I’ve received a few comments on Instagram about how a trip to Maine is on some of your bucket lists, so I felt motivated to wrap up my “Week of Maine” with some of the fun details from our trip in hopes of inspiring you enough to pack your bags and check “visit Maine’s coastline” off your lists! In this post I’ve summarized where we ate, where we stayed and what we especially appreciated about York Beach, Kennebunkport and Ogunquit- the three seaside towns we visited on Maine’s southern coast. I hope it inspires you to visit this very special place that now holds my heart, take-in its unique beauty and enjoy some amazing local food as well as some local one-of-a-kind shops and boutiques.
Cape Porpoise, Maine
York Beach
Where We Stayed
York Beach Residence Club–
Our accommodations for the long weekend was a two bedroom condo at York Beach Residence Club and by the end of our stay Brian and I both emphatically commented that it couldn’t have been more perfect (which is a rarity since I’m super picky and Brian is generally nonchalant when it comes to stuff like hotel rooms). Everyone that worked at the resort was incredibly kind and always had a smile on their face. York Beach is just a few miles south of Ogunquit, which is just a little over 10 miles south of Kennebunkport, so all the other towns we wanted to visit were very easily accessible. York Beach Residence Club is located on scenic Short Sands Beach, so we were able to gaze out on the ocean during our stay. As a guest of the club we also had access to their fitness studio as well as their indoor saltwater pool. We started each day by taking Bennett for a swim, and afterwards, were able to bathe Bennett and get ourselves ready quickly since our unit was equipped with two full bathrooms (clutch)! Another HUGE plus was that the condos have a kitchenette, which was so helpful for storing milk and fresh snacks for Bennett. York Beach Residence Club is located right in the middle of town, so we were able to step out the door and walk to the cute local shops and restaurants.
Where We Ate
One of Brian’s loves in life is a traditional all-American breakfast, so his hungry man eyes lit up the second we walked into Mollyo’s. It can’t get more classic than this no-frills, inexpensive, bacon and eggs kind of breakfast spot. And I must admit that even though it wasn’t the experimental, diverse menu I usually seek out when planning our trips, all of our breakfast was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! They are only open 5:30 AM – 11:00 AM on the weekends, and you should go early to avoid the line since evidently we’re not the only ones who find this place phenomenal.
In observance of our vacation, we spoiled Bennett with ice cream from Wicked Good Ice Cream every night since it was just down the block from our condo. They had a unique variety of flavors and all that we tried were delicious! This family-owned ice cream shop is only open daily in the summer from 10 AM – 10 PM!
A Few Favorite Spots-
As I mentioned, our condo was overlooking Short Sands Beach, and this short stretch of beach is truly one of the most beautiful I’ve ever witnessed. I would recommend sitting on this beach and watching the sun rise or just taking a morning stroll. You’ll be wonderstruck by the surrounding rocky cliffs and many tidal pools. It’s a beautiful place to take pictures so don’t forget your camera!
As soon as we arrived in York Beach Brian and I sought out a wine store since we had plans to share a bottle on the ocean view terrace after Bennett went down for the night. We knew we hit the wino jackpot when we walked into My Wine-y Sister. They have an incredibly well curated wine selection and we were shocked by their affordable prices. We picked up a couple of our favorites that would have cost us a few more bucks if we would have purchased them back home. They also had an assorted collection of cheeses that staff was very knowledgeable of and happy to help you pair with your bottle.
I fell in love with this beautiful, airy boutique as soon as I walked in, and I literally wanted to leave with everything in this store. Inside you’ll find cute fun pool floats, gorgeous totes, beauty products as well as gorgeous clothing that will be difficult for you to resist.
Short Sands Beach, York
Kennebunkport
Where We Ate
Better known as the restaurant with the best lobster roll I’ve ever had. Hoping we would have our tastebuds blown by an amazing lobster roll at some point on our trip, Brian and I each ordered their traditional style lobster roll and its yumminess even surpassed its reputation. They even have a petite lobster roll for kids, but Bennett opted for the grilled cheese. 🙂 Alisson’s is conveniently located in Dock Square amongst charming boutiques and galleries!
Although we only happened to stop at Salt & Honey because Brian was craving an IPA, I couldn’t help but drool over the southern-influenced menu filled with fare made from locally-sourced ingredients. Salt & Honey is open for breakfast lunch and dinner, and you can bet we’ll be heading back there to eat the next time we’re in town.
We ducked into this charming coffee spot for an afternoon caffeinated pick-me-up. Brian can be pretty critical when it comes to coffee, but he really enjoyed his cup, and I thought my chai tea latte was delicious! Just be careful- it is extremely difficult to resist their tasty-looking pastries.
A Few Favorite Stops-
We stepped into this adorable boutique when I was on the hunt for a pullover since the sea breeze made exploring Kennebunkport a little colder than I had imagined. Green Tangerine is a chic and sophisticated boutique that carried some of my favorite brand name apparel (including Vineyard Vines and Ella Moss).
A candle fanatic’s dream and housed in what once was a rum warehouse in 1775. The Copper Candle has an amazing collection of beautifully scented candles as well as Byers’ Choice Christmas Carolers (which I really hope to start collecting once we have a larger home). You can’t leave Kennebunkport without stepping into this store!
We stopped in to pick up a souvenir for Chewbacca, since we felt guilty for boarding him during our vacation, and thought this was one of the most adorable pet boutiques we’ve ever seen. Your fur baby will thank you for bringing them something back from this darling store! Many of their items are nautically-inspired and made in the USA as well as right in New England!
Thank goodness Bennett was snoozing when Brian and I wandered into this toy store or we wouldn’t have ever been able to get him to leave. This is one of the coolest toy stores I’d ever been to with an interesting mix of unique and classic toys, half of which I wanted to play with myself. They also had some darling baby and toddler apparel as well. You absolutely have to stop here if you’re traveling with kids!
Brian and I made ourselves a promise to visit every lighthouse on the east coast in our lifetime and Maine definitely challenges our goal having over 60 lighthouses along its rocky coast. We did make time to see Goat Island Light, and it was a thing of beauty. The lighthouse has been established since 1833 and has a deep, rich history. Although you can access Goat Island by boat we drove to the end of Pier Road in Cape Porpoise and looked upon it from there. While on Cape Porpoise we stumbled onto Pier 77 Restaurant and can’t wait to try it out the next time we’re in town. The restaurant appeared to have incredible views of the harbor.
Goat Island Light from Cape Porpoise
Ogunquit
Where We Ate-
We loved everything about this iconic restaurant, Maine’s oldest lobster pound as well as Phantom Gourmet’s pick for “Best Boiled Lobster” in New England. An incredibly fun experience for the whole family, and with their doors open since 1931, Ogunquit Lobster Pound offers an amazing selection of locally caught fare, but if you opt for the lobster (which of course we did) you get to head outside and select your meal from their large tank (pound) and then the lobster gets boiled in seawater. It can’t get any more fresh than that! The lobster is also served conveniently cut and cracked for you. Before our lobster was served we also enjoyed the most amazing steamers! I’ve loved those steamed clams since I was a kid, and I can say with certainty that Ogunquit Lobster Pound served me the best steamers I’d ever had. They were the perfect size and there wasn’t a grain of sand to be found.
We visited this bakery after reading rave reviews about their blueberry pie, and all I can say is WOW. This blueberry pie was excellent, but their cases were filled with so many incredible looking sweets. Everything at Bread & Roses is baked fresh with locally sourced ingredients. We enjoyed our delicious blueberry pie with local Carpe Diem coffee. I could not recommend a visit to this bakery enough!
Since Bennett’s favorite food is pizza, we decided to lunch at this cute indoor / outdoor artisanal pizza spot. It was hard to choose from all the interesting combinations they offered, but we settled on the “Sweet Cherry Pepper” (goat cheese, caramelized onions, Vermont smoked pepperoni and a blend of mozzarella cheeses), and Brian, Bennett and I all agreed that it was amazing! And if you’re thirsty, they also had some fun craft beer options!
When it comes to ice cream, chances are you haven’t experienced anything quite like Rococo’s. Their menu of flavors may be far from traditional, but are all made up of ingredients that blend together in beautiful, delicious harmony. I’m talking Goat Cheese Blackberry Chambord (my favorite), Maine Whoopie Pie and Sweet Avocado Cayenne (among others)! You can’t miss this spot when you’re visiting coastal Maine (they also have a location in Kennebunkport)!
A Few Favorite Stops-
Although I didn’t leave with a piece of jewelry, I had so much fun talking to the shop’s owner and lusting over their beautiful antique and estate collections. I urge you to visit this beautiful shop when you’re in town. Perhaps you’ll find your own little treasure to take home.
Your inner child will be awakened as soon as you walk into this incredible candy shop. While you browse at all the treats in the cases you can also watch their chocolatiers at work through windows. We left with bars of dark chocolate as well as some delicious truffles, but I would have bought everything in the shop if I could.
Although Bennett being a rowdy toddler wouldn’t permit us to see a show, Mama Mia was playing at the playhouse when we were visiting. I couldn’t help but look into the future and think how much fun it will be to bring Bennett (and whatever future Sopp brood may be) to the playhouse.
Marginal Way-
Although it was drizzling, Brian and I strolled Bennett down Marginal Way walking trail as he napped. Walking this trail, you get the most spectacular views of Ogunquit as well as breathtaking views of Maine’s southern coastline. The entire trail is just a little over a mile long. It is well worth the adventure, and keep your camera handy!
Kennebunkport, Maine
I hope this account of our trip to southern Maine inspires you to make York, Kennebunkport or Ogunquit the site of your next adventure. There is so much more we want to experience in these beachfront towns, and I’ve already started planning the itinerary for our next trip back (I kid you not). Have an amazing day!