24 Hours in MidCoast Maine by Train
The gateway to MidCoast Maine in the south, Brunswick, can be reached from various towns between Portland and Boston’s North Station up to five times per day. Training up the Coast is a great jumpstart to a relaxed Maine vacation. Our three travelers, Samantha Nelson, Susan Pazera, and Melissa Jones, began their journey up the Coast of Maine via Amtrak Downeaster train in Boston, heading to Wells, then Kennebunkport, then Portland, before heading north, bound for the town of Brunswick. This shows the 24 hours they spent exploring MidCoast Maine, just north of Portland, for the last leg of their Maine getaway. After the 2019 Women in Travel Summit wrapped in Portland, we invited this trio of travel writers up the coast for an overnight travel experience that would share a taste of MidCoast Maine accessible by train. Here’s how they spent this overnight adventure, making sure to experience lobster, lighthouses, and some unique local flavors.
BRUNSWICK
Upon their train’s arrival in Brunswick, our travel writers grabbed their bags and made the short walk to the nearby Brunswick Hotel & Tavern, their home for the evening. Conveniently located within walking distance to downtown Brunswick’s variety of shops and restaurants, the Brunswick Hotel & Tavern is also steps away from the idyllic Bowdoin college campus.
Though much of the group’s time was spent traversing the coastal roads of MidCoast Maine, the central location of the Brunswick Hotel & Tavern allowed everyone to get a good sense for the shops and restaurants that make Brunswick so unique. Being able to walk to destinations like Wyler’s, Gulf of Maine Books, Frontier Cafe, or Tao Yuan was one of the many perks of the hotel’s location. The evening cocktail class hosted by Vessel & Vine, which was also walkable from the hotel, proved to be a fun, informative foray into the art of cocktail making for the entire group.
A lobster dinner was a vacation-must for these guests from Oregon, Tennessee, and New York. For a completely unique experience, the group headed to Cameron’s Lobster House, a drive-in seafood shack that is a favorite among seafood-loving locals.
BATH + ARROWSIC
A short drive up Route 1 from Brunswick is the historic city of Bath, known for its rich maritime history as the “City of Ships.” After a filling, tasty meal on the rooftop deck of Bath Brewing Company, the group of writers enjoyed a healthy dose of window shopping as they meandered down Front Street. The New Place, The Mustard Seed Bookstore, and Now You’re Cooking were the collective favorites.
Next on the day’s MidCoast Maine agenda: a private tour of the Maine Maritime Museum. In an attempt to take advantage of the abundant spring sunshine, the group spent most of the tour exploring the expansive property set on the Kennebec River with stops inside the historic boat collection, the boatbuilding and blacksmith shops, and the impressive, permanent Maine Lobster exhibit.
Since no trip to Maine is complete without a stop at a lighthouse, the group made their way across the Kennebec River to nearby Arrowsic to explore the storied Doubling Point Lighthouse. With its picturesque bridge, the lighthouse, constructed in the late 19th century, made for a rather quintessential Maine photo backdrop for the travelers.
HARPSWELL, BAILEY ISLAND, AND ORR’S ISLAND
An early morning drive down the Harpswell peninsula from Brunswick to Orr’s Island and Bailey Island is a must for anyone hoping to catch a memorable East Coast sunrise. With stops at Land’s End, Mackerel Cove, and the Cribstone Bridge, the travel writers were treated to a few different places to catch the warm, early morning glow of the sunrise. Later in the morning, the group returned to hike the short, but incredibly scenic, Giant’s Stairs trail for another dramatic view of the Maine coastline.
On this trip, our guests managed to see, experience, and taste quite a bit of MidCoast Maine from Brunswick to Bath and down the Harpswell peninsula during their short stay in the area. Though they longed to linger and explore more of this quintessential Maine coastline, they boarded their southbound Amtrak train a mere twenty-three hours after they arrived in Brunswick the day before!
To begin planning your own trip to MidCoast Maine, click here to explore more of Maine’s MidCoast & Islands and learn more about the region’s lighthouses, parks, restaurants, and more.
Photos & content by Maine-based creative Meredith Perdue of Willard Creative for Maine’s MidCoast & Islands. She traveled from South Portland to capture this story.
