The day before July 4th, I had just watched a Tiktok video about this guy who took the train, rented a car, and hopped on a tour boat to see the puffins in Maine, and I immediately knew that would be our end destination for our July 4th weekend road trip.
If you’re interested in doing a road trip to Maine and are not from New York, I’d recommend flying into Boston and renting a car there. It might be more expensive and longer if you were to do it from New York, but I’m not opposed to the idea of adding a few days in the Big Apple. Do turn on the toll option in your Google Maps because it will cut down your driving by a lot. In Maine, you’d need a car to get to places. I’d recommend creating your own list of historic lighthouses, quaint coastal towns, and lobster shacks (if you love seafood just as much as I do). I want to go back for fall foliage and THRIFT!
JULY 3-DAY ROAD TRIP FROM NYC TO MAINE – ITINERARY
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DAY 1 – JULY 4TH, 2024 – leave NYC, The Seafood Shanty (Massachusetts, MA), fireworks in Plymouth (MA), hotel in Braintree (MA)
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DAY 2 – JULY 5TH, 2024 – breakfast in Boston (MA), drive to Portland (Maine, ME), hotel in Freeport (ME)
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DAY 3 – JULY 6TH, 2024 – drive to Boothbay Harbor (ME) – puffin cruise at 10 am, Boothbay Lobster Wharf (ME), Rye Harbor Lobster Pound (New Hampshire), drive home in Brooklyn
Portland Head Light – Lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth, Maine
NYC TO MAINE ROAD TRIP – 3 DAY ITINERARY
DAY 1 – JULY 4TH, 2024
We left Brooklyn on the morning of July 4th, and it was on a Thursday this year (2024). Usually, I like to pick up to-go food and boba in Chinatown Manhattan or stop by any places on my list for lunch (or late lunch). After wasting over an hour driving around because two places on my list were closed for the Holiday, we decided to head East to Cape Cod. If you’ve never been to Boston, I’d recommend making it the first stop or staying in to explore Boston for at least a day or two if you fly into Boston. Boston would also be a shorter route for us in this case, but I wanted to drive along the coast of Massachusetts up toward Maine.
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The Seafood Shanty, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts – A spot I’ve seen mentioned on a few recent Tiktoks! We ordered a lobster roll (known for their very generous portion, so order a roll and extra bread to make it into two rolls if you’d like), fried clam strips, and a foot-long hot dog. It was a satisfying meal after a long day of driving. There was a line, but the wait wasn’t long. Casual vibe, cash only!
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Fireworks in Plymouth (MA) – I didn’t know what to expect coming here, but I thought we were lucky with the timing here. Once we arrived in downtown Plymouth, I noticed a lot of locals heading to Plymouth Harbor with their lounge chairs and picnic bags. I knew that was where we should follow, and we were right. Fireworks started at 9:15 pm, and we got a prime spot with the Mayflower II in view. It wasn’t too crowded, but busy enough that there was somewhat of a vibe. I’d recommend spending your July 4th in Plymouth if you like a small and quiet New England coastal town kinda vibe.
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Hotel: HYATT PLACE BRAINTREE/BOSTON
DAY 2 – JULY 5TH, 2024
1. Breakfast in Boston (MA)
Dorchester Ave, south of Boston, has a heavy concentration of Vietnamese restaurants, dessert shops, and grocery stores, so we always make a lunch or dinner stop here. A few places we stopped by the morning before heading to Portland:
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Rubato HK Café, Quincy, MA – Hong Kong-styled breakfast, congees, buns, and more. I only ordered 3 things to try and thought they were ok. The food didn’t stand out, but I loved the modern and hip decor. Gives more of a food court than a restaurant, take-out friendly food, but they do have about 5 – 6 chairs to sit and dine in.
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Ba Lẹ Dorchester, Boston, MA – great Bánh Mì to-go! Not everything is great, but they do have some decent options.
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Gạo Vietnamese Kitchen, Boston, MA – We got the Hủ Tíu Nam Vang (Nam Vang Noodle) and Bún Bò Huế (Hue Beef Noodle) and would give them 8.2/10 overall. I’ve had better but cannot complain because I don’t think NYC can even compare. Huge portion!
We only stopped by 2 coffee shops in downtown Boston this time. Parking-wise, there is meter parking if you’re patient enough to drive around for a bit. You can use Spot Hero and find a garage if you plan to hang out for a longer time.
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George Howell, ground level of The Godfrey Hotel in Boston’s Downtown Crossing. Lovely spot to bring your laptop into and catch up with work. Friendly baristas, and they do make a great cup of coffee here. I got 2 shots of espresso and filled up the cup with oat milk, iced. They also sell beans and coffee accessories.
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Gracenote, Leather District – one of my favorite coffee shops in Boston. I stopped by to pick up a bag of beans and got myself a second cup of coffee. They don’t have chairs to sit on, so keep that in mind.
2. Drive to Portland (Maine, ME)
We’ve been to Portland, Maine, twice before. Again, there should be meter parking, but do feel free to park in any paid lots if that makes you feel safer. Downtown Portland is small and walkable, so I’d recommend going for a walk in the historic Old Port to check out all of the shops and restaurants on Commercial Street and the nearby area.
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JUDITH – They carry a wide range of brands, and the store inventory is stocked. If your style is similar to mine, I’m sure you’ll love it here, too.
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Blanch + Mimi – They have an insane amount of stuff in here, so I’m sure there’s something for everyone from home goods, kitchen, silverware, decor items, bath products, quilts, and baby gifts. I can be here all day!
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Gilbert’s Chowder House – Quick stop, no-fuss, old diner vibe! We got a chowder, calamari, and beers.
