I could go on and on about my home state of Maine in general – and I definitely do – so I figured I would compile a Maine travel guide for those of you visiting my home state. I grew up in the Portland area, although my mom is from the Bangor area and my dad is from the midcoast. And I have spent most of the last year and a half in the central Maine woods! 

The first section of this post is about what to do in Maine specifically, but the second section is what to do in Maine in October in general. October is a great time to be in Maine!

Maine Travel Guide: What To Do in Maine According to a Mainer

Visit the Old Port – The “Old Port” is the historic neighborhood of Portland on the water. The Portland website says “the Old Port is both a working waterfront and a local shopping, dining, residential, and entertainment district” (x). There is incredible shopping and eating! 

My favorite restaurants in the Old Port are Flatbreads, DeMillo’s, Becky’s Diner, Gritty McDuff’s, Fore Street, and Sebago Brewing Company. Other great restaurants (I hear; I can’t eat there) are Holy Donuts, The Porthole, and Gilbert’s Chowder House.

Portland Head Light – Don’t let the name fool you; it’s not in Portland. This is in my home town of Cape Elizabeth, in Fort Williams Park. In addition to one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world, the park is 90 acres and features rugged walking paths, ocean-side paths, beaches (not good ones if you want to lie out), picnic areas, and so much more (x).

If you visit Maine in general, you should be renting a car if you’re not driving up. Maine is not a state with tons of public transportation. And if you visit Portland and want to see the Portland Head Light, you absolutely need a car. There’s almost no public transportation in Portland – let alone to get to a different town – and you won’t be able to get to Cape from Portland with public transport. 

Maine Indie Bookstores –  Here are some awesome bookstores in Maine that you should check out! 

Print: A Bookstore is located on Congress Street in Portland.

Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shops has locations all across the state in Bar Harbor, Damariscotta, Boothbay Harbor, Freeport, and Portland. The picture below is one I took at the Portland location!

Owl & Turtle Bookshop Café is located in Camden and it’s absolutely adorable. It’s like my ideal version of a bookstore.

The Briar Patch Bookshop is one in Bangor that I haven’t checked out but really want to. They specialize in children’s books through high school, but they do have books for grownups. 

Coffee by Design – This is a Maine-based coffee company with locations all across the state. There are 3 locations in Portland (the one on Diamond Street is the one we go to the most) and one located inside the LL Bean headquarters in Freeport. 

LL Bean Headquarters – Look, what’s the point in coming to Maine if you don’t go to LL Bean HQ? I can’t emphasize enough how huge this location is. Like many Portland-area teenagers, I worked at one of the outlet stores in Freeport one summer … the one across the street from LL Bean HQ. The LL Bean Flagship is freaking ginormous and it is everything you could want from the LL Bean Flagship. 

Shopping in Freeport – Also, go shopping in Freeport. There are tons of stores! These shops include:

• American Eagle Outlet
• Dooney & Burke 
• Eastern Maine Sports 
• Fjallraven 
• J. Crew Factory 
• Levi’s Outlet
• Polo Ralph Lauren Factory 
• Sea Bags 
• Sperry 
• The North Face 
• Under Armor Factory 
• Wicked Woopies 
• Banana Republic
• And so much more

Young’s Lobster Pound – If you make your way to midcoast Maine, make sure you go to Young’s in Belfast. There are tons of picnic tables and it’s picnic-style – aka you can bring birthday cake, soda, beer, and more, which is what we do for my nan’s birthday every year – in addition to getting incredible seafood.  

Geaghan’s Pub and Brewery (DISCLAIMER: this is my uncle’s restaurant) – Geaghan’s is a Bangor institution! And I’m not just saying that because my Uncle Pete is one of the owners (along with his brothers and nephew). They make incredible breakfast, so be sure to check that out. 

And if you’re a beer fan, check out the tasting room! I’m told Geaghans Bros Brewing is delicious, but as I can’t drink and I can’t have gluten I can’t tell you from experience. The Tasting Room is “open to the public for tastings, growler and crowler fills and merchandise sales” (x).

West Market Square Artisan Coffeehouse – This is my family’s go-to coffee spot in Bangor. It’s absolutely delicious and we will go out of our way to get coffee there!

Skiing – If you’re going to Maine in the winter, you should definitely check out the ski spots. I grew up going to Shawnee Peak, but there are the most popular (and bigger) mountains of Sunday River and Sugarloaf. 

What To Do in Maine in October (In General)

There are tons of things to do across Maine in many different places. Here is a list of what to do in Maine in the fall according to me, a Mainer.

Pick apples – Find an orchard wherever you want! This list is from Maine Pomological Society, which is a nonprofit made up of tons of apple orchards.

Drink apple cider 

Eat apple cider donuts 

Pick pumpkins

Eat pumpkin foods

Go through a corn maze – Down East Magazine has a great list of the best corn mazes in Maine.

Hike through pretty areas – Find a Maine State Park here! There are 48 and you can use the tool at that link to find one by searching by name, by single gas tank trip from your/a location, or by region. 

What do you want to do in Maine this fall?

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