Wandering Maine: A Week Along the Coast
From Portland to Acadia, our days were full of delightful food, tranquil nature, and casual strolls.
By the end of a Florida summer, spending a week up north had never sounded so appealing. I wanted to travel somewhere new, easy to get to, on the coast, and with lots of nature. My pick: Maine. I did not have much of a plan or even an understanding of Maine before going, besides the obvious: lobster and Acadia. I was surprised to find a thriving culinary scene in Portland and locals engulfed in outdoor recreational pastimes and artistic crafts.
We had kicked off our trip with a weekend in Boston, and I took advantage of the two hour train ride to Portland to research for our visit. I pinpointed recommendations from friends, and zoomed in and out of Google Maps marking restaurants, viewpoints, and towns that looked promising. With my map full of various pins, I now had a loose plan for the week.
Once arriving in Portland, we rented a car, which I’d say, is a must. Especially since I wanted to see as much of the coastline as possible during our fairly brief stay. The idea of renting a camper van had crossed my mind, but we ended up basing ourselves on the outskirts of Portland in the town of Freeport. It allowed us to be just close enough to go into the city on a regular basis, but not stay in an urban setting.
DAY ONE: Arrival + An Afternoon in Old Port
Upon our mid-morning arrival, we drove into Portland. We passed signs for a farmers market in the park, so of course, we had to stop by. I walked away with a jar of Lost & Found Farm’s Wild Blueberry + Cardamom Jam. It was a no-brainer to grab a jar and use it throughout the week. I drizzled it on yogurt, spread it on local sourdough, and topped it on brie.
However, our first meal and one of our favorite bites in Maine were the lobster bao buns at Pai Men Miyake.
From lunch, we walked down to the Old Port and strolled along Commercial Street. While passing by, we had to try the infamous potato donuts at The Holy Donut.
We shared three: blueberry cannoli, pomegranate, sweet potato ginger (the flavors were hard to decide on as they all sounded amazing). Unexpectedly, my favorite was the pomegranate. They were such fun flavors, but sorry Maine… the potato donut is not quite my thing.
I had imagined we’d do a food tour, stopping by the various restaurants I had tagged, but we tapped out after two more stops.
We lucked out with an outdoor table at the bustling Eventide Oyster Co. We split their brown butter lobster roll + lobster stew. Both were incredible. We could have easily tasted the entire menu, which has a contemporary approach to classic New England cuisine.
We then again split a lobster roll at the Highroller before departing Portland. The spunky diner did not disappoint, and we returned for a second round later in the week.
We continued on to Freeport to check into our accommodations. I had booked an Airbnb fairly last-minute. It was the cutest little cabin in the the land of LL Bean….which I was not aware of before arriving into town. LL Bean was founded in Freeport and is home to their flagship store (made up multiple building and open 24/7), in addition to their various recreational sites, and corporate headquarters.
For the remainder of the evening, we moseyed around the small downtown area of Freeport, mostly comprised of retail stores.
DAY TWO: Wolfe’s Neck, Cape Elizabeth + Portland Round 2
To begin our day in Freeport, we headed to nearby Wolfe’s Neck Park and the Center for Agriculture & The Environment + Campsite where we spent a couple hours walking around, taking in the views and greenery…and snagging some tomatoes from the greenhouse.
We then spent the rest of the day drifting South and exploring Cape Elizabeth and the surrounding area. We came across the Lobster Shack and basked in the sun at their coastal picnic tables, again sharing a lobster roll.
We found ourselves back in Portland for the evening, sampling more food + bev as I tend to do.
Rising Tide Brewing Company - 103 Fox St.
Root Wild Kombucha - 135 Washington Ave.
10/10 would recommend their flight (to include their Pineapple Jalapeño flavor).
The Shop by Island Creek Oysters - 123 Washington Ave.
DAY THREE: Viewing by Bike + Biddeford
We returned to Wolfe’s Neck and rented bikes from the campsite to explore the area for a couple hours. During our ride we stopped by the L.L. Bean Paddling center and got comfortable in one of their hammocks by the water for a snooze. We did not get to partake, but the kayaking looked spectacular.
Afterwards we headed up to Biddeford and Saco, north of Portland. Again, not knowing much about the area prior, it looked like a fairly big cluster of shops + restaurants on the map. Once there, we spent some time at Elements Book Coffee Bar - 265 Main St.
Sipping on a cardamon latte and perusing the variety of pre-loved books of the buzzing shop created a blissful introduction to Biddeford.
