I think I want to go to Maine. What can you tell me?

[Aspasia]

Or New Hampshire. I just want to go up north to a beach (we're in Virginia). Preferably we'll rent a beach house so we have a place to get baby out of the sun while still being close enough for the older kids to play on the beach most of the day.

 

We've never been to New England before, so I guess my biggest questions are:

 

What are the beaches like, particularly in comparison to something like Virginia Beach or

Ocean City?

 

Which beaches are the most family friendly? Also, we'd prefer a place that is less touristy than VA Beach and OC. The quieter the better.

 

Any must-sees or must-dos in Maine or NH?

[Aura]

:bigear:  Interesting! I've always had to the desire to visit the north eastern coast! Don't really know why, just want to one day do it. Glad I'm not the only one who finds the area fascinating.

[trinchick]

Beaches here are freezing!!! But beautiful, too. Ogunquit is a nice, family-friendly beach in Maine with good accommodations, restaurants, shopping. Reasonable ride to other Maine locations.

 

It's a lot longer ride for you, but last summer we rented a cottage on Prince Edward Island in Canada. It was gorgeous, and house rentals were very reasonable. For our trip there we drove along the Bay of Fundy and saw the tides and beautiful scenery. Water in the Northumberland Strait is said to be the warmest north of the Carolinas, and we found it to be very pleasant.

 

Have you thought of Cape Cod? Closer to you would be the Delaware beaches which are supposed to be beautiful and the weather would surely be warmer.

[banker281]

I haven't been there myself, however I did see that the Maine Lobster Festival is going on July 30 - August 3.

[Aspasia]

Beaches here are freezing!!! But beautiful, too. Ogunquit is a nice, family-friendly beach in Maine with good accommodations, restaurants, shopping. Reasonable ride to other Maine locations.

 

It's a lot longer ride for you, but last summer we rented a cottage on Prince Edward Island in Canada. It was gorgeous, and house rentals were very reasonable. For our trip there we drove along the Bay of Fundy and saw the tides and beautiful scenery. Water in the Northumberland Strait is said to be the warmest north of the Carolinas, and we found it to be very pleasant.

 

Have you thought of Cape Cod? Closer to you would be the Delaware beaches which are supposed to be beautiful and the weather would surely be warmer.

Oh, PE Island sounds awesome! I've always thought when my girls are older and they've all read Anne of Green Gables, I'd like to make a girls-only pilgrimage there. But I'm certainly not opposed to going sooner as well. I'm gonna look into it. :)

 

I definitely want to do Cape Cod, and we actually started planning a trip there a few years ago. It didn't work out, but it's still on my radar. Is it more expensive than Maine?

[trinchick]

Oh, I'd also recommend Southport Island in Maine. It's a small island only accessible by swinging bridge so not too overrun at all. It's a bit further up there, but it's just like a postcard. We went to a wedding at the Newagen Seaside Inn. It was absolutely spectacular. Views were great. The resort was nice without being stuffy. Lots to do regardless of whether the weather cooperated. Boothbay Harbor is nearby for restaurants and shopping.

 

Not sure  how the Cape and Maine compare for costs, as we usually do the Cape beaches as a day trip since we live nearby.

[Pink and Green Mom]

I have never been to Maine at all but am dying to go to the Cottages at Cabot Cove in Kennebunkport (don't know how to link).  No one under 16 is permitted though so it isn't a family vacation spot.

[trinchick]

Here's where we stayed on PEI: The Good Cottages. The house and views were great. We didn't make use of the beach because it was only accessible at low tide and the stairs were super steep - too steep for DS to navigate or even for DH to feel comfortable carrying him. However, the location was good in that we were only about 20 minutes from Charlottetown, and we liked walking around/eating out. They have a great fire pit that was fun a couple of nights. The deck was perfect for my morning coffee. Lots of grassy space and a swingset for the kids to run around. We flew kites from the lawn overlooking the beach one of the afternoons. We saw a cruise ship sail by one night.

 

For actual swimming, there is a beach/park down the street, that we used a couple of times. But again, it was tide dependent. We also went to a nearby town of Victoria-by-the-Sea that was really quaint and had a decent beach. Since actual beach time is a priority for us, if I had it to do over again, I'd look for a house on the north side of the island. But if you just like being near the water and looking at it, then this location would be great.

