Wells / Ogunquit ME Getaway Weekend
Sep 28th, 2014, 05:21 AM
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Wells / Ogunquit ME Getaway Weekend
The third weekend in September is reserved for an annual getaway weekend with 3 friends. Plans to visit MD were scrapped when J broke her leg in 6 places while skiing April 1 so although she was recovered enough to limp without a cane, we needed to plan activities that didn't require a lot of walking.
Our first stop was Exeter NH because I wanted to visit Churchill's Garden Center. The Green Bean was one of several recommended restaurants for lunch. I was happy with a strawberry lemonade and a soup/sandwich combo. It's an order at the counter and hope you can find a table kind of place so best to go before the lunch crowd hits and grab a paper menu which is a lot easier to read than the blackboard. They use homemade breads and local ingredients. My choice of soup was a tarragon potato, pea and sausage chowder which was almost thick enough to be stew. Friends were also happy with their soups. I chose an ordinary egg salad sandwich which I thought would have been tastier due to extra ingredients. Good but not great. We toured a few shops since J had energy.
All of us are ice cream lovers to we stopped at Lago's on Rt1 for ice cream after deciding to pass on the ice cream shop in Exeter which had Richardson's Ice Cream which is really good but we wanted to try locally made. Ice cream was generously served in a soda cup but they won't do two flavors unless you get a large which was way too much. Onward to York and a drive up to Nubble Light. Couldn't check into our motel, The Elmwood Resort in Wells, until 3pm. Much of our driving was spent reminiscing of other visits when we were much younger.
Despite earlier fussing that my friends had rejected an airB&B place (because we had to provide own linens) I was really happy with J's choice of The Elmwood Resort where we were able to have a two bedroom condo with fully equipped kitchen. This looks like a traditional old style motel but inside was new and modern and each condo is decorated and furnished by the owners. Ours had plenty of china and glassware And a dishwasher plus both a Kuerig machine and traditional drip coffee maker. We only brought snacks on this trip but sometimes we do a meal from home. The Elmwood package included a breakfast certificate and dinner certificate which I thought was a big mistake to get since we were then limited to where we could eat. We lucked out choosing Merriland Farm Café (on a golf course) for breakfast which had a better than average menu (I had Eggs Atlantis which were seafood cakes topped with Hollandaise) but since Clay Hill Farm was closed for a private event, we ended up Hobbs Harborside which was your typical family style seafood restaurant. The food and marsh view were fine but noise level was horrendous. Glad we ate early to avoid crowds. I find the entire southern coast to be overcrowded on weekends and if it hadn't been for the cooking class and theater, I would not visit this area.
Our Friday night dinner was a "cooking class" at Stonewall Kitchen in Kittery on Rt 1. The school is in an adjacent building to the store where people love to stop for free food samples. It wasn't that long ago that the owners started out selling jam at a farmers market and built a condiment empire from there. The products are very good and can be found all over New England (if not the rest of the world) so I was surprised that our meal was not based on their products at all. I chose Rustic Italian from their schedule which changes for every meal. The class was really a great 1 1/2 hour demo while helpers cooked and served our meal. My only complaint is the high chairs were darn uncomfortable and commented on their survey that the adjustable tall chairs at King Arthur Flour classes are much nicer. Beer and Wine were available plus we got a discount on the products and gadgets they had for sale in the classroom. Large tv screens gave good view of cooking demo for those of us in back.
Since we've lived in New England all our lives, most of us have toured the historic houses in the area. Day 1 had given us enough shopping time and our interests are different enough that after driving around a bit, enjoying the scenery, we decided to go to a movie (100 Steps). Followed up with a stop at a candy store for salted caramels and other goodies (disappointed at small size of saltwater taffy for those of us used to the great taffy from The Goldenrod in York). We had a book discussion back at the condo (End of Your Life Book Club) and didn't want to get overtired since we had tickets to see Witches of Eastwick at the Ogunquit Play House.
