Our third day in Maine was a whirlwind. We did so much in such a short time. Let’s see if you can follow along...
Justin had a busy morning finishing up some work, so I was on my own for a few hours. If you know me (or will quickly learn), I cannot sit still for very long. Luckily, our Airbnb (detailed in the Maine, Day 1 post) was in a great location for me to explore a few parks nearby. But first I had to find some food. I did what any reasonable person would do and googled “best breakfast in Portland.” I quickly discovered HiFi Donuts.
HiFi Donuts was only a five-minute drive. As soon as I approached, I saw the line already gathered and knew I was at the right place. The line was only about five people long when I arrived. However, as I waited, it kept increasing and increasing. Before I left, it was about fifty-people long. Get there early. Obviously, this donut shop is not a well-kept secret.
Fortunately, I only waited about fifteen minutes to order. I simply asked for the shop’s three most popular donuts. The salesperson (who was super nice and helpful) recommended the Lemon Poppy donut, the Churro donut, and the Simpsons donut. Justin and I ate the Churro donut (very yummy and surprisingly light), and I surprised our Airbnb host (Dan from the Maine, Day 1 post) with the other two for his birthday. I also ordered the Cherry Wood Smoked Bacon Egg & Cheese Sandwich for me, and Justin requested the Brisket Egg and Swiss with Spicy Mustard Sandwich. I personally liked my bacon sandwich better than his, but he said he really enjoyed the brisket one.
After delivering the sandwiches and downing the iced coffee (also from HiFi), I headed to the Back Cove Trail right near our Airbnb to burn off some of those calories. It is apparently one of the oldest (dating back to 1917) and most popular trails in Portland. I was not wearing proper shoes for trail walking, so I only made it about 30 minutes before turning back.
At this point, I mentioned to our Airbnb host that I was trying to kill some time close by and he suggested I check out the Duck Pond at Deering Oaks Park. It was a short drive away and did not disappoint. I spent about 30 minutes enjoying the beauty of the park (and of course taking some selfies).
At this point, Justin was done with his work, so we started our drive north to spend the day hopping around the harbor towns.
Our first stop was Red’s Eats in Wiscasset. Red's is a long-standing lobster shack that won the award for Maine’s #1 Lobster Roll in 2020. The line was very long and when I asked how long it would take, I was told at least 45 minutes. Unfortunately, we did not have that kind of time because adventures awaited, so we sadly did not get to try Red’s. Just another reason for us to come back soon.
As we were continued our drive to Camden (which was supposed to be the first stop on our itinerary), we came upon a food wagon/lobster shack that stopped us in our tracks because there was a live band and a parking lot full of classic cars. The Delano Seafood Shack in Waldoboro was just what we needed. We ordered one lobster roll to share and brought it back to the picnic tables to listen to the live band. Everyone was super friendly and we even got a shoutout from the band for devouring our lobster roll in record time. This unique food wagon is a must stop on Route 1. It has many other food offerings as well for those not in the mood for lobster.
With our bellies satisfied, we continued on to Camden. The best place to see the views of Camden is at Mount Battie, which is located in the Camden Hill State Park. There are some great hikes there, but you can also just drive all of the way up to the top (which is what we did). The views will leave you speechless.
From the park, we made our way back down and explored the downtown area. Lots of cute shops and restaurants in town and the water views are divine.
From Camden, we drove to Rockport, where we took in some foliage at Beech Hill Preserve (and did some jumping jacks for a boomerang), and played a game of chess on the 10 by 10 foot chessboard on the Rockport waterfront overlooking Marine Park (another great spot for photos).
From Rockport, we headed to Boothbay Harbor. My only wish was that the weather was less foggy and we got to town earlier. I wanted some time to explore the shops, but by the time we arrived, everything was closed.
We did manage to eat at a great restaurant (on its rooftop deck) overlooking all of Boothbay Harbor -- Boathouse Bistro Tapas Bar & Restaurant. We ordered the Goat Cheese Tart with Smoked Salmon, the Lobster Corn Chowder, and the Bistro’s Lobster Newburg. The tart was very light and a perfect appetizer. The chowder was just what we needed on a cool fall day. The lobster in the puffy pastry was a nice twist on the common lobster dishes.
After dinner, it was getting pretty late, and most things were closed, so we started our almost two hour drive back to Portland.
Most importantly, don’t forget to see the world, and eat the food.