The Kennebunks
The Kennebunks have been in existence by one name or another since the 1620's. They began as a fishing stage near Cape Porpoise, which was repeatedly destroyed by Native American raids. In 1719 the present "port" was incorporated as Arundel, a name that stuck through its peak shipbuilding and seafaring years until 1821, when the name was changed to Kennebunkport. Later, when the novel Arundel, by Kenneth Roberts (set in Kennebunk) had run through 32 printings, residents attempted to reclaim the old name and succeeded in doing so in 1957, at least for North Kennebunkport. Kennebunk is a busy commercial center that straddles Route 1 between the Mousam and Kennebunk Rivers. A 10-minute ride down Summer Street brings you to Kennebunkport. Then there is Kennebunk Beach, Cape Porpoise, Goose Rocks Beach, Cape Arundel, and Kennebunk Lower Village.

Former President Bush's summer estate fills a private, 11-acre peninsula off Ocean Avenue (mansion row). Built by the president's grandfather George Herbert Walker in 1903, its position was uncannily ideal for use as a president's summer home, moated by water on three sides, yet clearly visible from the avenue and perfectly positioned for picture-taking.

In the 1870s, this entire, spectacular 5-mile stretch of coast from Lord's Point at the western end of Kennebunk Beach all the way to Cape Porpoise on the east was acquired by a Massachusetts group, the Boston and Kennebunkport Sea Shore Company.

No fewer than 30 grand hotels and dozens of summer mansions (including Walker's Point) sprung up in the area to accommodate the wave of summer visitors the easy train service brought. The Kennebunks shared the 1940s to 1960s decline suffered by all Maine coastal resorts, losing all but a sparse scattering of old hotels. Their comeback, visible during the 1970s, accelerated into a boom through the 1980s. Some of the surviving hotels were converted into condominiums; inns were rehabbed, and dozens of new B&Bs opened.

The Kennebunks are one of Maine's best known and conveniently situated resorts. Downtown Kennebunk is just off 1-95, and a 10-minute ride down Summer Street brings you to Kennebunkport. We are 90 minutes from Boston and one half hour to Portland, Maine and Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

The Kennebunks have retained a certain quaint charm. The shops lining the streets offer top-quality merchandise; just a block or two from the center, you can experience the serene feel of elegant residential neighborhoods.

Old inns still line Ocean Avenue, and a number of former captains' homes on neighboring streets are charming B&Bs.