By Mary hursh Guest WriterEditor’s Note: This is the first of a two-part article on the Hursh’s trip to Maine.Maine is simply beautiful.My husband and I left for a 17-day trip to Maine on Aug. 21. The planning started in January when I made reservations at the Four Chimneys in Bennington, Vt., Captain Jefferds Inn in Kennebunkport; Inn at Sunrise Point in Lincolnville; and Ann’s Point Inn in Bass Harbor.Two travel books, “Coastal Maine” and “Maine,” written by Maine native Hilary Nangle, were invaluable and I do not believe one quaint town or one delicious meal recommended by Hilary in the four towns we visited were missed. Anyone considering a trip to Maine should check out the Maine Maven, Hilary’s Facebook page.Our first stop in New England was at the Four Chimneys Inn in Bennington, Vt., home of Bennington College. Our room in this restored 1913 estate was lovely. We had dinner at the Mount Anthony Country Club, a golf club overlooking 110 acres of the Green Mountains. Our breakfast the next morning, served in a dining room by the owner, included fresh strawberries with cream, waffles, local coffee and fresh peach muffins . While there,  we visited three covered bridges and the Bennington Museum where we saw several Grandma Moses oil paintings. For me, the highlight of the morning was a visit to the Robert Frost grave in the cemetery of the beautiful Old North Church.The beauty of Maine along Route 1 is breathtaking from Kittery to Bar Harbor. The rocky beaches studded with pine trees wind around coves and outcroppings sheltering marinas and lovely clapboard homes perched high over the ocean.Kennebunkport, summer home of George Herbert Walker Bush, gave us our first glimpse huge sailboats docked in the harbor as we enjoyed a lobster dinner on the deck of David’s KPD. Since the market price of a pound of lobster came in at $38, I only ordered it that one night. From Kennebunkport, we drove south to walk the beaches of York , the cliff walk at York Harbor and the Marginal Way of Ogunquit. We drove north to enjoy the hundred of outlets in Freeport, home of L.L. Bean. All the boots and the canoes you could ever want were beautifully displayed in a mall-like setting. I bought a Barbour waxed jacket at Orvis and counted myself all done for Christmas. Our bed and breakfast, Captain Jefferds Inn, is located in the historic district of town. There we enjoyed three-course breakfasts in the dining room and relaxing evenings talking with other guests in the large solarium.The Inn at Sunrise Point was our home for the week we spent exploring the mid-coast of Maine, which included stops in Rockland, Rockport, Lincolnville and the Castine region.