Our One-Week Coastal Maine Road Trip in Depth

The coastal drive we planned before and after our Maine Windjammer Cruise was worth the trip! We're breaking down our full pre- and post-cruise road trip, from flying into Portland (including the vital tip about booking travel that could make or break your flights) to the small towns, slow drives, great food, and memorable museums along the coast.

We're covering the full pre- and post-cruise itinerary, including the convenient and delightful hotels where we stayed along the coast and what slow travel in Maine actually looks like, from what to pack to where to eat along the way. 

This one's built for planning: we'll walk through how much drive time to budget between towns, rental car tips, and the easy-to-miss logistics like return-time cutoffs and why a buffer day on each end of your cruise makes the whole trip less stressful.

Join us as we take you through: 

• Flying into Portland, Maine and renting a car (and the one VERY important thing to keep in mind when booking flights and a tip for your car rental)
• Staying in Lincolnville and visiting Camden and Belfast, Maine
• Exploring Rockland before and after our Maine Windjammer Cruise
• Enjoying time at Higgins Beach in Scarborough

Hotels we stayed in: 

• Inn at Ocean’s Edge: https://www.innatoceansedge.com/ 
• 250 Main: https://www.250mainhotel.com/ 
• Higgins Beach Inn: https://www.higginsbeachinn.com/ 

More helpful info from this episode: 

• The mosquitoes are out in Maine during summer! Prepare by buying a Bug Bite Thing https://amzn.to/4tzFG9M or Mikkel’s favorite electronic mosquito bite zapper to fight those pesky bugs https://amzn.to/4sSp4u2
• Helpful things to know about Maine during summer: https://sometimeshome.com/planning-trip-to-maine-in-summer-things-to-know/
• Maine Windjammer Packing List: https://sometimessailing.com/printable-maine-windjammer-packing-list/ (includes a video)
• Foods to eat in Maine: https://sometimeshome.com/food-maine-is-known-for/
• Travel watercolors set: https://link.amazon/B0imP44Ht
• Sea Bags: https://sometimessailing.com/sea-bags-sustainable-bags-from-sails/
• Acadia Guide Along: https://sometimessailing.com/pnoq 

Find out more about our Maine Windjammer Cruise experience on Grace Bailey: https://pod.link/1802110861/episode/QnV6enNwcm91dC0xOTQ2NjI5NA

Transcript

Dan (00:35)

Hello and welcome. In this episode, we are gonna talk about the road trip we did in Maine. So pre and post-cruise. We did a cruise with Maine Windjammer. You can check that out in our last episode. But in this episode, we're gonna talk about what to do pre and post. Ours was only a three-day cruise. So if we're gonna go to Maine, let's really dive in and see what Maine has to offer. 

So overall, a few things to know is Maine has some big cities, but most of it is just little towns and little villages. And really got to get in the mindset of being into slow travel in Maine, right? It's going to take some time to drive between these towns,but also there's plenty to see along the way and little sights that kind of unfold along the way.

Mikkel (01:23)

It's also very peaceful when you're driving between these towns.

Dan (01:27)

Yeah.

We picked up the ship in Rockland, Maine. Now that is probably what would you say, an hour and a half, two hours outside of Portland? And that's where we flew in. It's a major airport there and it's gonna be your gateway to get to many other places in Maine.

Mikkel (01:44)

Right, and when you're looking up flights, you want to make sure it's Portland, Maine, because when you start typing "Portland," Oregon comes up. And I am glad that I always switched it to Maine, but I wouldn't be surprised if once upon a time somebody booked the wrong flights. So make sure it is Portland, Maine. The airport code is PWM.

The other major airport you can go to is Boston, but if you go to Boston, it's gonna be a little bit of a further drive to get to Maine, of course, and to Rockland.

Dan (02:16)

Yes. Now, if you want more tips and more information on Maine and specifically Maine Windjammer cruises, make sure you subscribe or find us on YouTube @sometimes-sailing. As always, we look forward to your comments as well. So if there's information that you don't hear and you have questions, just leave us a comment.

Mikkel (02:37)

We always reply, I would say probably in record time compared to other channels I see. So, we are very proud of that and we really appreciate you listening and being interested in this lovely topic of small ship cruising and you know, surrounding things to do. Our schedule, right? So we were there from Tuesday to Tuesday. Our trip for Maine Windjammer was a three-night trip, as Dan said, it was Friday to Monday. 

