Old Orchard Beach in Maine

With Ad's being here in New England this summer we knew we definitely needed to get some sun in the schedule. We decided to plan a mid-week trip to Old Orchard Beach in Maine. Out of the many beaches around the area, I thought this would be a good one to bring him to for the first time.

There is so much to do and see at Old Orchard Beach. From the rides at Palace Playland by the Pier, or even just strolling through the stalls on the pier itself. Then the many restaurants around the area.

We knew if we were going to have any chance of getting a prime spot on the sandy shore we would need to leave early. Coming from New Hampshire it was about an hour and a half drive over to OOB. Getting up early and starting our quest with a Dunkin' run as any good New Englander would, we started our drive around 6:30 am. There is a Dollar General conveniently a couple of minutes up the road so getting there right for when they opened, we grabbed some ice for our cooler and a last-minute umbrella for our chair.

Going down the middle strip of the beach right in front of us, the salt water was strong in the air. It was the best greeting after being in the car for over an hour. Luckily our plan worked as it should, we found parking in an empty lot, other than 2 cars. Right at Surf 6, it was $25 for the day but well worth it in my opinion. Being able to access the beach literally from the parking lot. Plus there were security cameras that made Ads feel better, something my small-town brain never thinks to consider.

As we got onto the beach there were a couple of people already setting up their sun tents and canopies for the day. We found a spot rather quickly with the lack of people there at the time. After weeks of consistent rain, this was going to be one of the hottest days we had yet this summer. The weatherman called for a high of 90 degrees Fahrenheit. It was starting to warm up fast. As soon as our towels were laid out and our belongings put how we wanted them we took the walk down to the water. The tide having it out past the pier, the water warmer than expected. All day we waded in and out of the water, admiring how far the water had come in since we had gotten there. Observing how full the beach was getting as the hours went by.

After about 10 hours of playing around in the water and laying out in the sun, my skin was on FIRE. I knew I was burnt even though Ads kept saying I wasn't getting red. About 3/4ths of the way through the day, I wasn't reapplying my sunscreen as well as I should've (I can hear my mother scolding me already). We decided it was time to pack up our spot we had made our own for the day. This is where that amazing parking came in very handy. Taking the short walk back to the car we loaded our cooler and our belongings. Grabbing our wallets to set off to find a lobster roll.

The Pier at Old Orchard Beach Maine

We walked through the pier, be warned if you need to use the restroom on the pier it cost 75 cents. Sadly as someone who never carries cash on her and having a British boyfriend who doesn't even know what a quarter looks like, I had to opt into passing on the bathroom. Luckily most of the restaurants on the pier and by the beach have bathrooms for customers. After looking at the menu for a few of the places on the pier itself, they didn't really appeal to us. After hours in the sun and getting little sleep the night before, our appetite wasn't what it usually is.

After strolling around and weighing out our options, and realizing almost everyone offered a lobster roll. We decided on Surf 6 mainly because it was close to the car and had a very good view of the beach. Neither of us are drinkers so sticking with water and a soft drink we split the Buffalo Tenders Appetizer. Then we both got a kid's meal, I got the cheeseburger keeping it simple and Ads got the Fish and Chips. They add a $2 charge for adults ordering off the kids menu but for the amount of food we got it was still very fairly priced. Ads also said the haddock was very fresh, I can even say as someone who doesn't typically like seafood it was pretty tasty. Ads is determined to convert me to a seafood lover.

Our meals from Surf6 in Old Orchard Beach

At this point, it was about 6 pm and we were tired. Every Thursday, Palace Playland puts on a firework display at about 10 pm. We were trying so hard to stay for it, but with our bellies full and sunburns settling in. We knew it would need to be saved for another time.

As you can probably figure out we did not get our lobster roll on this day. With how we were feeling and our lack of appetite we just weren't feeling a lobster roll. We will be going back though so if you know where to get an amazing lobster roll in Old Orchard Beach please leave it in the comments or reach out to us and let us know!

You can also check out the video of our day at Old Orchard Beach on YouTube!