1. Portsmouth Harbor Inn And Spa
City: Kittery, ME
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (207) 438-4040
Address: 6 Water St.
Description: As you might surmise from its name, this distinctive brick inn is a great launching pad for exploration of nearby Portsmouth (you can hoof it from here), as well as a fine place to rest between trips to the outlets. Of course it’s a very pleasant place to simply be, to sit on the porch, look at the garden, or indulge in any number of treatments (facials, massage, body work) in the spa on the premises. The inn’s owners have individually decorated its five guest rooms, which have private bathrooms, air-conditioning, cable TV, and Wi-Fi, and they’ve thoughtfully added things like beach chairs and bikes. The inn is open all year.
2. Fort Foster Park
City: Kittery, ME
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (207) 439-2182
Address: Pocohontas Rd.
Description: This old bastion on Gerrish Island was put in place to protect the entrance to Portsmouth Harbor in 1872 and was in use through World War II, when an antisubmarine net was stretched from here to Fort Stark across the way in New Hampshire. There are enough ruins of fortifications scattered across this 90-acre park to amuse history buffs, but you don’t have to worry about U-boats much anymore. The island has a few swimming areas as well as places for windsurfing and scuba diving. When you’re done splashing, you can eat at the picnic tables, play in the grass, or enjoy the playground. It’s a nice family destination because there are shallow stretches and gentle waves. Nice views as well of Whaleback Light. The park is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Admission is $10 per car.
3. Seapoint And Crescent Beaches
City: Kittery, ME
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: Seapoint Rd.
Description: These two beaches lie on either side of Seapoint, a small peninsula in the state’s southernmost town between Gerrish Island and Brave Boat Harbor. The pair are adjacent to a marshy area known for its wealth of birdlife, so it isn’t uncommon to see binocular-toting birdwatchers as well as cooler-toting beachgoers. Both beaches are in the 600-yard range, small by southern Maine standards. Facilities are limited, parking is scarce, and you have to look out for yourself—no lifeguards. Kids have been known to party here, to the consternation of area residents, so you might want to head out by dinnertime.
4. Seafari Charters
City: Kittery, ME
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (207) 439-5068
Address: 7 Island Ave.
Description: The Seafari may be a 44-foot sportfishing boat, and it may do mostly fishing charters these days, but it was custom-built as a dive platform for scuba diving. It’s available for charters to such fantastic diving locales as Boon Island, site of a grisly stranded-island tale; Nubble Light; the Isles of Shoals; and Fort Foster. Call or visit the Web site for a rate schedule.
5. Bob’S Clam Hut
City: Kittery, ME
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (207) 439-4233
Address: 315 Route 1
Description: Founded in 1956 by Bob Kraft, Bob’s Clam Hut has been steaming clams for generations of southern Mainers. The tasty little bivalves are the staple here and are served every which way, but people come for a host of other seafood treats, from scallops to shrimp to oysters to calamari. If it’s edible and from the sea, you’ll find it here at prices that are easy to take. Used to be Bob’s was just a hut, now it’s a sit-down eatery as well. Good stuff.
6. Kittery Trading Post
City: Kittery, ME
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (888) 587-6246
Address: 301 Route 1
Description: Kittery Trading Post plays a role in Kittery similar to the one L.L. Bean plays in Freeport—the outfitter is a bit of real, old Maine made good, a one-room shack turned into a 90,000-square-foot outdoor empire that more than holds its own against all the chains from away. Where L.L. Bean has gone soft, selling more clothes and “lifestyle” goods than tents and packs, Kittery Trading Post has remained true to the sporting goods it began with when it was founded in 1938. Blood sports remain a staple—hunting and fishing rule much of the store, which claims the largest selection of top-quality firearms on the East Coast. But you’ll also find acres of camping gear, canoes, kayaks, bikes, backpacks, boots, and apparel. Open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
7. Kittery Historical And Naval Museum
City: Kittery, ME
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (207) 439-3080
Address: 200 Rogers Rd.
Description: This cool maritime history museum has a lot in the works. It’s close to its fund-raising goal to erect a new wing, which it will use to house a rebuilt garrison that stood on a hill overlooking Brave Boat Harbor in the 1720s. But there’s plenty to like here now. The small collection, which grew out of a bicentennial project in 1976, features all sorts of nautical items, from ship models and replicas (including the USS Ranger, made famous by John Paul Jones) to a permanent shipbuilding display, as well as intriguing objects like the light from Boon Island, site of a disastrous shipwreck that led to cannibalism. Anyone interested in Kittery or nautical history will find enough to while away an hour or two. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from June through late October.