So we had Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday morning and then when we ended the cruise on Monday, we were able to see some other things that day and then stay overnight and leave on Tuesday. I really liked that so we weren't racing out of Maine and we didn't feel like, "Oh my god, we have to get off the ship, we have to go catch a flight," you know?

Dan (03:23)

Right. Yeah, that theme of slow travel really goes throughout

Mikkel (03:25)

Yes.

Dan (03:26)

this entire conversation.

Mikkel (03:28)

Yeah.

So we landed at the Portland Airport. We flew from Orlando, Florida. We live near Orlando and we were not able to take a direct flight. So it might take you a little more than you want with a layover in terms of flight time to get there, but hopefully you get there safe and sound as we did. 

And the car rental is right across from the entrance to the airport. So you don't have to take a bus there or anything. And again, make sure you are renting a car from the Portland airport because some options that came up with that were a little less money, I discovered we would have to take an Uber to the car rental or even Turo, T-U-R-O, is a car rental option that's becoming more and more popular. People rent their personal cars, but there weren't really Turo options at the airport. So we decided to rent directly with Avis and picked up the car right there, which was great. 

We also realized that you could not go over the exact time that you picked it up or you would get charged increasingly exponential money. We picked it up at 2:30 pm on Tuesday, so we had to drop it off by 2:30 pm the next week or we would get charged for the hour x-amount of dollars and then like it greatly increased for the second hour and then it sounded like it was gonna be a problem if it was more than two hours. So we made sure we dropped it off in time.

Dan (04:53)

But with all that being said, the Portland airport is a really easy airport to navigate, to fly in and out of, and you shouldn't have any problems, just make sure that you go to the right Portland.

Mikkel (05:03)

My one upset is that they don't have a lounge.

Dan (05:05)

Mm, yeah, that is an upset. But there are, you know, large taxidermied animals, so that makes up for it.

Mikkel (05:12)

Yeah, totally the same thing.

So, after we picked up the car, we drove two hours north to the Inn at Ocean's Edge in Lincolnville, Maine, which is just north of Camden. We did not want to leave this hotel. It was so relaxing. It was great.

Dan (05:30)

Great views of the ocean. There was a pool, a hot tub, there was a

Mikkel (05:36)

Sauna.

Dan (05:38)

sauna, a small workout room. And

Mikkel (05:40)

Mm.

Dan (05:41)

it was also a great location because we could just jump into Camden for dinner. We did that Tuesday night. And then we also explored some of the other small towns around there. And it was an easy drive. I will say something to bear in mind is that these small towns are not built for heavy traffic, so there's gonna be some congestion and pedestrians and things like that.

Mikkel (06:05)

I thought you were gonna say be careful when you're driving because deer could run across the road. Yeah.

Dan (06:05)

But there were deer. There were deer. Yeah.

Mikkel (06:10)

Also at the hotel: massages if you pre-schedule. They don't have somebody there all the time, but if you book a massage, somebody comes and does that for you. We met a few ladies who were there celebrating their birthdays and booked some spa treatments. Also loved that they had fireplaces down by the pool. So an indoor one and an outdoor one. We used that. And also the beach walk. So you could walk down the stairs. They were a little steep and a little shaky. They're safe or they wouldn't let you on them. But we went

Dan (06:38)

Yeah.

Mikkel (06:39)

down there during low tide and that was really phenomenal. 

Mosquitoes for sure. So bring that Bug Bite Thing or the bug zapper that's in our Maine trip packing list that's in the show notes. And we also have a video about that on YouTube. But yeah, the mosquitoes, if you can handle them or you're equipped with the right bug zapping tools after that, you know, the sunset was really phenomenal. We have pictures on our Instagram account @SometimesSailing of that sunset.

And it really was a highlight for me.

Dan (07:08)

Yeah, the hotel in general just had great amenities and there was a fireplace in the room too. We forgot to talk about that. The room was big,

Mikkel (07:14)

Yes.

Dan (07:16)

and the ocean view out the window was you know, even better.

Mikkel (07:21)

Yeah, they have several different room types at the Inn at Ocean's Edge. We were so grateful for our ocean view and that fireplace, which the fireplace worked on the flip of a switch. So if if you were, you know, washing up in the restroom, I was sitting watching the ocean and just flipped on the switch because I really love the coziness that the fireplace provided. 

