Long Weekend in Wells, Maine

This past weekend, Alex and I went to Wells, Maine. Wells is a small hamlet, but is the 3rd oldest town in Maine and well-known for its beach. It is also located close to several other Southern Maine towns that are only a short drive away! Alex’s family has rented a beach house in Wells for Labor Day weekend for over ten years. The house is located on mile-long peninsula with the bay on one side, and beachfront on the other. The rental is located on the bay side with the water coming right up to the patio seawall. This year we decided to join them and continue their tradition in Wells, Maine. Unlike most of our trips, where we try to fit in as many activities as possible, this trip was more to relax and soak up the last bit of summer.

We drove up on Friday evening. The rental house has a full kitchen, so we stopped by the grocery store to stock up on food. Then we unpacked and headed to dinner. Since Alex’s parents go every year, they have a few favorite restaurants in the area they return to. Friday night, we ate at Varano’s Italian Restaurant.

The next day, we woke up and ate a relaxing breakfast on the patio of the house, looking out onto the water. Alex went down to the water to fish, while I read on the patio. Then we meandered down to the beach and walked along the seawall. After some time at the beach, we cleaned up and drove up to Freeport, Maine. Freeport is a town that is known for its outlet shopping. One of the main landmarks is its L.L. Bean Stores. We spent the afternoon window-shopping and buying a few needed items.

While at the L.L. Bean store, one of the employees mentioned a restaurant called Conundrum. It was about a ten minute drive from the outlets. We decided to try it out for dinner, and it was great! Our party of four had the veal parmesan, fish tacos, mac and cheese, and a burger. The dishes were sophisticated but simple, and absolutely delicious! The environment is romantically upscale, yet casual. After dinner, we headed back to Wells for the night.

The next morning we ventured to a famous local spot, Congdon’s Doughnuts. We sat in the dining room for a sit-down breakfast. Their donuts were amazing! We got vanilla-creme and coconut donuts, in addition to some eggs, bacon, toast, and home fries. The portions are big! In fact, the toast was a big as my face! We weren’t able to finish everything, but it was delicious!

After breakfast, we relaxed at the house. Alex did some more fishing, and I did some more reading. Later in the afternoon, we decided to drive to Ogunquit, Maine. Ogunquit is a neighboring town known for its coastal views; the name Ogunquit translates to “beautiful place by the sea,” and it is!

We drove to Perkins Cove, a small peninsula area in Ogunquit. There is a cute drawbridge that opens for boats exiting and entering the harbor. There are several shops, including Perkins Cove Candy with saltwater taffy and fudge! After exploring the area, we drove to the main drag of Ogunquit, Main Street. There was quite a bit of traffic, but eventually we made it there. We parked and perused the shops for a while. For dinner, we ate at Roberto’s Italian Restaurant, another favorite of Alex’s family.

The following day, Monday, we ate breakfast at the house, then walked over to the beach. We spent the majority of the day at the beach in Wells. Wells Beach has great waves! We brought boogie boards and rode the waves for a few hours. Then we returned home to eat lunch and change. In the late afternoon, we went to play mini-golf at Wonder Mountain Fun Park. For dinner, we ate at “East,” an Asian restaurant that had Chinese, Japanese, and Thai food. Then we relaxed at the house and watched the beautiful sunset.