I was born and raised a beach girlie so this lake (pond) life is brand new territory.

I will admit that I had been telling everyone and their mother that I was going to be staying on a lake in Maine and the “pond” component didn’t fully set in until I was physically there. Not due to any visual distinction between such bodies of water, but because by then, I had been forced to refer to the listing 10 million times while navigating multiple cars of family members there. Is that on me? Yes. Did it make a difference? No.

Alas, I think I like this little pond life (insert that Tik Tok sound).

About Dexter Pond

Dexter Pond is a located in the Winthrop Lakes region of Maine and is connected to two other ponds, Wilson and Berry. It’s pretty shallow (max 25 ft deep) but allows for swimming, fishing (trout, bass and perch), small boats and then all the water sports your heart can dream of. Outside of not having a bunch of boats on it, you’d never know it wasn’t a lake (in my humble born and raised a beach girlie opinion).

I really wanted to see a bear or moose but I was allowed no such thing per Mother Nature. But that’s not to say the wildlife wasn’t doing it’s seemingly middle of nowhere Maine thing. We saw/heard loons every single day (gorgeous), kayaked right up under a bald eagle (menacing) and came in contact with so many fish and turtles. I was fortunate enough to not be present for the water snake’s swim by, but of course that prevented me from swimming the last few days of our stay.

Accommodations

I’m simply so obsessed with our AirBnB. My primary needs were an amazing porch, right on the water and easy access to water toys. Boy, did this place deliver.

On top of it, it was beautifully decorated, fit 6 adults comfortably, and had all the items we needed to cook nearly every meal at the house. We ended up grilling a lot but used the stovetop for breakfast every morning.

It is worth noting that the hosts ask that you do not drink the tap water. Hot tip because we didn’t do this well: just overestimate your water needs. Also, absolutely do not eat dinner in the dark on the porch and opt to turn on the porch light. You are pond side in the Maine wilderness and you will be attacked by approximately 10,000 little bugs in 30 seconds flat. Honestly, maybe even less. I wish I wasn’t speaking from experience but alas, I can cross picking little bugs from my corn on the cob off my list forever.

Things To Do

Grab a porch seat and relax: Relaxing was our primary goal at all times. For the first time in a long time the stress stored deep in my bones disappeared and I give a lot of credit to this porch, this view, and just the complete quiet that Winthrop offered. Take me back please.
Water! Sports! We were out on the water at least once a day. In fact, there were a few times it was unclear if my little brother was going to return from his 5 hour adventures (fish obsessed). The Air BnB had 2 kayaks, a canoe, a SUP, fishing rods and a variety of floats available. All right down by the water. Staying on Dexter Pond is more than enjoyable, but if you’re up for a longer adventure, you’re able to paddle under a bridge and explore Wilson Pond too (much bigger).
Enjoy local fresh produce: My absolute favorite part was Emery Farmstand, a self-serve market chalk full of items grown on their farm or sourced locally. Produce, dairy, meat, seafood, homemade jam - you name it, it was there and it was adorable.
Road trip to the coast: Winthrop is conveniently situated so that a lot of coastal destinations are merely an hour or so away. We opted for a day in Camden (adorable), but Boothbay Harbor and Damariscotta were close contenders (also a little over an hour ride). We stopped in Portland on our ride home.