Discovering Maine’s Hidden Gems

We just returned from an amazing family getaway with our kids. Today’s post is all about discovering Maine’s Hidden Gems.

Popham Beach at Sunrise

Can you feel the warmth of the rising sun? Can you smell that tangy salt air wafting through the windows? What about that constant ebb and flow of the tide? Can you hear it!?! We packed up our car and took our boys for their first ever adventure in Maine. Growing up, I used to go to Southern Maine with my parents. We’d stay for a week in Kennebunkport; strolling the Marginal Way and devouring delicious meals at various restaurants. I also have great memories of York Beach with my best friend’s family – they had a condo up there. This was my first time heading further north in Maine. Won’t you join us in discovering Maine’s Hidden Treasures?

Discovering Maine’s Hidden Treasures

Our last family vacation was our California road trip, two years ago. Even though we love our home, we all NEEDED a change of scenery. We packed up our LL Bean duffle bags and headed to Vacationland. My friend, Andrea, booked a little cottage right on the beach back in April and it looked absolutely perfect. I asked her – Where are you staying??? And she sent me a link.

Driftwood Cottage

We stayed at this sweet little Driftwood Cottage on Popham Beach. It’s about a 3 1/2 hour drive from our home in Scituate, Massachusetts.

Cottage on beach

I took the above photo right when we arrived. The cottage is right on the beach. EVERY single room had views of the ocean. The front deck, with its views of the beach, was the perfect spot to sit and sip wine or coffee with a good book. The cottage sleeps 6. and is cozy. A little over 600 sq. ft.

Here’s a glimpse inside:

Inside a little cottage in Maine

You can see more photos on the listing for the cottage here and the studio cottage next door is here. Conor really wanted to sleep in the sleeping loft, but it was a little too hot for that in August. The cottage had a fully equipped kitchen so we could make meals in and also go out. Another bonus was the large washer and dryer. Any mom knows how much laundry boys make! Ha! ha!

Here’s the view from our bedroom window:

Beach view from a windwo

The sweet little cottage was a perfect space to rest and relax. It’s everything we hoped it would be.

I know I alluded to this in my last post, click here if you missed it. Before this trip, I was feeling really, really burnt out. I knew I needed to rest and experience the ocean to feel creatively recharged. I knew we as a family needed to laugh and play and discover new places. THIS trip is exactly what we needed. One part that made it so special was the beach.

Popham Beach

Popham Beach in Phippsburg is probably one of the nicest beaches I’ve ever been to. I know we have many beautiful beaches in Scituate but this beach is gorgeous, long and sandy – no rocks and not much seaweed. It stretches 529 acres and is part of a state park. The cottages had private access to the beach.

Boy walking on Popham Beach

I’m not sure if you can see it, but at low tide a sand bar forms and people can walk out to Fox Island. We enjoyed exploring the jagged rocks, wading in the shallow waters, and finding many sand dollars.

Maine Beach

The beach was busy at the weekend but was really quiet during the week, which is the way we like it.

We loved waking up early and walking the beach. Walking the other way we found many structures made out of driftwood and shells.

Driftwood and Shells
Driftwood and shells

Wood Island

This is Wood Island in the middle of the water. Can you imaging living in that home?

Wooden Island in Maine

I couldn’t get enough of Maine’s jagged coastline and those beautiful pine trees.

Fort Popham

Further down Popham Beach is Fort Popham, a Civil War-era fortification. You can walk around the remains of the fort.

Fort Popham

Fox Island

Down the other part of the beach, is Fox Island. At low tide you can walk across the sand bar to the island. We loved exploring the island on multiple occasions, including Conor’s birthday! He wanted to spend the whole day at the beach.

Father & children on the beach in Maine

On the island are tide pools, rock outcrops, and it’s a great place to find sand dollars.

Antiquing in Maine

You guys all know how much I LOVE antiques and vintage finds. To me it’s more about the hunt, the searching, than bringing home tons of treasures. I found some really fun pieces up in Maine but was very limited in packing space so there’s lots more I wish I could have brought home. I wrote a whole separate post about our antique finds click here to read, but there were many places to stop – flea markets, multi-dealers centers, and sweet antique shops on the side of the road.

Antique shop in Maine

The City of Bath

Bath is the closest bigger city to Phippsburg and we spent some afternoons strolling the shops (there are many, including a fabulous kitchen shop), dining in the restaurants, and getting to know the boat building history of this famous port.

Kennebec Tavern

The views from the Kennebac tavern of the Kennebec River are glorious.

View from Kennebec Tavern

I wanted to go back here for another meal and to get a sweatshirt but we ran out of time. I absolutely love their logo!

I highly recommend the crab roll:

Crab roll

One cannot go to Maine and not eat blueberries. This pie was juicy and not too sweet. I’m not sure if you can tell form this picture but it had a cut out pine tree on the crust, just like the original Maine flag.

Blueberry pie

Maine Maritime Museum

Experience Maine’s seafaring history and learn more about the City of Ships in this 20 acre campus. We all enjoyed a few hours in this lovely museum. Favorite exhibits included: Into the Lighthouse (which gives the feeling of being on top of a lighthouse), touring a Victorian era home on the campus, seeing just how big the tall ships they built were, visiting the Percy & Small shipbuilder buildings, and seeing the remains of a shipwreck. The gift shop was lovely. The weather was unsettled the day we went so the boat tours were cancelled but we really wanted to do a boat cruise of lighthouses and the docks so we could see the ships Bath Iron Works are building.

Bruno’s Wood Fired Pizza

We LOVE pizza in our house. This sweet little restaurant, in the heart of Bath, had a lovely outdoor patio and fire. We celebrated Conor’s 12th birthday outside.

