Maine in the fall

If you have heard that Maine in the fall is the ultimate road trip, then I agree for that time of year.  A few years ago, Kenny and I traveled from Kentucky to Maine on our fall break in mid-October.  It was one of my favorite trips the two of us have ever taken.

During the planning stages, we thought about points of interest for each of us as well as travel time.  We knew we would have to pick and choose because we only had ten days total.  I knew that I wanted to see the Hudson River Valley, particularly Sleepy Hollow.  Other than that, I left the planning to Kenny.

Monticello

Our first stop was Monticello in Virginia.  We spent some time exploring the home, garden and history of Thomas Jefferson.  I left there very interested in Sally Hemings and her children by Jefferson.  I spent much of our travel time researching her. 

We overnighted somewhere in Pennsylvania which was one of the few nights that wasn’t planned out.  I would suggest getting a hotel reservation.  We didn’t and were disappointed with that night’s accommodations.

Hudson River Valley

We traveled all the next day and finally ended up crossing into New York state.  This was a very unexpectedly lovely point in the drive.  We spent the next several hours in the Hudson River Valley searching for Sleepy Hollow.  This area was much more populated than we expected but it was a beautiful drive.  There were cars parked everywhere on the roadsides.  We finally figured out this might be New Yorkers getting away from the city for the day and hiking the area.  It was so crowded that we ended up giving up on Sleepy Hollow although we did have a nice lunch there.  I regret that now and want to go back someday.

salem, massachusetts

Honestly, I can’t remember the exact overnight stop in this area, maybe in Massachusetts.  Anyway, we started seeing signs for Boston and Salem.  Kenny was up for Boston but I have always been intrigued with Salem and the Salem Witch Trials so Salem it was.  When we pulled into town we found that the mayor had designated October as free parking month so we were able to pull right into the parking garage downtown.  As soon as we walked onto the street in the downtown area we were met by such festive folks!  Most kids were in costume and many adults were wearing witch’s hats.  I loved it!  Took me right back to “Bewitched” and The Witch of Blackbird Pond…two of my favorites as a child.  This impromptu stop might have been the highlight of my trip.

Must see points (in my opinion) for Salem includes the House of Seven Gables tour, Salem Witch Trials Memorial, Old Burying Point Cemetery, Bewitched statue, Pickering Wharf, Salem Witch Village, and so much more.  We had a wonderful lunch of clam chowder which was fitting for the setting. The historical trolley tour was a highlight for us as well. We only spent the day but packed a lot into it.  I would love to go back to see more of the history there!  I think going in October is a definite plus as well!

Maine in the fall

That night we stayed in Connecticut which was a pretty uneventful stop besides a nice Italian dinner.  The next morning we headed for Maine.  Up to this point, the fall foliage was not very impressive besides the Hudson River Valley.  As soon as we entered Maine, however, the foliage and coastline became almost more than we could take in.  It was beautiful.  That was several years ago, but, to this day, I don’t think I have seen fall foliage that was anymore awesome.  West Virginia is equally as beautiful but that is another story.

Camden, Maine

We had to make a stop at the L.L. Bean store which was more like a village near Portland before traveling on to our Bed and Breakfast destination in Camden, Maine.  I’m having a hard time finding the inn that we stayed in here.  It was very nice though.  We had dinner at Camden Harbor where I experienced my first lobster roll which was very good but not quite what I was expecting.

The best thing about the inn where we spent the night was the breakfast dining on the porch of the main house the next morning and a walk along the rocky beach below the house after.  We had popovers here and I became slightly obsessed with making them after getting home.  We shared breakfast with a couple from Germany and really enjoyed talking with them.  It’s funny that I can remember that detail vividly but not the name of the place.

We took a fairly long hike to the top of a nearby mountain later that morning.  It looked down on Camden harbor and was such a beautiful sight.  We enjoyed the exercise before getting back in the car for the next leg of the journey.

The fall season in maine was winding down

We traveled the coast for several hours toward our next destination.  The off season had just begun so many restaurants were closed for the season but we managed to find a very neat one right on the water for lunch.  I really enjoyed the seafood on this trip.  It was delicious everywhere.  Unfortunately, Kenny is allergic so his foodie experience wasn’t quite as good as mine.

I have to add in that going during the off season turned out to be a good thing.  We saw lots of traffic leaving the area as we were going in but there wasn’t much going our direction.  We also found plenty to eat and the fall color was still beautiful.

The Barn and Schoodic Peninsula

We stayed at an Airbnb called the Barn at Prospect Harbor in Gouldsboro for several nights.  It was back in the woods to the side of the owner’s home on the Schoodic Peninsula.  We loved this location.  The fall color was beautiful and a wonderful salt marsh with water views was just a short walk away.  If you want to feel like you are in New England, this is the place!

Over the next couple of days, we spent a lot of time inside Acadia National Park.  It was beautiful this time of year and we both enjoyed it very much.  I am going to make a separate post with details about the park, so click the link and jump on over if you are interested.

The Pickled Wrinkle and Finn’s Irish Pub

Evening dinners and entertainment was contained to an establishment a short drive from where we were staying.  It was obvious to us that The Pickled Wrinkle was the local hangout.  There was a great band and also some karaoke.  It was crowded and there was lots of drinking, some dancing, and it felt just like the end of a long day on a lobster boat, captains and their wives included.  Of course, this was pre-Covid, but we thought everything about it was great!

I think our true favorite restaurant of the trip was Finn’s Irish Pub right outside of Acadia National Park.  We were starving after a day inside the park and the authentic Irish food was perfectly fulfilling.  The music and laughter was just icing on the cake.

Antiquing

Another thing we loved about Maine was the antiquing.  I am still grieving over an early American cupboard that we passed up in one of the small towns.  We debated on buying it but knew we really didn’t have room in our truck to get it home.  Another stop was a barn with three stories of antiques inside.  It was truly amazing.  We came away from there with a wooden duck decoy named Susie who resides with us today.

Maine in the Fall is unforgettable

There are so many positive things I could say about our Maine in the fall.  I cannot adequately capture everything we saw, felt, and experienced.  The scenery and history were unsurpassed.  The food was delicious and the activities were endless.  The memories leave me with such a good feeling.