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A Honeymoon in Maine.... The Perfect Romantic Destination
by Sarah E. White
We wanted a honeymoon that was different. We wanted to go somewhere
beautiful, with a beach, where there wouldn't be a lot of people in late May,
somewhere we could relax and really get away from the world and be together
after the hectic stress and excitement of planning our wedding.
Of course we had to go to Maine. I'd fallen in love with the state during a
less-than-day-long visit a few years earlier, and I knew this was a place I wanted
my husband to see. Because I'd lived near Boston for a summer and had people
there I wanted to visit, we decided to fly into Boston and take the scenic route to
Bar Harbor, where the bulk of our honeymoon would be spent wandering the
carriage roads of Acadia and eating seafood steps from the ocean.
Getting to Maine by way of Boston is probably the easiest and cheapest way for
people in most of the country to get there, and this route offers a great chance to
see more of the lovely Maine coast than you would if you'd flown into Portland
or Bangor.
Our first stop in the state, predictably and irresistibly, was Freeport, the cutest
outlet town in the universe. You've just got to love a town where the
McDonald's is in a house. From there we traveled to Portland. I was still
dreaming of the gorgeous tomatoes I'd eaten at the Portland Farmer's Market all
those years ago, but of course there were none to be had in May. Instead we
wandered the streets around the waterfront before settling on dinner at Ri Ra,
part of a widely scattered small chain of Irish pubs and restaurants. The one in
Portland was built from an actual Irish pub that opened in 1889. The food and
drinks were wonderful and made us excited to think about the many other
surprises this state had in store for us.
The vast majority of our week was spent in Bar Harbor, and I probably could
have stayed there forever. We stayed in one of the many bed and breakfasts in
town, perhaps a 10 minute walk from the ocean. It was on a quiet side street but
close enough to the waterfront that we only had to drive when we went to
Acadia, which was daily.
Acadia has often been called one of the nation's most overlooked national parks,
probably because it is so much harder to get to than, say, Yellowstone or the
Everglades. And while I think it's a place everyone should visit, I was happy to
find it all but deserted when my husband and I were there.
While the Jordan Pond House (the only restaurant in the park, home to
wonderful popovers, delicious chicken salad and lobster rolls) was always full
at lunchtime, and the top of Cadillac Mountain was full of cars, on the trails we
ran into fewer than 10 people the whole time we were there. Which was fine
with us. We romped on Sand Beach, climbed mountain trails (on foot and in our
car), strolled carriage roads and left the real world far, far behind us.
There was so much beauty we had trouble deciding what to focus on. As we
drove the Park Loop Road on our first visit to the park, it seemed each scenic
spot was more photo-worthy than the last. And on the road up Cadillac
Mountain, we eventually had to keep ourselves from stopping and taking
pictures at every wide shoulder; if the view from the side was this good, surely
the view from the top would be better.
The park offers numerous opportunities for bikers, horseback riders, kayakers,
rock climbers and, in season, snowmobile riders and cross-country skiers, but
we preferred to explore the park on foot. Though you can't see everything this
way, you are reminded to take things slow and notice all the beauty that is
around you.
The last day we were in town was the first day many of the harbor tours were
open, so we topped off our visit with a harbor cruise, which gave us a stunning
view of the shore, neighboring islands and wildlife. We were also allowed to
stop and explore one of the small islands off Maine's coast and imagine for a
few minutes what it would be like to live on an island with one store and no
way to get to a bigger island besides the mail boat. It's a completely different
world that certainly has its temptations.
Maine is a wonderful place for a honeymoon or romantic getaway when you
really want to get away from it all. Don't be afraid to visit in the off-season; there
is recreation, good food and beauty to be found Down East year round.
About the author:
Sarah E. White is a freelance writer and editor living in Arkansas, who still
dreams of one day making a home in Northern New England. Visit her
on the web at www.sarahewhite.com.
by Sarah E. White
We wanted a honeymoon that was different. We wanted to go somewhere
beautiful, with a beach, where there wouldn't be a lot of people in late May,
somewhere we could relax and really get away from the world and be together
after the hectic stress and excitement of planning our wedding.
Of course we had to go to Maine. I'd fallen in love with the state during a
less-than-day-long visit a few years earlier, and I knew this was a place I wanted
my husband to see. Because I'd lived near Boston for a summer and had people
there I wanted to visit, we decided to fly into Boston and take the scenic route to
Bar Harbor, where the bulk of our honeymoon would be spent wandering the
carriage roads of Acadia and eating seafood steps from the ocean.
Getting to Maine by way of Boston is probably the easiest and cheapest way for
people in most of the country to get there, and this route offers a great chance to
see more of the lovely Maine coast than you would if you'd flown into Portland
or Bangor.
Our first stop in the state, predictably and irresistibly, was Freeport, the cutest
outlet town in the universe. You've just got to love a town where the
McDonald's is in a house. From there we traveled to Portland. I was still
dreaming of the gorgeous tomatoes I'd eaten at the Portland Farmer's Market all
those years ago, but of course there were none to be had in May. Instead we
wandered the streets around the waterfront before settling on dinner at Ri Ra,
part of a widely scattered small chain of Irish pubs and restaurants. The one in
Portland was built from an actual Irish pub that opened in 1889. The food and
drinks were wonderful and made us excited to think about the many other
surprises this state had in store for us.
The vast majority of our week was spent in Bar Harbor, and I probably could
have stayed there forever. We stayed in one of the many bed and breakfasts in
town, perhaps a 10 minute walk from the ocean. It was on a quiet side street but
close enough to the waterfront that we only had to drive when we went to
Acadia, which was daily.
Acadia has often been called one of the nation's most overlooked national parks,
probably because it is so much harder to get to than, say, Yellowstone or the
Everglades. And while I think it's a place everyone should visit, I was happy to
find it all but deserted when my husband and I were there.
While the Jordan Pond House (the only restaurant in the park, home to
wonderful popovers, delicious chicken salad and lobster rolls) was always full
at lunchtime, and the top of Cadillac Mountain was full of cars, on the trails we
ran into fewer than 10 people the whole time we were there. Which was fine
with us. We romped on Sand Beach, climbed mountain trails (on foot and in our
car), strolled carriage roads and left the real world far, far behind us.
There was so much beauty we had trouble deciding what to focus on. As we
drove the Park Loop Road on our first visit to the park, it seemed each scenic
spot was more photo-worthy than the last. And on the road up Cadillac
Mountain, we eventually had to keep ourselves from stopping and taking
pictures at every wide shoulder; if the view from the side was this good, surely
the view from the top would be better.
The park offers numerous opportunities for bikers, horseback riders, kayakers,
rock climbers and, in season, snowmobile riders and cross-country skiers, but
we preferred to explore the park on foot. Though you can't see everything this
way, you are reminded to take things slow and notice all the beauty that is
around you.
The last day we were in town was the first day many of the harbor tours were
open, so we topped off our visit with a harbor cruise, which gave us a stunning
view of the shore, neighboring islands and wildlife. We were also allowed to
stop and explore one of the small islands off Maine's coast and imagine for a
few minutes what it would be like to live on an island with one store and no
way to get to a bigger island besides the mail boat. It's a completely different
world that certainly has its temptations.
Maine is a wonderful place for a honeymoon or romantic getaway when you
really want to get away from it all. Don't be afraid to visit in the off-season; there
is recreation, good food and beauty to be found Down East year round.
About the author:
Sarah E. White is a freelance writer and editor living in Arkansas, who still
dreams of one day making a home in Northern New England. Visit her
on the web at www.sarahewhite.com.
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