Wood fired pizza with arugula and balsamic drizzle

All the pizzas were delicious and we ordered a bunch so we could have leftover pizza the next night.

Wood fired pizza

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

We highly recommend this gorgeous garden in Boothbay. You all know how much we love flowers, but even if you don’t, its such a beautiful place to visit. I think we were there for four or five hours. There are so many lovely walking trails, many gardens, wooded trail walks, and a whole children’s garden.

dahlias
Dahlias

I loved seeing the Dahlia Garden but LOVED it all.

It’s a wonderful place to be IN NATURE. I felt such peace walking around this beautiful place. So much care and attention has been placed into the realization of the gardens.

I wish I could recreate this little garden shed minus the gnomes which are inside (ha! Ha!)

Sweet shed
Garden shed
Black eyed susans

Our boys enjoyed searching for the trolls – there are 5 hidden around the gardens.

Trolls
Trolls

If you go, definitely have lunch – the cafe is great and stop into the gift shop. They have lovely botanical inspired gifts!

The BEST Lemon Squares

For Conor’s birthday breakfast we went to Winnegance. An old general store turned into a restaurant and bakery. From the porch we watched the Lyndon B. Johnson make its way up the river back to Bath Iron Works.

General Store in Maine turned restaurant

It really was a lovely view and if you love Lemon Squares you NEED to get them here!

Boys having breakfast at a general store in Maine

Five Islands

Five Islands is about a 45 minute drive from Phippsburg in Georgetown with the most gorgeous views, lovely food and farms, and an artist enclave.

Five Island Farm

Stop at this sweet farm on the way to Five Island Lobster! A charming artisan market with local cheeses, wine, craft beers, fresh oysters, pottery, paintings and more!

Five Island Lobster Co.

At the very end of the point is Five Island Lobster Co with it’s working harbor. I think it’s one of the prettiest harbors and such a gorgeous view to enjoy dinner.

Five Island Lobster Company

Doesn’t it look like it’s out of a painting?

Lobster Roll

John and I walked down this pathway and at the end is a general store and a dock with live music.

Natural shingled building over-looking water

We also visited an artist open studio over-looking the water. It was a magical evening.

Sunrises on Popham Beach

But I think one of my favorite parts of this trip were the early morning sunrises. We woke at 5:45am with the sun.

Sunrise on Popham Beach
Father and son watching sunrise on Maine Beach
Sunrise at Popham Beach Cottages
Popham Beach Cottage at Sunrise
Cottage and beach grasses

We got up early every morning and it felt like such a gift to witness the sun appearing again over such a beautiful place!

Sunrise at Popham Beach!

I hope you enjoyed discovering Maine’s Hidden Gems and hope this post was helpful if you’re planning your own trip up! Let me know in the comments if you have any questions!

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Mary Duncklee
Mary Duncklee
3 years ago

I’ve been to Maine a few times but have never visited these places. Time to plan a trip!

anne
anne
3 years ago

You visited many of our favorite Maine destinations on this trip. So peaceful and restorative. Makes me want to plan another trip right now!

Ruth
Ruth
3 years ago

Thank you for taking us along on your wonderful trip. Just beautiful!,

Judy coggins
Judy coggins
3 years ago

I’ve been to Maine many times, but never to these wonderful spots. What a totally magical vacation. Thanks for taking the time to share with us.

Judy

Donna
Donna
3 years ago

It looks like you guys had a great time! The last time I visited Maine was many years ago when our family and friends went white water rafting on the Kennebec. I may just have to go back! A visit to Five Island Farm may be in order! Sounds like my kinda place!

Donna
Donna
3 years ago

It was fun! But I was in my 20’s…I’d probably be scared to death now! Lol! The following year, we all went up again and rafted the Penobscot. One of my friends did get thrown from the raft in front of uson that trip! Luckilly, the rafting company staff knew exactly what to do and we had a happy ending! Made for good conversation around the campfire that night! 🙂

Josette
Josette
3 years ago

Hi Danielle,
Oh!!!! Those flowers!!!! God doesn’t disappoint in the details. The sea, the foods, the smell of the salt air and that little red barn antiques…all right up my alley. A really refreshing trip I can tell. Maybe someday I will get out there!!!
Welcome back.

Laura L Walker
3 years ago

It has been many years since I visited Maine. SO fun to see it again through your eyes. Laura

Carol
Carol
3 years ago

We travel to Maine every year. It never disappoints!!! The Botanical Garden is a favorite!
So glad you made the trip!

Rita C at Panoply
Rita C at Panoply
3 years ago

I pinned this! What a lovely compilation of some beautiful places in Maine. We’ve been to Maine a couple of times (once coming from the South, another time from Canada and down). There wasn’t enough time to find the hidden gems, let alone those cool trolls! Thanks for sharing, Danielle.

Debra
Debra
3 years ago

Many years ago we stayed at Popham Beach. Loved it! We had a little cabin on a small lake or pond but across the road was a campground that we were allowed to go through for beach access. I love this little place you stayed it. I would love to go back.

Debra
Debra
3 years ago

I should and I researched and learned where you stayed used to be the campground that I mentioned that gave us the beach access lol.

Terry C
Terry C
3 years ago

Being a girl of the Southeast, I typically venture to the beaches here in NC or SC, but this post has me seriously wanting to visit Maine. So! Gorgeous!

Jennifer Howard
3 years ago

I wanted to get up to the Botanical Gardens all summer!! It’s definitely on the top of my to-do list next year!!

Beverly
Beverly
3 years ago

Beautiful!