A Day in Series: Bridgton, Maine

Maine was cute af! Not only was it’s landscape beautiful and super scenic, it completely exceeded my expectations atmosphere and food wise. Most often travelers visit Portland, Maine , known for their breweries, Cape Elizabeth & Casco Bay Islands, amongst many other staples, but not many visit the gem that is Bridgton.

Why Bridgton? With COVID-19 still being a very real threat, my friends and I wanted an escape from our home cities but didn’t want to go into an overcrowded area that may complicate social distancing. We choose Maine for it’s many outdoor activities and landed on Bridgton, a resort area in Maine’s Lakes Region to be able to easily access the White Mountains National Forest while being somewhat secluded.

We found the cutest Airbnb- check HERE for a tour and HERE for the link if you’re interested in booking! The Airbnb was nestled in this quaint community, within 15 min drive of the local Hannaford for groceries, many local shops & restaurants, less than 2 miles to a river for boating/swimming, and 30 miles from the White Mountains! Basically, everything you’d need! The BNB boasted a fire pit (with ready to burn wood), a deck with patio furniture, fully stocked kitchen, game-room, 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms and tons of space! The owners were also super sweet and attentive to details, they gave us quite a few restaurant recommendations that we absolutely took advantage of, listed below!

Maine Must- Do’s:
Basically, if you’re visiting Maine be prepared for lots of wilderness, outdoor activities, fresh air, and fun! We did a ton of hiking and just spent time in the outdoors whether in the mountains or at our Airbnb. My reccos:

Hiking @ The White Mountains
Exploring Diana’s Baths (Small waterfalls in the White Mountains)
Kayaking w/ Northern Extremes Canoe & Kayak (Book in Advance)
Visiting Nearby Portland, Maine or New Hampshire
Exploring Shawnee Peak
Head to Highland Lake Beach
Visit Conway Park
Check out Crawford Watch
Visit Kezar Lake State Park
Exploring the Black Cap Hiking Trail
Tour Naples, Maine and maybe even do some water sports with Dingley’s Wharf

Where To Eat:
I mentioned above that Maine far exceeded my expectations when it came to food! Below is a list of the restaurants that we checked out or that came highly recommended! We did a bit of cooking at our Airbnb (all breakfasts & one night we grilled!)

Vivo Italian Kitchen
Venezia
The Taphouse
302 West (We came here twice! The food & drinks were so good. I will mention that I got food poisoning from the Fish Tacos but I would still highly recommend this restaurant- just don’t get the fish tacos!)
Jonathon’s Seafood Restaurant (Our favorite restaurant- we wish we would have found this earlier, everyone got something different but we loved the Lobster Bisque, the shrimp platter & the lobster rolls)

For more pictures & videos of our adventure- visit me on Instagram @FiyFlyFlournoy and check my saved highlights for all things Maine!

Looking to plan a road trip to Maine? Check out my free Road Trip Essentials “The Ultimate Road Tripping Guide HERE.

Don’t know what to pack for a hike? I have you covered HERE– download your free checklist today!