.page .lead { width: 100%; padding: 0; } See Bernard Langlaiss whimsical wooden creatures in the seaside sculpture garden at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art come Wednesday mornings for kiddie story time and crafts. Little Coveside might have the finest deck dining in the state, overlooking the harbors gnarly little outcrop islands and often hosting some al fresco troubadour. The island is teeming with thousands of birds. Plus, theres room to roam. You name, it you can enjoy it in Wells. } Several Maine State Park Campgrounds make good basecamps for regional moose watching. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. The tight-knit summer community combined with the pristine sheltered harbor has been creating fond memories for generations. 27 Main St., Stonington. I will be in Bar Harbor from 4 Oct thru 8 Oct. Maines southern coast offers the American summer vacation at its beach-blanket best. Frye Island, Sebago Lake, Cumberland County. After watching and learning about the lighthouse, seabirds, and seals youll have a little fun with the boat in front of Kennebunk Beach. Get free ice cream with your kids meals at Kens Place, a locally beloved, counter-service seafood joint near Scarboroughs Pine Point Beach. 96 Seguinland Rd., Georgetown. 2 Seapoint/Crescent Beach Rte. Like any wild animal, seals are where you find them, so no guarantees. The best time for whale watching is mid-April to October. Its anchored York Beach since 1868, but the Bluff feels like a clean, contemporary conference hotel albeit with huge balconies overlooking Short Sands Beach. Ride a rollercoaster at Sacos Funtown Splashtown. It is against the law to handle a marine mammal without proper authorization, and their sharp (dog-like) teeth can be very dangerous. The trip departs daily at 5:30pm, and trips end in late August. The result: a perfectly crisp coating that keeps clams from losing flavor to the fryer. Books, Books, Books Linda Mehlhorn, of South Portland, coined the term seaglunking that is sea glass + spelunking, the act of exploring beaches and waterways in search of sea glass. (207) 502-8040, 8 Western Ave. inside Coastal Maine Kayak and Bike. The record served in a day is 923 punches thats with a three-drink limit on this potent stuff. Best Places To See Wildlife in Southern Maine, A Dunes Day Trip: Things to Do in Kennebunkport, Maine, 4 Different Kinds of Things to Do in Maine in the Winter . Ogunquit Museum of American Art 11. 25 Ferry Beach State Park Bay View Rd. 8 Beach St., York Beach. 12 Little Island Way, Bass Harbor. White Barn Inn. Seals Seals are the most commonly-seen marine mammals along the shores of Maine. If so,where would a good area be? Isle au Haut, Isle Au Haut, ME, USA. Fun and Sun, $30 kids, $50 teens and adults. THE GEOMETRIC confusion of silhouetted rooflines, a sunrise or sunset streaking the backdrop orange and pink, the spring tide surging through the spindly forest of pilings: you can keep your Portland Head Light for our money, the Old Orchard Beach pier is the states most compelling man-made landmark. , Greenville, Maine's Lakes and Mountains Birding Trail, Plan an East Coast Whale Watching Trip: Public & Private Viewing Coastal Cruises From May to October, Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Races, Finding Acadias Early Birds: A Special Maine Birding Excursion, 2023 Spring Birds of Acadia, with Puffin Cruise. Scout rocky, rather than sandy, beaches, since sea glass often ends up wedged in among the rocks. The best things to do, great lodging, unique restaurants, and more. New this summer: a breezy rooftop deck overlooking rocks and sea. Edna St. Vincent Millay, Camden poet, Renascence, 1912. Like any wild animal, seals are where you find them, so no guarantees. We, and friends, have also often seen them on some of the tours offered by the Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company, especially some of their non-whale tours that stay closer to shore (I'd check their website). Some 40 percent of overnight guests more than 8 million people made a destination last year out of the sunny, seaside stretch that tourism types simply call The Maine Beaches. And who can blame them? 207-371-2616, Every year, I return to this spot. Heavy use. TheTown of Ogunquithas been attracting visitors to Southern Maine for years. 207-497-5769. Our boat puts you up close and personal with all of what the ocean has to offer. 