Hidden gems in Maine

[kanne323]

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

Ooh, that adds some ideas, then- have you guys visited the children's museum in Portland? It's great! Also, York Wild Animal Kingdom (small zoo and amusement park) and then there's the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray- that's about an hour from Wells. Then there's Funtown in Saco, though the kids would be too little for some rides. The one place I'd avoid is Aquaboggan... not very clean last time we were there, and the lifeguards were talking about how they hate to go in the wave pool because it's so dirty.

Kids that age might enjoy the short trail to Cascade Falls in Saco, too. Have you been to the reserve in Wells? They have an accessible (stroller-friendly!) trail.

 

[kanne323]

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!

I always get forget where the line is. I did not know that YBBC and SoMe are related! Definitive has a big location up in Portland, too, and Brickyard Hollow has a few locations. I didn't know the Portsmouth ones- making a note.

 

[kanne323]

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.

I'm definitely biased, but it is amazing! One of the great things about our state is that it offers so much variety. The area in discussion here is just the southernmost part of the state and it's wildly different from the very northern part of the state, where my family is from. I leave my home in the most visited southern beach town and in five hours I'm at the family camp on a crisp, cold lake in the St. John River Valley, where it's not uncommon to hear the older residents still speaking French and there's not much to do besides enjoy the great outdoors. And that's just the two extreme ends of the state- there are many more regions in between, each with a unique identity.

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

Thank you! I love Mackworth, especially in the off-season.

 

[kanne323]

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.

Guilty! But doesn't it sound like a good idea? Narrow down the BEST ice cream in a region? And in a region like this, where every beach town is almost required to have at least three ice cream shops, not to mention the inland towns with their own??? I'm willing to not include the shops that don't make their own, of course. But that still leaves approximately one zillion.

Edited to add- should anyone choose to embark on this quest, I highly recommend stretchy pants.

 

[leebee]

I always get forget where the line is. I did not know that YBBC and SoMe are related! Definitive has a big location up in Portland, too, and Brickyard Hollow has a few locations. I didn't know the Portsmouth ones- making a note.

Funny/small world story. We live in Orono, ME and Orono Brewing Company has gone from a 20 seat tasting room to a decent sized brewery with distribution across New England. We've been going to OBC since they opened and know the owners, head brewer, etc. Last summer we were at Loaded Question in Portsmouth- and it turns out their head brewer and the head brewer from OBC were college roommates!

 

[leebee]

Best ice cream? Shain's of Maine in Sanford.
Dunne's in York, by Nubble Light, is very good... but they sell Shain's!

 

[Snowflakey]

I'm definitely biased, but it is amazing! One of the great things about our state is that it offers so much variety. The area in discussion here is just the southernmost part of the state and it's wildly different from the very northern part of the state, where my family is from. I leave my home in the most visited southern beach town and in five hours I'm at the famly camp on a crisp, cold lake in the St. John River Valley, where it's not uncommon to hear the older residents still speaking French and there's not much to do besides enjoy the great outdoors. And that's just the two extreme ends of the state- there are many more regions in between, each with a unique identity.

This is our hope is to find a house to rent further north on the ocean where we can just enjoy being outdoors. I will need to come back to you for suggestions

 

[snowwite]

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

I had forgot about the Maine Maritime Museum. it was awesome and we did the boat trip as well. You can also tour Bath Iron Worlks next door

 

[snowwite]

Ooh, that adds some ideas, then- have you guys visited the children's museum in Portland? It's great! Also, York Wild Animal Kingdom (small zoo and amusement park) and then there's the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray- that's about an hour from Wells. Then there's Funtown in Saco, though the kids would be too little for some rides. The one place I'd avoid is Aquaboggan... not very clean last time we were there, and the lifeguards were talking about how they hate to go in the wave pool because it's so dirty.

Kids that age might enjoy the short trail to Cascade Falls in Saco, too. Have you been to the reserve in Wells? They have an accessible (stroller-friendly!) trail.

Of those I’d say Maine Wildlife Park was the best. My husband was surprised and a little bit scared to learn what lives in the woods. We have caught some cool critters on the game cameras.

 

[snowwite]

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.

My MIL LOVED Strawberry Banke. We did the tour then the tea.

 

[snowwite]

Oh one more- the Wiggly Bridge. The world’s smallest suspension bridge is in York.
It’s an easy stroll over the bridge to a wee island and back. If you carry anything in please carry it out. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/wiggly-bridge

https://www.bowdoin.edu/arctic-museum/
I forgot to add the cool Arctic Museum in Brunswick
There is a Life is Good shop and several theatres and restaurants as well as an indoor flea market