Hidden gems in Maine

[Snowflakey]

Hi folks - my family goes to Maine every year and stays on the ocean in the Southern portion. Would love to know of any hidden gems to see. Not much over an hour or two away from the Wells area. Would love to find something new this year. Could be a cute country store, bakery, store to shop at, place to have lunch along the ocean, good place to cast a few fishing poles that isn't crazy populated, anything!

Thanks in advance!

 

[mickeyboat]

Hi folks - my family goes to Maine every year and stays on the ocean in the Southern portion. Would love to know of any hidden gems to see. Not much over an hour or two away from the Wells area. Would love to find something new this year. Could be a cute country store, bakery, store to shop at, place to have lunch along the ocean, good place to cast a few fishing poles that isn't crazy populated, anything!

Thanks in advance!

Boothbay Harbor - have a lobster dinner at the Boothbay Lobster Wharf, visit the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.

 

[PrincesCJM]

Portland Headlight in Cape Elizabeth. Also any of the Portland Harbor boat tours. I did the Lights and Sights last year and it was good. Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad. Any of the local, small ice cream stands.

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

Ogunquit
Walk the beach
Walk the Marginal Way (1.25 mile cliff walk)
Walk around Perkins Cove
Eat at the Lobster Shack in Perkins Cove

 

[SueInBoston]

Boothbay Harbor - have a lobster dinner at the Boothbay Lobster Wharf, visit the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.

My first thought when I saw Maine..

 

[leebee]

Not Maine, but Portsmouth, NH, near the old Pease Airforce Base, is Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge. There are some really neat walking trails/boardwalks that are easy to access and there are some interesting things to see. https://www.fws.gov/refuge/great-bay (If you pull up the map, the walking trails are the dotted lines near the North Apron.)
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/20...en-History-Pease-Air-Force-Base-New-Hampshire

Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth. It's a collection of colonial-era homes and shops from old-time Portsmouth. We all enjoyed walking through the buildings, listening to the docents, and learning about the colonial roots of the area.

There is also a dry-docked submarine, The USS Albacore, at Albacore Park in Portsmouth.

Mt. Agamenticus in York. You can drive up to the top of the mountain for some great views. There are picnic areas and mostly-easy hiking trails. I can remember going here as a little girl in the 1960s, with my grandfather, and going up all the stairs to the game warden's fire watchtower. We also used to ski here, when it was a "resort" and you can still see the bases and anchorages for some of the ski lifts. https://agamenticus.org/

Nubble Light in York. The lighthouse is pretty, even though you can't go over to the island or in the light anymore (unless you know where the secret tunnels, up through the rock wall and only accessible at low tide, might be ). Fox's restaurant/take out is right there, and Dunne's Ice Cream, the best in the area, is just down the road. It's also a lovely walk along Long Sands Beach.

 

[anniemae]

Ogunquit
Walk the beach
Walk the Marginal Way (1.25 mile cliff walk)
Walk around Perkins Cove
Eat at the Lobster Shack in Perkins Cove

All this! There are some cute shops in Perkins Cove, and a great candy store. You can also take a trolley ride right from Perkins Cove and it goes all over Ogunquit and the Beach. You can stay on or get off at any of the stops (it's been years since I've done this so I don't' know if its still operating) Also some great ice cream!

 

[kanne323]

Hi folks - my family goes to Maine every year and stays on the ocean in the Southern portion. Would love to know of any hidden gems to see. Not much over an hour or two away from the Wells area. Would love to find something new this year. Could be a cute country store, bakery, store to shop at, place to have lunch along the ocean, good place to cast a few fishing poles that isn't crazy populated, anything!

Thanks in advance!

