Maine Coastal Towns, Antiques, & Boondocking Road Trip

Ride with us through an unforgettable road trip through the picturesque coastal towns of mid-coast Maine, where the allure of seaside charm meets the thrill of adventure.

As we navigate miles of coastline lined with historic homes and stunning ocean vistas, you’ll discover hidden gems like quaint antique shops brimming with treasures from yesteryear.

Indulge in the local favorite – the best lobster roll you’ll ever taste – and savor fresh seafood while soaking in the natural beauty that defines this enchanting region.

With each stop, you’ll experience the unique blend of New England charm and hospitality, all while exploring the rich culture and breathtaking landscapes of Maine’s coastal towns and beautiful beaches.

Are you ready for a road trip to midcoast Maine?

Maine Coastal Towns RV Road Trip

RV road trips through coastal Maine’s summer months are a unique way to explore the charm of its antique shops and the freedom of boondocking amidst stunning scenery and outdoor adventure.

Traverse six coastal Maine towns with us, and you’ll be surrounded by picturesque seaside towns, each boasting its own collection of antique treasures waiting to be discovered. From rustic furniture to vintage collectibles, these shops reflect the region’s rich history and craftsmanship.

RV boondocking allows us to embrace Maine’s outdoor beauty by parking at local establishments, from gourmet markets to craft breweries, after antiquing by day. With the convenience of our new Parnoramic RV, we easily hop from one charming town to another, soaking in the local culture while enjoying the flexibility that a boondocking road trip provides.

Maine Coastal Towns | Scarborough, Maine

Wild Duck Campground

Scarborough, Maine, was our first destination as we headed up to the midcoast, about forty minutes away from our home in York County. It is a short drive with plans to stay at an adult-only campground called Wild Duck, which resides in the middle of the state’s largest Audubon saltwater marsh, which is a perfect spot for nature lovers to enjoy.

Gurley’s Antiques

Gurley’s Antiques was the first antique shop we visited while in Scarborough, right on Route 1. It was definitely worth the visit. This shop had various vendors with a large assortment of antiques, from affordable to super unique.

Vintage Military Memorabilia

I had never visited an antique shop that carried so much antique military apparel and memorabilia. I found it all fascinating.

From ironstone plates to these gorgeous heavy wool Red Cross nurse’s capes and uniforms.

Many of the vendor booths also featured men’s vintage uniforms, boots, pins, and other items.

Ironstone

If you are in the market for ironstone pieces, you are sure to find them here at Gurley’s!

There’s nothing like a gorgeous siting of a stack of ironstone, am I right?

Loomcrafts Kustom-Fit Slip

Loomcraft Kustom-Slip, known for its vintage lingerie and display cabinets from the 1930s to the 1950s, has some fascinating pieces for collectors and home decor enthusiasts. These items are often featured in antique stores and online auctions.

How fun is this?

This vintage 1930s Loomcraft Kustom Fit Slip box is a salesman’s display cabinet. These cabinets were used to display lingerie and are prized by collectors for their nostalgic appeal. They typically feature multiple drawers and compartments, often in colors like blue, white, red, and peach.

It would be a cute addition in a craft or sewing room to hold crafty incidentals.

DemiJohn

In one of Gurley’s Antiques vendors’ booths, there was a beautiful collection of affordable demijohns. If I can find a unique one for under $50, I will buy it to add to my collection.

I found and purchased this one today. I loved the texture and wide angle of this specific demijohn.

More Demijohn Inspiration:

Wiscasset, Rockland, and South Thomaston

Wiscasset Antique Mall

After a good night’s sleep boondocking in small town Scarborough, we headed about another hour north, landing first at the Wiscasset Antique Mall in Wiscasset, Maine.

This antique shop came highly recommended by my friend, Molly in Maine. It is open seven days a week, year-round, and is much larger than it appears. It has two long stories filled to the brim with every type of antique or vintage collectible one could imagine. You could easily spend a few hours here.

To be honest, there was so much to see here, that I found myself a bit overwhelmed. And when that happens to me, I regrettably don’t leave with much. But here are a few of the highlights, as there was just so much to shop.

Louis Saphier’s Bavarian Chalet

I fell in love with this Bavarian chalet in winter oil on canvas painting circa late 1940s painted by Louis Saphier

Louis Saphire (1875-1954) was an American painter renowned for his portraits and landscapes. He is perhaps best known for his 1945 portrait of Bob Hope and other works like “Neck Road Farm House Brooklyn.”

I thought it would be a beautiful piece inside our Vermont home, but it had a hefty price tag, so I passed. And I’m already missing it.

Vintage Skateboards

I’ve never seen such a collection of vintage skateboards. Just wow!

I immediately thought how creative they would be as decorative memorabilia in a summer Maine surf shop or vintage summer clothing store like the one my friend’s daughter owns, Talking Threads in Ogunquit, Maine.

The $350 price tag for each board was a little out of our league. Still, what a cool collection! They truly have the best things here!

I did find a few budget-friendly vintage skateboards to shop over on Etsy though:

Vintage Wicker Mannequin

But this vintage wicker mannequin was a bargain and would have beeen super cute in one of our guest bedrooms.

I love mannequin dress forms in home decor and already own three, so she is still available downstairs in the Wiscasset Antique Mall if you’re interested. She’s selling for $85 in contrast to similar ones going for $450 on Etsy!

Darn, I should have bought it right?

Find more dress form mannequin inspiration in these posts:

You may also find inspiration in this Nova Scotia Road Trip Itinerary Antiquing Coast-to-Coast post.