3. Portland Head Light, Cape Elizabeth, Maine
A must-stop for the most obvious reason. It is Maine’s oldest lighthouse. It is historic, iconic, and beautiful!
4. Hotel – Hotel 44 North, Freeport (ME)
When we checked in, half of the hotel renovation wasn’t done. I think we were the first people to stay in that room. It was clean, and the interior was very similar to the Hyatt in Braintree we stayed at the night before. I would recommend them as it’s located less than 10 minutes south of downtown Freeport, Maine.
Freeport is a commercial town (the LL Bean HQ store is there!), so the vibe is pretty dead at night. We drove by at night but decided to turn back and check into our hotel because all of the stores were closed and there was no one outside.
cappucino at Gracenote Coffee, Boston
Portland Head Light
PORTLAND HEAD LIGHT OUTFIT
shirt: vintage RALPH LAUREN | shorts: CAWLEY (Hilda shorts sold out in white, striped blue, blue linen on sale, | sandals: KEEN Uneek
Old Port, Portland, Maine
DOWNTOWN PORTLAND OUTFIT
tank: ETERNE | knit sweater vest: LAFAYETTE 148 | linen pants: REFORMATION | flip flops: ROTHY’S | bag: SAVETTE
DAY 3 – JULY 6TH, 2024
1. Drive to Boothbay Harbor (ME)
Coffee at Brisetto
Boothbay Harbor is a TOURSITY TOWN, and it’s BUSY, especially in the afternoon. There are so many great gift shops that I wish I had enough time to browse them all. I didn’t get to buy anything to bring home this time, but I will be back in the future.
*PARKING: DO NOT PARK IN THE LOT LISTED ON THE CAP-N FISH’S CRUISES WEBSITE. It’s $40 a day. We parked at the pay-by-the-hour lot, just up the street, and paid $8 for 4 hours. There are also plenty of parking lots that you can pay for the entire day for only $10. I had enough time to browse most of the gift shops in downtown Boothbay Harbor before and after the cruise, but we did have to rush a little bit at the end. So you should expect to spend at least 4 – 5 hours here if you do the exact puffin cruise and see everything. Whale watching would take longer, of course!
2. Puffin cruise with Cap’n Fish’s Cruises at 10 am. I’d recommend arriving EARLY as they start boarding people 30 minutes before the departure time.
- BOOK MAINE PUFFIN CRUISE HERE (Mine is the 2.5 hours!)
**PUFFIN CRUISE REVIEW: I loved that they had a National Audubon’s Project Puffin staff to narrate, and she came prepared with flashcards and taught us all about the birds and dolphins that we could expect to see. I learned about the history of puffins and the National Audubon Society’s success in reestablishing a puffin colony on Eastern Egg Rock.
On clear days, you can expect to see lighthouses such as Ram, Burnt, and Pemaquid Point, islands, and coastlines such as Fisherman’s Island, Ocean Point, Spruce Point, Tumbler Island, White Islands, and more! So it’s much more than just a ride out to see the puffins! However, it was a gloomy foggy day for us, so the visibility was not great. The puffin shots that you see in this post were shot with 100 – 400 FOCAL LENS, ZOOMED IN, EDITED, and I thought my partner did a good job considering all of the things that were affecting the result of this trip. I wasn’t 100% satisfied as I was expecting to see the puffins up close. So look up the weather before booking this cruise (I booked mine just 3 days before!). Note that there’s no refund, but they will issue credit for another trip if there are no puffins to be seen.
I did get a massive headache and felt the most terrible seasick during the second half of this boating trip. The weather was cold, gloomy, and rainy-ish, and I wish I had come dressed better. I wish I had brought my rain jacket and a beanie or hat with me because it’s much colder out at sea. The lower lever was as equally cold as the upper deck, but it was slightly better being out than seeing and hearing kids crying and puking. I bet you there’s a shorter boat cruise to see the puffins if you head North of Maine. Let me know if you know any.
Yes, I would recommend Cap’n Fish’s Cruises. The staff did double-check on everyone, offering blankets (you have to buy them I think!), puke bags, and water. However, the boat ride was not a comfortable one, unfortunately.
3. Boothbay Lobster Wharf (ME)
I ordered 2 steamed lobsters with side dishes and a pound of steamers, and it was my favorite meal this trip. You’d get to dine on the deck with the views of the Boothbay Harbor.
4. Rye Harbor Lobster Pound (New Hampshire)
This spot was 1/3 top place to get lobster rolls, according to Matt James (the ex-Bachelor), and I thought it was alright. The girl forgot my order, and we did have to wait for a bit. I got a hot lobster roll and a fluffy clam chowder, and the stand-out thing here is their butter. The bread got saggy fast, so don’t wait. Eat right away if you can.
5. Drive home (Brooklyn)
Cap’n Fish puffin cruise departs from Pier 7, and the whale-watching cruise departs from Pier 1.
The Atlantic Puffins – shot with a Sony 100 – 400 focal lens, edited, and cropped in. It was extremely foggy, and we were far away. I couldn’t see them this closed in person. My iPhone camera cannot zoom in like this even at its maximum capacity.
The puffins fly super fast, and the flapping is super hilarious and recognizable!
Black guillemot
Eastern Egg Rock – Island in St. George, Maine
Besides the Atlantic puffins, other birds that reside on this island include Common eiders, Arctic terns, and Laughing gulls. LEARN MORE HERE!
made it back to shore in one piece. What a cold and rocky ride!
PUFFIN BOOTHBAY OUTFIT
sweater: BABAA jumper 16 in Clay Pot | shorts: COMME SI | sandals: KEEN Uneek | bag: COSY ISLAND (use code ANTRIEU20)