As we got to walking and absorbed the rush of the Saco along the riverwalk. By this point we had noticed the bulk of the area was a series of dense red brick buildings along the river. We discovered it to be called Pepperell Mill. Upon some light research I learned the old sprawling brick mid-19th century textile mill had been revitalized into a multi-use space for work, shop, play, and living. The concept sounded very intriguing, especially as someone who studied architectural history in college. We saw a handful of people around, but the area had a peculiar feeling, almost as if I was in a movie set. Overall, I left curious about what the dynamic of life is like for a local in Biddeford.
DAY FOUR: The MidCoast
As recommended by a local, we drove north to Rockland, Rockport, and Camden.
Along our way to Rockport, we stumbled upon a gem of a town called Wiscasset. We pulled off and stopped at Treat for a coffee and dropped into a few cute boutiques, like Rock Paper Scissors, where I bought a few locally made cards.
Treats - 80 Main St.
Rock Paper Scissors - 68 Maine St.
Rockport-
We parked the car on the main road and walked down the hill to the harbor. It was incredible to see all the sailboats in the dock engulfed by a thick layer of fog, as if we were in the clouds. It created a spooky but peaceful feeling.
Most businesses were closed since it was a Monday, or with signs hanging on their doors reading “away on vacation.” This summed up the small town culture in Maine. So, we spent the bulk of our time in Rockport chilling by the water, watching kids jump and flip off the dock into the freezing cold water.
Camden-
Our next stop was Camden, another town nestled upon the West Penobascot Bay. Camden was more busy with people and touristy shops, but was a nice place to stroll around. We walked around the waterfrot tothe Lyman-Morse Marina, where we enjoyed Gin Tonics outdoors at Barren’s Distillery.
Rockland-
As we turned back South, we made a stop in Rockland. Similar to Rockport, we found many places closed, but we were content strolling around.
Here you can visit the Farnsworth Art Museum - 16 Museum St.
and Main St. Market - stopped in for small snack. - 435 Main St.
Although these collection of towns appeared to be quite small, I still felt like we just scratched the surface of them. If heading to Acadia from Portland, they are pleasant stops along the way.
DAY FIVE: Rainy Moments in Freeport + Portland
We enjoyed an easy morning and stopped in the neighborhood grocery, Bow Street Market, which we had come to love throughout the week.
Due to rainy weather, we did not stay very long at Wolfe’s Neck. We returned to the cottage for a cozy afternoon and lunch at Brickyard Hallow Brewing for blueberry pizza + blueberry beer. Delightful.
Once the weather cleared up, we took our last excursion into Portland, where we dined at locally-sourced American tapas restaurant, Sur Lie for dinner. For us, the standout items were the lobster popover + the hometown hero cocktail (made with popcorn infused bourbon)... strangely incredible.
Bow Street Market - 79 Bow St. (Freeport)
Brickyard Hallow Brewing - 236 Main St (Yarmouth) also location in Freeport.
Sur Lie - 11 Free St. (Portland)
DAY SIX: Acadia + Bar Harbor
Our last day was my favorite. We drove up to Acadia in the early morning. On our way there, Black Fly Coffee Co. drew us in off the road. We fueled up with some coffee + breaky.
At Acadia, we opted for mild paths:
The Ocean Walk: Stunning coastal views with crashing waves, pink granite, and curious otters
Bubble Rock: Boulder atop high overlook with again, stunning views of greenery + the water. It was incredibly peaceful sitting up at the top and soaking it all in.
We continued into Bar Harbor and walked the cute (but touristic) streets. We enjoyed blueberry soft serve and a long lunch at the picnic tables of Bar Harbor Lobster Co.
It was an abbreviated time to spend in such a beautiful area, but I was happy to get a taste.
Black Fly Coffee Co. - 107 Main Rd, Holden Maine
Bar Harbor Lobster Co. - 297 Main St. (Bar Harbor)
By the end of my days, I fell in love with the small-town feeling, local businesses, and laid-back environment Maine offers. The strong culture around boating and the outdoors lures you in, in a way that is completely different to that of South Florida. I enjoyed Maine more than expected, and I look forward to returning and digging into numerous places and people I did not get a chance to experience this time around.
Destination Takeaways:
Transport Tips: A car is essential. Although there are some walkable areas in downtown Portland, you’ll likely need a car to get where you want to go. Also, our experience with Amtrak was easy if you are moving between Boston (we planned our trip to fly in and out of different airports).
Our Accommodation: Cozy Cottage in Freeport Village - Airbnb listing
Our Top 3 Must-Stops: The Ocean Path in Acadia National Park…sitting on the rocks and feeling the sea spray, hearing the waves crash, and spotting otters; Shared Plates at Sur Lie in Portland (Lobster Popover + Hometown Hero Cocktail 10/10); Favorite Lobster Roll at Eventide Oyster Co.