plan for next time.
Take one of the bus lighthouse tours from Portland. Go out on the Monday morning sailboat trip to the Rockland harbor to see all the tall ships departing on cruises and see the Owl's Head Transportation Museum near Rockland for all thing auto, plane, and more. (We did both on the same day.)
There is also a walking tour of restaurants focusing on local sourced foods. The tour is rated the best in the world of its kind, and it is quite frankly awesome. It's called Tastes of Downtown.
Edit to add: Portland is a real "foodies" city. Any thing and everything you fancy can be found. IIRC, there are 750 or so eateries within city limits. But they seem to be in cahoots because every meal seems to be $40+ per person no matter what you order. Be prepared to drop bucks to eat.
I live in Boothbay Harbor and may be able to help as well with local info. Feel free to PM or whatever. We have a home in western Maine we rent out and there are beautiful ponds and mountains all around.
