Sharing allll the details on our insanely gorgeous fall tour of Maine!
Trip Itinerary
Day 1
Portland is the perfect place to start your coastal Maine road trip. Located on a peninsula jutting into Casco Bay. Portland is a rare metro city in a state full of dreamy charming towns. It’s a hip and cool city with lots of restaurants, shopping, and spots for cocktails all within walking distance. As soon as we landed we toured the city by foot and had a late lunch at Gilbert’s Chowder House. * a note from JZ – regular clam chowder is a must.
We finished the evening by touring the pier, stopping at a few cute spots for local beers, and shopping with local artisans.
Day 2
Day 2 was our planned road trip day. We left Portland on U.S. Route 1 and cruised through Harswell, Wiscasset, stopping in Boothbay Harbor to have lunch at Boothbay Lobster Wharf.
Y’all, the quaintest spot for a break and lunch. From lunch, we visited Bristol for a tour of the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse. A magnificent view! We cruised through several other adorable towns admiring the beauty as the leaves were changing. The colonial homes kept my attention with their high-pitched dormered roofs and elaborate front entryways.
Upon arriving in Bar Harbor we took Park Loop Drive which takes you through some of Acadia National Park’s most scenic spots. We finally landed in downtown Bar Harbor and it reminded me of every Christmas Hallmark movie I’ve ever seen. The downtown is small but full of parks, a beautiful waterfront area, a wealth of restaurants and bars, cozy cafes, ice cream stands, and colorful streets loaded with flowers, pumpkins, and fire pits all around! After a late dinner, we headed back to Portland. If we were to do it again we would have stayed in Bar Harbor for the night in one of the darling inns! As you can probably imagine, we really enjoyed just cruising together while singing every word to every song on the radio. So both ways were perfect but there’s something about those New England Inns!!
* a note from JZ – pack some cash as you’ll go through many tolls
Day 3
On day 3 we visited Kennebunkport! Talk about a friendly atmosphere and a fairytale scene. The area was full of great shopping. More delicious food. And the homes were stunning. All with character and their own charm. We visited the Bush Compound which is a beautiful area. From there we walked the granite wall to Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse. It was super fun hopping the stones and the crisp air felt incredibly refreshing. We had dinner at Duckfat in Portland after many recommendations from you all!
Day 4
Day 4 was the whale watch day. Okayyy, this was an experience! The water was rough on the way out. The first 2 hours had us both regretting our decision. It was cold although we were bundled up. The water was splashing into the boat and had us wet. But once we saw the whales we immediately started feeling better. HA! It was magical while it only lasted a few minutes. The ride back into the port was much easier and a lot quicker. Both of us felt exhausted. It was physically exhausting holding on for dear life as the boat was rocked back in forth. We had a quick late lunch at The Highroller Lobster House.
And then went back to our hotel for a much-needed nap! That evening we spent some time in Freeport at the L.L. beam outlet and shopping in the village with a coffee in hand.