Enjoying Five Days in Midcoast Maine

February 09, 2023

Enjoying Five Days in Midcoast Maine

One of my favorite places in all the land is Maine. From my first visit there when our kids were in elementary school to my last visit in the summer of 2021, I've been captivated by this New England state. From its coastline to its lake district to Acadia National Park, this state is stunning. On our most recent trip we stayed at a cottage in Wiscasset (famous for Red's Eats) and concentrated on the Midcoast region visiting Monhegan Island, Damariscotta, Portland, Popham Beach and lobster pounds galore. Come along as we explore this coastal area of one of my favorite states!

Monhegan Island

Monhegan Island is a small, rocky island off the coast of Maine and 10 miles from the mainland. It is only accessible by boat which makes it necessary for you to catch a one to two hour ferry from Boothbay Harbor or Port Clyde. Once there, the island is walkable which is good since there are few cars there. There are 9 miles of hiking trails - of which we took advantage - leading to the highest ocean cliffs of Maine.

The two main economies on Monhegan are fishing and tourism. Aside from the large volume of tourists that the island receives each year, one of the main draws is it's artist colony. Primarily known for landscape artists, some of its alumni are Edward Hopper and Robert Henri.

I really enjoyed my time on the island. We did some hiking, a little shopping in a few of the small shops, enjoyed the views from the lighthouse and had a sit down at Monhegan Brewing Company. It was for quite the idyllic day - a ferry ride, a scenic little island, a few beers and fresh air. What more could one want?

Portland

Set on a peninsula in the scenic Casco Bay, Portland is a hilly city with plenty of history and charm. Known as the "San Francisco of the East", Portland is not too big and not too small, making it the perfect walkable city. We made a day trip here and took in the Old Port - the waterfront that has fishing wharves and warehouses turned into restaurants and bars -, grabbed some donuts at the well revered Holy Donuts, hit a couple breweries, and a few shops and just enjoyed walking the cobblestone streets on a sunny day. I think I can easily say that it is one of my favorite cities in the US.

Popham Beach

Popham Beach, located in Phippsburg, is a state park, and it's Maine's busiest state park. There are bathhouses, fresh water showers and charcoal grills. So you can easily spend a whole day here at this wide, sandy beach. But the unique thing about this beach is it is one of "Maine's rare geologic landforms." Due to erosion, you can walk across the sand and climb an island. (I don't know how else to explain it but hopefully you can see what I mean from my photos.) Oh, and make sure you do this at low tide. And when you get tired of the sun and sand you can pop down the road to Fort Popham to take in a bit of history.

Damariscotta

Damariscotta is a small town in Lincoln County, about 15 minutes from Wiscasset (where we were staying) It is the gateway to Monhegan Island - where you catch the boat to the island - but it is quite a town to visit in it's own right. Known for it's oysters - and oyster tasting - we didn't partake of this specialty but we did enjoy some shopping along the one main street.

There are two outposts of the famous Maine department store, Reny's, which I so love. So a stop here was a must, along with a souvenir store - where I bought my grandson a t-shirt and myself a sweatshirt - and perhaps my most favorite store there, The Kingfisher and The Queen. This is a kind of gift/home goods/kids shop that has many one of a kind items. I spent a good amount of time here - every nook and cranny has something unique - and made quite a few purchases. In fact, I would love to go back during the holiday season just to visit this store - and see Damariscotta all dressed for Christmas.

If shopping isn't your thing, then some other things to do here are: Visit the Shell Midden - a midden is a dumping site for organic waste - which holds the oyster shells from the Native American people, the Wawenock Abenaki, from 2,500 years ago.

Have a drink at King Eider's Pub, a classic British style pub right in town.

And end the day at Oxbow Brewing's Farmhouse Beer Garden, which is not really in Damariscotta but nearby in Newcastle. Having been to Oxbow before, we knew it was a place we wanted to go back to. This brewing company is in the woods of Newcastle with a rustic tasting room and outdoor deck overlooking a pond. And you should especially visit if you're an IPA fan - it's what they're known for.

Lobster Pounds

Despite the fact that I'm not a fan of lobster, one of my favorite things to do is visit Lobster Pounds. They, almost all, come with great views, are on the water, have good food and to me, there's not much better than a good ole lobster pound in Maine. On our last visit we visited three lobster pounds -

Sprague's Lobster, Wiscasset

This lobster pound was directly across the river from where we were staying. And though most people flock to the very famous Red's Eats, we chose to head to the little known Sprague's. And we liked it so much that we went twice! You stand in line to order (but so much shorter lines than Red's), pay in cash only and they call your number when it's ready. Have a seat at a picnic table, and voila! You've got a great dinner in a fun atmosphere on the river. I'd go back again!

Five Islands Lobster Company, Georgetown

Five Islands Lobster Company has the quintessential Maine view of boats on a bay and rocky islands with Maine style homes on them. You can sit at a picnic table enjoying your meal while watching the boats come and go.

Lobsters are pulled straight from the surrounding waters and never tank-stored. You can finish off your meal of fried seafood baskets, homemade onion rings, steamers, mussels and coleslaw with Maine made ice cream. (And if you're not a seafood lover, they also serve burgers, hotdogs and grilled cheese) They don't serve alcohol but you're allowed to bring your own cooler stocked with your favorite beverage. And as they say there, This is Dinner in Maine.

McLoons Lobster Shack

Voted One of the Best 8 Lobster Rolls in Maine - and that's saying something - McLoons is located in South Thomaston right on the water. Yes, it's another lobster pound with fantastic water views. This one is family owned and located on a working lobster wharf - which means the lobsters come in straight off the boat right here. It's a little bit out of the way - it's on Spruce Head Island - but I think most would say that it's worth working your way there. The menu is small but you really can't go wrong with lobster, lobster rolls, clam rolls, and/or oysters served with a side of Cape Cod chips and coleslaw. Simple and good. (And if you can't make it to McLoons then you can have it shipped to you - year round)