A Long Weekend in Southern Maine

I recently came back from a glorious long weekend to the southern Maine coast. It was a place that I’ve been wanting to go for months, and once the kids finished school I thought it was a great spot to spend some quality family time before they started summer camp.

Multiple people I know have been raving about the southern part of Maine, and now that I’m living in New England, I just had to go and experience it for myself.

Our first stop was to have lunch and explore Ogunquit and then stay overnight in Kennebunkport and hit Portland on the last day — each place different and on the coast. The kids had a blast and we had picture-perfect weather, which made our visit all the better. Maine has a lot to offer for everyone with great restaurants, sailing, fishing, boating, beautiful beaches and bustling harbors. It really is an idyllic spot in the summertime.

Ogunquit was our first stop where we had lobster rolls in Perkins Cove and walked along Marginal Way, a beautiful walking trail that offers stunning views of the coast. It’s definitely a must-see.

{Ogunquit’s gorgeous rocky coast can be seen from the Marginal Way Foot Path}

{Maine lobster and seafood at The Lobster Shack in Ogunquit}

{Perkins Cove}

We then stayed one night in Kennebunkport, a popular summer enclave that has great beaches, tons of restaurants, shops, hiking trails and beautiful scenery. It’s also where the Bush family has their summer compound if you care about that stuff.

{leaving the hotel for a bike ride, sans helmet}

{Shrimp stuffed lobster for dinner at Mabel’s Lobster Claw}

{We had cocktails and appetizers on the front porch of the The Tides Beach Club overlooking Goose Rocks Beach}

{Fishing off Goose Rocks, one of the prettiest beaches}

{Lobster traps in Cape Porpoise}

{Fresh lobster is everywhere and so good}

Our last stop was to Portland, which was not too far of a drive from Kennebunkport. The kids would have rather stayed another night in Kennebunkport, but I was dying to check out Portland and we had our hotel booked. Portland is buzzing these days for its top-notch restaurants, creative vibe, walking downtown and beautiful landscapes. It reminded me of Seattle or San Fransisco and it sits right on Casco Bay. There is a lot to do in Portland — sightseeing excursions by boat, exploring Old Port, great shopping and a booming restaurant scene. My favorite places we ate during our visit were Eventide Oyster Co, Duckfat, Slab and Tandem Coffee.