Fall in Kennebunkport

I grew up in Maine, and it always seemed funny to me that people traveled from all over the world to see the leaves change color in the fall. I hadn’t known anything else, so I couldn’t appreciate how unique and beautiful fall in Kennebunkport is.

Last month I spent a weekend back home with my parents. I hadn’t been back to Maine to see the fall foliage in about ten years, and after years away I gained an appreciation for how the colors are more vibrant than they are in the Midwest.

We spent the weekend eating at my favorite restaurants and enjoying the fall scenery.

My first morning in Kennebunkport my mother and I went to brunch at Salt & Honey. The restaurant is just next door to my parent’s inn, The Kilburn House, and since their kitchen was being renovated cooking at home was not an option. I probably would have gone to Salt & Honey even if the kitchen was functional, I love their brunch. The Huevos Rancheros is made with crisp tostadas, black beans, avocado, shredded cheddar cheese, and sunny side up eggs. It usually has sausage, but I had mine made with bacon instead. My mother had the short rib hash which combined hash browns, braised short ribs, and sunny side up eggs.

After breakfast, we went to Spiller Farm which has both an apple orchard and a pumpkin patch.

I had intended to carve a pumpkin for my parent’s front steps, but I ran out of time.

I also picked up some small pumpkins to use to decorate the table on Thanksgiving.

I loved the bright red trees at Spiller Farm. I think that the leaves were about a week away from their peak colors. Usually Mid-October is the perfect time to visit if you want to see the leaves.

Next we drove back home and walked around Dock Square.

We visited our favorite shops, Shoot the Moon, Day Trip Society, and Home Ingredients.

I had to stop at Rococo, my favorite ice cream shop. Their flavors are always changing, and that day I had Coffee Pow and Honey Vanilla.

Even though this trip was very last minute, my parents had a list of chores for me to tackle at The Kilburn House. I am pleased to say that the inn has new phones, a new answering machine, and boosted internet service. (Apparently I should add IT manager to my resume).

The funny thing about visiting my parents now that they run an inn is that I end up staying in a different room each time I visit. This time, the rooms on the second floor of the house were booked, so I stayed in the two-bedroom loft. It was lovely having that much space to myself.

The next morning, I went back to Salt & Honey for breakfast. The owner, Jackson, is a Cub’s fan and they were flying the W to celebrate the Cub’s win the night before. I had seen someone else order blueberry pancakes the day before and they looked so amazing that I had to try them. I am not a big fan of blueberries, but I am a huge fan of these pancakes. They come topped with a peach butter and have real maple syrup on the side. They are light and fluffy.

Later in the day I had lunch with my brother and his girlfriend at The Hurricane in Dock Square. Jeff ordered the fried haddock sandwich, and I tried to be healthy and got a salad, but ate a bunch of Jeff’s fries.

My mom and I had eaten at Hurricane the night before too. I had the most delicious pumpkin and mascarpone ravioli, but didn’t manage to take a photo. The Hurricane is right in Dock Square and it is one of my favorite restaurants.

After lunch it was time for me to head to the airport. I will be back in Maine for both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, and I might be able to sneak in a trip for Christmas Prelude, which is the town’s two weekend Christmas celebration. If you want to read more about Maine, just click here.