Kennebunkport, Maine, is an ideal escape in the summer, as everyone knows. But a visit to the Kennebunks in the off-season is just as rewarding. Maybe even more so, as the crowds have left and a level of calm is restored to this coastal town. Kennebunkport, Maine, has something to please every kind of traveler. Read on to discover my favorite places in Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, Maine.
Oftentimes, the best trips are the least planned, last-minute escapes. The ones that fall into your lap at just the right time. Instead of thinking, ‘I can’t.’, you think, ‘Why not?’.
When my college friend, Amy, invited me to visit her in Kennebunkport, Maine, where she has lived for five years, I went full-speed ‘Why not?’. While I could only get away for a brief mid-week stint, I soon realized that even 36 hours in Kennebunkport could feel like a leisurely holiday when exploring new territory without an agenda. I needed some time on the beach, and Kennebunkport beaches are known to be spectacular.
SAFARIS AND CIRE
Amy works for CIRE, a high-end travel company that plans holidays for business and leisure travelers. With its niche being superlative customer service and boasting the motto ‘making impossible arrangements possible,’ CIRE’s name has become synonymous with outstanding quality.
CIRE (pronounced sire) was hosting a talk on Africa, one of my favorite destinations. Eric Hrubant, the company’s effervescent founder, invited me to come. Why not? A visit to Kennebunkport was just what I needed.
The talk with the engaging speaker, Kelly Berry, from African Travel, Inc., was the initial impetus for the trip. But I was equally excited to spend an entire day solo—wandering, walking, eating, and shopping.
Amy was busy preparing for the evening’s event but eagerly handed me a map and a list of her favorite haunts. Kennebunkport beaches, boutiques, and restaurants are among them. Armed with local knowledge and my camera, I was ready to go.
KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE: PERKS OF THE OFF-SEASON
April is considered off-season in Kennebunkport, Maine. But I could feel the low buzz of activity as the shops, restaurants, and hotels prepared for the onslaught of tourists soon descending upon the town. Some places I wanted to explore were still closed, which gave me ample ammunition to revisit.
The town of Kennebunkport was beautifully quiet, which meant I didn’t fight crowds as I walked and shopped or wasted time searching for parking. The beaches were undisturbed, and I had the shells all to myself.
The film The Truman Show kept popping into my head—for obvious reasons. Everything looked so strikingly utopian. I remain convinced that the ducks had on/off switches.
KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE: BEACHES RULE
Arriving around 4pm on Tuesday, Amy and I drove directly to Gooch’s Beach. Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, Maine beaches are known worldwide, and it was easy to see why. The late afternoon sun highlighted the clapboard houses lined the serpentine beach drive.
The water was still, the tide low and glassy, and the beaches virtually empty. There was a brisk chill in the coastal air, and all looked calm and peaceful—another allure of the off-season in the Kennebunks. I could immediately see why Amy had chosen to give up the fast pace of NYC in favor of this picturesque locale.
As the sun disappeared, it reminded me of my favorite snooty, intellectual, yet rarely used art school word—chiaroscuro. The contrast was so dramatic, with sweeping brushstrokes of light and dark where the sand met the sea. The shadows elongated as if on a time-lapse video. The clouds quietly hovered and picked up the colors of what the sun left behind.
Where would I stay in Kennebunk? The White Barn Inn, Naturally. Click here for availability.
KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE: GOING SOLO
I returned to the Kennebunkport beaches the following day to capture them in the morning light. The three crescent beaches that hug the coast in nearby Kennebunk are Gooch’s, Middle, and Mother’s beaches. Each has a unique topographic personality.
Middle Beach is mainly rocks, and I amassed quite a collection of shells there, ensuring I didn’t accidentally take any concealed snails back to DC. (Note past mistakes, some smells you never forget).
The white sandy beaches that line the Maine coast undoubtedly look different when the tourists arrive, but today, they are barren and soundless.
Visit the Kennebunks: Highs and Highlights
Snug Harbor Farm, without question, was the highlight of my morning. I’m sure the staff wondered if I was ever going to leave, and after about an hour, I reluctantly did, if only because I knew there was so much more to explore and so little time to do it.
A combination of farm, boutique, greenhouse, nursery, and dovecot, Snug Harbor was the antidote for my all too often nature-starved life.
Each greenhouse was more exquisite than the next, some containing seemingly never-ending rows of artfully designed succulents. Some had tall potted greenery, such as curry and lavender, that were pruned to look more like popsicles than plants.
Fuschia, Cypress, Coleus, and green and silver Santolina filled the nurseries. It was a garden circus, and I most definitely overstayed my welcome.
