Live Free Or Die in Vacationland

It took just four months of dating before Kevin and I took our first vacation together. While I was scared to spend a week in Puerto Rico with a person who was still so very new, I figured if we didn’t kill each other after this trip, we might just have a shot at making this work. That vacation was incredibly fun, romantic and proved to be a great test of our compatibility. Kevin, I soon found out, was home and adventure all at once. Since then we’ve been on so many other trips: from Iceland, Thailand and Hawaii, we try to weave together both of our interests. My adventure language comes in the form of food and Kevin usually finds a physical challenge for us to conquer.

Last week Kevin and I took a road trip, we stopped along coastal towns on the way to the Main(e) event: hiking Mount Katahdin. Because of my schedule this summer, Kevin planned 95% of this trip and I’m so incredibly grateful for a partner like him. I have SO MUCH to say about this trip that I’m going to break it down into two parts where Part 1 (here) will be the “easy” part of the trip eating and drinking around coastal towns. Part 2 will be a post dedicated solely to our time in Baxter and summiting Mount Katahdin.

Portsmouth, NH

This was such a cute town! We learned all about its history on a walking tour with the Portsmouth Historical Society: from its humble beginnings as a colonial fishing settlement to its role in the US Navy and building submarines. There is also a ton of great food in Portsmouth. We had Nepali food for the first time at Durbar Square. If you go, you must try the Gundruk Soup which according to the menu is a “five hundred year old homeopathic tradition” and the Rack of Lamb Nepali way. Wash it down with a drink called the yeti which seems to be a concoction of ginger, tamarind and magic.

Rockland, ME

After Portsmouth we headed north while hugging the coast. We walked the 7/8 mile long breakwater to the Rockland Light House. Huge granite blocks that go 70 feet deep create a scenic walkway.

Camden, ME

I thought Nepali food was going to be the unique break we were going to get from lobster rolls and steamers but of course Kevin is just full of surprises. During our stay in Camden, Kevin really wanted to try a West African restaurant called Me Lon Togo. Here we had a four course dinner—my favorites were between the sweet potato and plantain appetizer and of course the Jollof rice.

Portland, ME

The last stop on the trip was Portland ! On our walking tour we learned that Portland was ravaged by so many fires that their city seal displays a phoenix rising from the ashes (a little heavy handed if you ask me). This stop was definitely the “biggest” city on the road trip complete with funky coffee shops, incredible food and horribly expensive (and difficult) parking. We stopped by the Portland Museum of Art as a respite from the heat wave but I was pleasantly surprised by an exhibit on David Driskell and a Picasso on display.

If you ever visit, make sure to stop by two famous spots: The Holy Donut ( I loved the Sea Salt chocolate flavor) and of course Duck Fat for their poutine. Another great spot is Tomaso’s Canteen—it looks like a dive from the outside but had a large offering of local beers.

Final Thoughts New Hampshire & Maine

Because Kevin planned the majority of this trip—I had zero expectations coming into any of these towns and in turn every day felt like a little unveiling. For example, I had no idea Maine was so instrumental to the underground railroad because it was the last state before freedom in Canada. I also learned that although no Civil War battles were fought in New Hampshire or Maine, that these two states disproportionately signed up to defend the abolitionist cause.

This was definitely a new way for me to travel. Usually I have a spreadsheet allocating an activity to each day complete with reservations for as many meals as possible. It was exhausting! As our first trip as a married couple, it was nice to hand over the planning to Kevin to live a little freer in Vacationland.

Have you been to New Hampshire or Maine? Which must-see coastal towns did we miss? Tell me about your experience in the comments.