Fun Stuff To Do in Maine

• Ocean & Beach Related Activities
• Restaurants with Ocean Views
• Other Good Restaurants
• Gift Shops
• Shopping
• Hiking & Parks
• Other Activities
  

Ocean & Beach Related Activities

• Popham Beach – Natural beach with lots of sand, and an island you can walk out to during low tide.
• Old Orchard Beach – Boardwalk & carnival atmosphere, with games and rides. Near Portland.
• Reid State Park – Natural beach with smaller, warmer swimming area for children. Has a snack bar. 
• Portland Head Light – First commissioned lighthouse in the United States.
• Casco Bay Cruise Lines – Cruises on large boats with bathrooms and snack bars. Seal watches, lighthouses, Bailey Island Cruise.
• Cabbage Island Clambakes – Leaves from Boothbay harbor. A 45 minute cruise out, with lobster bake (two lobsters!), clams, corn on the cob, potatoes, fish chowder and blueberry cake. Island has fully stocked bar. A 25 minute cruise back to Boothbay harbor. ($40 per person, kids under 12 are free)
• Bailey’s Private Swimming Hole – About 5 minutes from the house is a public boat launch on the ocean that not a lot of people frequent. Bailey loves to go swimming there.
• Kayaking – We have MANY options…rivers, lakes, Merrymeeting Bay, Sebago Lake, the ocean…

Restaurants with Ocean Views

• Dolphin Restaurant – Best fish chowder in the world.
• Five Islands Lobster Company – We read about them in Downeast Magazine, which said they have the best fried clams in Maine. They definitely have the best fried shrimp! And gorgeous views.
• Joe's Boathouse - In Portland.  Good sandwiches.
• Cook's Lobster House - As seen in the Visa commercials!  Very good food.
• The Lobster Shack - In Cape Elizabeth (near Portland).

Other Good Restaurants

• Fat Boy’s – A genuine drive-in restaurant from the 50’s.
• Sea Dog Brewing Co. – Across the river in Topsham. Nice deck with a view of the Androscoggin River and falls.
• Bugaboo Creek - Canadian Lodge theme.  Kids like to go because of the talking water buffalo.  Good steaks.

Gift Shops

• Land’s End – Gifts and souvenirs, with an ocean view.
• Boothbay Harbor – Several souvenir and gift shops.

Shopping

• Old Port – Portland’s more artistic area. Nice shops and restaurants, near the ocean.
• Freeport & L.L. Bean – L.L. Bean is open 24 hours. Also, GAP, J.Crew, Yankee Candle and Bath & Body Works have stores in Freeport.
• Maine Mall – The biggest mall in the area, in Portland.
• Kittery – Several outlet stores, including Coldwater Creek, Crate & Barrel and Old Navy. An hour south.
• Village Candle – In Topsham.

Hiking & Parks

• Wolfe’s Neck – Near Freeport. Easy walking along Casco Bay.
• Bradbury Mountain – Near Freeport. Good hike for kids.
• Winslow Park - Near Freeport. Surrounded by ocean.
• MacWorth Island – Near Portland. One mile walk around an island.
• White Mountains – In New Hampshire, a couple of hours away. Great day trip.
• Acadia National Park – About three hours north. Mountains and ocean. Great overnight trip.
• Camden Hills – About an hour north. Mountains and ocean.

Other Activities

• Clay Play - Decorate your own pottery on a rainy day!  Downtown Brunswick.
• Smudge - Art studio for kids, in Freeport.
• Children’s Museum of Maine – In Portland. 
• Maine State Music Theater - Performances during the summer at Bowdoin College.
• Chuck E. Cheese - For the kids, you know.
• Joker’s – Like Chuck E. Cheese, lots of games.
• Miniature Golf & Driving Range – In Brunswick.
• Golf – We have several golf courses to choose from.
• Moose Watching in Rangeley – Rangeley Lake is a few hours away, but you’re almost guaranteed to see a moose.
• Maine Wildlife Park – Near Portland. Run by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, they have orphaned and injured wild animals.