These two Maine places are among America’s top 25 small towns

A builder stands at  Murphy's Castle, one of nearly 50 entries in the Ogunquit Parks and Recreation Sand Castle Contest in July. (York County Coast Star photo by Chris Hayden)

A builder stands at Murphy’s Castle, one of nearly 50 entries in the Ogunquit Parks and Recreation Sand Castle Contest in July. (York County Coast Star photo by Chris Hayden)

The publication Travel + Leisure provides Internet readers with lists of great places to travel be leisurely all the time, and frequently Maine locations get great play. So it’s no surprise that two places in the Pine Tree State made the cut when Travel + Leisure recently released it’s list of “America’s Favorite Small Towns.”

Comedian Mike Cote is pictured overlooking Portsmouth, New Hampshire. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/MCT)

Comedian Mike Cote is pictured overlooking Portsmouth, New Hampshire. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/MCT)

This is part of T+L’s annual reader survey ranking cities and towns all over the country on everything from local driving habits to ice cream selection — this post you’re reading probably won’t be the last time I write about Travel + Leisure’s rankings over the next few weeks.

For its top 25 small towns, the publication compiled reader responses on communities with populations smaller than 50,000 — a threshold which, in Maine, only disqualifies the 66,000-person Portland.

So which two Maine places are counted among America’s favorite 25 small towns?

Well, appearing all the way up at No. 2 on Travel + Leisure’s list is Ogunquit.

Here’s what the publication wrote about the seaside York County town:

“Its name means ‘beautiful place by the sea,’ and indeed Ogunquit offers a relatively rare indulgence amid Maine’s rocky coastline: a long stretch of white sand. Readers commended it for being pedestrian-friendly and for welcoming both girlfriend getaways and LGBT travelers. While summer is the peak season here, some of the great draws last well beyond Labor Day. Visitors can enjoy shows at the renowned summer-stock Ogunquit Playhouse and fresh lobster rolls from local favorite Footbridge Lobster through the end of October. To understand why the town also ranked well for being mellow, book one of the white clapboard cottages at the Dunes on the Waterfront, open from March through October.”

Ogunquit follows only the top-ranked Beaufort, North Carolina, on the list and is ranked just ahead of No. 3 Lewisburg, West Virginia. But that’s not Maine’s last mention — down a little ways at No. 18 and up a little ways on the coast is Bar Harbor.

The second Maine town in the rankings is sandwiched between San Luis Obispo, California, at No. 17 and Gulf Shores, Alabama, at No. 19.

Here’s the T+L blurb on Bar Harbor:

“It’s no surprise that this town on Mount Desert Island scored well for its parks — namely, Acadia National Park, where you can witness the first American sunrise of the day, every day, from Cadillac Mountain. Afterward, indulge in a crustacean-rich breakfast at the Lazy Lobster, by way of lobster omelettes or lobster Benedict. Bar Harbor also ranked highly for its sense of history: you can check out the Native American artifacts at the Abbe Museum, which is the only museum in Maine affiliated with the Smithsonian.”

In case you’re curious (and the picture of Mike Cote above didn’t give it away), Portsmouth, New Hampshire, right across the border from Maine’s Kittery, also showed up on the list at No. 13.

An aerial view of Bar Harbor from a restored B17 Flying Fortress known as The Sentimental Journey. (BDN photo by Ashley L. Conti)

An aerial view of Bar Harbor from a restored B17 Flying Fortress known as The Sentimental Journey. (BDN photo by Ashley L. Conti)