208. A great spot for a none-too-challenging family hike. A few doors apart are three indie bookstores: cozy Owl & Turtle Bookshop Caf (33 Bay View St.; 207-230-7335), with a fine collection of fiction, nonfiction, and childrens books; Shermans Maine Coast Book Shop (14 Main St., Camden; 207-236-2223), with a large selection of Maine books and souvenirs; and the charming Stone Soup Books, a nook of a secondhand store tucked above Marriners Restaurant (35 Main St., Camden; 207-763-3354). 103. .page .content .inner { padding: 20px; } Where is the best place to see seals in the wild. The museums permanent collection (selections of which fill out an exhibit this fall) prominently features artists like Robert Laurent, Isabella Howland, and others associated with Ogunquits early20th-century art-colony heyday. You could make an easy and pleasant daytrip to Popham now and watch them from the beach, or wait a few weeks until Spinney's Restaurant is open and you can watch them while you eat! Unless youre in Maine and you know exactly when and where to look. Inn by the Sea. Is there a best time of day? Go before sunset, grab one of the tables on the harborside patio, sip a beer, and sigh contentedly as the sky turns red and streaky. 207-361-1000. When you look out on the Jonesport and Beals harbor, you see only working lobsterboats. Who needs a pontoon boat when youre naturally buoyant? Multiple outfitters in the Kennebunks can guide short paddles along the tidal Mousam River, which wends through the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge to meet the sea at Parsons Beach. Whale watching in Maine is kind of a big deal. 23 Biddeford Pool Beach Rte. 10 North Beach Ocean Ave. Sandy, paid parking, lifeguards, toilets. Driving from NJ where to stop for a night, Boston to Acadia via the coast and White Mountains. 4. The island is teeming with thousands of birds. 3. Take a book and a blanket and let the ocean breezes sweep your cares away. York Harbors -mile shoreline path an out-and-back walk from York Harbor Beach doesnt have its neighbors notoriety, in part because its more rugged (a mix of paved segments with railings and unimproved trail) and in part because decades of landowner squabbles have kept access in flux. 21 Timber Point Timber Point Rd. Where there are Maine beaches, there are estuaries, and southern Maines quiet, wildlife-rich tidal creeks reward exploration particularly for those who prefer protected waters to open-ocean paddling. Moderate use. 207-646-5575. Featured Attractions Steller sea lions also occur on the West Coast, but the eastern . Wave action also breaks down the bedrock alongside beaches, rolls stones until theyre smooth, and washes away mud and sand. 5. Copyright VisitMaine.Net 2022Images Courtesy Greg and Heather Burke unless otherwise noted. Bowdoin College Coastal Studies Center Rhumb Line $4 Maine residents, $6 non-residents. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-60977754', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');cruise off shore. Hours and hours of walking here, and probably hundreds of photos. Dont show up without calling or going online to check out local parking regulations first. Kitterys Route 1 is filled with outlet stores of every kind imaginable and famous Kittery Trading Post. Downeast Institute for Applied Marine Research and Education Address: It begins when migrating whales arrive in spring, hungry for action and the all-you-can-eat aqua buffet of sand eels, copepods, plankton, and fish. Only 2 days for park - driving only, disabled, Looking for jacuzzi room in southern maine or coastal nh. These little-visited, adjoining parcels are protected, respectively, by the Maine Audubon Society and the Nature Conservancy. Moderate use. Open 364 days a year, the institute offers tours and a marine-life touch tank. The park is home to animals that have been injured, orphaned or are too dependent on humans to be released back into the wild. @media only screen and (min-width: 1200px){ This gateway town provides your first taste of Maine with fresh lobsters caught right off the coast. Ogunquits paved, mile-and-a-quarter seaside footpath is a classic Maine stretch of the legs. $35$40 for 2-hour rentals. Its pricey, but so picturesque. does not look like an American town at all in place or in architecture. Including approximately 5,000 pairs of puffins, 1,000 pairs of razorback auks and 500 pairs of common murres. The dusky glare helps hunters distinguish darker colors against rocks. Such places have always threaded the