There are also rooms that don't face the ocean, which is why it's nice that they have two different decks that you can sit and look at the ocean. If you're not at the pool, they have several Adirondack chairs facing the water around the property. And they also have two other detached options for rooms. So just be mindful when you're looking at the room type and the room rate, what you are interested in.

Dan (08:05)

Another highlight is well, Wednesday morning we got up and had breakfast at the hotel and complimentary breakfast that was very good.

Mikkel (08:14)

I love that they had an option of the day. The second morning we were there, I knew what I was getting until they told me that it was a toastones breakfast with eggs on top and a lime crema. And I was like, "Oh man, that's what I want. I was gonna get lox but," I was like, "I can have lox at home. I don't make tostones with, eggs on them at home." So yeah, I love that.

Dan (08:33)

Right. And then blueberry pancakes are a must. If you go

Mikkel (08:39)

Yes.

Dan (08:39)

to Maine and you don't eat them, it's very rude. So make sure you order blueberry pancakes.

Mikkel (08:44)

If you don't know, blueberries are one of the foods to eat in Maine, along with scallops, scallops, scallop, tomato, tomato, however you say it, along with Maine lobster, Maine crab. So blueberries. We have an article about this that I will link in the show notes for you about things to eat in Maine. So yep, those blueberries, Dan, you are on the money.

Dan (09:08)

Yep. So for all day Wednesday, we went and explored around a little town called Belfast and

Mikkel (09:14)

Yeah.

Dan (09:15)

we stopped and had lobster for lunch at the lobster pound. That was delicious. It is exactly what it sounds like. You buy lobster by the pound, and then you eat it, and it's good.

Mikkel (09:26)

Yeah, if you're like staying at an Airbnb or something there or a vacation rental, you can actually buy it raw and just buy it from there and take it home and cook it yourself, or they'll cook it for you, right? So like they take a lobster out of the water, they put it on the scale, they ask if this is okay with you. It was $13.99 a pound when we were there. Of course, it's market price, so might not be that when you're there, it might be more or less.

Last time we were in Maine, they had soft-shell lobsters, which I was hoping they had again, but they did not. This is the time in between shells for the lobsters, much like crabs, but for the lobsters. So they didn't have any this time, so we got the hard shell. You can have lobsters on a salad, you can have lobsters on a roll. But I really loved that the first time we had lobster in Maine this trip was just in its purest form.

Yeah, lobster in the lobster form. So we shared a two-and-a-half-pound lobster. Thank you for your sacrifice, lobster. Not that you had a choice in the matter. And we had a nice view from there. It was really great. And then we went into town, and we walked around. 

We went into some pottery stores, a bookstore, an art store that was great. You got a new sketchbook. I got some ribbon and a Micron pen. Not related — I needed the ribbon for something else, but it was nice to support local, you know? I really loved that. We walked along the water and I have to give a shout out to the Wild Cow Creamery, where we had ice cream that we discovered they make in-house. There are so many ice cream shops in Maine. Like, truly. For a

Dan (11:05)

Right, right.

Mikkel (11:06)

state that's not in the tropics like we are in Florida, it's amazing how many ice cream shops they have. They don't all make their ice cream in-house. So to me that's important and something to look for. Highly recommend the blueberry ice cream there.

Dan (11:19)

Yeah.

And then before heading back to the hotel, we stopped at the co-op and picked up a couple of things for dinner, 'cause we had dinner at the hotel that night. We wanted a quiet night in and we wanted to experience the hot tub and the fireplace. So that was available, the co op was great and it was just a nice experience in Belfast.

Mikkel (11:38)

Yes. And also later that afternoon before the hot tub, were able to go to the Camden Wharf. So Belfast is north of Lincolnville and Camden is south of Lincolnville. Lincolnville is tiny, tiny, tiny. There's just a couple hotels there and a few shops. It's mostly residential. And I loved that we were in between the two at the Inn at Ocean's Edge. So that was really nice.

There was a fireplace, as we said before. So on my agenda that evening, like you said, was dinner overlooking the ocean, right? We sat outside where breakfast

Dan (12:11)

Mm-hmm.

Mikkel (12:11)

is served sometimes, but they make those tables available to anyone staying there at night. We ate there, we had some wine, we overlooked the ocean, we went in the hot tub.

