The first stop on our road trip was Kennebunkport, a coastal town in southern Maine and a mere 5-hour drive from New York city. As a seafood lover, I’m not quite sure why it took me so long to visit this state but I can tell you that it will be added to my list of places to visit every year. For the record, I don’t actually have such a list but, thanks to Maine, I have created one now. As most people during this pandemic, we were hesitant to plan any trip at all but five months of quarantining and social distancing allowed us to feel the fear and do it anyway! Maine provided the exact escape we needed and I don’t regret going for one minute. As soon as we arrived and realized how the Mainers had a great system set up for a pandemic lifestyle, we began to relax and enjoy our time away. I was impressed with the amount of people wearing masks and doing a great job of honoring social distancing and sanitizing.
We hopped in our rental car around 9:30am and after giving the interior an extensive clorox wipe down we were on our way and arrived to Kennebunkport just in time for an early check-in and lunch. We were within walking distance of the main town so we headed over and started to discover our surroundings. First stop… THE CLAM SHACK, a classic New England seafood shack where we enjoyed our first lobster roll of the trip. Side note: that wasn’t the last time they saw us. If you are a clam strip lover, make sure you place an order for those as well. Afterwards, with a full belly and smile to match, we walked down a few blocks and discovered ice cream heaven - Rococo Ice Cream shop with a unique list of flavors. Pictured below is the Olive oil, Rosemary, Caramel & Pepitas cone. What can I say - vacation had officially begun and it didn’t take long at all to get acclimated.
KENNEBUNKPORT SUNSETS
Always on the hunt for a glorious sunset and that is exactly what was waiting for us in Maine.
PLACES TO STAY
When in Kennebunk, I highly recommend staying at The White Barn Inn & Spa, an Auberge Resorts property and a local landmark for over 150 years. The White Barn Inn welcomes you with a rustic yet upscale and inviting space.
The White Barn Inn RESTAURANT provides an award-winning dining experience in a romantic and elegant setting. The restaurant was not only awarded the AAA Five Diamond but also the Forbes Five Star recognition. If you are looking for a more casual and relaxed atmosphere, you can enjoy a meal at Little Barn which features ever changing local favorites.
We stayed in a Garden Room with a large picture window overlooking the woods, just steps away from the pool area and the fire pit which serves as a perfect spot to enjoy S’mores in the evening or perhaps a fireside nightcap. We even sat there one morning to enjoy the complimentary coffee that gets delivered to your doorstep every day.
White Barn Inn offers several unique Maine experiences so be sure to ask your travel agent for all options being offered during your stay especially those that should be booked in advance. Before you head out for the day, grab a bag of freshly made granola or cookies in the main lobby area and take advantage of their bikes on property or head down to the beach just minutes away for some necessary vitamin “sea”.
CALLING ALL FOODIES…
…add Maine to your list of places to explore. There are so many great options for dining but one of the highlights for us was PORTLAND, a 40-minute drive from Kennebunkport. Most restaurants were open and prepared to greet guests with all the pandemic guidelines in place. Fore Street restaurant, located one block from the waterfront, did a fabulous job of transforming their parking lot into a tented outdoor patio area complete with chandelier lighting. Our meal was outstanding! They cook their food using a wood-burning oven, grill and turnspit - need I say more? Be sure to order the mussels but I warn you in advance, you may never order mussels anywhere else again. Absolutely delicious.
Also in Portland, we visited J’s Oyster - an Anthony Bourdain approved spot so of course it was on our list of “places to eat”. A fresh bucket of steamers with shrimp, oysters and scallops - a perfect starter course before heading to Fore Street for dinner. I guess you can say this was a food crawl kind of trip.
…Because once wasn’t enough, we headed back to Portland for lunch the following day. This time we enjoyed some great food at Central Provisions. Due to social distancing regulations in place - they have taken the opportunity to reimagine the experience here with a Tiki Takeover in their outdoor space along with a new food and drink menu.
During a quick trip through CAPE ELIZABETH we stopped to visit the popular Portland Head Lighthouse.
This was only the beginning…. stay tuned for PART II of our Maine Road Trip coming soon.