You wouldn’t be mistaken to categorize Maine as a summer season vacation spot—the area is well-regarded for its sleepy, sun-soaked seashore cities the place barefoot strolls from sand to meals stall are commonplace fare. However as Maine native Tony DeLois tells me (who just lately opened Longfellow Hotel in Portland alongside his brother and enterprise associate, Nate) a mid-coast street journey is superb in all seasons.
“Whereas summer season has the optimum climate, oysters from Damariscotta are greatest consumed within the spring,” he says, including that “fall could also be the most effective time to see Maine’s bounty on full show; roadside farm stands are full of items, breweries launch their malt-forward ales, and locally-grown apples might be discovered all over the place.” And even within the depths of winter, DeLois factors to locations like Maine Coastal Botanical Gardens that “rework right into a winter wonderland with their Gardens Aglow sequence that may be a should for anybody touring on the coast.”
Forward, a handful of insider ideas and suggestions for exploring Maine’s shoreline by automotive.
Set Apart Sufficient Time
With out getting right into a philosophical debate about when a easy drive turns into a street journey, it’s a worthy callout that with the intention to absolutely grasp the area, it is going to require ample time. “I feel to actually take within the expertise you might want to put aside not less than 4 days,” DeLois suggests. Regardless that you don’t have to drive various hours every day, Maine’s coast has a number of fingers that department off from Route 1, that are glorious for wandering roadtrippers. “I extremely counsel selecting certainly one of these fingers to drive down and discover,” DeLois says, pointing to native route 129 and ending at Christmas Cove in Bristol as certainly one of his favourite runs. “Make it further particular by getting pre-cooked lobsters and/or oysters on the native fish co-op and take them all the way down to Sand Cove Seashore,” he says. “There may be nothing higher than having freshly cooked lobsters from the encircling water on a small native seashore.”
Embrace Impromptu Roadside Stops
“Maine has a ton of shoreline, a couple of would possibly assume, and greater than California,” DeLois says, inferring that this implies there are nonetheless loads of hidden gems for roadtrippers to uncover on their journeys. And the best way for these gems to be found? By pulling over each time your intestine tells you to. “Give your self loads of time for unplanned stops, quite a lot of what makes any street journey DownEast (what we name going up the coast) particular is all of the roadside stops you may’t discover on Google,” he says. “If somebody is promoting strawberries (June), raspberries (July), or blueberries (August) cease and get some—it’s a should.”
Resolve The place You Wish to Begin (and End)
A street journey alongside Maine’s coast will entail charming cities peppered with vintage retailers, ice cream parlors, quaint normal shops, and loads of artisan-made merchandise to pattern and convey dwelling. A part of the enjoyable is stumbling upon all the above, however some degree of planning continues to be a good suggestion. “Certainly, Portland must be a part of the equation and may both be the launching pad to your journey or your touchdown zone after exploring the coast,” DeLois says. For my street journey, Portland was my touchdown zone the place I spent my last two days exploring this underrated metropolis. I feasted on the impeccable menu at Twelve (sure, the lobster roll served in a flaky puff pastry is a non-negotiable order), slurped down oysters at The Shop by Island Creek Oysters, sipped jarringly good drinks at Room For Improvement (seems like a dive bar, tastes like a craft cocktail lab), perused Japanese knives at Seisuke, and melted into the therapeutic massage desk at The Longfellow’s Astrea wellness spa adopted by an hour of their infrared sauna suite (a tasty antidote for sitting in a automotive 5 days in a row).
Let Lodging Information Your Route
If it’s not already clear, quaint cities are type of Maine’s factor, and even a really transient street journey right here will introduce you to a number of of them. For those who’re undecided methods to map out your drive, do what I did and construction your route across the area’s most fun stays. In Portland, the newly-opened Longfellow can’t be beat. (The boutique resort has 48 rooms and is within the metropolis’s historic West Finish.) Over in Kennebunkport, Hidden Pond is the gold commonplace for an atmospheric keep enveloped by nature. Cape Elizabeth’s Inn by the Sea is old-world allure at its best, with a dreamy wooden plank walkway that leads by way of a bunny habitat and straight to the sand. Up north in Southwest Harbor, test in to The Claremont Hotel, a quintessential Maine property with historical past courting again to 1883. (Don’t miss out on the nightly s’mores on the fireplace pit!) And for many who wish to be close to the nationwide park, e-book a glamping tent at Under Canvas Acadia to sleep beneath the celebrities.
Come Hungry (and Thirsty)
I started my street journey with an aggressive ambition of consuming a lobster roll every single day. Whereas most (if not all) locals would advise towards such a gluttonous aim, it speaks to the area’s extremely contemporary seafood, produce, and farm-to-table items that I used to be (virtually) profitable in my quest. And the espresso! Don’t trouble in search of a Starbucks or Blue Bottle right here—there are numerous native roasters providing artisanal espresso (my favourite was Green Tree Coffee and Tea in Lincolnville Seashore). Ice cream can also be an enormous deal right here, with roadside stands and storybook parlors throughout, together with Bay Brook Farm in Appleton that regarded so interesting I drove quarter-hour again to city simply to get money. (Reminder: Not everybody takes bank cards in these components!) As for my favourite lobster roll? It’s a tie between McCloons and The Travelin’ Lobster.
Depart Area in Your Trunk for Artwork and Antiques
Wiscasset, Maine is also known as among the finest locations for vintage buying in america, and the coastal area’s many vintage trails are brimming with treasures. A favourite pitstop from my street journey was Indian Trail Antiques in Newcastle, which provides an enormous stock of classic Americana finds (snowshoes, fuel lamps, and jukeboxes galore). There are additionally a number of artists within the space promoting handcrafted dwelling items. “I like to recommend guests in Portland hunt down ANK Ceramics and Campfire Pottery, each studios are inside a stone’s throw of one another,” DeLois suggests. And no go to to Maine could be full with out celebrating the Wabanaki Nations’ cultural heritage and indigenous land. The Abbe Museum, for instance, has areas in each Bar Harbor and Acadia Nationwide Park and along with its reveals and collections, additionally shares paintings that guests should purchase.