And we made a fire. So I asked them, do we make the fire? Do you make the fire? They set it up really nicely. They already have the logs stacked and the newspaper rolled. All you have to do is light one of the matches they provide. They said either. So I said, "No, we can do it. We're capable." So you were manning the fireplace. I cannot believe we were the only two people down there. It was so nice. And that was one of my favorite things we did actually the entire trip.

Yeah, I just love listening to the crackling of a fire, smelling the fireplace, and it was chilly, so like it was nice, you know?

Dan (12:57)

Yeah, it was a perfect evening. It definitely was.

Mikkel (13:00)

Yes. Ask if they have s'mores ingredients when you're there. This fireplace is kind of like connected to the sauna and like pool house, you would say, where the massages are as well. They had just run out of s'mores stuff. So unfortunately we never got to experience the s'mores there, but it's our understanding that they do often have the ingredients for s'mores and that's complimentary and a nice perk of staying there. 

Oh, another thing to mention about the sweets of this hotel is that they have cookie time, which I love. It reminded me of American Cruise Lines Cookie Time, two

Dan (13:30)

Night two o'clock, yeah.

Mikkel (13:33)

o'clock. So the first day they had these delicious lemon shortbread cookies. The next day they had these molasses cookies that reminded me of the Pepperidge Farm gingerbread cookies my dad always loved. So cookie time was a nice thing. And then in the morning during breakfast, they also have a pastry tower there. So they had scones one day, muffins the next day. So that was really nice as well. And they have coffee most of the day, coffee and tea sitting there most of the day if you want it as well.

Dan (14:01)

I think when I start my boy band, "Pastry Tower" is gonna be the name of the band.

Mikkel (14:06)

I'm into it. I support that.

Thursday morning, unfortunately, we had a check out of the hotel. This was a tough hotel to leave. I was really sad to leave this hotel.

Dan (14:16)

I agree with you but... but the one in Rockland was pretty cool. So I think I like that one a little bit more and so I was yeah, so I was okay leaving one ocean view for another ocean view.

Mikkel (14:30)

Okay, I will say the morning we left was very much overcast. I would say even drizzling and a little chilly, but we went down to the hot tub one last time. I was so glad you agreed to go with me. And that was really just like a phenomenal soak in the morning. And we did the sauna for a little bit as well before going to our room and shower and flipped on that fireplace one more time.

Then we checked out. We went to Camden again. We were driving south anyway to go to Rockland to 250 Main Hotel. And we saw Megunticook Falls. I'm sure I'm saying that incorrectly, but they were like these little tiny waterfalls behind the main shopping street in Camden. We also kept an eye out for schooner Angelique, another historic schooner in the Maine Windjammer fleet, known for her rust-colored sails.

We weren't sure of her schedule. We didn't really look it up. We were just rolling the dice to see if she was in port. She was not, but it was still a really beautiful view, even though it was rainy. We saw the cutest duck and her little ducklings. Are they called ducklings? They were just so cute.

Dan (15:32)

Yeah, yeah. I think they are called

Mikkel (15:34)

Yeah.

Dan (15:35)

ducklings 'cause usually it's "ugly duckling," but these were not. They were the opposite. Yeah.

Mikkel (15:37)

yeah. They were cute. They were all cute.

Yes. We went to some shops in Camden. That was really nice. It's easy to park on the street there. And we brought our rain gear because it was raining. We had umbrellas, we had raincoats on, so be prepared for rain, 'cause it might rain.

Anyway, so we drove from Camden to Rockland and checked into 250 Main. The nice thing was that they said our room was ready and we got there, was it around like noon?

Dan (16:06)

I think so, yeah.

Mikkel (16:08)

Yeah, and we checked in early. again, it was raining a lot when we got there and it was chilly outside. So we were grateful for the cozy hotel room and the cozy hotel lobby. We were grateful there was hot water. There was also hot water in the room or a little tea kettle you could heat up water. So that was really nice. And we actually sat there and did work for a little. So we were grateful for good internet. But we also, on Thursday, went to CMCA.

Dan (16:37)

Right, so that that is the Center for Maine Contemporary Art. At the front desk, they let you know there's no work that is for sale. So, it's not a gallery, it's not a museum, it's just a center for the arts. But they focus on artists that are working or have some connection to Maine.