needle between glamorous and honky-tonk, and so it is with OOB: in the interwar years, you wore a jacket to see Duke Ellington or Count Basie in the pier ballroom; these days, you wear a tank top to hear a musical comedian working blue at Hooligans. Join us today! Its time to lay anchor. .eb-hero-content p { width: 80%; } , Millinocket. Some beaches (Goose Rocks and Long Sands among them) allow FIRES (conditions obliging), but town permits are a must. By Tuesday, Marine Mammals of Maine had responded to about three dozen dead seals on beaches from Cape Elizabeth south to York. Wildlife watching in Maine presents a world of diversity and endless opportunities for discovery and recreation. @media only screen and (min-width: 1024px){ That's about the best I can do with so little info. } First, you need to understand glacial rebound. 15 Mothers Beach Beach Ave. Sandy, paid parking, lifeguards, toilets. 2 Western Ave. 207-967-3321. Moderate use. The cliffs rise nearly 50 feet in spots, and the waves can put on a show. P.O. The captain will make every effort to take requests and will tailor the tour according to the weather. 207-371-2990. 207-967-3331. One hard-to-miss difference is that puffins can fly and penguins cant. Watch purple sandpipers and puffins settle onto the rocky coastline or look for black-capped chickadees (the Maine state bird) in the forest. .eb-col img { width: 100%; } Old Village Inn. All the potato donuts are tasty, but dont sleep on this summers customer-chosen flavor, honey lavender. .page .lead {padding: 0 110px 0 110px;} Glass bottles are also a no-no, regardless of whats in them. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-57646747', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Bar Harbor and another on the Cape. Address: Maine has three well-defined climatic zones: central, southern interior, and northern. Moderate use. Voted #1 in New England by Yankee Magazine for the best chance of finding Moose! . 9. No trip to Maine would be complete without visiting Acadia National Park. From $189. recipe from 1935. Visit historic Wood Island Lighthouse! Her farm-to-table approach means the menu is always in flux, but lobster figures prominently (the states most productive lobstering fleet is out her back door) and often unexpectedly par for the course is a recent dish of applewood-smoked lobster beignets, served over local greens. Learn more. They will shed their antlers in November or December and grow new, larger antlers in the spring. Tours in July and August. In 2007, archaeologists measured the hull and took samples of the wood. Sandy/pebbly, paid parking, no facilities. Expect to carry out your TRASH. .page .content .inner { padding: 20px 10px 20px 20px; } Sandy, paid parking, concessions, lifeguards, toilets. Moderate use. Battie Trail (each isa half-mile). Destination dining where you might least expect it. Sandy, paid parking, lifeguards, toilets. 4 Long Sands Beach Long Beach Ave. Sandy, paid parking, lifeguards, toilets. Their morning lunch cruise includes an hour-plus stop on the island of Frenchboro. Miles of surf and white sand, funky beach towns with a foot in yesteryear, pockets of unspoiled splendor (if you know where to look), and more oddball family attractions than you can shake a souvenir lobster-claw at. 2. 26 Old Orchard Beach Rte. We are a small family run outfit that specializes in personalized one-on-one guided trips. Walk the coastal trail, explore the childrens garden, and admire Portland Head Light at Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth. Share your pride in Easterseals with branded products from the Easterseals store. By continuing to navigate through this site or by clicking Approve, you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described in our privacy notice. And were not using the word massive lightly. A good pair of binoculars is a great way to enjoy them while still giving them enough distance so as not to disturb them. So what is a puffin? 77. With over 1700 species of animals in the park, youre almost guaranteed to have an encounter with nature. 92 Pine Point Rd., Scarborough. The stand goes through 250,000 pounds of potatoes a season. Light use. The deskbound can get a moment of zen thanks to live webcams operated by the nonprofit Marginal Way Preservation Fund. Our midwestern kids have never seen seals other than the zoo.Is there a place either in Boston, Acadia, or somewhere along the way that we could find them? Whatever your vacation preference, the Southern Maine Coast has it all especially sandy beaches and ocean views. more. .eb-p {width:100%; margin-top:0;} However, with so many beautiful beaches and charming towns in southern Maine, many visitors miss the opportunity to track down these animals. Baxter State Park and Lazy Tom Bog are great places to begin your search. 