Girls Road Trip // Boston to Maine
One of my friends was like “hey, do you want to go to Maine ” and I was like “Sure, let’s go”. We got to semi-planning and decided we needed to stop at all the lighthouses we could possible go to. Luckily, several other bloggers have blogged about where to visit from Boston to Portland and that helped in our planning. I’m hoping I can help someone else know where to go and what to do if they make the same road trip. Let me preface this article that we thought we would see gorgeous fall leaves and enjoy fall temperatures…but we were a month late (we went in November).
Day 1:
From Atlanta, we flew into Boston and rented a car. Our first stop was Portsmouth. This is a cute town with a bunch of shops and restaurants. Working up an appetite, we stopped in at Portsmouth Brewery for New England clam chowder and local beer. This is a great spot to grab lunch.
Next stop was Nubble Light in York, Maine. We made it just before dark and luckily snapped this picture perfect lighthouse! Our iPhone photo doesn’t do it justice. However, we were so excited to see our 1st lighthouse!
We decided it was best to head on to Portland, Maine and get checked in to our hotel. Since we were doing this trip on a budget, we stayed at the DoubleTree in Portland and not in Old Port. The hotel was around the corner (just a quick car ride) from Old Port where the restaurants and bars were located.
We headed to Old Port to check out the town. Cobblestone streets and streetlights made for a good ambiance. We found a country bar to hang out in, Bonfire Country Bar. It was where the most noise and action was coming from on a Saturday night so we went with it. We found this entertaining since we came from GA and found a country bar in Maine.
Anyways, after some great people watching we decided for a late dinner at J’s Oyster. Since I was in Maine, I was on a mission to try all the lobster rolls. #WhenInRome J’s lobster roll was basic, nothing fancy to it but with lots of lobster!
Anyways, after some great people watching we decided for a late dinner at J’s Oyster. Since I was in Maine, I was on a mission to try all the lobster rolls. #WhenInRome J’s lobster roll was basic, nothing fancy to it but with lots of lobster!
Day 2:
We woke up early, grabbed some coffee and headed to Portland Head Light. What a great area!! You can walk right up to the lighthouse and walk around it, plus it looks out over the gorgeous ocean and crashing waves. There are a bunch of trails in the area as well if you want to hike. We walked through Fort Williams. I definitely recommend visiting this famous lighthouse. Go in the morning to beat the crowds (hmmm… or maybe since we went in November, there was going to be no crowds).
Next stop, Old Orchard Beach. Now this is when we really got confirmation that Maine shuts down in November. Restaurants were closed and yes, the beach and amusement park were deserted. Not a soul. It was comical how isolated it was and we got a good laugh. We walked around anyway and made the best of it.
After that fail, we decided to head back into town and check out a local brewery, Rising Tide. This was a great hometown feel of a local brewery. Locals walked there with their dogs and hung out. The beers were tasty and we left with some swag to remember it by.
We walked back to Old Port and had a late snack at Duckfat. Don’t let the name make you turn your nose up. This restaurant was small and quaint but the food was delicious. If I’m ever in Old Port, I will go back for another meal. Or two. We weren’t done with our beer tasting so we went to Shipyard Brewing Co. These beers were different but the pourers were friendly and willing to make recommendations.
We headed down to check out the fish market and the “love padlocks” overlooking the waterfront. We also got reassurance by a local fisherman that summertime is great in Maine and it lasts from about May to October and then everything shuts down for winter. It’s crazy to think these restaurants can survive on 6 months of business, sounds like the life to me.
Whole lobsters were had for dinner. The picture says it all.
Day 3:
We got up to go hiking and not too long after our trip we found ourselves in some marshes and someone’s back yard, oops. I recommend doing some research on cool hiking trails and not just winging it. Next stop was Allagash Brewery to make up for the hiking trip. Their beers are good and you’ve probably tasted a few of them before. Note: there is no food at this brewery, so our visit was cut short.
We realized we needed to get in another lighthouse before the day was up and headed to Spring Point Ledge Light. We had the most fun at this lighthouse. You can jump, skip or run down the rocks to get there (no walking, it’s just not as fun).
For dinner we headed to Eventide Oyster Co and this was…THE BEST LOBSTER ROLL I’VE EVER HAD and I had a lot in 4 days. It was warmed and drizzled with brown butter and it was just heavenly.
Day 4:
This was our last day and on our way back to Boston, we stopped at Kennebunkport. This was by far my favorite town and I wished we had more time there to eat and explore. Kennebunkport is what I picture when I think of Maine. It was just picturesque and relaxing. Fun fact – George H. W. Bush has an estate in Kennebunkport.
Our trip was coming to an end and we had to get back to Boston but one more lobster roll had to be had before boarding the plane back to Atlanta.
It was a great road trip of exploration of lighthouses, breweries and lobster rolls. Lesson learned – go before November! It was still a blast and there’s plenty more lighthouses to see in Maine (65 historical lighthouses are spread along 5,000 miles of coastline) so I’ll have to plan a trip back.
Places to Visit:
- Portsmouth, NH
- Cape Neddick Lighthouse, “Nubble Light” (York, ME)
- Kennebunkport, ME
- Goat Island Light
- Portland Head Light & Fort Williams
- Two Lights, Cape Elizabeth
- Old Orchard Beach, ME
- Old Port, ME
- Spring Point Ledge Light (South Portland, ME)
Places to Eat & Drink:
- Portsmouth Brewery
- Allagash Brewery
- Rising Tide Brewery
- Duckfat
- Shipyard Brewing Co
- Eventide Oysters Co
xoxo, Lindsay
