Think of the perfect moment in Maine like a firefly — captivating, bright-burning and brief. “Summers don’t last long up in New England, but that’s what makes it a bit more exclusive,” says Mary Cropper of luxury travel company Black Tomato.
Rows of clapboard houses with bikes propped up against sea-weathered fences, and winding, sandy lanes leading to secret beaches make a trip to Maine the ultimate all-American vacation, she adds.
Gorge on lobster rolls, pick up a few surf-polished seashells and take refuge under one of the rows of umbrellas — preppily stripey, of course — dotting the sand dunes.
The southernmost reaches of the state are about a 90 minutes’ drive from Boston (fly there, for lower prices and more flights, versus state capital Portland). This stretch of seaside towns is reassuringly tony, anchored by two hubs: Kennebunkport, home to the Bush family’s summer compound, and artsier, queer-friendly Ogunquit.
The former is fittingly full of fancy hotels like the Auberge-operated White Barn Inn. It just added its own twist on a penthouse suite, a 512-square-foot, one-bedroom houseboat Cora, with its own private roof deck moored at the hotel’s riverfront dock.
The most exclusive crash pad, though, is Hidden Pond, a cluster of cottages nestled in the woods. Borrow one of the hotel’s bikes for the brief, breezy ride to the glorious Goose Rocks Beach, and have a lazy lunch at sister spot the Tides Inn overlooking the water. Otherwise, bike a bit further to Nunan’s Lobster Hut. Plan for an evening out in Ogunquit, says Cropper.
“It’s got a little edge to it, and it’s where you can let your hair down — beach by day, party by night.”
Pinball between Main Street and the Front Porch there until your energy flags.
On your way north to explore, make sure to detour via the capital, Portland, for a quick pit stop, which has a similar quirky charm to its left-coast twin. Ken’s Place in Scarborough is another lobster roll standout — “as classic as it gets” — or try the Lobster Shack at Two Lights State Park — “go for the lobster roll, stay for the view.”
The rugged coast and choppy waters here mean it’s dotted with lighthouses; the oldest, Portland Head Light, near Cape Elizabeth, dates back to 1791 and it’s worth scurrying to the top to look out over the Atlantic. The best new hotel for overnighting here is unarguably the Longfellow, a 48-room spot owned by a local family firm which opened last summer in the historic West End — grab a drink at the lobby bar, Five of Clubs.
Once you’re past Portland, the real adventure awaits. Northern Maine is a rural hideaway with a storied history that modern celebs are embracing.
“Everyone knows a Rockefeller or a Vanderbilt up here, because they used to come up during the summer in the 1900s,” says June Kim, an artist and longtime New Yorker who now lives year-round near Acadia National Park. “Jennifer Coolidge was here a few summers ago, and Christy Turlington and Ed Burns came into my friend’s shop.”
Kim recommends the aptly named Sand Beach, a rarity in this rocky area.
Bar Harbor is the best-known base here, on the northeast coast of the promontory, but it’s also the busiest in summer, so head instead to Southwest Harbor.
It’s a quieter, more locals-heavy town, home to the Claremont Hotel. “There’s a cute little boathouse at the end of the dock — get a blueberry mojito,” says Kim, nodding to the state’s official fruit and key crop.
“There’s a cute little boathouse at the end of the dock — get a blueberry mojito. ”
June Kim, an artist and longtime New Yorker
Try lobster risotto at Red Sky restaurant nearby or across Somes Sound, there’s Northeast Harbour — home to Salt Market, where owner Maude Kusserow combines coffee and homemade pastries with a selection of goodies she’s handpicked, whether a glass teapot or a niche hot sauce.
Go for breakfast and lunch at Milk & Honey and try the “crunchy and not-too-sweet” house-made granola that June Kim buys in bulk.
Craving a lobster roll? Head to Thurston’s Lobster Pound in Bernard, right on the southern reaches, where the crustaceans end up on the table hours after they’re fished from the water.
“They cook them in saltwater — that’s the secret,” says Kim, who loves roaming Little Long Pond with her dog, a 4-mile loop that was once part of the Rockefeller Foundation. It’s a spot that appeals even as the crowds begin to thin as the season ends around Columbus Day. Some shops and restaurants may shutter for the winter, but Kim says that the pandemic-era influx of remote workers, now year-round residents, has boosted the appeal of the region beyond that firefly-like summer.
“It’s beautiful, even in the winter — that’s when you feel like you’re in Narnia,” she says.
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