For the last few years I have been putting together an annual bucket list of things I want to do in Maine for the upcoming year. It’s a fun exercise that gets me thinking about the adventures that we want to have and the places we want to visit.

This past year was especially challenging and we actually got through only a couple of things on the list which does make me wonder if perhaps a bucket list is not the best approach but I’m going to give it one more shot.

Below is a list of ten things on my bucket list for the coming year. Many are ones we didn’t get to last year although I’ve added a few new ones into the mix. Here’s hoping we have better results this time around.

1. Continue on with the Maine Beer Trail. We have been working our way through the Maine Beer Trail for the last few years now.  The Maine Brewers Association puts out a beer trail map which lists all the craft breweries in Maine. You earn prizes by getting stamps in your map for each brewery that you visit. We have quite a few stamps now and I think we’re getting closer to finishing. This may be our lucky year!
2. Kayak in Portland Harbor.  Sadly, even though I already purchased a certificate for a sunset sea kayak tour with Portland Paddle, another summer got away from us and this is still an open bucket list item. We’ve talked about getting kayaks for years and doing a test run on a guided tour seems like a good place to start.
3. Dine at the Lost Kitchen. In fairness, I gave this one my best shot. The Lost Kitchen is nearly impossible to get a reservation at because of intense demand for this remote but incredibly popular spot. This past year, they changed the reservation process and you had to send in a postcard request mailed during the second week of March. From there, they randomly drew “winners”. Alas, my post card was not one those picked but I’ll keep trying.
4. Tour the  Farnsworth Art Museum. In addition to this museum, there are some other smaller area museums we’d like to visit. Many even offer free admission which I blogged about in my post “Looking for free things to do? Here’s a monthly breakdown of free events in Maine for 2019.“.
5. Take a  Cooking Class. I love to cook although I find family dinners stressful. I guess the clarification is that I love to cook when not under a time crunch. The idea of spending a relaxed afternoon learning a new cooking skill sounds wonderful.  There are some interesting cooking schools in Maine. A few to check out include: Stone Turtle Baking and Cooking School,  Salt Water Farm. and Black Tie Company.
6. Go on a Tour with a Twist. Twenty years ago on my first trip to New Orleans, we took an Anne Rice tour of the city. It was more like loitering outside of her home than an actual tour, but it was incredibly fun. Being from Maine, I think  adding a Stephen King version of this type of tour to my agenda is appropriate. Plus, I can learn a little about Bangor too. To learn more about this tour visit SK Tours of Maine.
7. Catch a Show. It has been years since I’ve visited the Ogunquit Playhouse and I’m adding it to my bucket list again for this year.  They don’t have their full season posted yet so I’ll have to wait a bit before I can pick a show and if it doesn’t work out there are some other great venues to catch a show in Maine.
8. Visit the Nonantum Resort in Kennebunk. We had our wedding reception here back in 1995. It was beautiful and picturesque but sadly we have never been back. I think we’re overdue for a visit. Whether it’s drinks at the pub, or an overnight stay, I’m looking forward to revisiting this spot and the memories associated with it.
9. Go on a Wine Wise Cruise. Exploring Portland Harbor on a Windjammer while learning about and enjoying wine, sounds like a perfect summer night.
10. Whoopie Pie Festival. Each year we try to explore a new area of Maine and heading to Dover-Foxcraft in June for the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival fits that agenda perfectly plus we’ll get to enjoy some delicious whoopie pies.

Which bucket list items from last year did we actually do?

1. Dine on an Island. This past fall, we headed to Peak’s Island off the coast of Portland for a hike around the island and dinner followed by drinks at the Cockeyed Gull. It was a perfect Maine day.
2. See Puffins. We finally made it to Machais Seal Island to see the puffins! Post coming soon! You have to book this trip early. I made our reservations the first week of January and there were already only limited spots available. So glad we finally made it down east for this amazing tour. It was truly memorable.

Here’s hoping I have better luck making these bucket list trips a reality this year.

Do you have any adventures planned for 2019?