Local Spots and Info

How to get to Bath, Maine

Bath is a 3-hour drive from Logan Airport in Boston.  We always fly in and out of Boston.  You can also fly into Portland and Southwest Airlines flies into New Hampshire.  We like Boston because of it’s a  non-stop flight from Houston.

SOME HINTS BEFORE YOUR VISIT:

If you want some liquor and wine you may want to stop at the New Hampshire State Store which is off I-95 just before you enter the state of Maine. There is NO sales tax in New Hampshire so you will save some money that you can spend later on your visit.

When getting your rental car at Logan Airport ask for the best route to Maine.  This will take you on state highways 1 and 1A.  Within an hour you will see signs pointing you to I-95 which will take you to Maine.  Friends used a GPS and it took them back into Boston and then on to I-95.  So, the high 1 and 1A is a time saver.  Also, the car rental people will try to up sell you on buying the gas from them where you return the car with little or no gas and will try to sell you a tag for the toll roads.  Don’t buy either one.  You can find less expensive gas and for the tolls bring some one dollar bills.  I probably use less than $20.00 in tolls.

Freeport, Maine

Freeport is about 30 minutes from our home.  Freeport is the home of LL Bean.  You will enjoy the different stores that LL Bean offers, home store, outdoor, fishing, gosh the list goes on and on.   You can also spend the day doing lots and lots of great outlet shopping.

Eating in Freeport is fun. The hot dogs on the street are great. Sandy enjoys an afternoon break at Jameson Tavern. Linda Bean has a great place to eat and do some people watching.  Linda is a grand daughter of LL Bean.  Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster is located in South Freeport, a 5-minute drive from the shopping area, and has great prices on fresh Maine Lobster.

There is great grocery store in Freeport Bow Street Market located at 79 Bow Street.  If you plan on staying with us and doing some cooking, I would recommend obtaining your groceries there.  We have been shopping there for at least 20 years.  They have recently upgraded the store to include wine, cheeses and other great eats.

Downtown Bath

This is a small community of 6,000 people.  There are several coffee shops in Bath, several local restaurants  and Solo Bistro where you can experience some “fine dining”.    You need to go into Reny’s, a Maine retail store where you can buy just about anything.  I always enjoy looking for bargains. I have bought Champion warm ups for next to nothing and some Cutter Buck pull overs for $10.00.

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Dining in Bath

Mae’s Café and Bakery @ 160 Center. We have been to this local café and where you can see both locals and visitors in the dining room. Somewhat more upscale than the other breakfast diners I wrote about. The eggs and bacon are good (like Southgate the eggs come from chickens and the bacon from the pig) but the bakery is very good.

Maxwells: Here you will find American Traditional, steaks, burgers as well as sea food. I really enjoy the chowder. Get a bowl and not a cup.

Byrne’s Irish Pub: Good for lunch and a sandwich and top it off with an Irish beer.

Solo Bistro: Probably the most expensive restaurant in Bath. You should make reservations for Bath. You will enjoy your dinner.

Southgate is a great little diner located at 510 Washington.  It is a 5-minute drive from the house. Great place for an American breakfast and a place to meet some of the locals.  Take lots of cash.  Breakfast for two (a full breakfast) probably in the $10.00 range.

The Cabin @ 552 Washington. This is another local place to eat and the best PIZZA.  Again take cash, no credit cards and only local checks.  This is the first place we stop for dinner on our way from Boston.  Also, they serve some great local beers on tap!  Pizza and a couple of beers or wine . . . get ready for the bill!  About 20 bucks.  Welcome to small, local, friendly New England and our New England home town.

Galley at 245 Centre Street offers good home style food at reasonable prices.  We have been there for breakfast and lunch.

Maine Maritime Museum

The museum is no more the 5 minutes from the house. You can learn about Maine’s rich seafaring history about watercraft and lobstering, to shipbuilding and sea trade. There are several cruise from the museum that take you out on the Kennebec River. You will need reservations. Those cruises include:

1. Shipyard & Lighthouses Cruise

2. Six Lighthouse Cruise

3. Seven Lighthouse Cruise

4. Lighthouse Lovers Cruise

5. Wildlife of Merrymeeting Bay

6. Brunch on the Bay

My wife and I have seen several American Bald Eagles on our cruises,we have seen the light houses and have done brunch crusie. I recommend that you make time to visit the Maine Maritime Museum and take one of the cruses.

