Route 1A (the coastal road) meanders alongside crashing waves, long sandy beaches and majestic views. Want a quiet drive with an unforgettable sight? Plan to take the route at dawn and watch the sunrise burst over the horizon. Follow it up with breakfast at one of our many charming roadside
restaurants to start your day right!
Further inland, you can take your car (or stretch your legs and hike) to the peak of
Mt. Agamenticus, where views stretch all the way to the White Mountains in New Hampshire. While this view is breathtaking any time of year, the fall foliage you’ll see is guaranteed to be unmatched.
If you’re in York, take a scenic drive along Route 103 to Kittery Point. You’ll pass
Fort Foster (located at the end of Pocahontas Road), once a fortress manned during WWII, and now a public recreation and beach facility. Next you’ll see
Fort McClary, built in 1690, now a state park. You’ll also drive by the
Lady Pepperrell House, a stately mansion anchoring a ‘c’ curve as you near Kittery Foreside, where (as legend has it) you just might glimpse the spirit of Lady Pepperell herself standing at an upstairs window, watching you drive by.
Always wanted to see a Presidential retreat? Start your drive at Dock Square in Kennebunkport, travel down Ocean Avenue moving parallel to the Kennebunk River. The road curves to the left, and on your right you will come to St. Anne’s, a beautiful stone church with expansive grounds and great views beyond the breakwater. A little further down on your right you can pull over to view
Walker’s Point, the summer home of George H. W. Bush, the 41
st President of the United States. While you’re on this route, continue north from Walkers Point up Route 9 to Dyke Road (to Goose Rocks Beach), then on to Cape Porpoise Harbor, finally ending at Fortunes Rock Beach.
Finally, looking for a unique way to take in the beautiful scenery? Consider a coastal scenic flight out of
Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport, where you’ll be able to capture the amazing views from the air!
Whatever route you select, or if you choose to strike out on your own, visual delights await you everywhere you look here during the fall at the Maine Beaches!