Mikkel (16:53)

Yeah, that was really nice. I would say we're not particularly contemporary art people, but as artists, we can appreciate all art forms and expression of self through art. So there were three exhibits there. One of them was bright and colorful and these huge sculptures that were like maybe somewhere between like what, eight to ten feet tall, would you say?

Dan (17:17)

Easily, yeah.

Mikkel (17:18)

Yeah, that was really cool. We liked that. There was a video exhibit. Anyway, so it took about 30 minutes and definitely worth checking out. The building was designed by a famous architect as well. So even if you walk past it, that's kind of a nice landmark in Rockland to check out. And again, this was one of the bigger cities we were going to, Rockland, but it's very walkable, small downtown area. The main museum to see there, which we went to the next day — we checked out of the hotel at 11:00 am, put our stuff in the car.

There's a free lot across the way. I'm saying "the way" because it's kind of across the street and down a little hill, right across from the hotel. So we put our stuff in there because later on that Friday we were checking into our Maine Windjammer cruise.

But we went to the Farnsworth museum. I'm gonna hand this to you to talk about because I was really excited to see this through your eyes, being a museum that you were really looking forward to going to.

Dan (18:16)

Last time we were in Rockland, I completely forgot that this museum was there, and I was, I was pretty disappointed after I realized that we were so close and we didn't go visit it. So this is another museum that is focused on art from Maine artists, but it's broader than that. So I say that it has a very strong collection of modern artists with a theme of Maine. So maybe it's Maine countryside or seascapes and the thread of Maine is woven through the exhibits there. But truly, in my humble opinion, and I think the the gallery director would also agree with me, there was plenty of Andrew Wyeth paintings there, paintings and sketches. 

So I thought that was definitely the highlight, and that was why I wanted to go. I wanted to see Andrew and N.C. Wyeth, his father, some of their work and it did not disappoint. It was a great exhibit and really got to see some of Andrew's more famous paintings, but also for me more importantly, seeing his sketches and some of his studies really brought home his process and how he approached a canvas.

Mikkel (19:31)

And it really set up our time on Grace Bailey historic schooner that we were boarding Friday because we had, you know, purchased the sketchbook the day before or, you know, the two days before — what is this? Friday. So we purchased it in Belfast when we were there. And it kind of like relit the fire, I thought, for you for creating. And when we went to the Inn at Ocean's Edge, the first hotel we were at on Tuesday and Wednesday, around that foyer, I would call it, the table when you walk in, were art books. 

And these are artists that, you know, in the eleven years we've been together, I actually never really heard you talk about. You might have mentioned it last time we were there, but I forgot. It was a couple of years ago. And it's not one of the artists you talk about a lot, these two artists, father and son. So I really loved being around that table with you and looking at these art books with you.

And just a quick overview, can you just explain in a little more depth why N.C. Wyeth was so incredible and the kinds of drawings he did that really influenced art in America?

Dan (20:40)

Sure. N.C. Wyeth was an illustrator in early America. So think prior to Norman Rockwell. Well, what N.C. Wyeth did is books like Treasure Island and Swiss Family Robinson and things like that, he illustrated that and truly gave us what that image of a pirate is. So think of Johnny Depp, like without N.C. Wyeth, we wouldn't have had Johnny Depp doing what he was doing in Pirates of the Caribbean. He really set the table for what we think of as far as those characters in early... you know, early Americana literature, let's say. 

From that, N.C. Wyeth had a few children, but the youngest being Andy Wyeth, or Andrew Wyeth, who was extremely talented and became a very well-known artist in his own right. He focused mostly on landscapes and landscapes in Maine and Pennsylvania. And then following that lineage, you have Jamie Wyeth, who is Andrew's son, who's a contemporary artist. So kind of drawing on three generations. There's other members of the family, and most of the other members of the family are artists or musicians in their own right and also in the creative fields, but following that down through with N.C., Andrew and then Jamie. 

You can see the progression and you can see each one of the sons kind of running away from what the father was doing and carving their own path. So it's fun to look at that just as a whole for all three bodies of work.

Mikkel (22:09)

Yeah, which you shared with me, Andy Wyeth, paints with watercolor as a rebellion to his father who painted in tempera.

Dan (22:15)

Yeah.

Mikkel (22:19)

And his most famous painting in MoMA...