[Aspasia]

What is camping like in Maine and New Hampshire? We're used to camping out West, in the mountains where temps are comfortable. We've only camped one time since moving to Virginia and it was absolutely miserable. So humid and buggy! Are the nights cooler up north? What is the bug situation like?

[MIch elle]

The traffic on 95 is TERRIBLE in the summer esp. on the weekends!  Make sure you have a EZ Pass to get through that 95 NH toll.  Yup, water is FREEZING.  Cape Cod is much more expensive but the water is warmer (esp. on the ocean side).

 

Storyland, Santa's Village, Six Gun City, Clark's Trading Post, Whale's Tale Waterpark,  and Lost River, etc in NH are wonderful for your dc's ages.  We stayed at The Seasons in Bartlett, NH last year. 

[datgh]

Just be fore warned that the ocean temperatures in Maine and NH are cooolllldddd!!!  We go in and wait to get numb, spend about 20 minutes riding the waves and then come out until we warm up again so we can repeat. There are nice beaches all up and down the coast.  I love the towns of Ogunquit, Camden and Kennebunkport for strolling around in the evening.  York beach has a lot of cottages close to the water but it isn't very scenic.  Hampton Beach in NH also has a lot of housing close by but it can get pretty crowded and is very touristy.  Popham Beach state park in Bath is our favorite but there isn't any housing near the beach. We also love Acadia National Park. There is a salt water and fresh water beach within the park.  The scenery is beyond breathtaking!

 

Cape Cod also has a lot of beautiful beaches and the water is warmer.  Not sure how prices stack up.  We tend to camp because we live close by.

[datgh]

Nights tend to be cooler for camping in NH and Maine but we can get the occasional heat wave where it is muggy and in the 70's but that may feel cool to you from Virginia.  We get a lot of nights in the 50's and 60's in central NH.  We have a pop up and often don't even keep the sides open at night because it is chilly.  We do have mosquitos all summer and deer flies in the middle of the summer. It depends where you are camping. If you like National Park campgrounds, Blackwoods in Acadia national Park is wonderful.  Camping with a baby though isn't easy and if it rains it is even worse.

[Kathryn]

Love Maine in the summer! My family has been going to a small oceanfront town on Saco Bay (Maine's longest stretch of sandy beach) for many generations. We do day trips all over the place, as far north as Acadia. I haven't been in two years now and I miss it so much!

[redsquirrel]

We camp at Hermit Island Campground every year...except this one :sneaky2:

 

I love Maine and every time I think that we aren't going this year I want to cry.

 

I love Cape Cod as well...but I think Maine is better. 

 

 

[whitestavern]

We camp at Hermit Island Campground every year...except this one :sneaky2:

 

I love Maine and every time I think that we aren't going this year I want to cry.

 

I love Cape Cod as well...but I think Maine is better. 

 

I hear you. We used to camp in Acadia every year and haven't for the past two.  It really does bring tears to my eyes when I think about it too much.  I love ME!

[whitestavern]

Or New Hampshire. I just want to go up north to a beach (we're in Virginia). Preferably we'll rent a beach house so we have a place to get baby out of the sun while still being close enough for the older kids to play on the beach most of the day.

 

We've never been to New England before, so I guess my biggest questions are:

 

What are the beaches like, particularly in comparison to something like Virginia Beach or

Ocean City?

 

Which beaches are the most family friendly? Also, we'd prefer a place that is less touristy than VA Beach and OC. The quieter the better.

 

Any must-sees or must-dos in Maine or NH?

 

Honestly, if you want beach, don't go to NH...they don't have the greatest beaches (and this is coming from someone raised in NH who loves NH)  CT, RI, MA and ME all have some good options.  CT has the warmest waters, but no waves, due to it being on Long Island Sound.  And CT is pretty expensive.  ME and MA (Cape) have the most options.  For the Cape, look past Hyannis to get something quiet.  We used to rent houses that had private "neighborhood" beaches.  I forget which towns (Brewster may be one) have access to both bay and ocean so you can choose which kind of beach you want to go to.  Pretty much all of the beaches are family friendly.  If you are looking for this summer, you will likely have a very hard time finding a house to rent at this point.  If you are booking for next year, I'd still start your search soon.  From what I remember of VA beach, it's BIG, so the northern beaches will be smaller.  The type of sand varies depending on which beach you're at.