THE SNUG HARBOR BIO
Landscape designer Anthony Elliott bought Snug Harbor in 1998 and has since cultivated his love of traditional English gardens to create this local oasis. Martha Stewart cites Snug Harbor as one of her favorite sources for gardening advice. Well done, Mr. Elliott.
Miniature horses wander the farm, as well as pretty, colorful roosters and fluffy white pigeons that appear to have been recently tumble-dried. There is the resident bunny and, I’ve read, a ghost or two.
Explore Kennebunkport on this private historic district walking tour. Click here!
LOBSTER X 2: KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE
When choosing my only lunch in Kennebunkport, it was a given that I would have a lobster roll—a Maine staple. Armed with Amy’s recs, Alisson’s was the place to go. I was advised to sit at the bar and order the lobster roll and award-winning clam chowder.
In one of the few times I’ve defied my all-knowing friend, I decided to double down on lobster: ordering lobster roll and lobster bisque. Too much of a good thing? Hardly. The lobster bisque was especially mind-blowing, with just the right texture, creaminess, and saltiness.
CLICK HERE TO GET MY FREE KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE HOT SHEET
EAT, DRINK, SHOP IN KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine
As this was a mini-break, I meandered around town faster than usual, soaking up all the Kennebunks had to offer. My shortlist of Amy’s shortlist follows:
Old Vines Wine Bar: Tuesday night, we cozied up to the bar and ordered a Mediterranean platter to go with our wine. Low-lit and convivial, we grabbed a few stools and settled in for the night.
Maine Art Hill: A collection of galleries and pop-up studios that highlight local artists. The open and brightly lit gallery was designed by the owner, John Spain, who has been in Kennebunkport for 30 years. There is art at price points that will work for just about everyone.
Dock Square Emporium: Also at 30 years in Kennebunkport, this lovely little shop has local crafts and unique home decor, honey, cookbooks, terrariums, and succulents. I zeroed in on some glass and rattan cases to display my ever-growing shell collection.
Melanie, the owner, couldn’t have been more cheerful and hospitable. When I arrived, she’d just opened a damaged shipment of honey—a gooey, sticky mess. Instead of being annoyed, she was laughing about it with the customers. Kennebunkport is the kind of place that somehow manages to make tourists feel like locals.
Even more to do in KENNEBUNKPORT
H.B. Provisions: The ultimate general store. Wine, coffee, Maine gifts, Bush paraphernalia, baked goods, and anything else you might need to picnic in the Kennebunks. If I had another lunch to spare, I would have grabbed a sandwich and a bottle of rosé and sat on the water’s edge to enjoy the afternoon view of the local church.
Minka: A beautifully curated artisan boutique. Home decor, accessories, and handbags are all chosen with evident care. The owners have thought through every detail in displaying their wares—grouping items by product and inventively by color palette. The designer in me was dazzled—a standout in a town of inviting boutiques.
GOOSE ROCKS BEACH
Amy’s boss, Eric, generously gave me his car to explore. I would have been more than happy driving Amy’s fabulous blue pick-up truck, which was bought at an auction, sight unseen, by her husband. It still has the faded imprint of the ‘Kennebunk Parks and Recreation’ logo on the doors.
Eric insisted, which is how I could peruse the Maine beaches and coast. I started at Goose Rocks Beach and headed toward the exclusive enclave, Hidden Pond. Then, I stopped to watch the lobster pots unload before heading south toward the Bush compound. I chose the indirect, scenic route, not heading from point A to B, but rather a complicated yet scenically satisfying zig zag.
Where would I stay in Kennebunk? The White Barn Inn, Naturally. Click here for availability.
SCENIC HIGHWAYS OF THE KENNEBUNKS
As I drove out of town the following day, a whirlwind of lobster, ocean breezes, and freshly roasted coffee followed in my wake. I discovered one more reason to love this state that had thus far eluded me. I couldn’t put my finger on it right away, though. Why did this soulless highway seem so much nicer than the highways at home?
What was missing? Advertising. About 40 years ago, the governor signed into law an act that removed nearly 10,000 billboards from the highways of Maine. What a respite from my commercially overdosed daily life.
While I rarely travel without a plan or (gasp!) a dinner reservation, a visit to the Kennebunks was just what I needed to remind myself that some of the best finds are the ones you don’t plan. The ones that have you following roads based on instinct rather than Google.
Why not?
Explore Kennebunkport on this private historic district walking tour. Click here!
CLICK HERE TO GET MY FREE KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE HOT SHEET
