Mid-Coast Maine in October

Every year after the end of my busy season, which typically falls at the end of October, I head up to Maine to relax and unwind a bit. Typically I go it alone and meet up with friends during the trip but this time I wasn’t solo, I was with my friend Jill and we had the BEST girls trip ever. Lots of laughs, lots of wine and lots of talking. We’re planning to go again this fall and I cannot WAIT to see her again! We haven’t quite decided where we’ll go yet so if you have any suggestions let me know!

On our first night we returned to the Cod Cove Inn which I absolutely adore. Seriously, if anyone is looking for a spot in mid-coast Maine to stay a spell, I HIGHLY recommend it. The people who run it are so wonderful, the breakfasts are tasty and it’s so conveniently located. I love the views from here as well. I also sleep SO well there EVERY year. By far one of my favorite finds ever thanks to Google Maps! Since we arrived at dark and left in the wee hours I didn’t take too many pics there this year but just know it’s a lovely, lovely place and you should go there.

For dinner we headed to King Eider’s Pub who had refused to serve me as a single the last time I went. Since so many places were closed we didn’t have many options. They luckily served us on this go around and I enjoyed a delicious apple cider bellini! Damariscotta had their annual pumpkin festival going on again so we were able to see some of the fun pumpkins around the city, this one was in front of King Eider’s.

The next morning was crisp but we braved the freezing temps to head down to see some lighthouses near the Inn and before heading towards to Bar Harbor. The first lighthouse was in Southport, Maine and was one I tried to see before but the fog was so think all you could make out was the edges of the buildings through the mist. This time Hendricks Head Lighthouse was able to be seen plain as day!! It resides on private property but is able to be viewed from a nearby public beach.

Our next stop was Cuckolds Lighthouse which was another I’d tried to see on that very foggy day but was unable to, I was quite surprised with how close the island actually was to the shore and although the light is completely wrong for this image, I’m showing it anyway. The lighthouse is also an Inn and looks so charming! Unfortunately it was already closed for the season when we were there but maybe someday I’ll be able to stay.

The drive to/from Southport and again to and from our next stop was so beautiful with the trees and leaves that I couldn’t help taking a few pictures. The nice thing about not traveling solo this go around is that I was able to take pictures while we were driving and I took ample advantage of it!

We continued on to our next lighthouse which is one of my personal favorites in all of Maine – Pemaquid Point. There’s something I love about the situation and all of the angles to photograph it from. Of course, my favorites are the ones you see everywhere but it’s still fun to play on the rocks and try to find something different here. I really love the restaurant located in the gift shop next door but they’d decided to close early for the season (THE DAY BEFORE!) so we ended up leaving the gift shop hungry and a bit bummed out.

I always say that the best finds on the road are often ones that weren’t planned and are total luck and Moody’s Diner is one of those gems! We were driving and saw it after a light we were at and both thought it looked too cute to pass up (it also may have been our stomachs talking). However, I saw there was a gift shop on site and I went with the fact that no bad restaurant would have its own gift shop… and I was right. If you’re looking for a homey place for food, here’s your restaurant!!! I had a delicious creamed chicken over toast for lunch and it hit the spot. This isn’t a place for super foodies but that’s not me at ALL and this place was by far one of my favorite meals of the trip. Also, get the pie! Thank me later. YUM. Oh, also get a Whoopie Pie to take with you for later.