 

Our favorite places to rent beach houses are the outer cape and the Bar Harbor/Acadia area of ME.

 

Re: camping.  Mount Desert Campground in Mt. Desert ME is gorgeous...their waterfront sites are dreamy.  It's somewhat cushy camping; they have platforms, super nice and clean bathrooms, a general store.  Nice folks.  They book up quick though. 

 

[Amy in NH]

Wallace Sands State Park is a beautiful, quiet beach.  The water is cold, but we love it there.  Up the road a mile or two is the Seacoast Science Center at Odiorne Point with touch tanks and great tide pools to explore, playgrounds, and picnic areas.  If you want quiet you could rent someplace in Rye, Rye Beach, North Hampton, or Newcastle.  South of that is not worth the crowds, although Hampton Beach has a lot of easy walking to the beach, restaurants, boardwalk with amusements, and probably has cheaper housing. 

 

Camping in NH/ME is buggy.  I would choose Hermit Island in ME if I were planning to camp/beach in New England.  It is quiet, and the beaches are also lovely.

 

The water may be warmer at Cape Cod, but it is expensive and the traffic is horrendous.

[ljpisme]

Wallace Sands State Park is a beautiful, quiet beach.  The water is cold, but we love it there.  Up the road a mile or two is the Seacoast Science Center at Odiorne Point with touch tanks and great tide pools to explore, playgrounds, and picnic areas.  If you want quiet you could rent someplace in Rye, Rye Beach, North Hampton, or Newcastle.  South of that is not worth the crowds, although Hampton Beach has a lot of easy walking to the beach, restaurants, boardwalk with amusements, and probably has cheaper housing. 

 

Camping in NH/ME is buggy.  I would choose Hermit Island in ME if I were planning to camp/beach in New England.  It is quiet, and the beaches are also lovely.

 

The water may be warmer at Cape Cod, but it is expensive and the traffic is horrendous.

 

I agree completely (although I live in NH so I might be a bit biased :)) 

 

I also wanted to add that this is very close to Portsmouth, NH, which is a great, walkable small city full of culture, history and good food. The NH/Southern ME coast is great vacation spot with lots of options for entertainment or "just relaxing."  

[redsquirrel]

I have to agree with the beaches do not equal NH.

 

But I have been camping on some beautiful ponds (really lakes) in NH. But there wasn't a real beach.

 

ETA: It is really getting to be too late to book on the Cape or even in Maine, but def. on the Cape. My Aunt lived in Boston her whole adult life, so I grew up vacationing on the Cape and she and my mom always had the house rented by September for the following summer.

 

When we camp on Hermit Island we send off our reservations with deposit in November. They open reservations starting on Jan. 1st of the year and we are booked and paid in full before Valentines Day. Now that doesn't mean you can't, just that you can't be picky and you might not get a great location or dates.

[Aspasia]

The traffic on 95 is TERRIBLE in the summer esp. on the weekends!  Make sure you have a EZ Pass to get through that 95 NH toll.  Yup, water is FREEZING.  Cape Cod is much more expensive but the water is warmer (esp. on the ocean side).

 

Storyland, Santa's Village, Six Gun City, Clark's Trading Post, Whale's Tale Waterpark,  and Lost River, etc in NH are wonderful for your dc's ages.  We stayed at The Seasons in Bartlett, NH last year.

 

Oh, I know all about 95. We live right next to it and I despise it. Our plan is to go mid-week. And we do have an EZ Pass. :)

 

Thanks for all the recommendations! I've been jotting them down and now I'm off to research. :)

[Pam in CT]

Coastal Maine is my favorite place on earth...    :001_wub:

 

Most of the coast is gorgeous, rugged and rocky, not sandy.  You may not care much since, as pp have rightly noted, the water is FREEZING so people don't really swim in it -- just run in, splash down, run back out and exult that they've gone in at all.