Dan (22:24)

Right, is "Christina's World." And if memory serves correctly, Christina, the model had multiple sclerosis and so it's a painting, I'm sure you'll see it or I'm sure you would know it. It's just a woman in a dress just laying in a field and there's a small little farmhouse off in the distance and it's, it's very eerie and it's very isolating and when you look at it you're just like, "What is going on here? Why is this woman just alone laying in a field and she looks very isolated and not very powerful in that." So yeah, it's an interesting painting. Yeah.

Mikkel (22:53)

Mm-hmm. It's definitely a conversation starter. Yeah, for sure.

I love when you talk about art. It's one of my favorite things about you. My grandfather would have loved it, my dad would have loved it. And being on this trip in Maine specifically, I know it sounds obvious, but to see Maine and really understand this amazing state from the ground, from the water, going to the Farnsworth is a must. No matter if you're staying in Rockland or elsewhere.

We also wanted to make sure — there's two tours a day that are complimentary if you have admission to the museum. A lot of museums, it seems like Maine residents actually get in for free. But if you don't, it's really a nominal cost. And you can join one of these tours. It's at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm. And we went at noon to make sure that we got one of those stickers to be on that 2:00 pm tour. And our guide, her name was Carter, was great.

I asked her if she was an artist 'cause she was just so passionate about speaking about all the art in there. She actually said she's a gaffer. She's a glass blower. So I loved hearing why some of the paintings were significant through that tour and also seeing how artists looked at the beauty of Maine through their own eyes and how that was interpreted to the canvas through their own media, whether it was watercolor or oil paint or, you know, tempera paint, whatever it was. Mixed media. So I thought that was really great. 

That was a few minutes on on this Farnsworth museum, but you know, it's important. It's closed during major holidays. it's mostly open all summer. So yeah, don't miss the Farnsworth. Woo, nod to the Farnsworth. Shout out. Boop boop boop boop!

Dan (24:34)

I would also like to add that Maine as a whole is a very artistic place. You immediately think of lobster, you think of blueberries, you think of the coastline, maybe moose, and you don't really think of the arts as much in Maine. But especially Rockland, it's definitely an artsy little community. But there's also other communities throughout Maine that are very focused on the arts and all sorts of arts. So maybe woodcrafting or carving or painting. Be prepared for that when you go to Maine. That's a hidden little gem that pops up.

Mikkel (25:08)

And there were galleries all over, everywhere we went, even just like randomly on the side of the road. So definitely stop in and see what's there, if nothing else, to be inspired. We packed art gear, art equipment, I would say. I packed a little sketchbook and a watercolor set, a travel set that is linked in the show notes in our packing list. You bought that sketchbook, but you actually sketch with a ballpoint pen most of the time, which is interesting. And I admire that about you. 

So yeah, go equipped. And if you don't have any of that, just grab the nearest piece of paper or a receipt and go to town on the back.

Dan (25:41)

Sure. Yeah.

Mikkel (25:42)

Sure. So our check-in for our Maine Windjammer cruise was at 5:00 pm that day. Of course we were there on time with bells what do they say? With bells on? What's the expression? You're

Dan (25:52)

Yeah, with bells on.

Mikkel (25:53)

you're always better at that than I am.

Last week's episode goes through our Maine Windjammer cruise within about 35 minutes, so be sure to check that out. Let's skip ahead to Monday when we got off the cruise around 10:00 in the morning.

Dan (26:07)

Yeah, so we got off the cruise, we hit a few places in Rockland that were closed or we didn't have time to visit, so like the Puffin Museum

Mikkel (26:15)

Yes.

Dan (26:16)

and then we learned all about puffins, adorable little puffins, and oh, then we went to Higgins Beach.

Mikkel (26:22)

Yes, we went to Higgins Beach Inn, and that is in Scarborough, Maine. So this was continuing further south. So we landed in Portland. We went north to Lincolnville, where the Inn at Ocean's Edge is. We went south through Camden to go to 250 Main and Rockland. And then we continued south to go to Scarborough, which is just a little bit south of Portland. So that was putting us in a really great position to drive to the airport the next day.

So we were in Scarborough at Higgins Beach Inn. This was really cool because this hotel was kind of in a suburban neighborhood, which surprised us. I'm not really sure why, because we were in the suburbs for like this whole trip, but there was something like so neighborhoody about this beach community that caught us off guard, but in a really great way. We were very pleasantly surprised.

Dan (27:13)

Yeah, we felt like we were in a beach community, that's for sure.