I'm a coastal Southern Maine local. If you've been coming to Wells for years, I'm sure you've seen a lot of these, but here are some places that I go often or take guests:

-Marginal Way, Ogunquit (but super busy in the summer)
-Ogunquit Playhouse- some good shows coming up, including Come From Away
-Two Lights State Park (Cape Elizabeth; closed for renovations at the moment but should be open again in May)- prettier views than Portland Head Light/For Williams
-Try some sweet treats from St. Joe's (York or Scarborough but York has the better iced tea selection; try the bennies at either), Cookie Jar (Cape Elizabeth... the donuts my favorite in the state, even better than Congdon's to me though I know that's contested, ha), Yuri's (Portland- croissants stuffed with fresh fruit among other treats), Fika (Saco, tiny walk-up bakery that has different items every week)
-ICE CREAM. I have this bad idea to finally determine where the BEST ice cream is every summer, which would involved seeking out and trying many, many ice cream shops
-Biddeford Pool/Fortune's Rocks, Biddeford (great walking beach)
-Camp Ellis (Saco)- walk the rock jetty
-Portland- so much to see if you haven't already- art museum, take a class at Terrarium, see if there's a good show at Thompson's Point, walk around the Old Port, take a ride on the Narrow Gauge Railroad, get out on the water- riding the mailboat is a favorite, or take the ferry to Peaks or one of the other islands, look into a trip to Fort Gorges
-Mackworth Island, Falmouth- walk the trail around the island. Parking can be really challenging, so go early.
-Breweries- I'm not a beer drinker so I am not well-versed in best here, but there are soooo many all through the state, and for a non-beer drinker, they're still fun- some favorites with my guests have been Odd By Nature (I think York... maybe Kittery?), Barreled Souls (Saco- great creative flavors that I've even liked, great atmosphere, and in the basement of a law office), and then the Portland crew- Orange Bike, Belleflower, Rising Tide, Lone Pine (also a beer garden in OOB), Bissell Brothers, Allagash, Definitive, Goodfire, Foundation, etc.) Oh, and Maine Beer Company in Freeport is a fun experience.
-Further away:
-Maine Maritime Museum in Bath- I HIGHLY recommend this and do think it's truly a hidden gem. It's a beautiful museum that only takes a few hours, at most, to explore, with an even more beautiful outdoor area. I've only been in the winter, so I've never done the outside activities, but the setting cannot be beat.
-Brunswick- fun to poke around downtown in the shops and cafes
-Harpswell- GREAT hiking trails with gorgeous views, try the cliff walk
-Botanical garden- go see the giant trolls (Boothbay)
-Eartha- the giant rotating globe in Yarmouth (easy to see on the way to the above places)

Or try going west- spent a day at Sebago! I don't have much experience going out there in the summer except to Camp Sunshine... so no recommendations for food or anything. But the lake is so beautiful.

Have you explored all of the coastal towns? I love to go spend a few hours just walking around other towns' downtowns (York, Ogunquit, Kennebunk & Kport.) Watch the surfers at Higgins Beach (Scarborough) or take a surf lesson, drive around Prout's Neck (Scarborough), walk Pine Point to OOB, take in the craziness OOB can be in the evenings (fireworks every Thursday on the beach, concerts at the ballpark a little less often, Pier Fries.)

For shops... Beachology in OOB is great, it's not the typical OOB t-shirt and cheap bathing suit shop. They have nice stuff, including locally made. If you're a tea fan, there's a lovely tea shop in Ogunquit (pricey but has some really great products.) Freeport is always fun for an afternoon of shopping- LL Bean is undergoing yet more renovations and they've set up temporary shop in a giant tent-shaped building. But depending on what you like, Freeport also offers a crystal shop, tea shop, some cute boutiques, etc. Oh, I've heard the candle making place can be fun.

If you have a rainy day, Jordan's Furniture in South Portland has a high ropes course.

Also, keep an eye out for local events. I'm not sure when you're coming, but we do have various events all year. Many towns have art walks and festivals, other festivals, farmers markets, etc.

 

[kanne323]

Just thought of two more- totally depends on the interests of your family, but the classic car museum in Arundel can be interesting, and the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport is fun.