 

Love, love LOVE Mount Desert Island, where Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park are.  Most of the coastline in that area is rocky; there is one stretch of sand at Sand Beach in the park and you can also swim in warmer waters at Echo Lake.  The park (which is sprawled across the island in non-contiguouis parts) has two campgrounds.  Seawall is gorgeous and adjacent to the ocean, though the coastline is rocky there.  I've never stayed at the other one.  The Appalachian Mountain Club runs a camp at Echo Lake.  Or there are millions of private camps and motels and hotels, from very modest to waaaaayy chi-shi, around the island.  The College of the Atlantic, just on the outskirts of Bar Harbor, runs a Family Nature Camp that I've taken my kids to a bunch of times -- you live in the dorms and they take care of all the meals and run some very good programs.

 

If you want beautiful sand, the Kennebunkport / Ogunquit / Cape Elizabeth areas are not quite as far up, are lovely and have a range of accommodations.  My brother-in-law got married at the Inn by the Sea in that area -- very nice place, not pretentious, breathtaking views.  Old Orchard Beach is sort of honky-tonk but kids do love it...  :001_rolleyes:

 

 

 

I agree completely (although I live in NH so I might be a bit biased :)) 

 

I also wanted to add that this is very close to Portsmouth, NH, which is a great, walkable small city full of culture, history and good food. The NH/Southern ME coast is great vacation spot with lots of options for entertainment or "just relaxing."  

 

... and I was going to say, Portsmouth is totally worth an overnight stop on your way up.  Strawberry Banke is the coolest living history museum I've ever been to -- insteading of focusing on one specific era of history like Williamsburg and Old Sturbridge, they've set it up so each building represents a different point in the city's history, so you walk through a palimpsest... it's really well done.  There's also a very good Seacoast Museum just south of the city (where you can picnic and bike); there are tons of good seafood restaurants; and they have a nice arts-in-the-park theater program with free shows most weekend nights.  I always try to swing through once a summer!

 

Enjoy this part of the world!

 

 

 

ps CT beaches... Meh.  I mean, I live here, and there are lots of other great things about it here, but... OK, the water is warm-er, but it's still not WARM, and there are no WAVES.  It's just the Sound.  Very good if you're into birding, or sailing.  But for real beaches, go to RI or the Cape.

[Amy in NH]

I agree completely (although I live in NH so I might be a bit biased :)) 

 

I also wanted to add that this is very close to Portsmouth, NH, which is a great, walkable small city full of culture, history and good food. The NH/Southern ME coast is great vacation spot with lots of options for entertainment or "just relaxing."  

 

Yes, Portsmouth is fun.  Prescott Park is just about across the street from Strawberry Banke.  They have grassy fields for flying kites and picnicking, a pretty botanical garden, and the theater group is performing Shrek the Musical this summer.  A short walk on sidewalks across the bridge at the back of the park leads to a nice playground.

[bettyandbob]

Maine is beautiful. The water us absolutely freezing. For a family trip, I'd plan some beach time, but more hiking and biking time.

[Kathryn]

I went every summer until I was 16 and never had a problem with the water being cold. I'd jump right in and stay in for hours. I took DH when I was 21 and couldn't even have my feet in it was so cold! I haven't been able to since, but my kids jumped right in every summer with no problem.

[Alessandra]

Thank you for this thread. It makes me want to drive right up there. I had relatives who lived in southern Maine, and I love it, even in winter.

[Cammie]

We spent every summer when I was a child renting in a little community called Ocean Park.  It is a small community founded by Baptists I believe.  There is a rustic church in the center of town that everyone goes to on Sunday.  In addition there is an ice cream parlor, a general store, a library, a small restaurant, and not much else.  This place was HEAVEN to kids.  We were at the beach or on our bikes ALL summer long.  It is the next town over from a place called Old Orchard Beach which is totally commercial, with a board walk, rides, junk food, etc.  We would go over once a week and pig out.  Oh, what great memories!!!

[Kathryn]

We spent every summer when I was a child renting in a little community called Ocean Park. It is a small community founded by Baptists I believe. There is a rustic church in the center of town that everyone goes to on Sunday. In addition there is an ice cream parlor, a general store, a library, a small restaurant, and not much else. This place was HEAVEN to kids. We were at the beach or on our bikes ALL summer long. It is the next town over from a place called Old Orchard Beach which is totally commercial, with a board walk, rides, junk food, etc. We would go over once a week and pig out. Oh, what great memories!!!

