Travel Itinerary: Boothbay Harbor
Your extended weekend awaits in the picturesque coastal town of Boothbay Harbor, Maine!
Stay in Downtown Boothbay Harbor for a long weekend (3-4 nights)!
At a Glance: Welcome to Maine, “The Way Life Should Be” or ‘Vacationland’ as the license plates say! Once you arrive in Boothbay Harbor, check into your cozy Bed & Breakfast and soak in the unbelievable view from your room. Head into town (walking distance) and grab a late lunch or early dinner at one of the various restaurants. For the duration of your stay, explore downtown Boothbay, visit the Botanical Gardens, set sail on a Whale Watch, or just breathe in the fresh ocean air as you window shop.
Logistics: We live a mere 2 hours from Boothbay Harbor, so we drove from our home in New Hampshire. However, the Portland airport (PWM) is only 37 miles away, so you can fly into Portland and rent a car for the 1hr 15min drive. NOTE: Portland is another fun city to explore if you have some extra time, especially if you enjoy craft beer and great food!
Accommodations: Book a room at the lovely Bed and Breakfast, Bayside Inn. The Innkeepers, Kathryn and Peter, have been running the Inn since 2001! The Inn was Kathryn’s childhood home and has been in her family since the 1950’s. We highly recommend staying here, as it is welcoming, cozy and right on the water. The Inn has beautiful views from the rooms and is walking distance to everything in Boothbay.
Day 1: Arrive in Boothbay, Maine
Arrive to the Bayside Inn Bed and Breakfast! We were greeted by Kathryn herself, but due to covid they prefer to message guests upon arrival and provide check-in instructions via text. At the Inn, you can bring your bags to your room and enjoy the common areas indoors and outdoors (weather permitting). We dropped our bags in our room (we stayed in the Johns Bay room, it was a perfect set up for staying with kids - more to come in a future post!) and then walked to grab a late lunch/early dinner at Brady’s. Brady’s is a kid and adult friendly restaurant alike, and is the only year-round restaurant on the water (traditional American cuisine). After lunch we walked towards the historic footbridge to watch the sunset and snap some photos.
Day 2: Explore Boothbay
Wake up early and enjoy a pot of coffee, brewed by the innkeepers! Or sleep in and avoid caffeine overload (we don’t normally have an option with two young children). Due to covid, the rates were discounted at the B&B to exclude breakfast, but they recommended Mama D’s across the street (Mama D’s was very busy for breakfast, so we opted for their delicious scones and muffins as a quick bite on day 3. Note: CASH ONLY).
Walk towards the water and stop by the Red Cup Coffee House for breakfast to-go. We ordered two panini breakfast sandwiches, coffees and a blueberry muffin for Selima. We ate at the picnic tables across the street, right along the water, in front of the town dock. The sandwiches, weather and location created an incredible way to begin our day.
Next to the picnic tables is the entry for Cap’n Fish’s Cruises, this came highly recommended to us by many people. If Selima and Gloria were older, or if it was warmer out, we absolutely would have gone on the whale watch. However, it was mid October and very chilly/windy, so we opted out and explored the downtown area instead.
In the late afternoon, grab food at Boathouse Bistro for tapas or PORTS Pizzeria for a variety of Italian dishes. We enjoyed the outside deck seating at Boathouse Bistro with views of the bay, as well as PORTS “pizza-to-go” for our own views back at the B&B. Stop by the Coastal Maine Popcorn Co. on your way back to the B&B. The people there are friendly and the popcorn flavors are both unique (Frog Farts and Unicorn Toots) and yummy!
Day 3: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
Make a trip to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens! Opened in 2007, the gardens have been named one of Maine’s top attractions and is the largest botanical garden in New England. Spend the day exploring the acres of gardens along the MidCoast for a true Maine experience. Advance tickets are required ($20 for Adults, $18 for Seniors and Veterans, $13 for Children (Age 3-17) and Children under 3 are FREE. Face coverings must be ready at all times and worn in all buildings, inside restrooms, and outside where social distancing is difficult to maintain. When we visited everyone was wearing a mask at all times.
For information on our MUST-HAVES when traveling with the girls, check out our travel gear page!