MAINE - South Coast

The Ogunquit Museum of American Art on Shore Road in Ogunquit has been called “The Most Beautiful Small Museum in the World,” and is home to an extensive collection of American art. The natural setting of the museum by itself is divine: The glass wall of the main gallery overlooks the coast and the ocean. The museum is surrounded by landscaped grounds, a reflecting pool, and sculpture gardens. Hours: Open daily, late May to October 31. Phone: 207-646-4909

With the slogan “Outfitters with Style Since 1938,” Kittery Trading Post, a sprawling and beautifully designed outdoor sport supplier, greets visitors – appropriately – just as they cross into southern Maine, at 301 U.S. Route 1 in Kittery. This is the source for everything outdoorsworthy from boogie boards to shotguns. Really fun to explore. Keep the kids busy by counting moose images. Open daily. Phone: 888- 587-6246.

The Kittery Outlets on Route 1 in Kittery are also known as America’s Maine Street for Shopping, and you’ll see why when you visit this one-mile-long strip of famous outlet stores. The outlets include 120 stores – way too many to name here – but dedicated shoppers can easily guess the names of the major brands to be found there. Many stores host special events and all kinds of sales, Located at the gateway from New Hampshire into the South Coast region of Maine, Kittery is home to many wonderful attractions, from beaches to museums, to entertain family members of all ages and tastes while shoppers are doing their thing.

Trail to 53,000 Works of Art The Maine Art Museum Trail offers more than 53,000 works of art, from ancient to contemporary, in a dazzling array of collections at seven leading art museums. Museums on the trail include Bates College Museum of Art (Lewiston), Bowdoin College Museum of Art (Brunswick), Colby College Museum of Art (Waterville), Farnsworth Art Museum (Rockland), Ogunquit Museum of American Art (Ogunquit), Portland Museum of Art (Portland), and University of Maine Museum of Art (Bangor). The museums’ permanent collections include works of art by the many artists who have vacationed or worked in Maine. They also feature masterpieces by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt, and Pablo Picasso, Greek and Roman sculpture, early American silver and furniture, and contemporary textiles, prints, ceramics, and sculpture. Some museums also offer free admission during selected hours.