OMG! Me too! Well, we didn't rent, my family had houses there. But that is INSANE.

[Kalmia]

Popham Beach in Phippsburg is considered one of the most beautiful beaches on the East coast, has an interesting fort, and trails and nearby Reid State Park has tide pools and an interesting rocky area as well as a nice beach. These two are my favorites other than Acadia National Park and Schoodic Point. The Hermit Island campground everyone is talking about is on the same peninsula as Popham Beach. It is also gorgeous, but the reservation system is complicated and must be done early in the year (though before opening day and after closing day Hermit Island is open to day hikers).

 

p.s. Old Orchard Beach is very tacky.

 

[Kathryn]

We spent every summer when I was a child renting in a little community called Ocean Park.  It is a small community founded by Baptists I believe. 

Yes, it was founded as a Chautauqua community in 1881 by Baptists.

There is a rustic church in the center of town that everyone goes to on Sunday. 

The Temple! Did you go? When? If you were there in the 1970s-1980s, you saw my grandfather preach. He was head of the organization that owns the summer camp in Ocean Park.

In addition there is an ice cream parlor, a general store, a library, a small restaurant, and not much else. 

Aw, come on! There are tennis courts (there is now a small playground next to them), shuffleboard at the big yellow place on West Grand, the gift shop, the woods (with the covered bridge leading in), the beach and the creek...

This place was HEAVEN to kids.  We were at the beach or on our bikes ALL summer long. 

I thought I was BIG STUFF when I was allowed to ride my bike on my own. I'd ride down to Ferry Beach, to Camp Ellis and walk the breakwater, and then up Ferry Road to Garside's for ice cream.

It is the next town over from a place called Old Orchard Beach which is totally commercial, with a board walk, rides, junk food, etc.  We would go over once a week and pig out.  Oh, what great memories!!!

That is so crazy that you went there too! I wonder if we ever met.

 

[Alessandra]

We spent every summer when I was a child renting in a little community called Ocean Park. It is a small community founded by Baptists I believe. There is a rustic church in the center of town that everyone goes to on Sunday. In addition there is an ice cream parlor, a general store, a library, a small restaurant, and not much else. This place was HEAVEN to kids. We were at the beach or on our bikes ALL summer long. It is the next town over from a place called Old Orchard Beach which is totally commercial, with a board walk, rides, junk food, etc. We would go over once a week and pig out. Oh, what great memories!!!

This is near where I was, North Berwick. Ocean Park sounds lovely. I wish I had seen it.

[Cammie]

That is so crazy that you went there too! I wonder if we ever met.

 

Of course I ATTENDED OCEANWOOD!!!  SO amazing.  Let's see, I am 42 years old.  I guess I would have attended camp the summers I was about 13-14,  BTW, not to blow your mind, but my DAD preached at the Temple too!!  We must have met.  We used to rent a house on the beach for all of August.  I remember bubble gum ice cream from the shop, fresh donuts from the restaurant down the road, shuffleboard (of course), and movies at the Temple where the mosquitoes ate us alive!

[elfgivas]

Here's where we stayed on PEI: The Good Cottages. The house and views were great. We didn't make use of the beach because it was only accessible at low tide and the stairs were super steep - too steep for DS to navigate or even for DH to feel comfortable carrying him. However, the location was good in that we were only about 20 minutes from Charlottetown, and we liked walking around/eating out. They have a great fire pit that was fun a couple of nights. The deck was perfect for my morning coffee. Lots of grassy space and a swingset for the kids to run around. We flew kites from the lawn overlooking the beach one of the afternoons. We saw a cruise ship sail by one night.

 

For actual swimming, there is a beach/park down the street, that we used a couple of times. But again, it was tide dependent. We also went to a nearby town of Victoria-by-the-Sea that was really quaint and had a decent beach. Since actual beach time is a priority for us, if I had it to do over again, I'd look for a house on the north side of the island. But if you just like being near the water and looking at it, then this location would be great.