The musical was great but coming from the north (Wells) expect a slow crawl through Ogunquit where tons of pedestrians are around and everyone else is driving someplace. The theater parking is carefully designed so you park in one area if you are north bound and a different area if you are south bound. Although the seating is comfortable with plenty of leg room you are out of luck if a tall person sits in front of you. I switched seats with J who is much shorter and then I had to peer between heads. Musical was great with Sally Struthers in a lead role (but not a witch). I think several weeks ahead of time Row O was the closest I could get 4 seats together but P seats were $5 cheaper.
For those of us who have trouble staying up past 8 am (sat night show was 8:30), I would opt, if possible, for a matinee). Fortunately, the lady in front of us slept through most of the first half so the couple left at intermission and I had a much better view for the rest of the show.
Lazy sunday morning so we just drank lots of coffee and breakfasted on homemade biscuits I had brought from home. We aimed for When Pigs Fly Bakery on Rt 1 north of the Kittery outlet mall madness where one can sample a large variety of breads before deciding which to buy. You can buy lots because they use heavy plastic bags so you can easily freeze extras when you get home. I chose a spinach garlic ciabatta which dh loved, a chocolate which M claimed was good toasted and spread with peanut butter, and a candied fruit laden bread that is almost a fruitcake. Using the local tourist map which I had wisely grabbed, we drove a little further south to find the road that would take us over to Rt 103 thru York and Kittery Point, very pretty drive, before we got on I95 to Rt 1 where we decided to have a lobster roll lunch at The Beach Plum. This place has no atmosphere at all. J thinks it used to be a Wendy's but the lobster rolls are very good and you can choose amount of lobster (8 oz roll is $19.99 plus tax) or size of roll (think more $$$). The lobster is fresh with just a hint of mayo on a toasted hot dog roll and comes with a bag of chips. I prefer Petey's on Rt 1 in Rye for atmosphere but their lobster roll comes with fries (no substitutions) but I think is actually cheaper. I probably would have a Beach Plum lobster roll again in the future but I think there are better places.
We finished off the weekend with an ice cream stop at Memories in Kingston NH. J opted for the sampler of 4 seasonal flavors which was a good deal and cheaper than buying a medium cone. It's fall so flavors like pumkin, ginger and Indian pudding are fairly easy to find.
So despite another friend aghast that we didn't do any beach walking (remember J had trouble walking and forgot her cane) we had a good time. But, except for dead of winter, southern Maine coast is a very popular weekend getaway place. Reserve early and go to restaurants at off-peak times. If weather had been nicer on Saturday we might have done a boat trip instead of movies. Friday at 3pm, northbound traffic on Rt 1 was crawling. The amount of traffic makes it difficult to stop any place that is on the other side of the road. Rt 1 is not at all scenic and does not get near the ocean in this part of Maine. You have to take side roads. At nice as it was, I still like mid-coast area much better.
Our first stop was Exeter NH because I wanted to visit Churchill's Garden Center. The Green Bean was one of several recommended restaurants for lunch. I was happy with a strawberry lemonade and a soup/sandwich combo. It's an order at the counter and hope you can find a table kind of place so best to go before the lunch crowd hits and grab a paper menu which is a lot easier to read than the blackboard. They use homemade breads and local ingredients. My choice of soup was a tarragon potato, pea and sausage chowder which was almost thick enough to be stew. Friends were also happy with their soups. I chose an ordinary egg salad sandwich which I thought would have been tastier due to extra ingredients. Good but not great. We toured a few shops since J had energy.
All of us are ice cream lovers to we stopped at Lago's on Rt1 for ice cream after deciding to pass on the ice cream shop in Exeter which had Richardson's Ice Cream which is really good but we wanted to try locally made. Ice cream was generously served in a soda cup but they won't do two flavors unless you get a large which was way too much. Onward to York and a drive up to Nubble Light. Couldn't check into our motel, The Elmwood Resort in Wells, until 3pm. Much of our driving was spent reminiscing of other visits when we were much younger.