Mikkel (27:16)

Yeah, we saw a lot of surfboards, a lot of surfers. I was shocked about that. So we decided to have dinner at a delicious Thai restaurant. Shout out to Jojo's Thai Kitchen. It's just in a little shopping center, but we were in the mood for some Asian food. We wanted some comfort food because it was raining again.

It was raining pretty hard actually that day. So we went there for dinner, went back to the hotel. I think we made some hot chocolate or coffee or something. They also have coffee there for everybody most of the time. And there was

Dan (27:47)

There was cookies – there was cookie time there too.

Mikkel (27:50)

yes, there was delicious cookie time. Chocolate chip cookies, plenty of parking, complimentary at the hotel. And then Tuesday morning we woke up, and we had breakfast at the hotel. So again, fresh pastries. We had some blueberry muffins again, bringing the Maine blueberry into the picture here. We had breakfast, and then we decided to walk to the beach just a few blocks away.

Dan (28:13)

Right. So cute beach. There was a little garden with painted shells and it felt very neighborhood. It felt like you were part of a community. The beach had a great view. Like Mikkel said, there was a bunch of surfers out there, so you felt like you're just kinda like dipping into a a nice little beach community for the morning.

Mikkel (28:31)

Yes, and there were towels on the front porch of the hotel. There were beach chairs it you wanted to borrow a beach chair. There was also boogie boards I saw. My brother boogie boarded when he was little, so that brought up a nice memory for me. And the beach was just like what, two or three blocks from the hotel, so definitely walkable. 

And I loved that behind the front desk at this hotel there was a chalkboard and it said what time high tide and low tide were that day, which is very helpful because it's not a big shoreline and it's even bigger during low tide. So that's really nice. We didn't go out in bathing suits or anything. It was overcast and a little drizzly that morning, but we took our coffee. 

We brought our insulated mugs to use throughout the trip — which I have to say was one of the best decisions we made to keep our coffee nice and hot. So we took the coffee, and we walked hand in hand. Thank you. Always my request. I'm a romantic, to go to the beach, look at those painted shells that were a nice surprise, and just kind of look at the beachside cottages and houses and watch those surfers come in on the small swells that morning.

Dan (29:37)

Yeah. So we had a 1:55 pm flight to catch in Portland. So after our beach walk we checked out and we headed to downtown Portland. We had about an hour, hour and a half to spend in Portland. Walked around, went to Seabags, went to a few other l small shops, grabbed lunch, and then headed to the airport.

Mikkel (29:58)

Yeah, and Seabags are very famous bags made from recycled sails from ships. You can actually send in your own sails. We wrote about this extensively on Sometimes Sailing. I will link that in the show notes. But Seabags we see in every major, even small... we saw it in Belfast, you know. They all have some of the same stuff, but some of the different stuff. Their vintage bags are unique. Like, each one is unique.

And definitely worth checking Seabags out.

If we were gonna extend the trip, I would for sure say go to Portland. We explored Portland extensively last time we were there, which is why we didn't stay there this time. But it is a great city that I recommend going to. We also went to Bar Harbor in the past, amazing city that I highly recommend. That's another kind of city the size of Rockland, I would say. Loved Bar Harbor. Shoutout to Lulu's Lobster Tours, which I thought was incredible.

We went to Acadia National Park. We met a couple of people that were there specifically to go to Acadia. I realized very quickly most people think it's Arcadia. It's not. It's Acadia. I'm gonna link the Guide Along app that is also a

Dan (31:07)

Mm.

Mikkel (31:07)

must if you are going in Acadia driving around. This app, it's $20 to download, but it's worth every penny. You would pay more for a private tour, and this is basically what that does.

It is GPS-triggered. You don't have to be on Wi-Fi or have cell service, as long as you download it when you're on Wi-Fi or have cell service. And it really just enriches the experience. It tells you what you're looking at, if it's worth stopping, the geology of it. Like, it's just incredible. So we skipped Bar Harbor and Portland this time, but we did it last time and highly recommend. So our trip was Tuesday to Tuesday. I could easily see somebody making this 10 days, two weeks.

But whatever you have time to do, don't miss road tripping through Maine. We have linked our schedule in the show notes and our packing list and everything. So mark that as a reference. Share this with a friend who you want to encourage to go to Maine. And until next time...

Dan (32:03)

Keep cruising.