Harpswell, Maine

Described in the March 2017 edition of Downeast magazine as, “Maybe the most scenic and unspoiled peninsula.”  Now let’s visit about places to eat.  The Dolphin has (and I cannot find a better adjective) wonderful food.  I first read about The Dolphin in 2015 in Downeast.  That summer we had dinner and were not disappointed.  In summer 2016 my fellow Aggie and very close friend took us for our anniversary dinner at The Dolphin. I saw a couple of Bald Eagles nesting close to the restaurant. Take a camera!

View from the Dolphin Restaurant at Harpswell

Featured on Food Channel

Also located in Harpswell is Estes Lobster House.  This is probably 25 miles from the house.  We have not been here but will visit when we go in May/June 2012.  We saw Bobby Flay on the Food Channel talking about the different ways to cook lobster.  Looks like a great place to send an afternoon for lunch.

Lobster Special

Woolwich

Woolwich is the first village north of Bath.  Maybe 5 miles from Bath.  The Taste of Maine is where I had the “world’s largest lobster roll”.  It was a great meal.  In fact I made 3 meals out of that one lobster roll.

Lobster Roll

Camden, Maine

This is a beautiful town about 45 minutes from the house.  Described “were the ocean meets the mountains.”  Beautiful small New England town.  There are several wonderful deli style diners, art galleries and some upscale retailers.

Damarisotta

Great little village about 30 minutes north of the house. King Eider’s Pub is a favorite for lunch and a cold beer.  I have also had several briefcases and belts made at Narragansett Leathers.

Damariscotta River Cruise

Over the years we have invited some of our friends to spend some time with us and enjoy our home in Bath. A couple of years ago the four of us took a tour on the boat, River Tripper, of the Damariscotta River. GREAT CRUISE!!! Discover the River where 80 % of Maine oysters come from the Maine Oyster Farms on this river. You will see seals playing, swimming and taking pictures of the tourist on River Tripper.

After the cruise I would recommend going to King Eider’s Pub for a great meal and a cold one. Their crab cakes are wonderful, bloody Mary’s not bad . . .

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Pemaquid Point and Shaw’s Lobster Pound

As you leave Damarisotta on the north end of town and go out toward Pemaquid Point and past Round Pond there is a great lobster pound, Shaw’s Lobster Pound.

Shaw's Fish and Lobster

Take the road toward Pemaquid Point and the Hardy Boat  tours which is located in New Harbor. Once you get to New Harbor go to the lobster pound and enjoy the view and great lobster.

Water at the peninsula

There is a lighthouse on Pemaquid Point which is worth the trip.

Pemaquid Point Light House

Wiscasset

Red Eats was noted in Downeast Magazine as the best lobster roll in Maine.  They put the entire meat of a lobster into their rolls.  You will see Red Eats as you cross the bridge as you are leaving Wiscasset.  At lunch time there will be lots of folks in line waiting to places their orders.

Kennebunkport

For those of you who maybe interested in seeing where President Bush spent his summer and their home; Kennebunkport is 60 miles from Bath.  We have been there a couple of times and did see the Bush’s home from a distance.  There is a gate which keeps people from getting too close.  Kennebunkport is a very typical New England village on the ocean.  This is one place in Maine where if you plan on having dinner you may have a dress code.  I would recommend taking the trip.  Time getting there will be more than an hour.  Most of the trip will be on I-95.

Antiques

Our favorite antiques malls are located in Brunswick, 10 minutes from the house, in Rockland 45 minutes away, and another just South of Wiscasset.

Montsweag Flea Market

This flea market has been in business since 1977. During the summer on Saturdays and Sundays you’ll find dozens of tables and booths laden with all kinds of finds. The sellers are an interesting bunch of characters who love to talk.

This is what someone wrote about the flea market. “We are flea market hounds and can never seem to get enough of pawing through dusty old relics.”

I have always enjoyed coming here and getting a pocket knife or two.  One treasure that I found several years ago was a money clip from the St. Louis World’s Fair.

Montsweag Roadhouse is a place in Maine where there is lots of red meat in the kitchen and on your table. This is minutes north of Woolwich at 942 US Route 1 and very close to the Flea Market.

 

Other Activities (from the local Visitors Bureau)

Visitors and locals alike enjoy Bath’s downtown with its historic architecture and framing views of the Kennebec River, and its world-class maritime museum. This Mid Coast location is the perfect spot to set off on short or all-day excursions. Portland, Freeport, Camden, Rockland and Rockport are short drives from the house.  There are also two national seashores within 15 minutes of the house.