a road trip to coastal maine

They say when you become a parent, the word "vacation" no longer applies. Travel with children is called a "trip." And there is something to be said for that. For the most part, our "trip" last week was not what I would call relaxing. But despite bouts of whiney behavior, motion sickness in the car (and car trouble, by the way), a sea of children's menus and a lot of late-to-bed nights, we managed to make the most of our time together. I really welcomed the change of scenery, and coastal Maine, which was our ultimate destination, took my breath away with its raw and unencumbered beauty.

Not to mention the lobster.

Our first two nights were spent at Point Lookout Resort in Northport. Point Lookout operates as a conference center primarily but is also open to individuals and families. We discovered the resort through Preferred Family, which is an excellent resource when researching vacations, as they have properties all over the world that cater to families (and thanks to their handy travel planner located on the home page, I'm already thinking about our next getaway...) 

Our two-bedroom cabin was comfortable and roomy, and the property itself has a number of activities available. We took advantage of their soccer field and hiking trails -- there's even a bowling alley! The Copper Pine, Point Lookout's on-site restaurant, benefits from the property's own organic farm, which we had a chance to visit. Doesn't get anymore "local" than that. 

We also loved the fire pit that was dropped off at our cabin... perfect for s'mores (turns out our girly girls thought they were too "sticky," which of course meant more for us). A private beach available to guests is located across the street and the quaint village of Camden is only a 10 minute drive away. All in all, Point Lookout was the perfect location to kick off our trip. 

The next night we spent camping in Searsport, Maine, right on the ocean. As campgrounds go, this one was clean, well-managed, and you truly couldn't beat the view. Great playground, too! And for the record, one night of camping is my limit until I can invest in a more comfortable pad or cot. My poor back... 

Our last two nights were spent in Ogunquit, located in southern Maine. While the town and harbor are quite beautiful and there is plenty to do there (we took a lobster boat ride and walked along the stunning Marginal Way), it was a bit of a shock as it's much more touristy than the mid-coast. The girls did enjoy the Ogunquit Trolley (parking is a bit of a nightmare in the main part of town) and Footbridge Beach, which we visited on our last day, was just the relaxing afternoon we needed. We stayed on the inlet side, and the water was calm and cool and the sand felt great between our toes.

So yeah, even though this was a "trip," I still wish I was on it. Here's hoping your family travel this summer is whine/motion sickness/drama-free. We can dream, can't we?

Disclaimer: For the purposes of a review, our stay at Point Lookout Resort was complimentary. All opinions expressed herein are my own.