The Wiscasset Antique Mall is a tourist and local favorite, and I can absolutely see why. If you are ever in the mid-coast Maine area, don’t miss this antique store experience.

You may also enjoy this post on Vintage Shops Near Me, My Favorite From Vermont to Maine, which includes more of my favorite vintage and antique stores.

Maine Coastal Towns | Rockland and South Thomaston, Maine

Maine Lobster Festival

After spending hours browsing at the Wiscasset Antique Mall, we headed further north to check out the annual Maine Lobster Festival, which was being held on the waterfront in Rockland, Maine.

The Maine Lobster Festival is five days of fun and feasting on the fabulous coast of Maine! This annual seafood festival takes place during the first weekend of August, from Wednesday through Sunday.

It’s a free event and pet-friendly. You can choose from lobster dinners, music, crafts, vendors, and more.

As much fun as this was, though, it was a super hot and humid day outside, especially for Maine on the water—more than I or our Bernese Mountain Dog, Ella, could handle.

McLoon’s Lobster Shack | A Popular Summer Destination

So we meandered around and quickly decided to work our way to another recommended local favorite, McLoon’s Lobster Shack, for our lobster meal. It’s just a 15-minute jaunt from the Maine coastal town of Rockland to South Thomaston, Maine.

I think this was my favorite stop on our Maine coastal towns road trip. A small working lobster shack right on the water with plenty of picnic benches, Adirondack chairs, and outdoor seating for all to enjoy. It was the perfect place.

The scenery in this Maine coastal town is spectacular. Sit and enjoy a lobster meal or a lobster roll while watching the fishermen and lobstermen haul in the day’s catch from low tide to high tide. Breathe in that fresh, salty Maine air and sit a spell.

The temperature must have been 20 degrees cooler here, too.

I did not want to leave. I only wished we could have boondocked our RV here overnight in this beautiful place!

Maine Coastal Towns | Rockport, Maine

Boondocking at Bleeker and Greer

That same night, we drove to Rockport, Maine, to Boondock at a wonderful market right on Route 1, Bleeker, and Greer, which I had reserved through my favorite app, Harvest Host.

What is harvest host?

Harvest Host is a network of farms, wineries, breweries & distilleries, attractions, and more that invite RVers and outdoor enthusiasts to stay overnight. It offers members safe, convenient, and unique places to stay during one’s travels. These stays are offered up for free with the expectation that you will check in and spend $30 with their establishment. It’s a fantastic way to meet friendly, like-minded people and a unique alternative to campgrounds.

The next morning, we slept in and waited for Bleeker and Greer to open at 10:00 a.m. so we could enjoy everything this charming market had to offer.

For example, freshly made baguettes with French butter and prosciutto, fresh blueberry pound cake, homemade ravioli, and pizza dough were just a few of the things that we purchased to bring along with us on our Maine coastal towns road trip. They are definitely worth visiting if you are in the Rockport, Maine area.

A cup of coffee and a free Bleeker and Greer market bag and we were now off to Booth Bay Harbor.

Habitat for Humanity Restore

This little Midcoast Habitat for Humanity Restore caught my eye on Route 1 (799 West Street, Rockport, ME 04856). How cute is this?

It was definitely a must-stop!

Find more inspiration antiquing in Maine in these posts:

Maine Coastal Towns | Boothbay Harbor

Boothbay Harbor, a picturesque village, was about an hour’s scenic drive south of Rockport, Maine.

I hadn’t been to Boothbay Harbor in almost 15 years, like many of the other Maine coastal towns.

Boothbay Harbor, Maine, is a quintessential seaside town that captivates visitors with its scenic beauty and charming atmosphere. Known for its picturesque waterfront, Boothbay Harbor is a great place to explore a variety of antique shops, where your future treasures await discovery.

This enchanting town offers a perfect blend of coastal charm and rich history, making it a must-visit destination for anyone seeking a delightful and memorable road trip destination.

Boothbay Harbor Craft Brewery and RV

On this third night of our Maine coastal towns road trip, we will be boondocking at the Boothbay Harbor Craft Brewery, which we also booked through the Harvest Host app.

What a fun place this turned out to be. There is an outdoor beer garden and a cute casual tavern and tasting room inside. In the back is a small RV park with Harvest Host boondock parking.

We ran into one challenge on our last day in Boothbay Harbor, though. The heat and humidity index was super high. It was truly awfully hot. Followed by large thunderstorms and torrential rain, which was a welcome relief for a short period of time.

Because of the heat, we didn’t get out to walk around the town and do the antiquing I wanted to do. Unfortunately, it will have to wait until our next Maine coastal towns road trip.

But we did enjoy a wonderful fresh Maine blueberry pancake breakfast at Waves Restaurant on Main Street in downtown Boothbay Harbor the next morning before making the journey back home.

In charming Maine coastal town style, the dining room is cozy and cramped, with wooden tables and chairs in every nook and cranny. It’s worth the wait if you must! A favorite amongst local restaurants.

Thanks so much for joining us to some of the best coastal towns in Maine, boondocking in our RV, and looking for antiques. We had the best time! I wish it had been a little bit cooler, but it was still so much fun.

Next, in a few short weeks, we’ll be heading back up the rocky shores, boondocking and antiquing throughout Nova Scotia’s quintessential summer towns. You won’t want to miss it!

See you then…

To learn more about boondocking and antique road trips, visit our new blog series.

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