Despite earlier fussing that my friends had rejected an airB&B place (because we had to provide own linens) I was really happy with J's choice of The Elmwood Resort where we were able to have a two bedroom condo with fully equipped kitchen. This looks like a traditional old style motel but inside was new and modern and each condo is decorated and furnished by the owners. Ours had plenty of china and glassware And a dishwasher plus both a Kuerig machine and traditional drip coffee maker. We only brought snacks on this trip but sometimes we do a meal from home. The Elmwood package included a breakfast certificate and dinner certificate which I thought was a big mistake to get since we were then limited to where we could eat. We lucked out choosing Merriland Farm Café (on a golf course) for breakfast which had a better than average menu (I had Eggs Atlantis which were seafood cakes topped with Hollandaise) but since Clay Hill Farm was closed for a private event, we ended up Hobbs Harborside which was your typical family style seafood restaurant. The food and marsh view were fine but noise level was horrendous. Glad we ate early to avoid crowds. I find the entire southern coast to be overcrowded on weekends and if it hadn't been for the cooking class and theater, I would not visit this area.
Our Friday night dinner was a "cooking class" at Stonewall Kitchen in Kittery on Rt 1. The school is in an adjacent building to the store where people love to stop for free food samples. It wasn't that long ago that the owners started out selling jam at a farmers market and built a condiment empire from there. The products are very good and can be found all over New England (if not the rest of the world) so I was surprised that our meal was not based on their products at all. I chose Rustic Italian from their schedule which changes for every meal. The class was really a great 1 1/2 hour demo while helpers cooked and served our meal. My only complaint is the high chairs were darn uncomfortable and commented on their survey that the adjustable tall chairs at King Arthur Flour classes are much nicer. Beer and Wine were available plus we got a discount on the products and gadgets they had for sale in the classroom. Large tv screens gave good view of cooking demo for those of us in back.
Since we've lived in New England all our lives, most of us have toured the historic houses in the area. Day 1 had given us enough shopping time and our interests are different enough that after driving around a bit, enjoying the scenery, we decided to go to a movie (100 Steps). Followed up with a stop at a candy store for salted caramels and other goodies (disappointed at small size of saltwater taffy for those of us used to the great taffy from The Goldenrod in York). We had a book discussion back at the condo (End of Your Life Book Club) and didn't want to get overtired since we had tickets to see Witches of Eastwick at the Ogunquit Play House.
The musical was great but coming from the north (Wells) expect a slow crawl through Ogunquit where tons of pedestrians are around and everyone else is driving someplace. The theater parking is carefully designed so you park in one area if you are north bound and a different area if you are south bound. Although the seating is comfortable with plenty of leg room you are out of luck if a tall person sits in front of you. I switched seats with J who is much shorter and then I had to peer between heads. Musical was great with Sally Struthers in a lead role (but not a witch). I think several weeks ahead of time Row O was the closest I could get 4 seats together but P seats were $5 cheaper.
For those of us who have trouble staying up past 8 am (sat night show was 8:30), I would opt, if possible, for a matinee). Fortunately, the lady in front of us slept through most of the first half so the couple left at intermission and I had a much better view for the rest of the show.
Lazy sunday morning so we just drank lots of coffee and breakfasted on homemade biscuits I had brought from home. We aimed for When Pigs Fly Bakery on Rt 1 north of the Kittery outlet mall madness where one can sample a large variety of breads before deciding which to buy. You can buy lots because they use heavy plastic bags so you can easily freeze extras when you get home. I chose a spinach garlic ciabatta which dh loved, a chocolate which M claimed was good toasted and spread with peanut butter, and a candied fruit laden bread that is almost a fruitcake. Using the local tourist map which I had wisely grabbed, we drove a little further south to find the road that would take us over to Rt 103 thru York and Kittery Point, very pretty drive, before we got on I95 to Rt 1 where we decided to have a lobster roll lunch at The Beach Plum. This place has no atmosphere at all. J thinks it used to be a Wendy's but the lobster rolls are very good and you can choose amount of lobster (8 oz roll is $19.99 plus tax) or size of roll (think more $$$). The lobster is fresh with just a hint of mayo on a toasted hot dog roll and comes with a bag of chips. I prefer Petey's on Rt 1 in Rye for atmosphere but their lobster roll comes with fries (no substitutions) but I think is actually cheaper. I probably would have a Beach Plum lobster roll again in the future but I think there are better places.
