Final Days of Summer in Maine
To celebrate the end of summer this year, my family and I got together and spent 10 days in South Thomaston, Maine. We made sure to book an extra large house with a large backyard and of course, pet friendly through Airbnb. It was a great family vacation that involved plenty of delicious seafood, being in nature, and exploring little towns. What more could you ask for?
Here are some of the highlights…
Mcloon’s Lobster Shack (South Thomaston, ME)
The lobster rolls here are crazy good. They give you generous amounts of fresh and meaty lobster that’s piled on top of a warm buttery bun. It’s served with a side of warm butter, perfectly dressed coleslaw, pickle, and a bag of chips. Tip: you may want to order more than one lobster roll for yourself. They are that good! Don’t forget to also try their grilled clams, clam chowder, and crab cakes! Everything on their menu is delicious! The view here is also spectacular so make sure to get your food to stay.
Sprague’s (Wiscasset, ME)
We were originally planning to go to Red’s Eats across the street but the line was way too long and we still had shopping left on our agenda, so we decided to come to Sprague’s instead and boy are we glad we did! The lobster rolls here are amazing! Generous generous amounts of sweet lobster served on a perfectly toasted bun with either butter or mayo served on the side. I ended up skipping both and just had it as is.
Red’s Eats (Wiscasset, ME)
This is definitely going on my wishlist for the next time I visit Maine. This place has 4 1/2 stars with over 1,000 reviews on yelp and there was a looong line every time we passed by. Some of the reviews mention that their lobster rolls have almost 2lbs of lobster meat!
Jess’ Seafood Market (Rockland, ME)
We loved coming here for fresh seafood and bringing it back to the house to prepare ourselves. Fresh lobster (of course), mussels, oysters, clams, , salmon, sea bass, and other local seafood. Make sure to also check out their cute wine section and local produce! If you are traveling, let them know and they can pack your seafood for your travels.
(Mussels with white wine and fresh garlic)
Beth’s Farm (Warren, ME)
This has got to be one of THE BEST farmer’s markets I’ve ever been to. They have a ton of locally grown produce as well as baked goods and pies. The sweetest corn and strawberries I’ve ever tried. The fresh garlic was our favorite! If you do visit, make sure to try their strawberry shortcake. Absolutely delish!
Atlantic Baking Co. (Rockland, ME)
Who doesn’t LOVE a good local bakery?! As soon as you walk in here, you can see and smell all of the delicious baked goods and pastries. I wanted to try EVERYTHING but had to stop myself, so I tried as much as I could. I tried their bacon and cheddar scone – so buttery and savory, almond croissant, fresh baguette, banana bread, and the best ever BLUEBERRY PIE – it is more of a crumb like crust but it is delicious and loaded with lots of blueberries. The blueberry pie isn’t something that’s available daily, so if you see this behind the counter, ORDER IT!
(Wish I had taken a better picture with the baked goods, especially the Blueberry Pie!)
Acadia National Park & Bar Harbor (Bar Harbor, ME)
What a beautiful and well kept national park! Absolutely breathtaking views and really great hiking trails. The park is also easy to drive through and there’s a good amount of parking at each of the main sites. The first time we visited, we stayed in Bar Harbor for 5 days, so we really took our time exploring almost every part of Acadia and it was so worth it! I’d recommend staying at least 3 days to really enjoy the park and the town of Bar Harbor. Definitely check the website before visiting as you’ll have to purchase a park entrance pass and make a reservation ahead of time for Cadillac Summit Road.
Patagonia Outlet & L.L. Bean Flagship Store (Freeport, ME)
There are only six Patagonia Outlet stores and the only one in the east coast is in Freeport, ME. Everything that is sold in the store is already at a discounted price but if you happen to be there during President’s Day, Memorial Day, or Labor Day there is an additional 40%-50% off. Definitely worth the visit if you need to stock up on outdoor clothing and gear.
The L.L. Bean flagship store is also located in Freeport, ME and this place is HUGE! You can find everything you need for the outdoors – clothing, shoes, outdoor gear, camping gear and more. It’s about three floors of shopping with a coffee shop on the first floor serving good coffee and really good cold brew. They are also open 24 hours if you enjoy late night shopping!
There is so much to do and explore in Maine and I love coming here near the end of the summer for reason. I love the seven hour drive to get here, driving through the different towns, eating lots and lots of fresh seafood, and exploring Acadia National Park. It is a very relaxing summer vacation and I hope you get to visit yourself one day! Thank you for reading!
– Sooz <3