Travel Diary: Maine

We've been home for about two weeks and I am still thinking about our vacation.  Our trip to Maine was a great getaway and we enjoyed every minute.  This was meant to be a relaxing, sit-on-the-beach trip, but we definitely explored the area and found some really fun and interesting sights along the way.


Anthony and I left Connecticut around 6am on a Saturday morning and headed north.  There was little traffic and we got to Ogunquit ahead of schedule.  Instead of staying in a hotel, we rented a small condo for the week, and by 10:30am, we were in our temporary home, staring at the lovely in-ground pool right outside the slider doors.


We couldn't have picked a better condo to rent.  We were only two blocks away from the center of town and about six blocks from the beach.  There are adorable shops and restaurants on the main drag in Ogunquit and it was so easy to find a nearby place for breakfast or dinner.  And, of course, there was a Ben & Jerry's close by too. 

Some of our favorite moments from the trip:

On our first day, after a quick lunch, we headed right down to the beach.  Without our chairs or even our swimsuits, we took off our shoes and stood in the cold water.  There were tons of families enjoying the day and we sat on the sand for a couple of hours, taking in our surroundings and talking about plans for the rest of the week.  What a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

Kites flying above at the beach

The next day in Kennebunkport, we parked in a residential area and walked to the stores and restaurants by the water.  It was a breezy day and there were lots of bike riders and even horse-drawn carriages on the roads.  The homes in the area were just gorgeous and provided the perfect scenery for our walk. 

Kennebunkport

The Marginal Way in Ogunquit is a path that runs along the shore for over a mile.  We walked this one night after dinner in Perkins Cove, just when it was starting rain.  It's a twisty, hilly walk spotted with lots of wooden benches and little enclaves to stop off and take pictures--the views are unbelievable.  Perkins Cove itself is great with boats coming in and out of the port/dock and tons of restaurants.  We had lobster and fresh corn-on-the-cob at Barnacle Billy's and sat out on the deck for an authentic experience. 

Perkins Cove

When in Portland, we spent some time at the Portland Observatory, which is actually an old watch tower from the mid-1800's.  Captain Moody used to station himself at the top and use flags to signal to the town which ships were coming into the port.  Today, the Observatory is a national landmark and the views of the city (and the beautiful Casco Bay Islands) are breathtaking. 

View from top of Portland Observatory

And, of course, Anthony and I spent our last night in Maine (which was actually the night before our 6 year anniversary!) on the beach looking at the sky during a Perseid meteor shower.  It was so quiet and serene, and just the perfect way to say goodbye to Maine.

On the beach at night

We were lucky enough to have wonderful weather for almost the entire week of our visit.  The sky was picturesque and I couldn't stop taking pictures of the clouds. 

It's still summer but we are already talking about another visit to the Maine coast.  I wonder what Ogunquit's like in the fall...