543 Shore Rd., Ogunquit. Its the number one landmark on Mount Desert Islands Quiet Side, so you cant skip this one! 207-303-0137. , Bingham, PO Box 773 $10 admission, $9 students and seniors. Due to its location along the Atlantic Flyway, Monhegan Islandis a particularly busy bird habitat during spring and fall. The OOB pier is one of the great American boardwalks and a slice of southern Maine at its unassuming best. Enjoy inside or from the takeout window for a picnic. 30 Higgins Beach Ocean Ave. Sandy, paid parking, showers and toilets. In the warmer months, Finback, Right, and Minke whales as well as the Humpback migrate to the feeding grounds off the coast of Maine. They dont offer tours, but the folks at World Within Sea Kayaking (at the Ogunquit River Inn) rent kayaks and SUPs that paddlers can launch out the back door, into the lower Ogunquit River, at high tide. A visit tohistoric Yorkwill show you some of Southern Maines fascinating history including the oldest jail in the country at Old York. Great Wass Island Preserve When the tides out, tidepoolers mingle with surfers and plein-air painters. Stonington . 207-363-8466. A good pair of binoculars is a great way to enjoy them while still giving them enough distance so as not to disturb them. The Southern Maine Coast region is a year-round vacation spot with miles of sandy beaches, many hotels, motels and inns,excellent restaurants, and both indoor and outdoor activities for every season. What not to do on the southern Maine seashore. And if you're into loons, in July 2015, Maine Audubon Society volunteers counted more than 3,000 loons on 300 lakes and ponds the largest population of common loons in the US after Minnesota and Wisconsin. We did the nature (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? } 207-729-5181. #5 in Best Maine Beaches. Moderate use. Sandy, paid parking, concessions, lifeguards, showers and toilets. Sandy, paid parking, concessions, lifeguards, toilets. Races start at 10:30AM - registration accepted up to 1 hour before the race. Sandy, paid parking, concessions, lifeguards, toilets. Members who are knowledgeable about this destination and volunteer their time to answer travelers' questions. The seals disperse when the baitfish run disappears, usually about the time the stripers start returning, ie early June or thereabouts. However, these actions usually do more harm than good. Reid State Park 12. Ogunquit Beachis a peninsula beach with water on three sides and was rated by Good Housekeeping as one of the top ten beaches in the United States. Visit the Easterseals Store. 14. John Steinbeck, writing in Travels With Charley, 1962. More than once, a bench has been washed out to sea by storms that can wreak havoc on the path. Theyre really not. 1 Marina Way .eb-hr {margin-top: 110px;} Sandy, free (limited) parking, lifeguards, showers and toilets. Immerse yourselves in the history and lore, that include rescues, heroism, Sailor the bell ringing dog, even an 1896 murder/suicide. Old Orchard Beachhosts oceanside lodgings and attractions including the famous Pier, oceanfront amusement parks, restaurants, shopping and a 7-mile beach sandy beach consistently ranked as Maines best beach by Maines largest newspaper. Late founder Billy Tower concocted this fruity sipper, so popular that the Ogunquit institution mixes it up in 5-gallon batches. The dining room at the Grey Havens Inn is open for dinner five nights a week in midsummer (white tablecloths, steak and seafood), and its worth a visit just for cocktails on the wraparound veranda overlooking the mouth of the Sheepscot River. On the way out, Kettle Cove Creamery and Caf is a stone-cold classic for cones and lobster rolls. Light use. This summer, hell be at Sacos Ferry Beach on July 19, Cape Elizabeths Crescent Beach on July 26, and Fort McClary on September 23 (plus Reid, Popham Beach, and Wolfes Neck state parks, farther down the coast, in August). An award-winning saxophonist in the bebop and swing traditions. The manager of South Berwicks Vaughan Woods State Park and Kitterys Fort McClary State Historic Site, Doc leads a series of free (with paid