1. Vaughn Woods State Park
City: South Berwick, ME
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (207) 490-4079
Address: 28 Oldsfields Rd.
Description: Famed writer Sarah Orne Jewett grew up not too far from these woods, and one has to wonder how often the nature-loving author wandered the 250 acres here along the Salmon Falls River. If she were here today, she’d find much hasn’t changed—at least at this small spot. The old-growth stands of pine and hemlock are still standing tall, and there are still nice looks at the Salmon Falls River. Handy to the Yorks, Ogunquit, Kittery, and points in New Hampshire, Vaughn Woods is, just as its name suggests, a woodland preserve, and it’s rarely crowded, used more by locals than tourists. The spot makes a nice diversion or picnic setting when visiting the historic sites in the Berwicks—like Jewett’s home.
2. Hamilton House
City: South Berwick, ME
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (207) 384-2454
Address: Vaughan’s Lane
Description: One of the state’s best-known historic homes, this 1785 manse has a colonial revival garden that reportedly dates back to 1898. It was renovated in the late 1990s and is something to see. Walking trails thread through 35 acres of attractive grounds here (not all garden, of course), and they overlook the pretty Salmon Falls River. Admission is $8 and includes house and grounds.
3. Hamilton House
City: South Berwick, ME
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (207) 384-2454
Address: 40 Vaughns Lane
Description: Maine doesn’t have a lot of mansions, but this is one of them, a distinctive three-story Georgian on the sleepy Salmon Falls River. Built in the 1780s, the home was purchased in 1898 by a mother-daughter pair, and they restored it beautifully, furnishing it with antiques and country items in keeping with the house’s history. The grounds are just as lovely as the home, beautifully landscaped and featuring formal gardens. The property is now owned by the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, and tours of the place are offered on the hour between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily in summer. There’s also a concert series on the gracious lawns. Open Wednesday through Sunday from June through mid-October; the grounds are open from dawn to dusk.
4. Sarah Orne Jewett House
City: South Berwick, ME
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (207) 384-2454
Address: 5 Portland St.
Description: Former home of celebrated 19th-century author Sarah Orne Jewett (she of the environmental classic The Country of the Pointed Firs), this old place—circa 1774—looks much the same as it might have when Jewett lived here. It is a pretty Georgian with period furnishings collected by Jewett and her sister. The pair were friendly with the family that owned the Hamilton House nearby, and Jewett helped make sure that home was preserved. This is also a Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities property, and it’s open Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. from June 1 through October 15. Tours are given on the hour between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.