We finished off the weekend with an ice cream stop at Memories in Kingston NH. J opted for the sampler of 4 seasonal flavors which was a good deal and cheaper than buying a medium cone. It's fall so flavors like pumkin, ginger and Indian pudding are fairly easy to find.
So despite another friend aghast that we didn't do any beach walking (remember J had trouble walking and forgot her cane) we had a good time. But, except for dead of winter, southern Maine coast is a very popular weekend getaway place. Reserve early and go to restaurants at off-peak times. If weather had been nicer on Saturday we might have done a boat trip instead of movies. Friday at 3pm, northbound traffic on Rt 1 was crawling. The amount of traffic makes it difficult to stop any place that is on the other side of the road. Rt 1 is not at all scenic and does not get near the ocean in this part of Maine. You have to take side roads. At nice as it was, I still like mid-coast area much better.
Sep 28th, 2014, 02:28 PM
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The two bedroom condos were on the second floor but the second bedroom and full bath were on the third floor with an interior staircase. That bedroom had twin beds. First floor bedroom had king and there was a half bath off kitchen. The couch was a sleep so supposedly could sleep 2 people but that would probably have to be 2 children. It was not a high quality couch so I'm not sure how comfortable it would be as a sleeper. When you sat on cushions, I tended to tilt to one side. Not good springs. Other units might have had nicer furniture. King was a very firm mattress. Didn't ask about the twins. Don't know if the mattresses differed among units/owners since resort might have supplied some basics.
I would stay there again. I didn't like the condo colony we stayed in a couple of years ago in Wells. All brand new stand alone units but it was like a ghost town.
I would stay there again. I didn't like the condo colony we stayed in a couple of years ago in Wells. All brand new stand alone units but it was like a ghost town.
Sep 28th, 2014, 02:54 PM
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We were in Maine at this time last year and now I miss Maine more than ever. We stayed in Portland but we did some great day trips including Ogunquit. I wish I were there now. <sad sigh>
Thanks for the report.
Thanks for the report.
Sep 28th, 2014, 06:03 PM
#6
Hmmm...is The Beach Plum in Hampton any relation to Beach Plum Lobster in Ogunquit?
Glad someone else has discovered the Merriland Farm Café. Great lunches and pie there, too.
Have heard nothing but horror stories about Hobb's Harborside since new owners took over but I guess you lucked out. I've never found Wells Ogunquit too terribly crowded after Labor Day but I guess I've avoided weekends for the most part.
Glad someone else has discovered the Merriland Farm Café. Great lunches and pie there, too.
Have heard nothing but horror stories about Hobb's Harborside since new owners took over but I guess you lucked out. I've never found Wells Ogunquit too terribly crowded after Labor Day but I guess I've avoided weekends for the most part.
Sep 29th, 2014, 01:37 AM
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The Beach Plum website only mentions two locations. We ate at Rt 1 in Portsmouth. The other location is Rt 1A in N Hampton. I have stayed with a friend at a rental cottage within walking distance of beach in Wells and it can be very pleasant and uncrowded ... as long as we stay off Rt 1.
Sep 29th, 2014, 06:44 AM
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Been a Californian for 57 years..but whenever I read anything about New England, specifically Maine, NH and Mass., I admit to a tinge of sweet nostalgia. Last October, I was book touring in NH and Mass...thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Thanks dfrostNH....
Sep 30th, 2014, 03:51 AM
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tower, it's not as nice as it used to be. dh is very nostalgic for the cider press that used to be on our property when his grandfather had an apple orchard. The smell is wonderful. I haven't smelled cider being pressed in years and last time I think I was in the Hollis NH area. Nice orchards in our area but not sure who is making cider anymore. Glad you enjoyed your visit. You might want to visit Yankee Magazine's website.
Sep 30th, 2014, 06:38 AM
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I hate to admit it, drostNH, but on my last three or four visits to New England, I had the same feeling. At least I still remember the good old days...which can be said for anyplace, I suppose. Maine, NH, Mass, and Vermont will still hold pleasant memories for this old coot! Of course, California sure is not the California of 57 years ago when I arrived with my young family. They call it progress....I'm not so sure!
stu
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