park admission) drop-in surf-casting clinics at coastal state parks. At Acadia you will occasionally see harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) just offshore and in the area harbors. On the shoreline, you see a village that probably looks very similar to what it was in the 1930s and 1940s. Come see us at the Visitor Center Monday to Friday, from 8:00-4:30. Impeccable service has set this high-end classic apart since 1973, but the property has welcomed guests since it was a Civil Warera boarding house. Explore Boon Island Lighthouse and Nubble Lighthouse on this tour that cruises up the coastline. Seals like to "haul out" to rest, sun themselves on rocky ledges or rocky shorelines on islands. To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. 8 Ogunquit Beach Beach St. Sandy, paid parking, concessions, lifeguards, showers and toilets. The Colony Hotel. At the southeastern end of Georgetown Island, a 10-minute drive from the harbor, two sandy beaches beckon. Explore Maine using our interactive map that features local businesses, guides, restaurants, lodging and more. June and July are the best months to see puffins, but the general season is May through August. Spring is harbor seal pupping season in northern New England. Not a hiker? In Maine, please call the Maine Marine Animal Reporting Hotline at (800) 532-9551. Free admission. HERES WHAT LITTLE WE KNOW ABOUT IT. Most of Maines beaches are shingle beaches, particularly northeast of Portland, and many of those shingles were deposited there by the Laurentide Ice Sheet, which scraped them up inland as it moved across the continent some 15,000 years ago. Head north, and the crowds thin out at Footbridge and North beaches with their own parking and access, theyre technically extensions of Ogunquit Beach, and a beachcomber can spend a lovely afternoon wandering there and back. Afternoons are devoted to seal and bird watching around the entrance of Blue Hill Bay and Bass Harbor Head Light. From Portlandswaterfront, there is easy access to Casco Bay ferries, water taxis, and boat tours to nearby islands including Peaks Island, Diamond Island, and Long Island. Enjoy shopping andlovely diningin quaint Perkins Cove, take a coastal walk along the Marginal Way, or relax with an evening ofsummer stock Theaterat the Ogunquit Playhouse. At the right time of year, you can spot as many as twenty moose in one outing. 207-967-6065. .eb-col img {width: 100%;} 207-244-5785. An outpost of Portland Paddle offers paddleboard and kayak rentals and tours, plus theres a snack bar, picnic areas with grills, and a playground for the kiddos. They provided 2 kayaks and we were right on the water where we could kayak out to a mussel bar and sea seals. Photograph by Benjamin Williamson, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Start typing to see results or hit ESC to close, Acadia National Park in Winter is a Little-Visited Marvel, Campobello Island Is Neither Here nor There, At Sunday River, The Best Doughnuts You Can Buy On a Ski Trail, Lynne Drexler Saw the World Through Kaleidoscope Eyes. 50 Perkins Cove Rd. 207-646-5575. 214 Nubble Rd. On some days, you may be lucky enough to see the Humpback breeching right next to your boat, butitisnt the only whale youll spot on your tour. Visit themainebeaches.com for more info and its never a bad idea to call the local town office with questions. There were also hiking trails close by where we found wild blueberries. 29 Scarborough Beach State Park Black Point Rd. Do you consider yourself a history buff? Gray seals are bigger; they're between 7 and 8 feet long, and can. Take the Mt. Pick your own strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and even tomatoes at Spiller Farm in Wells. Our Programs. Hot tip: sub sweet potato wedges as a side and wash everything down with a slice of the otherworldly blueberry pie. Battie Road. Josephine Newman Audubon Sanctuary and the Berry Woods Preserve SMOKING (anything) is prohibited at state parks and by most town-run beaches. Maine is one of the few states in the U.S. with a sizable moose population. Heavy use. A gospel-tinged bluesy act with virtuosic pedal steel. Check out the National Park Service for more information. (Vaping, if not banned, is still obnoxious.). 