Lunch, A Lighthouse, Antiques and Art | A Day in Bristol, Maine!

A lighthouse, nautical and European antiques, local art, a new lamp, and lunch with a view. Join me on a visit to beautiful Bristol, Maine!

Hello on a Thursday!

Oh, hello there on a Thursday!

You might wonder what am I doing here today.

Well, I realize I tend to get carried away in my enthusiasm to share things with you. And I know my posts can get rather, um, lengthy.

So, instead of cramming all kinds of stuff into one post, I am going to break things up sometimes with a little mid-week bonus “snack” post.

Let’s get right to it!

A Day Trip to Bristol, Maine

I met up with a friend last Sunday for an outing to Bristol, Maine.

I wasn’t planning on writing about it here. We had such a great time, though, that I just had to share!

We visited a spectacular lighthouse.

Popped in an art gallery.

Had lunch overlooking a picturesque harbor.

And perused two great antiques shops and a fun old-fashioned general store.

Are you ready to go?! I’ll drive!

Where is Bristol, Maine?

Bristol is located on the scenic Pemaquid Peninsula, about an hour down the coast for me, and around 1 1/2 hours up from Portland.

There are 5 villages that make up the town of Bristol: Bristol Mills, Round Pond, Chamberlain, New Harbor and Pemaquid.

It is not uncommon to have this kind of structure in Maine, but it can get confusing. Are you in Bristol or Round Pond? Well, it can be both…

Bristol is the municipal entity, but the villages often have their own post office and zip code.

The town I live in is structured this way too. So I get it!

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse

Our first stop was the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse.

This was my third visit, and it never gets old!

Perched above the ocean on dramatic tall rock ledges, it is a quintessential Maine lighthouse.

In fact, Maine voters chose it to be featured on the Maine quarter.

Built in 1827, it is one of more than 60 working lighthouses on the Maine coast.

Entrance to Pemaquid Point Lighthouse park is $4 for adults and children 12 and over. Children 5-11 are $1.

Admission is good for the entire day and includes entrance to the Fishermen’s Museum at Pemaquid in the Keeper’s House, a gallery featuring local art for sale, picnic grounds with spectacular ocean views, and rest rooms.

Lunch at The Contented Sole

Next we headed to lunch at The Contented Sole in New Harbor.

This is apparently a new location for the restaurant, at the “head of the harbor”.

We chose one of the picnic tables outside on the large patio with views over a lengthy lawn to New Harbor.

With the sun shining, the blue water sparkling, and colorful boats bobbing in the harbor, it couldn’t have been more picturesque.

Or more “Maine”.

It was spectacular!

The food was good too! They have a varied menu with salads, seafood, and pizzas. They even had a couple veg-friendly options for me, as well as a kids menu.

My friend and her mom had local oysters to start and then fish tacos (lobster tacos available too!). I had a grain bowl with kimichi and veggies. We split a chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich for dessert.

All-in-all, it was a wonderful lunch spot!

The Contended Sole is open Wednesday-Monday (closed Tuesday) for lunch 11:30-3 and dinner 5-8.

They take reservations, but it is a large place and were not necessary last Sunday.

The Art of Antiquing

After lunch we headed to the village of Round Pond to check out The Art of Antiquing antiques store.

Round Pond has a tiny little downtown, consisting of a coffee shop, ice cream stand, fancy “general store”, and this beautiful antiques store.

With a perfectly curated collection of fine European and UK antiques, The Art of Antiquing has been named to Maine Magazine’s “A” list and featured in Maine Home + Design magazine.

Admittedly, many of the pieces were more formal than my style, but still very beautiful. And there were plenty of things I would have happily incorporated into my home.

Prices were not cheap, but fair. It is definitely the kind of place where you would go to find that special piece to serve as a focal point in a room.

If you don’t live nearby, The Art of Antiques has an online store and can arrange for shipping.

Skipjack Nautical Wares and Marine Art Gallery

I was so busy following Google Maps on my way into Round Pond that I passed right by this trove of nautical treasures.

Fortunately my friend (riding in the passenger seat) noticed it, so we stopped on our way out of the village.

If you are looking for vintage, antique, and handmade nautical decor, Skipjack has it!

Furniture and decor. Lamps. Ship models. Nautical flags. Marine salvage. Maritime instruments and books. Marine art.

And more!

I did find prices to be kind of high, but the collection was amazing, with many one-of-a-kind objects.

If you want a unique piece, and don’t want to search all over the place, Skipjack’s would be a great place to go.

And I did not leave empty-handed! I bought a small lamp that has a base wrapped in hand-knotted rope. The perfect little accent light for the downstairs bathroom!

Again, if you can’t visit the store in person, you can shop Skipjack’s online!

Granite Hall Store

I was looking for a bathroom, so we ventured into the only other shop in the village, Granite Hall Store.

What a fun place!

They describe themselves as an “old-fashioned general store”, but I would say they are way more than that!

In addition to classic penny candy and Maine souvenirs, they have books, kitchenware, home goods, gifts, toys, greeting cards, soaps, jams, and oh-so-much more!

I sure wish we had a “general store” like this in our little village!

There is no online Granite Hall Store. But if you are in Round Pond, don’t miss it!

Oh, and fyi, there are two porta-potties behind the store. And a bathroom up the road at the coffee shop. 😉

Other Things to do in Bristol

We headed home after Round Pond, but there is more to do in Bristol!

Pemaquid Beach Park

Beaches in the Midcoast area of Maine tend to be highly tidal and scattered with large rocks and seaweed.

I have not visited Pemaquid Beach Park in New Harbor myself. However, it is described as a crescent-shaped stretch of white sand with small gentle waves and clear water.

It has bathrooms, changing rooms, and shower towers to rinse the sand off. There is also a restaurant and picnic tables.

Be aware that there are NO LIFEGUARDS.

Hardy Boats Cruises

Get out on the water on a boat cruise!

Hardy Boat Cruises in New Harbor has Puffin, Seal, and Wildlife cruises.

Or take the ferry to Monhegan Island for the day!

You can read about my family’s visit to Monhegan last year (as well as other places to visit in Maine) in my post Visit Maine | My Scrapbook From a Summer Week With Family.

Galleries, Maine-made crafts, and lobster shacks

On our drive through the villages of Bristol, we passed numerous art galleries, craft shops, and lobster shacks.

I would have loved to stop, but we didn’t have the time.

Sometimes, though, it is fun to explore and just stop at places you find along the way!

This Weekend

I can’t believe this is Labor Day weekend!

I have noticed a few leaves starting to turn, but I am hanging on tight to summer.

Still, I have started to change a few things around the house for late summer.

Saturday on the blog I will be sharing new art and mantel display in the living room.

It is very different from what I have done before, but I am loving how it all came together!

I do need your input on something, though.

So, please join me on the blog on Saturday and be ready to contribute to a creative story!

Intriguing, right?

See you on Saturday!