The kids are finally out of school for the summer so pour them into the minivan and head for the Midcoast, where there’s plenty to do and see. You and the kiddies can even get a bit of education while you’re there with a visit to the Maine State Aquarium (633-9559). Or take a tour to the Burnt Island Living Lighthouse. Board the water taxi at Pier 8 and spend the day on the island with a picnic lunch. Admission fees are pricey ($22 and $12) but the é0 guided tour by the lighthouse keeper and his family includes restored buildings and info about the island’s vegetation and marine life.
If you’re in the area, DO NOT miss the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens on Barters Island Road. The fees are $10 for adults and $5 for kids, a steal for the chance to spend the day strolling around the 248 acres filled with sculpture and native wildflowers (www.mainegardens.org).
And for a little extra culture, get your tickets for the Boothbay Playhouse, showing “The Secret Garden,” “The Sound of Music” and “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” this summer. Adult tickets are $18; kids 12 and under pay $12.
There’s no shortage of seafood to be had in Boothbay Harbor. Check the menus at Rocktide Restaurant ($16-$28) on Atlantic Avenue, Brown’s Wharf Restaurant ($13-$24) also on Atlantic or 93 Townsend A Coastal Kitchen ($8-$23). If you want to eat on the water, Brown’s, family-owned and around for more than 60 years, has a panoramic view of the harbor.
If you don’t feel like driving home after your day of fun and food near the water, check for vacancy at the Welch House Inn B&B on McKown Street, given three diamonds by AAA. Rooms start at $‘. If that’s too much, check out the Tugboat Inn on Commercial Street with rooms starting at $80 a night.
— Karen Beaudoin