Coastal Maine: Vacationland
- colleenjcolvin
- Jul 26, 2021
- 6 min read
Read on for our favorite stops around Maine! Hot spots include: Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Freeport, Portland, and all the lighthouses you can imagine.
Use the Table of Contents to find specific areas throughout Maine and what we did there!
Table of Contents
Travel Info
Flights: The biggest airport in Maine is Portland (PWM), but we actually found direct flights to Boston. In order to get the full Maine road trip experience, we rented a car and drove up and down the coast - beginning and ending in Boston.
Stays: Because we drove up the coast, we stayed in a couple different AirBnBs, listed below. The first two were small cottages (very cute, but only big enough for two people). The third was our favorite - a multi-level apartment in Portland.
Rental Car: We rented a car through Hertz and got a great deal, but I recommend checking Turo as well. If you do this trip, you will definitely need a rental car!
Southern Maine
We started our trip by driving from Boston to Wells - a town just outside Ogunquit, Maine. Here are a few of the places we visited while in Southern Maine:
Bob's Clam Hut - Kittery, Maine
A truly iconic place to stop for seafood on the side of the road! Just over an hour north of Boston, Bob's Clam Hut is a local hot spot and has delicious crab cakes.
Ogunquit & Wells
We ate breakfast at Bessie's in Ogunquit and loved it, however, according to TripAdvisor, Bessie's has closed permanently! Here's a few other places we loved in town:
Footbridge Beach - walk across a footbridge form the parking lot to get to the sandy beach. Pack snacks, a book, and a towel because the swimming is great! What you should know: $25 parking for the day
Nubble Lighthouse - see Main Sights
Fisherman's Catch in Wells - wonderful dinner spot with delicious lobster and an option for outdoor dining
What you should know: Expect a wait! We put our names in and drove around the cute downtown area while we waited for a table.
Backyard Coffee - Backyard Coffee sells vegan blueberry coconut scones...need I say more? Delicious and fun spot to grab a cup of fuel.
Northern Maine
We bypassed Portland to do that at the end of our trip and headed north to spend a few days!
Bar Harbor
We adored Bar Harbor! We were supposed to go on a kayak tour with Coastal Kayaks Inc., but it got cancelled due to weather. Highly recommend trying to book a kayak excursion, if you can! If you are looking for information on Acadia National Park, see Main Sights.
Sunrise Cafe - this cute cafe on the pier has delicious breakfast sandwiches and is a beautiful spot to enjoy your morning coffee right on the water!
Afternoon Sail - our afternoon sailing trip around the bay islands with Downeast Windjammer Cruises was so fun! This is a very family friendly activity with opportunities to spot wildlife and learn from the park ranger that accompanies your tour.
Jeannie's Great Maine Breakfast - Jeannie's sells vegan blueberry pancakes and I am drooling just writing about them. We came here for breakfast right after watching the sunrise at Cadillac Mountain (see Main Sights) and couldn't recommend more!
Maine's Own Treats - old-fashioned spot for knick-knacks and souvenirs. We got vintage Maine postcards from here.
The Shore Path - one mile walk along luxurious estates in Bar Harbor
Coffee Matter - this coffee shop has delicious lattes and is on your way into town
Sullivan/Ellsworth
Sullivan and Ellsworth are the small, less touristy towns across the bay from Mount Desert Island (where Bar Harbor/Acadia is). We stayed in Sullivan and had a great time exploring the little towns and meeting the kindest locals.
Provender Kitchen & Bar - Provender is a fancier date spot for dinner. Delicious lobster pasta and fun cocktails are on the menu!
Flexit Cafe - we loved Flexit! The owner and manager were so kind and chatted us up, even recommending a dinner spot for us in Portland. Great place for a breakfast sandwich and right next to the farmer's market.
Airline Brewing Co. - we spent a rainy afternoon at Airline drinking beer, eating warm chili, and playing cards. It looks like an old English pub inside - so fun!
Portland & Freeport
Freeport
LL Bean Flagship Store - The LL Bean Flagship is huge and honestly pretty fun to walk around. They have a large sale section if you want to buy something, but aren't in the market for anything big and pricey.
Portland
Portland Head Light - see Main Sights
Higher Grounds - neat coffee shop in a cobblestone alleyway in downtown Portland. Great spot to read a book in the sunshine.
Fore Street - we splurged on our last night at this amazing restaurant! There's an open kitchen and the most delicious desserts. Highly recommend!
What you should know: Make a reservation! This place is popular.
Old Port - historic district on the water with cobblestone streets. Very cute to walk around!
Holy Donut - iconic donut shop selling Maine potato donuts. They have vegan options!
What you should know: Get there before it opens - I'm not kidding. There will be a long line even that early. But it's a fun Portland staple!
Main(e) Sights
Pun very intended. This section might as well be titled "Lighthouses", but you'll also find information about Acadia National Park!
#1 Nubble Lighthouse
Located in Southern Maine in the town of York. There's a parking lot and you can walk out onto the rocks to watch the water or get a better look at the lighthouse. First opened in 1879.
#2 Acadia National Park
If you are going to Maine and have time, you just have to go to Acadia! Its rugged coastline and stunning blue waters make it one of my all time favorite national parks. Here are a few of the places we stopped in the park:
Bass Harbor Lighthouse - my favorite lighthouse of the trip! We went to sunset one day and it was crazy crowded with tourists with large cameras. We went back mid-day later in the week and had a much better experience.
Thunder Hole - this is a crazy phenomenon when the tide is high!
Park Loop Drive - stunning coastal views
Otter Cliff - great lookout point and area to climb around
Jordan Pond - great hike around the beautiful clear pond
Schoodic Point - outside the main park area, but still technically in the park.
Cadillac Mountain - we got up at an ungodly hour and saw the sunrise from the summit! It is the first sunrise in the US! The tiredness you'll feel the rest of the day is worth it for this incredible experience.
#3 Prospect Harbor Lighthouse
The lighthouse is technically on a military base, but you can drive right up to the base gate and walk on the beach to get a fantastic view of the quaint lighthouse. Prospect Harbor is a cute little town, too!
#4 Permaquid Point Lighthouse
This lighthouse located in Bristol, Maine has a really neat museum inside the lighthouse! You can walk all around the outside on the rocks as well as tour the inside of the lighthouse, while reading about its history. A great stop for sure!
#5 Portland Head Light
This is the lighthouse you've probably seen whenever you look up pictures of Maine. It definitely does not disappoint and is a must-see in my opinion! Walk around the coastline and take some postcard-worthy photos of this Portland beauty.
Hit It or Miss It
Everything previously listed has been a "hit it", meaning you should definitely try to go if you have time on your trip. The following are "miss its" meaning we don't think you're missing much if you choose not to go.
Miss It #1: LL Bean Outlet in Ellsworth
If you find yourself in Northern Maine and are in need of another layer, definitely check out the LL Bean Outlet store in Ellsworth. Otherwise, it's not that worth it. The deals are not that great and they only have XXS or XXL in most of their items. Skip this spot and go to the flagship store in Portland if you want some gear!
Miss It #2: Tailgate Kitchen & Bar
We arrived in Bar Harbor late in the evening and were starving, so we ate dinner at the first spot we found, which was Tailgate. The place isn't bad, but it is your average sports bar with overpriced food (since it's in a tourist town). Skip this place and find some fresh seafood if you're in Bar Harbor!
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