JulieVikmanis

We will be in Kennebunkport for 4 nights on an upcoming trip and could use some help planning day trips from there. We will spend 2 days in Boston and had planned 2 days in Provincetown then 2 in Kennebunkport but the friends we were set to visit in Provincetown had to cancel so we decided the easiest course would be to just add the two days onto our stay in Kennebunkport. We will leave Kennebunkport to spend our final two days in Portland.

Now I have to figure out how to occupy 4 days while staying in Kennebunkport. Figuring to stop and see Marblehead, Gloucester, Cape Ann, Rockport and Portsmouth and Kittery on the drive from Boston. Maybe return to Ogunquit and Portsmouth on one day?. Though we will have 2 days in Portland, is their Saturday market a big enough deal to use one of the day trips going to it? (I'm a big time market fan) How about a day to visit Booth Bay and Wiscasset? Or would that be a lot of driving for little difference in scenery than we will have already seen? Manchester, NH worth a trip?

All/any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks.

DebbieDoesDulles

Well, don't forget you'll want a couple of days just for Kennebunkport, Goose Rocks Beach, Arundel, Cape Porpoise and maybe Biddeford Pool and Ocean Park/Old Orchard.

Ogunquit and then Shore Road down through Cape Neddick to York Village is another full day. There are some nice lake areas that you can visit doing a loop up through Shapleigh and Lake Lovell and maybe over to Wolfeboro New Hampshire for an afternoon. Sebago Lake/ Naples/ area is another possibility.
How soon is your trip? Ogunquit may have some traffic issues for the rest of this month, so you'll want to be aware of that.

The scenery does get different has you head up to Boothbay/Camden area as that's more rocky coast than beachy. But when you stay in Portland you can visit Cape Elizabeth and Portland Headlight for a taste of that. I think you'll find plenty to do and see closer to Kennebunkport during your 4 night stay. Whether or not Wiscasset area would be too much of a drive depends on day of week/ month as that area does have its traffic snarls. If your trip is in Sept, probably no problem. However there is not a lot to see along route 1 even though it is considered a "coastal" route. You must drive away from route 1 and down the peninsulas (ie Boothbay) to visit the oceanside villages.

JulieVikmanis

Debbie, Thanks so much. This is the kind of advice I was hoping for. Our trip is September 6 to 14 and we'll be in Kennbunkport the 8th through the 11th, so we should be out of the woods on the Ogunquit traffic issues if they are confined to August. I'm off to plot this info on my maps. Thanks again. BTW, love your screen name.

SambaChula

"Figuring to stop and see Marblehead, Gloucester, Cape Ann, Rockport and Portsmouth and Kittery on the drive from Boston" is about 2-3 days worth.

A nice side trip from that area is Laudholm Farm in Wells, an old dairy farm (now eco center) with fields, woods and beach.

Note: The traffic from the southern edge of Ogunquit into Kennebunkport is usually bumper to bumper for miles in season *which is as long as it's warm enough for the beach, and into leaf peeping season.

JulieVikmanis

Oops. Well then, I guess I won't have any trouble filling the time. Thanks for the tip on Wells--and for the warnings.

dfrostnh

Both Portsmouth and Portland have large farmers markets on Saturday. I think Portsmouth's might be better. Check their website for location. I usually only go to the Portsmouth one in Winter and it alternates locations. Early apples will be available so you might visit an orchard. Not familiar with any in that area since there are two in the Concord NH area that grow fabulous heirloom apples.

Portsmouth is fun to explore. There are several restaurants on Bow Street that share a deck overlooking the harbor. We are big fans of the boat trips and have enjoyed both the harbor trip and inland rivers. The parking garage is within walking distance of the dock. Our favorite drive is Rt 1B starting from the Prescott Park/Strawbery Banke area. Hippo Press is a free weekly newspaper which will give you some info about events in the area. The private mansions in Rye are gorgeous. The architecture in the Portsmouth area is wonderful.

There's a very interesting tiny Asian restaurant Anju Noodle Bar but you need to get there as soon as it opens. The meat place next door has an interesting selection of local meats. From Kittery you can take a back road to York that is rural. Anju Noodle is near the shipyard which is a very different part of Kittery from Rt 1 outlets. You might want to visit When Pigs Fly Bakery to try the bread samples. Stonewall Kitchen has a cooking school which is really chef demos while assistants finish cooking and serving. Tables are set up classroom style. We had a fun evening. You can check their website to see if any of the menus appeal to you. It is not hands on cooking.

