After moving to Texas a few years ago, our annual vacations back to my hometown make us love the New England coast more than ever! It’s truly earned it’s title as Vacationland. The rhythmic sound of the tide, the fresh salt air, the feeling of the fog rolling off of the water…this is the New England coast that we know and love! And then there are the beachside clambakes, ice cream with the kids with scoops the size of a softball (who says everything is bigger in Texas?), and of course the fresh Maine lobsters!
While we love the years we are able to spend a few weeks on the coast “down east”, there are other times that we have shorter visits that are just as much fun. From New Hampshire up into Maine, the New England seacoast can be done in just a few days with memories that will last forever.
Crossing the Piscataqua River into Kittery, Maine means that you have arrived! Perched on the jagged rocks above the Atlantic, Pepperell Cove Provisions offers some of the best views as well as colorful waterfront dining. A nice bottle of wine from the general store will be just what you need for your next stop. Ask for our friends Cat or Chris, who would love to meet you! If you have time for a bite or drink while you are there, the Bistro 1828, outdoor patio or Ski Club offer great fare with some of the BEST views of Portsmouth Harbor. (TIP: stay for a sunset. A truly magical view from the pier.)
A quick drive up the coast will land you at Chauncey Creek Lobster Pier for lunch. Not to be confused with an inland creek, Chauncey Creek is a beautiful saltwater inlet surrounded by pine trees. The restaurant sits on a floating pier sprinkled with brightly colored picnic tables and happy customers. After picking your own lobster from the tanks on the pier, settle in for a festive lunch with friends and family. Chauncey Creek is a BYO restaurant, so you will be happy that you made the stop in Pepperell Cove!
Chauncey Creek Lobster Pier 
After lunch, a beautiful winding drive up the coast awaits you with so many diversions that you will wish that your trip was longer! Snug Harbor Farm fills my soul with happiness and makes me want to put on my gardening gloves. Lush plants, quality gardening tools and gifts, and friendly farm animals await you at the cutest farmyard along the road!
Idyllic and romantic Cape Elizabeth is the perfect spot for your first night in Maine. Inn by the Sea is a stunning beachfront resort just south of Portland. Cocktails at sunset, dinner overlooking the ocean, and coffee on the terrace as you watch the fog roll in off of the ocean…what a great way to start a vacation!
Rocky inlets with shimmering blue grey water, tiny Maine fishing towns that will make you want to stay, and colorfully-painted lobster boats will be your scenery as you see as you make your way north from Cape Elizabeth. Enjoy the ride and plan to stop often on your way to Camden.
If you are lighthouse lovers like us, enjoy a cup of coffee overlooking Portland Head Light from Ft. Williams Park. An easy stop and a beautiful way to start your day, there is also a flower lined park along the water for the kids!
Have you have ever wondered where your cozy leather LL Bean slippers came from? Or you would like a warm sweater to walk the beach in Camden? If so, make a stop into Freeport, a quaint town with streets that are filled with cute shops.
Sitting peacefully on the banks of the river in Wiscassett, Red’s Eats has served buttery hotdog rolls piled high with fresh delicious lobster for years. Even if you are not hungry, make the stop – you’ll love it!
Hidden surprises and memories are what we love about vacations, and you will find them everywhere along your drive . A quick detour to Pemaquid Point to see its beautiful lighthouse or a stop into Christmas Cove (which is just as cute as it’s name!) will make your heart sing! You will also love that most travelers stop in the much busier Boothbay.
Camden, a beautiful hub for your next few nights, is a charming port town dotted with quaint shops, local artists galleries and of course wonderful waterfront restaurants. 16 Bay View in the heart of town and is our favorite place to stay in Camden. Grab a glass of wine and sit out on your harbor view deck watching the boats glide past.
If you are wondering what is below the cheerfully painted buoys in the harbor, Camden Harbor Cruises will satisfy your curiosity as you help haul in the catch! The experience will make you appreciate your dinner so much more? Or take a sunset sailboat cruise on the Appledore II, where you will see the scenic beauty of the coast from the water with a glass of wine.
Colorful Acadia National Park can be done in a day from Camden. Drive the scenic Acadia park loop, hike one it its many trails or climb Cadillac Mountain for views like you have never seen. Bring a warm sweater and a hot thermos of coffee if you plan to do this for sunrise as most people do.
Heading back down the coast does not mean that your trip is over. There is still so much to see!
Kennebunkport has always been one of our favorite towns partially because of the beautiful drive to get there, but also because of all of the enchanting shops and waterfront restaurants. Stop into Daytrip Society, Minka or Abacus for beautifully crafted and unique Maine gifts.
If your plans inspire you to stay a night or two in the Kennebunk area, we suggest staying at the White Barn Inn. And dinner here is a MUST! With original wooden beams overhead, cozy nooks and elevated New England cuisine, the White Barn Inn is hands-down one of our favorite treats!
Perkins Cove, a tiny inlet in Ogunquit, is filled with colorful lobster and tuna boats, and the best view of the harbor is from the cute pedestrian drawbridge. Our kids love the candy shop whose store windows open up to the North Atlantic waves crashing below. And, if you are still can’t can’t get enough fresh seafood, perched atop the rocks over the ocean is MC Perkins Cove, which is one of our favorite restaurants in New England. Make sure that you order the seafood tower! If you choose to make Ogunquit your home for a night or two, the Cliff House is a the perfect ocean-front location.
Just south of Ogunquit (and make sure you drive the coastal route down!) is York, ME. Famous for the charming Nubble Light, a stop here is worth the view. The lighthouse sits on a tiny out-cropping of grass blanketed rocks so close to shore that the caretakers use a tiny little gondola to cross the span of ocean.
Make sure your trip by the Nubble includes ice cream at Dunne’s Ice Cream up the hill. If you have time to check out the “short sands” beach area, be sure to visit the Goldenrod. They’ve been handmaking the confections since 1896. Today you can still watch them make their famous salt-water taffy, enjoy a malt at the soda fountain or dine in their original, quaint dining area.
Portsmouth is my hometown, so I am a little biased, but it is perfect! Full of history, beautiful cottages and great food I think this charming portside town is a must stop for New England travel. If you love beautiful gardens, make a quick stop at Prescott Park before heading to the Strawbery Banke Museum and their lush landscape. It will make you feel like you have stepped back into the 1600’s.
TIP: Pickwick’s Mercantile is a must stop shopping spot!
Our favorite place to stay in Portsmouth is actually just outside of town on the water in a gorgeous cove. We have spent many nights with our family at Wentworth by the Sea, a stunning 1800’s grand resort that has been completely renovated. We love to eat at the bar in Salt, which overlooks the water. It is at the far right in the picture below!
From the beautiful rocky coastline to the picturesque towns to the delicious food, coastal New England will always call to you to come back…and you should!