We know. We can’t believe it either. Another summer in Maine has nearly drawn to a close.
With three weeks left before the fall equinox, however, there’s still time to pack in as much summer fun as possible — the weather is still relatively warm, and many of the throngs of tourists have left. It’s actually the ideal time to get out and enjoy all the great things Maine has to offer.
Here are 21 things to do in Maine before summer is over, and it’s officially in fall. Theoretically, you could do one event each day. If you’re able to do that, please let us know in the comments how you came to have such incredible time management skills.
Ride a ferry
Pick a ferry, any ferry. Isleboro, Peaks Island, North Haven, Vinalhaven, Monhegan, Frenchboro. Hop aboard and pay a visit to one of Maine’s enchanting island communities, each unique in its own special way.
Go to a yard sale
Next time you drive by a family selling stuff out of their driveway, pull over and check it out. Yard sales are as ubiquitous as mosquitos and Massachusetts license plates this time of year in Maine. You never know what you might find or what stories you might encounter if you stop to browse.
Go to a fair
There are still plenty of Maine agricultural and other country fairs between now and the summer’s over, including perennial favorites like those in Litchfield, Oxford and Farmington, as well as the Common Ground Country Fair, which always closes out the summer on the weekend closest to the equinox.
Pick flowers
Pick your own berries, apples and pumpkins have long been popular activities, but pick your own flowers adds a fragrant and fetching element to summer fun. There are flower farms all over the state, including Treworgy Family Orchards in Levant, Frogmore Flower Farm in Brooks and Little River Flower Farm in Buxton.
Eat Maine crab
Everybody loves Maine lobster, but let’s give it up for that other star crustacean: crab, usually either peekytoe or Jonah. Hand-picked crab meat is a singular culinary art form, practiced by Mainers for generations, and results in a signature sweet, delicate product. Crab rolls, crab melts, crab cakes: pick your favorite and enjoy.
Drive the Stud Mill Road
Maine’s 55-mile logging superhighway cuts through a swath of eastern Maine between the towns of Costigan and Wesley. It’s a gravel road, so you’d be advised to take a truck or other four-wheel drive vehicle, and be on the lookout for logging trucks. Otherwise, driving the Stud Mill Road is a great Maine adventure with some excellent wildlife spotting opportunities.
Go canoeing or kayaking
There are lots of places around Maine where you can use a kayak or canoe for free or a small fee. Even if you don’t have your own boat, you can still get out on Maine’s waters to get an up-close look at nature at places like Maine Audubon’s preserve in Scarborough Marsh, Hirundo Wildlife Preserve in Old Town, and gear rentals at the New Gloucester Library and the Millinocket Memorial Library.
Eat a tomato
Is there anything better than a farm or garden-grown tomato? Whether you’re picking it out of your own backyard or buying it at a farmstand or market, make sure you have at least one meal consisting mostly of fresh summer tomatoes. When you’re eating mealy, bland grocery store tomatoes in January you’ll look back upon it fondly.
Discover a new trail
If you’re even a casual hiker, you’ve probably got some favorite hikes around the state you’ve done many times. This time, find one you’ve never done before and go there. Bangor Daily News outdoors columnist Aislinn Sarnacki has literally hundreds of suggestions.
Go whitewater rafting
Maine has the best whitewater rafting in New England, with rafting companies offering guided expeditions on the Kennebec, Dead and Penobscot rivers. As long as you listen to what your guides are telling you, it’s thrilling without being dangerous, and a spectacular way to enjoy the great Maine outdoors.
Visit Maine’s weirdest sculpture garden
In name, Nervous Nellie’s Jams & Jellies is a shop selling jams, jellies and other preserves. In reality, it’s a woodland wonderland sculpture garden nestled in scenic Deer Isle, featuring the eclectic art of sculptor Peter Beerits. It’s easy to spend a whole afternoon exploring the whimsical village, regardless of your age. And you should definitely buy some jam.
Go to Marden’s
It can sometimes be chaotic, and you never know what you might find there, but that’s part of the fun of shopping at Marden’s, Maine’s favorite surplus and salvage retail chain. You probably have your local Marden’s, but why not make it a little adventure and visit one you’ve never been to? You might walk away with a great deal.
Go to the International Seaplane Fly-In
Every year, seaplanes land en masse on Moosehead Lake in Greenville, for a four-day festival celebrating aviation and Maine’s outdoor heritage. This year’s event is set for Sept. 5-8, and in addition to all the cool planes, there’s food and music.
Check out an outdoor concert
There’s still a few weeks left in the summer outdoor concert series in Maine. You could go big, like concerts at the Maine Savings Amphitheater in Bangor or Thompson’s Point in Portland, or you could go intimate, like the Belfast Summer Nights series, the concerts in Congress Square Park in Portland, or Bath’s Library Park Gazebo.
Visit a garden
There are so many stunning gardens around the state that are open to the public, from the huge Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay Harbor to smaller gems like the Asticou Gardens in Northeast Harbor, Ecotat Gardens in Hermon and Viles Arboretum in Augusta.
Sing sea chanteys
Remember a few years ago, when the internet discovered sea chanteys? They never truly went away in maritime Maine. The Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport hosts a weekly sea chantey sing along at 4 p.m. on Thursdays, and Portland has its own pirate-themed sea chantey band, the Shank Painters, that performs all around the state. Or you could always bring your own sea chanteys to the Eastport Pirate Festival, set this year for Sept. 6-8.
Go to the Freeport McDonald’s
It’s arguably the fanciest McDonald’s in the country, housed in an 1850s Victorian mansion in per the strict building regulations in Freeport. You could just go in for a QPC or some nuggies, or you could really go for it and find some 19th century duds to dress up in for the occasion.
Visit the Frances Perkins Homestead
There’s a good chance this historic house and grounds in Newcastle, the family home of Frances Perkins, a champion of labor rights and the first-ever woman in the U.S. cabinet, will become a national monument soon. Regardless, it’s worth a visit in order to learn more about this amazing Maine woman.
Go up the tallest public bridge observatory
The Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observatory in Prospect will give you a truly bird’s eye view of the lower Penobscot River. We mean it: you’ll probably see bald eagles. As a bonus, you get to go explore Fort Knox State Historic Site afterwards.
Go north
You’re not a real Mainer until you’ve visited Aroostook County. Drive north. You’ll be glad you did. And if you already live in The County: say hi to the folks from down south.
Swim in the ocean
Yeah, yeah. We know it’s cold, even in the summer. But few things make you feel like more of a stone cold (literally) Maine badass than jumping in the ocean, even if only for a few minutes. It’ll make you feel really tough afterwards, and the faint taste of salt on your skin makes you truly feel alive.
