Cabin in the City

Books, cats and midwestern charm.

Maine

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Quippiquisset // Ogunquit + York

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This is the last stop on the New England trolley.

On the way from Kennebunkport to Portsmouth, we stumbled across Ogunquit, Maine (which I keep wanting to call Quippiquisset from Bob’s Burgers). It was the perfect little town in which to spend an afternoon.

My mom and I started out in an antique store—exactly what we wanted from New England—and spent a good amount of time checking out all the other little shops. I don’t think we bought a single thing, but it was nice to be out in the sun and see something new.

Honestly, the highlight of visiting Ogunquit was a leisurely lunch at Cornerstone. My mom and I shared a great pizza and we each had a glass of Prosecco on the patio. I really was feeling like my best self.

Ogunquit was pretty small, though, so we decided to hit the road for New Hampshire after a few hours. And here’s how I know my mom really loves me: On our way to Portsmouth, we saw a sign for a lighthouse. No distance was given, just an arrow.

Well, this ended up being about a 20-mile round trip detour and my mom did it without complaining for a second. But let me tell you, the detour was worth every mile.

We ended up at Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine, which was gorgeous (clearly).

I was very excited.

And the cherry on top of this whole detour? Well, that’d be the ice cream. We stopped at Dunne’s Ice Cream and I got some chocolate-Oreo concoction. Obscenely rich but exactly what I’d been craving since the night before (when no ice cream places were open in Kennebunkport).

So here’s to you, Maine. I had an amazing time visiting. And here’s to you, Mom, for being a great travel companion, patient detour-taker and amazing mom!

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Kennebunkport // The Perfect Fancy Lady Destination

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You’ve already heard about Salem and Portland, but I haven’t touched on another great stop on this New England trip: Kennebunkport.

My mom and I had such a wonderful and relaxing time here. It’s exactly the sort of ladies trip/weekend getaway-type town I was hoping for on this trip.

In a lot of ways, Kennebunkport reminded me of Door County with its cute shopping areas and views of the water. Our first day we did a lot of poking around in the downtown. We found a few small trinkets to bring home. Daytrip Society was my favorite stop.

The next day we decided to take a tour of Kennebunkport with Intown Trolley. We felt like we saw all we could walk to, but knew there had to be more to this cute destination. The tour was worth every penny.

The trolley took us to parts of the town we had no idea existed and we got some great views of the Atlantic. It was really breathtaking.

This leg of our road trip was also so relaxing because we stayed in the cutest resort: The Lodge on the Cove. It was a really beautiful little place to unwind at the end of the day since a lot of this trip was go-go-go. My mom and I also had fun riding the lodge bikes around the parking lot.

Overall, Kennebunkport felt really comfortable but still fancy. It’s the sort of place I could see myself visiting every year if I lived on the East Coast. Looking at these Lodge photos, I’m already wishing I was back there kicking up my feet with a glass of rose and a good book!

Kennebunkport isn’t the last of this trip! I’ve still got one more (quick) stop to share!

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Portlandia (the Other One)

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You already heard about Salem, but that wasn’t the only leg of my great New England adventure. My mom and I also visited Portland, Maine.

I loved every second of it.

I loved Portland because it was a blend of all of my favorite things: water, lighthouses, forest, amazing food and beautiful, walkable streets. It was, quite simply, a dream destination.

The Food

The East Coast, particularly Maine, is all about the lobster. I am not. But the food was exceptional nonetheless.

Our first evening we went to Luke’s Lobster on the Portland Pier. It totally delivered. My mom and I both wanted something casual after traveling all day, and this place was absolutely perfect.

My mom opted for a lobster roll which was on her to-do list for this trip. I was a simpleton and got a burger, but it was darn good (and honestly the lobster roll was pretty good too in my seafood-averse opinion).

I also tried this beer from Allagash Brewing Co. and it was honestly so nice. Sipping a beer, looking over the water and shooting the breeze with my mom was precisely what I was in the mood for.

As fantastic as my burger was (it really was so good), the highlight of the meal was this mixed berry pie from Two Fat Cats. It’s the best fruit pie I’ve ever had. I’m currently debating having one shipped to Wisconsin just to relive this moment.

Truly, though, the food highlight of this entire trip was HiFi Donuts in downtown Portland.

I am a sucker for a really good donut (and I will not accept any lackluster donuts!). HiFi had some truly spectacular donuts. They had some really excellent flavors on offer like blueberry, pumpkin and hibiscus, but I went with a classic chocolate glazed. The simple things are often the hardest to get right, so I feel like a basic option was the best way to judge these donuts.

I don’t say this lightly: It was the best donut I’ve ever had (and I’ve had plenty). My mom went for a shredded coconut donut and it looked spectacular.

We also split a breakfast sandwich and it was way better than it had any right to be thanks to some really top-notch bacon.

If I could transplant one thing from Portland home to Milwaukee, this would be it.

The Sights

We, of course, did much more than eat in Portland. After snagging those dream donuts, my mom and I hopped on a boat tour with Portland Discovery Land & Sea Tours.

I have to say that while wandering downtown Portland and the wharves was fun, going out on the water really made me appreciate the area more.

Our tour took us around Casco Bay, the Calendar Islands and past three different lighthouses (big win for me). It reminded me a bit of Bayfield and the Apostle Islands so I obviously loved it.

The highlight of this cruise was seeing the Portland Head Light. This is the most photographed lighthouse in the world, and for good reason. Seriously, look how gorgeous it is.

The lighthouse looks out over the bay and another lighthouse (Ram’s Head Light). Talk about a dream lightkeeper assignment. Portland, if you’re hiring, hit me up!

This two-hour tour was worth every single penny. Our guide had plenty of interesting stories to tell, but my mom and I really just enjoyed being on the water and taking in the sights. It was so refreshing to be out somewhere new soaking it all in.

The Atmosphere

I cannot tell you how much I loved my short time in Portland. This city was like everything I love about my home condensed into a town of 60,000 and with ten times more maritime charm.

I mean, if I had to live here and live that lighthouse keeper casual life, I’d do it in a heartbeat. Am I in temporary vacation destination love? Maybe. But it also could be the real deal.

Here’s to you, Portland! And I’ll be back with even more about Maine soon!