 

we stayed on the north shore of PEI for a week last summer.  it was amazing!  we did swim every day; the water was Not Warm, but not colder than New England water.  the beach sand was lovely.  we also did lots of anne of green gables stuff, ate lots of sea food, went to a lobster supper, etc, etc.  for us, it was just about the perfect holiday!  there are lots of cottages on the north shore to rent, at reasonable prices.

 

hth,

ann

[redsquirrel]

Lol, you people. Don't tell my kids that people don't swim in the water in Maine. They seem to spend all day in it. But, we are northern people and don't know any differently. I think I would get freaked out if I went in the ocean and it was warm.

[Kathryn]

Of course I ATTENDED OCEANWOOD!!! SO amazing. Let's see, I am 42 years old. I guess I would have attended camp the summers I was about 13-14, BTW, not to blow your mind, but my DAD preached at the Temple too!! We must have met. We used to rent a house on the beach for all of August. I remember bubble gum ice cream from the shop, fresh donuts from the restaurant down the road, shuffleboard (of course), and movies at the Temple where the mosquitoes ate us alive!

This is so funny! We were usually there in August also. My dad's parents had a house on the beach (on Ancona). My mom's parents still have their place in the woods right on the western edge of the camp. I have an uncle that lives there full time.

[Kathryn]

Lol, you people. Don't tell my kids that people don't swim in the water in Maine. They seem to spend all day in it. But, we are northern people and don't know any differently. I think I would get freaked out if I went in the ocean and it was warm.

Growing up, the only times I went to the beach were the summers in Maine and Thanksgiving weekend here in SC. The first time I went to the beach here during the summer, I was 16. I was so freaked out by how warm it was. I felt like I was in a bathtub.

[trinchick]

Lol, you people. Don't tell my kids that people don't swim in the water in Maine. They seem to spend all day in it. 

 

I know. We went to Nantasket Beach in MA a couple of weeks ago and DD went right in. I dipped my toes in and could barely stand it. She boogie boarded all day; don't know how she did it! I can't generally go in the water until August.

[Colleen in NS]

We spent every summer when I was a child renting in a little community called Ocean Park.  It is a small community founded by Baptists I believe.  There is a rustic church in the center of town that everyone goes to on Sunday.  In addition there is an ice cream parlor, a general store, a library, a small restaurant, and not much else.  This place was HEAVEN to kids.  We were at the beach or on our bikes ALL summer long.  It is the next town over from a place called Old Orchard Beach which is totally commercial, with a board walk, rides, junk food, etc.  We would go over once a week and pig out.  Oh, what great memories!!!

 

 

OMG! Me too! Well, we didn't rent, my family had houses there. But that is INSANE.

 

 

 

Cammie, on 26 Jun 2014 - 11:33 PM, said:

We spent every summer when I was a child renting in a little community called Ocean Park.  It is a small community founded by Baptists I believe. 

Yes, it was founded as a Chautauqua community in 1881 by Baptists.

There is a rustic church in the center of town that everyone goes to on Sunday. 

The Temple! Did you go? When? If you were there in the 1970s-1980s, you saw my grandfather preach. He was head of the organization that owns the summer camp in Ocean Park.

In addition there is an ice cream parlor, a general store, a library, a small restaurant, and not much else. 

Aw, come on! There are tennis courts (there is now a small playground next to them), shuffleboard at the big yellow place on West Grand, the gift shop, the woods (with the covered bridge leading in), the beach and the creek...

This place was HEAVEN to kids.  We were at the beach or on our bikes ALL summer long. 

I thought I was BIG STUFF when I was allowed to ride my bike on my own. I'd ride down to Ferry Beach, to Camp Ellis and walk the breakwater, and then up Ferry Road to Garside's for ice cream.

It is the next town over from a place called Old Orchard Beach which is totally commercial, with a board walk, rides, junk food, etc.  We would go over once a week and pig out.  Oh, what great memories!!!

 

That is so crazy that you went there too! I wonder if we ever met.

 

 

Of course I ATTENDED OCEANWOOD!!!  SO amazing.  Let's see, I am 42 years old.  I guess I would have attended camp the summers I was about 13-14,  BTW, not to blow your mind, but my DAD preached at the Temple too!!  We must have met.  We used to rent a house on the beach for all of August.  I remember bubble gum ice cream from the shop, fresh donuts from the restaurant down the road, shuffleboard (of course), and movies at the Temple where the mosquitoes ate us alive!

