Things to do in Boston and Maine 5.8.26

I put this together for some of Elizabeth’s friends who are traveling to Boston and Maine soon. I thought I would share it with you. F

First of all, Boston has been one of my favorite cities to visit even before Davis and Bridget lived there for 7 years and before our grandchildren were born there. It is a big city that feels like a small city, but has all the culture of a large city.

Brookline

This is where Davis and Bridget lived for 7 years. Just west of Fenway Park, Brookline, and especially Coolidge Corner is a great little area to walk around in. Davis and Bridget lived on Sewall Avenue near Samuel Sewall Inn, which is a delightful B&B that you might want to consider. Coolidge Corner is where everything happens. If you mention Coolidge Corner to anyone who has ever spent time in Boston, their eyes light up. We would highly recommend The Brookline Taberna, a very good neighborhood restaurant located a quarter of a mile from Coolidge Corner on Beacon Street. Not only is the ambiance and food excellent, they make great Gin Cocktails. I have included one of my favorite recipes. At home, we now call that drink the Taberna.

The Charles River

If you have time, walk part of the Greenway along the Charles River. Along with the Muddy River Trail to Jamaica Pond, this was one of my “Go To” running routes. I would leave Brookline, run through Boston University to the River and run up and back along the Charles.

Newbury Street

This may be one of the most beautiful streets in the country to take a stroll and window shop. Newberry begins at the Boston Public Garden and extends eight blocks west.

The North End

On the tip of the peninsula, this small enclave not only has historical sites including Paul Revere’s house, but also has many Italian Restaurants worth a visit. Mamma Maria is great.

Isabella Gardner Museum

I love small museums – some of my favorites include the Musee D’orsee in Paris, The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, and the Frick Museum in NYC. And the Gardner ranks up there with them. It is one of Boston’s hidden secrets. The building itself is extraordinary. Built in the style of a 15th-century Venetian palace, it has three floors of galleries that surround a garden courtyard blooming with life. The structure was designed to house and display the collection, making the architecture inseparable from the art. Breathtaking in scope. Isabella Gardner assembled more than 7,500 paintings, sculptures, furniture, textiles, silver, and ceramics, and 7,000 archival objects from ancient Rome, medieval Europe, Renaissance Italy, Asia, the Islamic world, and 19th-century France and America. Artists represented include Titian, Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Manet, Degas, Whistler, and Sargent. Wandering the galleries feel like an intimate discovery in someone’s home.

Portmouth, New Hampsire

If you drive from Boston to Maine, you have to drive through a sliver of New Hampshire, which has the best state motto ever created – “Live Free or Die.” And if you want pay less for your liquor, stop at the first exit, where you will find all kinds of spirits sold at a discount. If you are meandering, stop in Portsmouth, a charming town on the water that has a vibrant downtown area full of galleries, boutiques and restaurants.

York Maine

Not far from Portmouth, NH, York, Maine is a lovely little town where Bridget’s parents have owned a summer cottage for many years. Having visited and stayed in York a number of times, one of our favorites stops is a lobster shack called Shore Road Restaurant & Market – between York and Ogunquit. We love to get our lobster rolls and our favorite beverage and enjoy the rolls outside.

If you want a fancy dinner, there are two places we would recommend between York and Ogunquit – Clay Hill Farm and The Cliff House, both in Cape Neddick, Maine. Clay Hill Farm is laid back and warm with great food. The Cliff House is dramatic – located on the Ocean with drop dead gorgeous views. If nothing else, it is worth just stopping the Cliff House and having a drink at its bar. You can walk out to the rocks and there is also an awesome fire pit where you can meet interesting people. Dring one of our times at the firepit, we met a father and son who had just visited the carriage museum in Lisbon, which we visited while in Lisbon and were not disappointed. Davis, Bridget, I and some of their friends did the bar thing early one evening before driving back to York for dinner.

Ogunquit, Maine

We LOVE Ogunquit. It may be our favorite Maine coastal town. We love walking Marginal Way, a scenic coastal path, with Perkin’s Cove as a highlight, and visiting the small Ogunquit Museum. There are plenty of B&B’s to choose from if you stay there.

Portland, Maine

There is lots to see and do. We loved staying at the Regency Hotel and Spa.

Brunswick Maine

North of Portland is the town of Brunswick, which I have not visited, but hope to do some day because it is home to the Chamberlain Museum and Bowdoin College. Colonel Chamberlain singlehandedly changed the outcome of the Battle of Gettysburg and was chosen by General Grant to accept the surrender of the Conferate Army at Appomatox. At the end of the war he was a General and had been wounded multiple times. He retired as President of Bowdoin College. He is one of our greatest American heroes – a truly humble servant leader.

Maine Botanical Gardens

Located in Boothbay Harbor, this is worth the visit.

Camden, Maine

Picturesque, town is also worth the visit because of the the amazing hiking at nearby Mt. Megunticook and Maiden Cliff, with views of the ocean. We stayed at Camden Harbour Inn in Camden www.camdenharbourinn.com and had dinner at the restaurant there – Natalie’s.

Acadia National Park

Located on Mount Desert Island, Acadia National Park is beautiful. It includes the Jordan Pond House trail, Jordan Pond and Bubble Rock as hikes. In addition there is Penobscot Mountain Peaks for views of Frenchman Bay and one of my favorite hikes – Cadillac Mountain– an 8 mile hike over one of the tallest mountain on the eastern seaboard, and the hike up Dorr Mountain. If you visit Acadia National Park, you will mostly likely stay in Bar Harbor on Frenchman Bay.