Miles of scenic shoreline at Goose Rocks and Gooch’s beaches might be the chief attraction to Kennebunkport in the summer months. Yet, for those lucky enough to spend a weekend or a week in this coastal town, best known as the summer home of President George Herbert Walker Bush, there are backcountry roads that lead past historic captain’s homes to small fishing harbors where the lobster-trap-lined docks offer views of boats bobbing in the water and a lone lighthouse peering off into the distance. It’s a quintessential Maine seascape that deserves to be savored.
STAY Nestled in a forest of birches and pines a mile inland from the ocean, Hidden Pond (354 Goose Rock Road, 888-967-9050, www.hiddenpondmaine.com) has become a family favorite since it unveiled its stylish two-bedroom cottages in 2008. Each spacious cottage houses a full kitchen, screened-in porch, and indoor and outdoor showers. With the recent addition of 20 one-bedroom bungalows, three treehouse-style treatment rooms offering massages, and the debut of Earth, Ken Oringer’s first restaurant outside Boston, the resort hopes also to attract couples for an intimate getaway. An introductory special has bungalows priced at $399 a night, including a breakfast of fresh-baked muffins and a thermos of hot coffee delivered to your doorstep. Across from Goose Rocks Beach, The Tides (254 Kings Highway, 888-439-0973, www.tidesbeachclubmaine.com; double rooms start at $300 including continental breakfast) has been attracting luminaries since this Victorian inn opened in 1899 (when Teddy Roosevelt was a luminary). Under new ownership, all 21 rooms and the restaurant have recently been renovated. Located on Gooch’s Beach, at the head of the Kennebec River, is the Seaside Inn (80 Beach Ave., 800-967-4461, www.theseasidecottages.com; double rooms start at $229 in the summer months including breakfast). Since the inn opened in 1667, it has been owned by nine generations of the same family.