 

I used to go there, too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 

It would have been...early 80s (I'm 46, so I was in my early teens, I think).  My grandparents used to rent part of a house that was right next to a yummy bakery that was just feet from the beach, and I know the ice cream shop you are talking about!  The bakery sold these heavenly cream puffs.  And we kids, too, thought we were big to be able to walk all over the place there.

 

I remember the Temple, too - building with green roof, right?  I think we watched a movie or two there.  I remember one summer there were some teens there from Lagos Nigeria, and my friend and I hung out with a couple of them.  In fact, I still remember the girl's name!  We were pen pals for a while after that summer.  I never attended the Sunday service though.

 

Even after my grandparents stopped renting, my mother and some friends rented the same place every summer after that, for I think two weeks at a time.  I think it was in August, too!

 

Wonder if we met???

 

And for the OP, I grew up in Maine - we did go into the Atlantic Ocean, though it was cold.  :D  That's where I learned to wave surf.  Moody Beach is another nice beach, too.  Near Ogunquit and Wells.  Though Wells was always sooooooo busy.  But I haven't been in the beaches area of Maine in years.  Only inland where my mother lives.

 

My top recommendation for people visiting Maine, if you are bargain lovers, is to go to Mardens!!!!!  Locations all over the state.  If you are a seamstress, go to the Sanford one - it has tons of fabric.

[Kathryn]

I used to go there, too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

It would have been...early 80s (I'm 46, so I was in my early teens, I think). My grandparents used to rent part of a house that was right next to a yummy bakery that was just feet from the beach, and I know the ice cream shop you are talking about! The bakery sold these heavenly cream puffs. And we kids, too, thought we were big to be able to walk all over the place there.

 

I remember the Temple, too - building with green roof, right? I think we watched a movie or two there. I remember one summer there were some teens there from Lagos Nigeria, and my friend and I hung out with a couple of them. In fact, I still remember the girl's name! We were pen pals for a while after that summer. I never attended the Sunday service though.

 

Even after my grandparents stopped renting, my mother and some friends rented the same place every summer after that, for I think two weeks at a time. I think it was in August, too!

 

Wonder if we met???

 

And for the OP, I grew up in Maine - we did go into the Atlantic Ocean, though it was cold. :D That's where I learned to wave surf. Moody Beach is another nice beach, too. Near Ogunquit and Wells. Though Wells was always sooooooo busy. But I haven't been in the beaches area of Maine in years. Only inland where my mother lives.

 

My top recommendation for people visiting Maine, if you are bargain lovers, is to go to Mardens!!!!! Locations all over the state. If you are a seamstress, go to the Sanford one - it has tons of fabric.

Wow! It's so crazy that three of us went to the same tiny town as children!

[Cammie]

I can still smell the smell of the library...old books and sea salt.  I loved that library.

 

Do you remember the fountain in front of it?  And how high school camp kids would fill it with soap suds every year as a prank?

 

What about those bikes people could rent - the little four seater things they rode around town?

 

One year there was an outbreak of jellyfish - the little round eggs covered the beach and my brother and I picked them up by the bucketful.

 

We also had huge piles of sand dollars drying out on the porch all the time.

 

I do regret that I think my children will never really know the kind of freedom and independence that I and my brother had in Ocean Park in the summers.

[Kathryn]

I can still smell the smell of the library...old books and sea salt.  I loved that library.

 

Do you remember the fountain in front of it?  And how high school camp kids would fill it with soap suds every year as a prank?

 

What about those bikes people could rent - the little four seater things they rode around town?

 

One year there was an outbreak of jellyfish - the little round eggs covered the beach and my brother and I picked them up by the bucketful.

 

We also had huge piles of sand dollars drying out on the porch all the time.

 

I do regret that I think my children will never really know the kind of freedom and independence that I and my brother had in Ocean Park in the summers.

 

OMG, I *always* wanted to rent one of those four-person bikes. I never got to when I was a kid and I haven't seen them there since I've been as an adult.