Ogunquit Theater will still be running. There are also theaters in Portsmouth. Hippo Press will have a listing of music and theater events for Portsmouth.

Since Kport is a day trip for us and we hate the Rt 1 congestion, we usually vacation north of Portland. I would highly recommend a day trip to the Rockland area. I would vote for Farnsworth Art Museum (I love Andrew and Jamie Wyeth's works). dh would vote for Owls Head Transportation Museum. It's an easy hike to Owls Head light. Wine tasting at the winery and your choice of lobster shacks. But check shack website since they might be open only on the weekend. We like both Waterman's and McLoon's but when we discovered McLoon's last September it is now our most favorite since it's on a small working harbor. The view from Waterman's is open ocean. It would be a long drive to Rockland but we think it's a different Maine when you get that far north of Portland. Rockport ME is the next town to Rockland and has a beautiful little harbor. You can sit on a bench and enjoy looking at the boats. A children's sailing school was in progress when we visited.

Canterbury Shaker Village just north of Concord NH has a fascinating tour so I would vote Concord instead of Manchester should you want a day trip inland. Concord has a walkable downtown area with some interesting shops. Main store for the NH League of Arts and Crafts, wonderful independent bookstore (Gibson's). Should you choose Canterbury visit, Apple Hill is one of my two favorite orchards only a few miles away.

The food tour of Portland is pretty good but not as good as the ones in Boston. We aren't beer drinkers so have not been on any beer tours. I know one is offered in Portsmouth. Sometimes we choose a quiet spot to relax and carry bag chairs in the car. Fort Williams Park in South Portland is a good place. Splendid view of Casco Bay, lighthouse, and Bite Into ME food truck for lobster rolls.

JulieVikmanis

dfrostnh, thank you SO MUCH. Great, useful information. It will make much more sense for us to go to Portsmouth for their Saturday market than to go all the way to Portland, especially since we'll be there later in the trip. This is so helpful. Now my problem has changed from "will there be enough to do?" to "how can I fit it all in?" Certainly a better "problem."

DebbieDoesDulles

Julie, FYI we often visit the Ogunquit Kennebunkport area beginning just after Labor day and there are no traffic tie-ups during the week. On Sat & Sun it will definitely intensify but on your arrival Thursday it should be a breeze. When there are $98 rooms available at places like Pink Blossoms or The Grand or Terrace by the Sea, you know it's a low-traffic week.

DFrost a lobster-roll lover like yourself really should explore the area further during the off-season. You would enjoy Cape Neddick, Cape Porpoise, and Ocean Park/Camp Ellis especially, also maybe Pine Point and Higgins Beach. Take advantage of all of the $49/$59 motor-inn rates in mid September and spend a couple of nights if you can get away during the week.

JulieVikmanis

Debbie, thanks for that intel. Makes me less concerned about out stay. We'll plan our time in Kennebunk for the weekend and do the trafficky stuff during the week. Should keep frazzled nerves to a minimum.

gail

Gloucester, Rockport and Cape Ann are not on the way to Kittery - it really is quite a detour. Same for Marblehead. I would stick with places closer to I95 - Portsmouth or even Newburyport. Considering the time you have.

djkbooks

Don't recommend bothering with driving as far north as Rockland.

Would recommend spending two nights in Boothbay Harbor then two nights in Kennebunkport.

The best seeing and doing is the scenery all about, boat excursions, driving right up to the lighthouses...

Are you flying out of Portland?

JulieVikmanis

Thanks for the additional guidance. Newburyport has never crossed my radar before. Will check it out.

Yes, we are flying out of Portland and spending our last two nights there.

Again, thanks so much for all the recommendations and suggestions.

mvmaithai

I agree with Gail. Rockport and Marblehead are both out of the way. To see places conveniently located along the route, I would stop at Newburyport, Portsmouth/Kittery, Kennebunkport and Portland. Portland alone has enough things to do for 4 days!

There is no better place to eat seafood than in New England. These are some of my favorites - eating lobster at the shack at Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth overlooking Casco Bay. Warren's Lobster House (huge salad bar) in Kittery and Street and Co in Portland are fantastic!

I too will be going to Maine in early Sept. We'll be spending a week in Bar Harbor. Can't wait!

Have a wonderful trip!

I leave you some links to some relevant blog posts I'd written:
http://mvmaithai.blogspot.com/2016/0...achusetts.html

http://mvmaithai.blogspot.com/2011/0...-by-boats.html

JulieVikmanis

Thanks MaiThai. Sounds like good advice. Also good blog posts.