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Maine > South Coast > Things to Do and See > 80 Great Things to Do in Maine

Jonathan's Ogunquit

92 Bourne Lane Ogunquit, ME, 03907 Phone: 207-646-4777

Make your Maine trip special with dinner at Jonathan's Ogunquit

Make your next trip to Maine's seacoast special with lunch or dinner at Jonathan's Ogunquit. Our menu offers both innovative dishes and long-time local specialties. Love seafood? We have boiled Maine lobster with drawn butter, seafood stuffed haddock, or seafood chowder with fresh scallops, shrimp, and lobster. Looking for something else? How about wild mushroom pappardelle, eggplant napoleon, or a hand-cut Black Angus steak? We strive to serve sustainable, local foods whenever reasonably possible. Check our website for the schedule, and plan for a show in our Listening Room. We've brought top regional and national acts to the area, including comedy great Paula Poundstone, jazz legends Tuck & Patti, and folk favorites Jonathan Edwards and Aztec Two-Step.

Funtown Splashtown USA

Route 1 Saco, ME, 04072 Phone: 207-284-5139

Lots of fun for all the family, from rides to waterslides

Thrills galore are in store at Funtown Splashtown USA, the largest water and amusement park in Northern New England. Getting soaked has never been more fun for a kid than swooshing down the Amphitrite Challenge or Poseidon Plunge, while families can clamber about in the giant Splash Tube Slide or play together in the Pirates Paradise Aquaplay section. It’s an amusement park as well, with thrills as exciting as the Excalibur roller coaster or the 220-foot free-fall from way up on the Dragon’s Descent tower. Of course, things are safe for the little ones, whether strapped into their seats on the Frog Hopper. Fun for everyone is the name of the game here.

Inn at Tanglewood Hall

611 York Street York Harbor, ME, 03911 Phone: 207-351-1075

Lots to see and do with this inn as your launchpad

Although you may never want to leave the cozy, elegant 1880s Inn at Tanglewood Hall, there is plenty to do once you leave your four-poster bed or your rocking chair on the wraparound veranda. Walk along the York Harbor Cliff Walk, watch lobster boats and sloops come in and out of the harbor. Catch a sunset over Nubble Lighthouse. Stroll along the streets of York Harbor village to York Harbor Beach. Or, enjoy the surf at Long Sands or Short Sands beaches. Need more ideas? Go whale watching, kayaking, hiking or biking. Or head farther afield (but not too far) to the Kittery Outlets; dine in foodie-centric Portsmouth, N.H.; visit Stonewall Kitchen; check out the lovely Maine coast towns of Ogunquit and Kennebunkport.

A Perfect Day on the Sleigh, With Cocoa on the Side

Wintertime in Maine brings with it elegance and serenity that is extra-wonderful from the seat of a horse-drawn sleigh. Rockin’ Horse Stables On Arundel Road in Kennebunkport offers guests an opportunity to enjoy the snow-sprinkled pine trees and frost-tipped fields while gliding on a sleigh with family and friends. After the sleigh ride, warm up next to a crackling fire with hot chocolate and conversation. Step back into the way life should be, if only for a day, and experience a true Maine adventure. Phone: 207-967-4288.

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Celebrating Life's Pleasures, European Version

It's a little difficult to summarize the charming retail store, The Clown, at 659 US Route1 in York. Under a motto of "Celebrating Life's Finer Arts," the owners explain "the idea for providing an eclectic mix of cultural products at good prices started on a farm in the hills of Tuscany…" bought and restored by the Clown's owners in the 1990s. Continuing: 'From the owners' love for artisan craftsmanship came the idea to buy and import the best wine, food, antique furniture and accessories which Europe has to offer." The Clown, which also has retail stores in Belfast, Portland, and Stonington, offers a mix of fine art, antiques, artisan gifts, wine, and gourmet food in a warm, relaxed setting. European giftware at good prices? 207-351-8315.

home and away gallery in kennebunkport ME

Beautiful Baskets Are a Sample of Maine Art

Home & Away Gallery at 26 Maine Street in Kennebunkport specializes in Inuit, Eskimo, and Native American arts and jewelry. The baskets, some made by people of Maine’s Wabanaki tribes, are stunning, and they make a wonderful memento of your visit to this seaside state. The Gallery also offer Native American beadwork and sculpture and jewelry, baskets, Zuni carvings, and more. The Gallery also hosts artist events and special exhibit. Open weekends, and other times by appointment or chance. 207-967-2122. [photo courtesy of Home & Away Gallery]

Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center in Maine

Track the Great Blue Heron to Scarborough Marsh

The Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center at 92 Pine Point Road in Scarborough is an endlessly interesting place to explore an ever-changing salt marsh and estuary. Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife manages the estuary, and provides all the information you need to explore the marsh on walking trails or by canoe (you can rent them). The center offers guided walks, canoe tours, exhibits, a nature trail, and a Maine Audubon Nature Store. Come see eye-to-eye with egrets, herons, glossy ibis and many stunning shorebirds. Open May to September. 207-883-5100

Plants Transformed into Artwork

Snug Harbor Farm, open year-round at 87 Western Avenue in Kennebunk, is a beauty of a place for sophisticated gardeners, with a special emphasis on topiaries and beautifully potted arrangements. The farm offers unique garden accessories and arrangements with a flavor of old European courtyards. There is always something unusual to find in the greenhouses or The Shop. The farm's topiaries are grown in handmade terra cotta vases and bowls and stone planters. Instruction is offered, along with special seasonal events, like the Haunted Barn at Halloween and classes at Christmas in wreath making and boxwood topiaries. Phone: 207-967-2414.

Best Brew Tours in York, Kittery, and Ogunquit maine

Hop On. Eat Well. Drink Local.

Yes, we love the brilliant “Hop On” slogan. And it’s so true! Best Brew Tours welcomes you to hop on to its flagship bus, BEER-1, from locations in York, Kittery, and Ogunquit for a safe and carefree tasting tour of the establishments making and serving the best beer, spirits, and cider in southern Maine. Visit award winning establishments from Portsmouth to Portland. Tours include transportation, beer tasting, behind-the-scenes tours, tour guide and much more. Private tours available, too! 877-BREWSKI

Carson Name Still Defends the Earth

The author whose seminal work, “Silent Spring,” launched the American environmental movement is the namesake for the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of a patchwork of properties along 50 miles of coastline from Kittery to Cape Elizabeth, with a headquarters on Route 9 in Wells. The refuge serves as protected region of valuable salt marshes and estuaries for migratory birds. Visitors are welcome to hike on the developed trails of the Refuge. is permitted in several rivers and creeks in the Refuge. Phone: 207-646-9226.

Winslow Homer Studio at Prouts Neck in Scarborough.

Coastal Images Though Winslow Homer's Eyes

The former home of Winslow Homer, the painter who created magnificent images of the Maine coast in the late 19th century, is open for guided tours as the Winslow Homer Studio at Prouts Neck in Scarborough. The studio is owned and managed by the Portland Museum of Art. Before or after your tour, be sure to stroll along the nearby cliff walk, as a way to enter the world and imagery that Homer so famously turned into painted art. Tours in the warm seasons, May 31 through mid-October. 207-775-6148

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