Maine in 72 Hours

I don't care if you prefer Maine-style or Connecticut-style lobster rolls, there is nothing like smelling fresh sea water on a crisp-air, sunny day with a mouthful of lobster roll—and a Sam Adams to wash it down. Best in the summer, here's how to enjoy Maine in 72 hours with what to do, where to stay and what to eat in Maine.

• The Blind Tiger Portland—There are two Blind Tiger locations in Portland, Maine—I stayed at the Carleton Street location, but I'm sure they're equally beautiful. This quaint stay included a precious breakfast basket delivered to our door in the morning as well as a pantry of snacks and games available at all times and very spacious rooms—this is a boutique stay and on the expensive side, one hack is to book this through something like a credit card portal or TrueBlue Travel and use some points to off-set the cost!

• Tandem Bakery & Coffee—Tandem had the best coffee and biscuits, holy cow. The savory cheddar jalapeño biscuit was my favorite though!

• Bite into Maine—Once you've walked your breakfast off around town, you'll want to make sure one of the first things you eat is a lobster roll and Bite into Maine is a great stop.

• Austin Street Brewery—After you've inhaled your lobster roll, there's a cool little brewery across the street called Austin Street Brewery with a fun mix of drafts and board games.

• J's Oysters—A classic stop, you won't be disappointed with a quick round of oysters at J's Oysters along your stroll downtown.

• Red's Eats—On your way up the coast to stop in any of the cute little towns (my stop was Boothbay Harbor), you'll want to make sure you stop at the iconic Red's Eats. Fair warning: the wait was two hours outside in a line, but this was by far the best lobster roll I've ever had in my life. Everyone says the place across the street is just as good with no line, but I can't say because I didn't go.

• AirBnb in Bangor—I made the choice to spend more on the Portland hotel than a Bar Harbor hotel because I was traveling 4th of July weekend where Bar Hotel Inns and hotels were outrageously expensive, so to save, I got a cute little AirBnb in Bangor, which is only about an hour drive outside Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor. The caveat is that there's not much to do in Bangor.

• Barliman's—While there isn't a lot happening in Bangor, this one bar Barliman's is very cool. They have a great cocktail menu, fun bites and were even doing taro readings when I visited.

• The Beehive Trail at Acadia National Park—Though only a 1.4 mile loop, this trail is fairly steep and challenging with iron rungs, ladders and narrow ledges—if you're deathly afraid of heights, I do not recommend, but if you can power through, this is an incredibly rewarding trail.

• Jordan Pond Hike at Acadia National Park—Despite being more than double the length of the Beehive trail, the Jordan Pond hike is significantly easier as it's flat ground around a lake. You'll find non-stop gorgeous views of the pond on the 3.3 mile hike—I recommend going near sunset.

• Bar Harbor—Believe it or not, Bar Harbor is actually located inside Acadia National Park. The national park has rotating buses that stop at all the trailheads that will take you into town, making it the perfect place to stop for a lobster roll lunch in between hiking trails.

• Shore Road Market—A great last stop for a more affordable lobster roll in York Beach Maine on your way to see the famous Cape Neddick/Nubble Lighthouse.

Have you been to Maine? Share your experiences in the comments below!