Dinner restaurants

- Newcastle Publick House

- Moody's Diner (down home American diner with some Maine twists)

- King Eider’s Pub (traditional pub in Damariscotta. Try the crab; it’s won awards).

- Bred in the Bone

- Oysterhead Pizza (more casual. Older iterations kept KJ in garlic bread throughout high school)

River House (reservation highly advised)

Nibbles and Lighter Fare

- S. Fernald’s Country Store [get “The Skidompha” sandwich, named for the library KJ and their mom worked for years]

- Damariscotta Farmer's Market (Saturday morning)

- Barn Door Baking (try the cinnamon roll!)

So, we don't have lobster at the wedding. Sorry, y'all. There are plenty of places near-ish to the venue where you can snag a lobster roll, in Midcoast Maine. Given that it's early May, the lines might also be reasonable.

Damariscotta: (closest to venue)

The Lobster Haul (downtown)

Larson’s Lunch Box (KJ’s favorite, outdoor seating only)

Boothbay:

Boothbay Lobster Wharf (right on the water, casual)

Robinson’s Whart (right on a different water, casual)

Wiscasset:

Red’s Eats (the one that has lines of tourists all summer and has won awards. If the line is too long, the lobster across the street on the dock is from the same ocean and probably even the same boat).

Further afield:

Most towns on the coast of Maine with at least one stoplight will have a place to purchase lobster. The closer you are to the water, the higher the likelihood. The closer you are to Portland, the higher the price of the lobster.

Maine is celebrated for its vibrant craft beer scene. We can personally vouch for Moderation Brewing (owned by a fellow Smith College alum) and Flight Deck Brewing (right on the old naval-air base, good pizza) if you’re staying in Brunswick or Bath.

Further afield, choices abound closer to Portland. Many larger breweries are also on tap in most Maine pubs and restaurants.

We will have a decent representation of Maine beers and ciders at the reception, as well. Find a new favorite and pick some up on the way out of the state!

Damariscotta:

- Barn Door Baking

- Rue 77

Wiscasset:

- TREATS

Brunswick:

- Wild Oats Bakery (arguably good for lunch, too)

- Dutchman’s Bagels

- Broadway Delicatessen

- Pemaquid Lighthouse - Iconic, on the Maine quarter, unmissable.

- Pemaquid Beach - Small but mighty beach with tide pools to investigate

- The Oyster Shell Middens - Short walk to riverside to see the site of a thousands-year-long Native American gathering and oyster eating spot.

- Popham Beach - Worth the drive. Windy sand beach with ever-changing tidal patterns. KJ & family’s favorite beach in the world.

- Daytrip to Monhegan Island - If you’re staying longer and are an art lover, take a daytrip to Monhegan Island, where artists have been coming for generations to find inspiration in Maine’s unique coastline and light quality.

- Puffin Boat Tour - If it’s operating, the Hardy Boat Cruises does a great couple hour tour out to Eastern Egg Rock, site of one of the few places in the world to see puffins in the wild. People with motion sickness discouraged; Maine has some choppy seas.

Damariscotta: Closest to venue. Where KJ grew up. Lots of boutiques and places to poke your nose into. Great for (often classy) Maine-themed souvenirs and local artisans.

Boothbay: Like Damariscotta, but one peninsula south. Not guaranteed to be completely “open” for the season.

—Edgecomb Pottery - on the way to Boothbay, the workshop from which January is slowly building a collection of pieces.

Further afield

- LLBean Headquarters & other store outlets in Freeport, ME. (Make sure to also find the LLBean Outlet nearby for better deals on outdoor gear)

- Portland Old Port.

History:

- Colonial Fort William Henry, Bristol (near Pemaquid Lighthouse and Pemaquid Beach. Where Quinn, KJ’s sister and the officiant, was a costumed historical interpreter during high school).

- Owl’s Head Transportation Museum, Rockland (Planes, more planes, and automobiles, oh my!)

- Maine Maritime History Museum, Bath (the ocean formed the state’s history; this is its story).

Art:

- Farnsworth Museum, Rockland. Smaller museum with prized collection of Wyeth paintings from all three generations of the Maine painting dynasty.

- Portland Museum of Art, Portland. A great art museum. Recently reenvisioned its collection to integrate more of the whole history of Maine, including Maine’s widely admired Indigenous artists and artisans.