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A Weekend of Sunshine and Seafood in Kennebunk, Maine

September 8, 2015 By Katie MacLeod 6 Comments

Flowers on the bridge at Kennebunkport, Maine

The pace of life here is slower.

The air has that gloriously salty scent, the kind of fresh air that you breathe greedily into your lungs. The horizon is visible, the sky big and blue.  The streets are quiet, except for a few walkers, bikers, and children toddling with buckets and spades.

This is Maine.

To be precise, this is Kennebunk, on Maine’s Atlantic coast, where we spent a long weekend this summer doing nothing except relaxing and catching up with family.  I spent an hour or two in a white wooden chair by the ocean, reading a paper-and-ink novel, as opposed to my Kindle.  My husband, brother, and I biked through neighbouring Kennebunkport, past boat sheds, Walker’s Point (better known as the home of the Bush family compound), and streets with storybook names like Merrymeeting Lane and Seagrass Lane.

We left our phones and cameras at home and went rock pooling on Strawberry Island, an activity that shook free childhood memories of Sunday excursions to Bayble Beach in Lewis.  We ate buttery soft lobster at Mabel’s Lobster Claw, one of the best seafood restaurants in the country, on the night their air conditioning was broken; the place was still packed (and rightly so) with people intent on eating their speciality seafood. (In case you happen to find yourself in the area, I’ll add that their peanut butter ice cream pie is also out-of-this-world delicious.)

There was a quick trip north to Portland to see America’s most photographed lighthouse, but it wasn’t long before we were back in the relaxing environs of Kennebunk.

Maine is famous for its extra sweet blueberries, which grow wild across the state, so of course we sampled homemade blueberry jam at the weekend farmer’s market, and ate the most amazing blueberry pie from Cherie’s Bakery.   In the mornings we woke up to the sight of herons gulping down their breakfast in the marshy Rachel Carson Wildlife Reserve, or hummingbirds hovering outside the window.  And of course, everywhere we looked, we could see the Atlantic.

Our fleeting weekend by the sea reminded me a bit of my holiday at home on the Isle of Harris last year.  I said it then, and I’ll say it again: a change of scenery and an escape from the everyday can be just as rejuvenating as a jaunt abroad.  My summer fling with this New England state proved just that, so if you want my advice, pack an overnight bag and see where the wind takes you before summer slips way for another year.

Crossing Taintown Bridge, Kennebunkport, Maine

Boats on the river in Kennebunk, Maine

Boatshed on Ocean Ave in Kennebunkport

American flag by Walkers Point, Kennebunkport

Plums on a table at Kennebunk Farmer's Market

Sunflowers at Kennebunk Farmer's Market in Maine

Rococo ice cream in Kennebunkport, Maine

Waves and rocks at Portland Head Light

Looking at Portland Head Light, Maine

A path through the bushes in Portland, Maine

Summer sunset over the ocean in Kennebunk, Maine

____________________

What do you think of Kennebunk? Do you have a favourite place to visit for a “holiday at home”?

Let me know in the comments below – I’d love to hear from you!

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Comments

  1. Emma says

    September 8, 2015 at 5:20 am

    Wonderful post. We visited Kennebunkport as part of our New England road trip for our honeymoon last year and never wanted to leave!

    My husband and I keep planning a second visit but it’s only wishful thinking at the minute!

    Reply
    • Katie MacLeod says

      September 8, 2015 at 8:47 am

      Thanks, Emma! Pleased to hear you love Kennebunkport as much as I do 🙂 It would be such a cute little place to spend your honeymoon. Hope you get back for a visit sometime soon!

      Reply
  2. Camila @ AdventitiousViolet says

    September 10, 2015 at 4:43 am

    So beautiful! This definitely remind me of my summers growing up on the seaside in Canada – they were always spent eating lots of seafood, reading novels, lounging by the sea, sand between my toes – there’s almost nothing better 🙂

    Reply
    • Katie MacLeod says

      September 10, 2015 at 9:35 am

      Thanks Camila! There really is nothing better than relaxing with a good book (and some good food!) by the sea 🙂

      Reply
  3. Lucy says

    September 10, 2015 at 7:21 am

    Beautiful scenery! I worked in Cape Cod for a summer when I was at uni and it really reminds me of the landscapes out there. I’ve been meaning to go back for years so maybe next year.

    Reply
    • Katie MacLeod says

      September 10, 2015 at 9:49 am

      Isn’t it gorgeous? It was such a nice break from the city. I’ve heard Cape Cod is lovely – I bet that was a great experience! I definitely want to make it out there at some point.

      Reply

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I'm Katie, an expat Scot in the States, and the journalist behind Stories My Suitcase Could Tell, the travel blog which inspires you to explore the world. Read More…

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