Scarborough Maine
 

We need to be in Scarbourough Maine to pick up a puppy in the middle of July. We only live three hours South near Boston.
I was thinking of going up a day in advanced and staying over night one day before we have to pick the puppy up to explore a different area of NE for a change.

Is Scarborough a nice place to spend a day? What about the nearby towns Portland or St. Elizabeth?

We'd Ike somewhere easily accessible, can enjoy the outdoors and relax over dinner at night.

Thanks

Book now ,

Portland is a great place to overnight. Great food, good bars, scenic waterfront.

Absolutley book now. Scarborough has great beaches. Pint Point Beach is wonderful, they charge ten dollars a day to park. The fishermans' co-op ( a few blocks away) is an interesting area to explore. You can park there for free and use the river beach. The restaurant in back of the co-op (Changing Tide?) has the best view and best lobster roll IMHO. Mostly locals work and visit. Quiet and off the grid...so to speak! Just one suggestion amongst many great options in July.

Scarborough is a nice place to visit (and live.). There are a few fresh off the boat seafood restaurants -- the Clambake & Ken's as well as the ones others mentioned. Scarborough Marsh is beautiful, and you can rent a canoe at the visitor's center and meander around the marsh and see shorebirds. It is also connected to the Eastern Trail, great for flat hiking or biking. You can wander north on Rt 77, close to the coast, towards Cape Elizabeth. An essential stop is at Two Lights State Park for the famous lobster shack, where you can enjoy their yummy lobster roll at a picnic table alongside the rocky coast. Next stop is Portland Head Light at Fort William, home of the quintessential light house & park. Wander north 15 minutes into Portland. The restaurants are amazing, the shops in the Old Port are fun, and boat or ferry rides on Casco Bay will make you want to return for a longer time!

If it's the weekend the beaches nearby, and the roads getting to them, will be bumper to bumper. Also, weekend nights are probably all booked up or two-night minimums. There might be some "Comfort Inn" type rooms in nearby South Portland, however.

As a resident of the area, I have never seen "bumper to bumper" traffic in Scarborough! Yes, the beaches are busy in July, esp on the weekend, and the lines to enter the beach (mainly Scarborough Beach) can be long between 11 am and 2 pm, but it's do-able if you hit the beach early or go late.
Portland is a great, walkable city and definitely worth a visit. I echo the commenter above with suggestions of Two Lights and Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth.
And you shouldn't have a problem finding a place to stay if you book early enough. There are plenty of rooms in the area! (also check out Air BnB for rooms in private homes if you are adventurous!)