Those of you who know me (and my Pinterest board) know that I like to plan dream vacations to places all over the country. Part of my goal, starting this year and hopefully continuing in the future, is to travel more often. I’ve made it my mission to travel to at least one new state and one new country a year. While I’m not sure how feasible it will turn out, but part of the fun is seeing what opportunities appear along the way. This year, the family and I planned a vacation to Maine, and let me say it exceeded my expectations. Read on to find out more!
The trip came about thanks to my idea, some research and planning, and the world’s best parents, who actually agreed to make it a reality. We decided we didn’t want to be confined to just one part of the state, so we did some exploring all around. When we arrived, we hopped right out of the car and had lunch at “Bob’s Clam Shack” in Kittery. At the clam shack, I ordered a veggie burger, sweet potato fries, and lemonade that I could refill to my heart’s content! After lunch, we did a bit of browsing at the nearby outlets, and set off for more exploring.
We drove through coastal towns, with beachfront motels and seafood restaurants galore. We stopped in York (loved this beach!), and Ogunquit to stretch our legs, do a bit of shopping, and stock up on vegan treats like pastries and truffles. After that, we were Portland bound! The city of Portland isn’t as small as I thought it would be. It’s funny though, because during the duration of my time there, the city felt like my own. It was relatively quiet, peaceful, and there was an abundance of artsy thrift stores, galleries, and flea markets to explore. My dad and I even participated in an outdoor Contra Dance to live music. Dinner at “Green Elephant” Vegetarian/Vegan Bistro was delicious.
When we got to our inn late that night, we were all ready to hit the hay. The Bethel Inn Resort exterior resembles the Dragonfly Inn from Gilmore Girls, so my sleepy self was fangirling just a tad! After checking in, we stayed in one of their roomy 2 bedroom townhouses around the corner. With resort amenities, including a golf club (not my thing but still nice!), a fitness center and an outdoor heated pool, I knew it was going to be fun . Finally, after a long day of traveling and walking around, we went to bed, awaiting the adventures of the following day.
The following morning, we were ready to get outdoors and see what nature had to offer. Mom and I ate our pastries from the day before on the patio of the townhouse, before going to a nearby bakery called “Cafe DiCocoa’s” and ordering some vegan bagels and a picnic lunch for the day. Then, it was time to hike the so-called “moderate”, according to Dad, Table Rock Trail at Grafton Notch State Park. It was seriously the most grueling, incredibly steep and physically exhausting ordeal of my life. However, I will say the view at the top of the mountain was absolutely extraordinary and breathtaking. We took a ton of pictures, and even made friends with a dog that belonged to another hiker!
After that hike, we were all ready for food. We visited Screw Auger Falls (great name!) nearby, and had ourselves a little picnic. It was like something out of a storybook! My peanut butter, banana, and granola bagel was incredible. The bugs knew this, and ended up swarming around me. It also didn’t help that there were several children running around, including on the rock where we were eating (um, hello? personal space, people). Needless to say, we ate quickly and shipped out. Then it was back to the hotel for a quick dip in the heated pool. We picked up dinner (burritos and vegan ice cream) at a nearby health food store and stayed in for the night, exhausted, watching “The Devil Wears Prada” for the 500th time before calling it a night.
The third day, we went back to Portland to explore some of the stores we missed the first time around. We had breakfast at “The Holy Donut”, which offered some of the best looking, best tasting vegan donuts ever. Later, we did a bit of shopping downtown. I really took a liking to this super cute vintage/consignment store called “Material Objects”, filled with all kinds of eclectic clothing, shoes, and accessories. Of course, I had to get a pair of “hippie pants” that look like something Princess Jasmine wore in Aladdin.
It wouldn’t be a trip to Maine if we didn’t hit Freeport and the iconic L.L. Bean store. I know, it’s so basic to take a picture with the giant boot. But I had to make sure I remembered every minute of the trip, no matter how “touristy” it seemed. We poked around in the stores until we got hungry. We ordered sandwiches at a nearby market and had another picnic at the park next to it, complete with cold tea and Popchips! Freeport was the perfect place to hang that afternoon.
That night, we stayed at our friends’ lake house. The house, the guest house and the gardens were all so beautiful and the view could not be beat. With loons and a nest of eagles nearby, it was a picture perfect getaway. In the morning, we ventured out on the lake in kayaks and upon our return, enjoyed a delicious breakfast.
For our last day in Maine, the family and I headed to Mount Battie in Camden, with amazing views of Camden, and the coastal islands. Afterwards we headed to the village of Kennebunkport for one final picnic before heading home. We ate in a little park overlooking the downtown shopping area. It was a perfect end to the trip.
This trip was epic. Point blank. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect start to summer in New England. If you haven’t already, I hope that someday you get to experience such a beautiful spot in New England! Fun fact: Maine is filled with my favorite forest animal, the Moose! I didn’t get to see any, but hopefully next time around I can get to chill with them (HA!). They are the most fascinating creatures. Huge shoutout to my parents for helping me put together a great trip! Documenting Maine was a dream. Do you have a desire to go to Maine? Have you been? What did you like? Let me know below!!
Olivia Gaidry 
