The Front Porch has been welcoming visitors for 30 years.

It’s time to fall in love—again— with Oqunquit. Gay marriage is now legal in Maine and what better place to find a partner, get married if you have one, or repeat your vows in this beautifully romantic place by the sea.  
At our wedding, a relative asked where we were going on our honeymoon; we said, “Guys go on the honeymoon before the wedding!”  

There’s so much to do here including doing plenty of nothing on the spectacular 3-mile sandy beach, or strolling along beautiful Shore Road with its upscale shops, restaurants, galleries, B&Bs and seaside hotels from the center of town to the bustling picture-perfect Perkin’s Cove.

For the return trip, stroll along the breathtaking Marginal Way as it meanders above Maine’s famous rocky coast. Or, if your feet need a rest, take Molly the trolley for a hop-on, hop-off excursion along its 39-stop route, including the Amtrak station in Wells.

Whenever the sun isn’t shining there are dozens fun things to do in and nearby this gay-friendly town. For theatergoers, there’s the Ogunquit Playhouse now in its 76th season offering popular musicals and plays with Broadway, television and movie stars. To round out a visit to Oqunquit there are antique shops, unique museums, going wild in a hundred nearby discount shopping outlets, movies, and primo outdoor activities on land and sea.
Night time rocks with outstanding pub crawling.

There are no run-of-the-mill bars here, but three upscale and distinctly different gay/lesbian establishments that offer a lot more than just a place to have a drink. They provide a variety of diversions that are within a short walk of each other in the center of town.  And a few mixed places that are fun, friendly and gay owned.

The Maine Street Video Bar and Cabaret is a well-designed, contemporary video bar and dance club (with state-of-the-art sound and lights) that doubles as a cabaret featuring some of the country’s most talented performers. “It has all the cool of a city-type dance club, but still has the personality of a neighborhood bar run with hands-on owner Paul.   

One of the long-established favorites in town (formerly The Club and the InsideOut) is now the Oxygen Lounge with a ‘young’ make over by the new owners.  It’s a mellow place until late night when it transforms into a Chelsea, New York-style discothèque steps from the other bars/clubs.

The Front Porch has been a favorite rendezvous for locals and visitors from around the globe since 1979. It just keeps better every year under the service-oriented owner Wayne Wescott and his jolly staff. The attractive white-frame building with yellow awnings on the corner of Route 1 and the Beach Road at Oqunquit Square signals that you’re in the heart of town. With so much to do here it’s difficult to decide where to go first: the popular upstairs bar or the lounge, or join the crowd at the piano bar for a chorus of “Hello Dolly.” Maybe start off with a drink in the cozy downstairs bar/pub or in the handsome dining room.

Among the dozens of fine restaurants and other eateries – the bars and clubs, from inexpensive to the-skies-the-limit, Fancy That’s sidewalk café, across the street from the Front Porch, is an attractively fenced-in and landscaped oasis. It offers relief from the sun with its dark green market umbrellas and serves imaginative sandwiches, among other quality items.

A few doors away on the brick-lined sidewalk is the Village Market for picnic foods, wines, and gift baskets delivered to your hotel room, and a few doors from Bread & Roses - a great bakery. And before leaving Oqunquit be sure have the famous sweet Maine lobster in any form from bisque, in the shell, rolls to scrambled with eggs.  All restaurants and bars/clubs are listed below on gayogunquit.com.

There are many outstanding hotels, inns and B&Bs conveniently located in and around the heart of town. Among the most attractive and hospitable is the Ogunquit Beach Inn with its sun parlor/breakfast room and individually decorated guest rooms.

The other B&B that has the same genuine warmth and hospitality is Moon Over Maine, a 1839 Cape-style house that is a little more luxurious in its amenities and decorations. Owner/innkeeper John Matta has made this a top choice for in-town accommodations. It’s just a short walk from the clubs, restaurants, beach and shops.

For a virtual tour and the most complete online visitors’ guide for gay men and women, visit the awesome, greatly expanded www.gayogunquit.com.  It’s a trip in itself!

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