14 Parsons Beach Rte. We have on goal: to help you fall more in love with the state of Maine! Atlantic Ave., Camden. The ship skeleton made its most recent and most publicized appearance, following one of the winter storms the media dubbed a bomb cyclone.. Our tribute to the eight port towns and peaceful coves we never tire of gazing at. So why does Maine have so many sandy beaches down south? Its wicked cheap too. Steve Dunne ran the place from 1993 to 2014, then opened his own stand across the way, serving generous scoops of Shains of Maine right in between Short and Long Sands beaches. Answer 1 of 5: Is it possible to see Seals in October? 59 Sea St., Camden. Address: 9. Meeting location: 8 Western Ave. inside Coastal Maine Kayak and Bike. Experience the 9 Buildings of the Museums of Old York Maine, Locals Guide to the Best Kennebunkport Boat Tours. I had read that September through April is the best time to see them but read reviews from July and August that said they saw plenty. Located right along the coast, Portland has some of the best chefs inspired by Maine seafood and local farm raised food. .eb-thumbnail { width: 99%; } Seaside Inn. If you love seals, beautiful scenery, or just want to be on the ocean, this is the tour for you! Old Village Inn. Robert F. Bukaty/Associated Press Maines Birding Trail highlights the best spots to watch feathered friends of all types. Sucking down an ice cream cone while admiring Cape Neddicks Nubble Light has been a tradition since 1967, when a stand called Browns opened up at Nubble Point. Channel your inner pirate at Schooner Miniature Golf, in Saco, where youll putt around (and aboard) a 75-foot windjammer. This humble one-room museum on Stoningtons main drag is centered around a working model of one of the granite quarries that once operated on the surrounding islands basically, the most elaborate educational train set youve ever encountered. Dawn breaks over Five Islands Harbor, in Georgetown. Whales can be seen up and down Maines coastline, but are best viewed by booking a whale watching boat tour. Hope it helps. 1 Bypass, Kittery. For example, Mehlhorn says, people tend to overlook brown pieces of sea glass but hold it up to the light and what appears brown can truly be dark red. 1. 207-367-5500. The low-pressure system will strengthen into a nor'easter as it moves away from Maine tomorrow. There are definitely seals at the (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Ferry out to the 19th-century Wood Island Lighthouse in Biddeford Pool, part of a guided tour offered by the Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse. You can share 5 more gift articles this month.. Our daily, two hour long, sunset tours are one of the best ways to see seals in southern Maine in June-August! ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-113315820', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');New England Aquarium in Boston: https://www.neaq.org/animal/northern-fur-seal/, https://www.neaq.org/animal/atlantic-harbor-seal-2/. Plus, theres always some Maine-y blueberry variation blueberry coffee cake, blueberry with lemon glaze, blueberry maple bacon. Ride the Ferris wheel at Palace Playland for a birds-eye view of the iconic Old Orchard Beach pier. You ll have the opportunity to safely and comfortably view these magnificent creatures and other wildlife as you learn about moose habits and habitat from a knowledgeable guide. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. 17. Light use. The refuge is located along 50 miles of Maines picturesque coastline in York and Cumberland counties. To aid her search in sand, Mehlhorn uses a sifter attached to a long handle. A mile up the road from Pine Point Beach, Fun and Sun Rentals and Tours offers kayaks, SUPs, and car shuttles for one-way, self-guided tours through the vast Scarborough Marsh, and the neighboring Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center has canoe and kayak rentals. Linking Perkins Cove to Ogunquit Beach, themile-and-a-quarter paved walkway traces its origins to 1925. A noreaster removed enough sand from the beach to uncover the wreck for the first time in modern memory. Blue 9 Thurston Rd., Bernard. 22 Fortunes Rocks Beach Fortunes Rocks Rd. Morses Cribstone Grill For better or for worse, the states beach-speckled southernmost 50 or so coastal miles are Maine for legions of summertime visitors. A brilliant display on a warm spring day. Designed by renowned landscape architect Fletcher Steele, the Amphitheatre, with its terraced stone seating, lush trees and lawn, and view of Camden Harbor, is well used by the town for concerts, weddings, graduation ceremonies, craft fairs, and just hanging around.