 

[snowwite]

Hi folks - my family goes to Maine every year and stays on the ocean in the Southern portion. Would love to know of any hidden gems to see. Not much over an hour or two away from the Wells area. Would love to find something new this year. Could be a cute country store, bakery, store to shop at, place to have lunch along the ocean, good place to cast a few fishing poles that isn't crazy populated, anything!

Thanks in advance!

Take a drive up to the Marshall Light house and museum. It’s the one that Forrest Gump runs to and it’s got spectacular views. https://www.marshallpoint.org/
Go to Frosty’s Donuts in Brunswick https://www.frostysdonuts.com/
Go see the giant Trolls https://www.mainegardens.org/events-exhibits/giant-trolls/

 

[Snowflakey]

I'm a coastal Southern Maine local. If you've been coming to Wells for years, I'm sure you've seen a lot of these, but here are some places that I go often or take guests:

-Marginal Way, Ogunquit (but super busy in the summer)
-Ogunquit Playhouse- some good shows coming up, including Come From Away
-Two Lights State Park (Cape Elizabeth; closed for renovations at the moment but should be open again in May)- prettier views than Portland Head Light/For Williams
-Try some sweet treats from St. Joe's (York or Scarborough but York has the better iced tea selection; try the bennies at either), Cookie Jar (Cape Elizabeth... the donuts my favorite in the state, even better than Congdon's to me though I know that's contested, ha), Yuri's (Portland- croissants stuffed with fresh fruit among other treats), Fika (Saco, tiny walk-up bakery that has different items every week)
-ICE CREAM. I have this bad idea to finally determine where the BEST ice cream is every summer, which would involved seeking out and trying many, many ice cream shops
-Biddeford Pool/Fortune's Rocks, Biddeford (great walking beach)
-Camp Ellis (Saco)- walk the rock jetty
-Portland- so much to see if you haven't already- art museum, take a class at Terrarium, see if there's a good show at Thompson's Point, walk around the Old Port, take a ride on the Narrow Gauge Railroad, get out on the water- riding the mailboat is a favorite, or take the ferry to Peaks or one of the other islands, look into a trip to Fort Gorges
-Mackworth Island, Falmouth- walk the trail around the island. Parking can be really challenging, so go early.
-Breweries- I'm not a beer drinker so I am not well-versed in best here, but there are soooo many all through the state, and for a non-beer drinker, they're still fun- some favorites with my guests have been Odd By Nature (I think York... maybe Kittery?), Barreled Souls (Saco- great creative flavors that I've even liked, great atmosphere, and in the basement of a law office), and then the Portland crew- Orange Bike, Belleflower, Rising Tide, Lone Pine (also a beer garden in OOB), Bissell Brothers, Allagash, Definitive, Goodfire, Foundation, etc.) Oh, and Maine Beer Company in Freeport is a fun experience.
-Further away:
-Maine Maritime Museum in Bath- I HIGHLY recommend this and do think it's truly a hidden gem. It's a beautiful museum that only takes a few hours, at most, to explore, with an even more beautiful outdoor area. I've only been in the winter, so I've never done the outside activities, but the setting cannot be beat.
-Brunswick- fun to poke around downtown in the shops and cafes
-Harpswell- GREAT hiking trails with gorgeous views, try the cliff walk
-Botanical garden- go see the giant trolls (Boothbay)
-Eartha- the giant rotating globe in Yarmouth (easy to see on the way to the above places)

Or try going west- spent a day at Sebago! I don't have much experience going out there in the summer except to Camp Sunshine... so no recommendations for food or anything. But the lake is so beautiful.

Have you explored all of the coastal towns? I love to go spend a few hours just walking around other towns' downtowns (York, Ogunquit, Kennebunk & Kport.) Watch the surfers at Higgins Beach (Scarborough) or take a surf lesson, drive around Prout's Neck (Scarborough), walk Pine Point to OOB, take in the craziness OOB can be in the evenings (fireworks every Thursday on the beach, concerts at the ballpark a little less often, Pier Fries.)

