Exploring: Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Earlier this summer we took a lovely vacation to Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Though I went to college in Maine I never spent much time exploring the coast and I was so glad to finally have the chance. Boothbay is about one hour north of Portland and is in a world all its own. The town is quaint and laid back, and the lobster shacks are bountiful. Here are a few things we loved about our visit:
The Lobster Dock was one of our first stops. It is known for it’s crab cakes (amazing), fried artichoke hearts, blueberry pie, and, of course, lobster rolls. It is basically the quintessential Maine restaurant and we loved everything about it.
Boothbay Harbor town is so sweet. It is full of adorable shops and dips and turns throughout. We loved Finn McCool’s for ice cream and smoothies.
Shannon’s Unshelled is a great little lobster roll shack right on the harbor. It is so fresh it is actually made while you pay. They hand you the rolls through a window and you eat them at one of the three picnic tables next to a parking lot on the water.
My son adored walking back and forth across the footbridge that connects one side of the bay to the other.
The Coastal Maine Popcorn store was a HUGE hit. We picked up all kind of crazy popcorn flavors to enjoy in our room each night.
Eventide is a series of three stores featuring gourmet food, wines, chocolate, and cheeses. It is the best place to pick up some nibbles and a bottle of wine for an evening picnic. I also spotted this Blanc de Bleu, but didn’t try it.
I couldn’t get enough of Casual Interiors. The store was beautifully appointed with all kinds of home goods and hostess gifts. It is basically a stylists dream come true.
One morning we took my son to Railway Village. I thought it was just a little train ride but it turned out to be so much more! It was an entire old village filled with antique cars, trains, and model trains. It was fascinating for all of us!
Bet’s Fish Fry was on our list and it did not disappoint! I’ve never been served such fresh fried fish. The portions are enormous, it is basically one fish person, but it is so delicious you actually eat almost all of it. Remember, tomorrow Bet’s is serving free beer!
We stayed at the gorgeous Spruce Point Inn. If you are traveling to Boothbay I can’t recommend it enough. The amenities are fantastic and the food is outstanding. We really loved the nightly S’mores station, the edible garden (the salads were bar none!), and the beautiful gardens. We spent most of our time running from one activity to another with the kids and enjoying every minute of it. Thank you, Maine, for a great trip!
And this sign cracked me up!:
