Maine, home to 60 lighthouses, 600 lakes, over 3,000 miles of coastline, and the best lobster you will ever try, is a must see if you love the outdoors. This state was exactly what we thought it would be and more. There is something to do for everyone, whether you are traveling solo, with kids, or going on a romantic getaway. Fun fact: it is also the first state that sees the sunrise in USA :)
Acadia National Park
One of the national parks that is really worth the hikes and views, is Acadia. If you plan to visit here between May-October, make a reservation to go all the way up to Cadillac Mountain (which sadly we did not do); supposedly, the views are amazing. Make sure to take the park loop for a scenic drive and plan out your hikes. We highly recommend the Joshua Pond, a 3 mile hike, which you can take to Bubble Rock (extra half a mile one way, very steep).
*** Although there is plenty of parking available and in various spots you are allowed to park on the right side of the street, it does get crowded. Bright and early is the name of the game!
Lighthouses
As mentioned, Maine is a home to 60 lighthouses! Considering how long the coastline is, we are not surprised at all. Quite crazy knowing that state of Michigan has almost double that which is 115! We visited 3 of them: Nubble Lighthouse, Portland Head Light, and Bass Harbor. However, there are many more worth visiting!
Breweries
For those who don't know us well, Kam LOVES beer! I used to just go to breweries, order a diet coke, and envy his excitement for beer. Not for long! I started loving cider; so, we can now enjoy breweries together! Home to 100 breweries, Maine is definitely paradise for those that like some brew. We only visited Liquid Riot (Portland), Rising Tide (Portland), and Atlantic Brewing Company (Bar Harbor), but below you will find some more recommendations based on our research!
Brewery Recommendations:
Airline Brewing Company (Ellsworth)
Fogtown Brewing (Ellsworth)
Footbridge Brewery (Boothbay Harbor)
Tributary Brewing Company (Kittery)
Strong Brewing Company (Sedgwick)
Beaches
With hundreds of coastal miles, you know Maine has some great beaches! Many of them are great for kayaking or even paddle boarding, since the water is calmer especially if you explore some of the coves. Crescent Beach State Park was one of our favorites. It was not crowded, had tons of picnic areas, trails, and the water was very calm. However, there are many more worth exploring based on our research.
Beach Recommendations:
Sand Beach (Acadia National Park)
Old Orchard Beach (Old Orchard)
Shorts Sand Beach (York)
Ogunquit Beach (Ogunquit)
City Life
There is something about smaller city charm that we always find fascinating. Maybe it's the fact that we are from Chicago, and we are used to tons of traffic, angry drivers, and chaos. City life in Maine definitely seems to be a much more enjoyable pace :) Portland, being the biggest city of the state has a ton to offer and is very worth exploring. Other cities that are worth at least a stroll and we highly recommend are Bar Harbor, Kennebunkport, Rockport, Camden, and Freeport.
As we make our way through all the USA states, Maine definitely is the one for nature lovers and those who long hiking. The coast is much slower pace and is the perfect getaway from a big city life. Hope you have as much fun exploring as we did!
XoXo
Adri & Kam