The best of Samoset and surrounds
When we first planned our trip to Maine, we thought we’d stay in Portland for the entire time–and then we realized Maine is BIG. And a lot of the good stuff is outside of the cities! Maine is a state of small towns and wide open spaces: for reference, the population is 1/8 the size of New York City spread across an area more than 100 times its size.
We stayed at Samoset Resort, one of those places that is a destination in itself. Housed on 230 acres on the oceanfront, it boasts an 18-hole golf course and easy access to the famed Rockland Breakwater Light. To be honest, when we booked our stay, we had dreams of laying out by the pool with sunshine and an ocean breeze and taking a few hikes through the lush greenery. It was a bit too chilly for that! Instead, we explored the tiny towns of Freeport, Rockland, Camden and Rockport in a quest for lighthouses and lobster rolls.
Our very first stop outside of Portland was Maine Beer Company in Freeport: and my only wish is that we could have stayed longer (aka we were so hungry and they don’t serve food, and also pregnant friends are the best people to drag along for an afternoon of session drinking) . This sort of place is basically my paradise: super chill, outdoor seating, and just so much delicious beer. 
I opted to try Lunch, which is actually named for a whale who has been continuously spotted off the Maine coast. She had a bite out of her fin, which is why she was nicknamed lunch! I kind of love that. I also love that their motto is “Do What’s Right.” BOOM. 
We took those beers over to Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster Company, recommended by the bartender at Maine Beer Company (and echoed by a few locals there). We really wanted to try Red’s Eats (famed for having a full pound of lobster on their rolls), but we were hungry-bordering-on-hangry–and I’m actually so glad that we discovered Harraseeket. It’s down a country road and right on a teeny-tiny marina and it’s just so incredibly Maine picturesque (and the lobster rolls are GOOD): we loved it!
Of course, we had to go to L.L.Bean headquarters! It’s absolutely enormous, and I was surprised at the variety of items–from tons and tons of outdoor clothes and outdoor equipment to really cute sundresses and a ton of pet equipment. Jillian picked up a pair of snowboots (in advance of her trip to Iceland!) and was able to try them on in the store, and then have them shipped to her house.
This was the view from our room’s balcony! Can you spot the lighthouse all the way at the end? It was actually really neat to see how the weather affected our view: it was SO foggy the next morning, and we could barely even see the start of the breakwater! I also liked being able to watch the golfers tee off right under our window.
We walked all the way out to the Rockland Breakwater Light: it’s a full half-mile out into the water. It’s made of big granite blocks and it’s actually kind of tricky to walk on. We spent most of the walk worried about dropping our phones in between the rocks–and then someone actually commented on my Instagram that it happened to her friend. The worst! 
We had dinner at Enoteca Lounge at the Samoset, and omg this margherita pizza. I love margherita pizza, and it’s one of those things that I use to judge a pizza place since it’s so simple–the good ones really stand out! At Enoteca, they cook it these wood-fired ovens that you can see while you’re sitting at the bar–and top it with fresh basil and really delicious tomatoes. In my top 5 for sure! 
We started both mornings at the Willow Bake Shoppe. After discovering on Saturday that showing up late does NOT guarantee you the best selection of donuts, we got there a little earlier on Sunday! Open since 1949, it’s definitely a favorite spot for locals: there were plenty of dads and kids there picking up bags of donuts to take back home. Our favorite was the butter crunch: it’s very sweet but a little addictive. Also: coffee and donuts for two cost less than $5, so there’s that (although it is cash-only!). 
We popped over to Owls Head Light, which is small but mighty. It was a little foggy out, but I loved seeing the water break along the cliffs: it felt a lot like Big Sur!
How cute is the little town of Rockland? We were surprised by how artsy it seemed: there were so many galleries and museums and even a theater. I especially loved this huge colorful mural! 
Perhaps my favorite part about Rockland were the hot dogs at Wasses! It’s a little walk-up hot dog joint that is just so full of character, and also has very good hot dogs, complete with very, very good grilled onions. There was an old lady behind me who complimented my boots and then complained about the price of hot dogs skyrocketing: $2.50 a pop! And I also dropped this hot dog while taking a photo (#behindthegram), and they replaced it for free, which is one of those wonderful small town things that happens. Our only regret was not ordering two each! 
Can you believe that those trees are still devoid of leaves? It felt like February! That said, I think that Rockport is one of those towns that would be GORGEOUS in the fall. I loved his little marina that was right in the middle of the town. 
As we were driving through the backroads, we saw a sign that proclaimed a CALF UNVEILING–and a long line of cars parked along the street. We looked at each other and basically said we HAD to stop (especially since we totally bonded over the goats in Bucks County), and I’m so glad that we did! There were llamas and alpacas and goats and baby cows, and it was just a total country 4H dream. 
We also popped into the State of Maine Cheese Co: if we hadn’t been flying back to NYC, I would have stocked up on so many cheeses and jams and other goodies. It’s one of those roadside stores that is totally worth stopping at (if only for the samples!).
We certainly had dreams of laying out by the pool in the sunshine–but even in the bad weather, we were able to swap that for the second best option: reading by the indoor pool and in the hot tub! I feel like there were never really indoor pools in California growing up, and I’m so intrigued by these on the East Coast: it feels like a giant greenhouse with the architecture and the plants and the warm humidity, and it’s so soothing when it’s chilly outside. 
We had dinner at In Good Company in Rockland: it was a really sweet little wine bar with great local food. I opted for venison meatballs, and we ended with this incredible lemon pound cake. Jillian and I had a lovely time sitting at the bar, but this is the definitely the sort of place that would be perfect on a romantic weekend away! 
Special thanks to the Samoset Resort for hosting us. As always, all opinions are my own. And if you missed it, here’s a video of our weekend in Maine and some gorgeous photos by Jillian.
What would you want to experience most in the Samoset and surrounds?
