Kennebunkport, pronounced "Kenny" Buck Port, is located on the coast of Maine below Portland. Kennebunkport is home, or shall I say the second home to the Bush family. They have a gorgeous home overlooking the ocean that visitors can see from the road. It is easy to see why the Bush family chooses to vacation here. Kennebunkport has beautiful beaches and is a popular destination for road biking. The roads are [mostly] biker friendly, and the downtown is very walkable. Evan and I stayed at the Auberge property, White Barn Inn. The hotel offers quaint rooms and guest houses that guests can rent out if they want more privacy and space. The hotel has two restaurants, the White Barn Inn and Little Barn. Both places have fantastic food by chef Matthew Padilla. At the White Barn Inn, the service is top-notch, and Auberge spares no detail. They have a pool, free bikes for guests, and a spa on site. The cutest feature might be the formal sitting room with a fireplace and games for the guests. It is super cozy! When Evan and I checked in the room, the cutest welcome baskets were there to greet us full of Maine favorites- chips, candy, playing cards, and sodas! The whole trip, the hotel kept bringing delicious homemade pastries to our room with our morning coffee and turndown service. I had to stop eating the treats because everything was so delicious, it was hard to have just one. Each morning, the staff dropped off our coffee orders in a basket with biscuits or muffins, and each night the team brought truffles or brownies. On our first day in Kennebunkport, the weather was a little rainy. Luckily, the White Barn Inn is about a seven-minute walk to town, so we could pop in before the weather started. A few tips on Kennebunkport, it is a seasonal town. Before you book your trip, make sure to check the hours and seasonal schedules for the restaurants. For example, the first day we got there, I thought a fun lunch plan would be to grab oysters on a docked boat called the Spirit. The Spirit is a floating restaurant similar to Grand Banks in NYC. When we got to town, it was already closed for the season. Instead, we decided to be bad and grab dessert before lunch. We went to Rococo Ice Cream, which came highly recommended by every person, blog, magazine, etc. Immediately when we walked in, I understood why. The flavors were unlike anything I had tasted or seen. Coconut Matcha, Sweet Avocado Cayenne, Banana Red Hot, Spicy Rocky Road, everything had a twist on it. Evan got one called "El Jefe" it was a sorbet made with mezcal! I got the coconut matcha, and it was fabulous! Bonus points for Rococo because they also had gluten-free ice cream cones We strolled through the town with our ice cream, checking out the shops and restaurants we could pop into for lunch. We ended up at a cute deli/market called HB Provisions. HB is a great spot to grab drinks, wine, pre-made food, or made-to-order lunch or breakfast for picnics! This spot also offered gluten-free bread, always a win for me! We walked back to the hotel and decided to check out the beach before the rain started. The closest beach is down Beach Avenue, called Gooch beach. The water was cold compared to what we were used to, but there were lots of families out playing and surfers out! We had a view of the Colony Hotel, which is supposed to be a classic. We had reservations at the hotel for dinner, and I had booked The White Barn Inn about two months in advance when we had booked our hotel reservation. The restaurant is open to the public, so I highly recommend booking this restaurant even if you aren't staying at the Inn. Not only was it our favorite meal on the trip, but the interior design was also unique. The inside looks like an actual barn; the white table clothes and grand piano juxtapose the old signage and wooden railings. Sports coats are recommended for guys but not enforced. It is a white tablecloth restaurant, so be cautious of your dress here. A pianist sat in the front of the restaurant playing classics, and each table was candlelit- it was super romantic. At the white barn inn, guests have the option of two menus, a lobster tasting menu and a regular tasting menu. The regular tasting menu gives guests a choice between starters, entrees, and desserts, while the lobster menu is a set menu. Evan and I decided to go with the lobster menu. The White Barn Inn was able to accommodate gluten allergies - win! My favorite course that night was the lobster roll. First of all, it was my first lobster roll ever, and second of all, the chef covered it in caviar and truffle. Amazing! For dessert, they served a perfect chocolate souffle. It was so warm and moist. I could have eaten here two nights in a row. It was something exceptional. We went to bed with very full and satisfied bellies that night. I forgot to mention an important detail about our rooms. We were staying in a small/standard room, and it was huge. The bathroom might be bigger than the bedroom, with a massive walk-in shower and a large jacuzzi tub. The best part is the rooms have fireplaces! Super cozy! The next day, Evan and I had rented road bikes from Gorham Cycling. We decided to grab some breakfast and carb up before the ride. So thankful we did because it was dreamy. I had the best breakfast that I can still taste just thinking about it. First of all, without even ordering, they bring out either cinnamon rolls or gluten-free muffins. The orange juice is fresh-squeezed, and the coffee is delicious. For my main dish, I ordered an avocado toast that chef Matt topped with lobster. As if I had not eaten enough lobster the night before. Evan had a breakfast sandwich that was quite literally the cutest looking sandwich I had ever seen. Both of our dishes had a side of hash browns that looked like fish sticks and tasted like heaven. They were a better take on the chick fila hash browns if you can imagine that! Evan and I rode bikes for most of the afternoon, exploring Kennebunkport. We did about a 35-mile ride. We stayed on Highway 9 for most of the ride and checked out two beaches, Fortunes Rock and Porpoise Cove. On the way home, we strolled by the Bush property at Walkers Point. I nearly did not make it back to the hotel; my legs were on fire! There were way more hills than expected, so fair warning if you decide to road bike there. It was so rewarding with great views. Post-ride, we went straight to the pool at our hotel, and you guessed it, ordered lobster rolls. French fries came with our lobster rolls. They are currently the best fries I have put in my mouth. I am out of adjectives to describe the food at this restaurant, but it was incredible. The next day I wouldn't let Evan have lunch or breakfast at the property because it was just way too good that I figured it couldn't be that great for you. But it is so worth the calories. That night, we had dinner at Earth at Hidden Pond Inn. It too is a highly rated nice restaurant in Kennebunkport. Hidden Pond is a hotel on massive grounds. They have little guests suites you can rent out, and gazebos guests can rent for larger dinner parties and lots of on-site activities. Earth is a super cute farm-to-table restaurant that has some Asian influence to it. They offer a multi-course three-course menu. Some stand-out dishes we had: farro risotto, Thai seafood stew, and donuts. The next day we did one last ride to Old Orchard Beach. A little bit of a lackluster beach but a great distance smooth ride that weaves you through a few cute towns. Other recommendations: Hotels: The Colony White Barn Inn Hidden Pond Boathouse Inn Kennebunkport Inn Restaurants: HB Provisions- sandwich shop, can place an order online and pick up. Stripers Spirit Alisson's Restaurant Chez Rosa- top-rated restaurant in downtown Pier 77 The Boathouse Restaurant 50 local Joshua's Lobster Recommendations: Mabels Nunas Clam Shack Coffee Shop Recommendations: Mornings in Paris Dock Square |