For shops... Beachology in OOB is great, it's not the typical OOB t-shirt and cheap bathing suit shop. They have nice stuff, including locally made. If you're a tea fan, there's a lovely tea shop in Ogunquit (pricey but has some really great products.) Freeport is always fun for an afternoon of shopping- LL Bean is undergoing yet more renovations and they've set up temporary shop in a giant tent-shaped building. But depending on what you like, Freeport also offers a crystal shop, tea shop, some cute boutiques, etc. Oh, I've heard the candle making place can be fun.

If you have a rainy day, Jordan's Furniture in South Portland has a high ropes course.

Also, keep an eye out for local events. I'm not sure when you're coming, but we do have various events all year. Many towns have art walks and festivals, other festivals, farmers markets, etc.

This is absolutely amazing! Thank you so much! So much we haven't seen yet. So excited!!!!

 

[leebee]

I'm a coastal Southern Maine local. If you've been coming to Wells for years, I'm sure you've seen a lot of these, but here are some places that I go often or take guests:

-Breweries- I'm not a beer drinker so I am not well-versed in best here, but there are soooo many all through the state, and for a non-beer drinker, they're still fun- some favorites with my guests have been Odd By Nature (I think York... maybe Kittery?), Barreled Souls (Saco- great creative flavors that I've even liked, great atmosphere, and in the basement of a law office), and then the Portland crew- Orange Bike, Belleflower, Rising Tide, Lone Pine (also a beer garden in OOB), Bissell Brothers, Allagash, Definitive, Goodfire, Foundation, etc.) Oh, and Maine Beer Company in Freeport is a fun experience.

Yup, Odd by Nature is in York, on Rt. 1. Also, for a really different lunch, go to Flo's (near Odd by Nature) for hot dogs. That's all they serve, steamed dogs in a napkin (which sometimes becomes part of the bun), chips, drinks. Order them with mayo, celery salt, and sauce. We always buy sauce to bring home (it's a slightly sweet onion chutney-like concoction).
Other breweries we've tried include York Beach Beer Company and SoME in York (sister breweries), Definitive in Kittery, Loaded Question, Earth Eagle and Liar's Bench in Portsmouth, and Brickyard Hollow in Ogunquit. Thirsty Moose (lots of locations in the area) has close to 100 beer taps and amazing pizza (among other dishes).

York Village also has historical houses and the "Old Gaol" you can tour, and a very old cemetery where an alleged witch is buried!

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I don't know anything about where to go in Maine, but I know I would love to go. From what I have seen on TV it looks amazing.

 

[PRomano]

Coastal Maine Botanic Garden, I think it is more than an hour away but worth the trip.
Maine Maritime Museum is a must. We did the bath iron works tour add on, so interesting.

 

[Snowflakey]

Thanks everyone for your replies! We are a family of 12 with five being my grandbabies - age 5 and under

 

[pezgirlroy]

Just thought of two more- totally depends on the interests of your family, but the classic car museum in Arundel can be interesting, and the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport is fun.

As someone who used to live in the area your recommendations are amazing. I lived very close to Mackworth island and loved it.

 

[HeatherC]

Bath, Maine is a nice little town on the Kennebec River with cute shops and restaurants. It is on the way to Boothbay Harbor. I would also suggest Popham Beach in Phippsburg which is nearby. Gorgeous beach!

 

[cabanafrau]

-ICE CREAM. I have this bad idea to finally determine where the BEST ice cream is every summer, which would involved seeking out and trying many, many ice cream shops

Ah, so You're the bad influence mother always warned me about! I had started to think it was just a fable, but no, the danger is truly out there, lurking in plain sight amongst innocuous travel recommendations.

 

[DanceDisney23]

If your trip takes you to Kittery, we love Robert’s Maine Grill for lunch. Kittery trading post is a fun place to poke around, too, if you are outdoorsy.

 

[happybaker]

If you'll be in the area on a Friday or Saturday night, go to Ryan's Corner House in Kennebunk. They have live music both nights and it's great fun! We like Friday nights a bit more.

This is their last summer as their lease wasnt able to be renewed