I visited friends in a small town in Maine and found a hidden gem I'd travel to again and again

• I recently visited Belfast, Maine, which is full of history, local culture, and coastal views.
• Belfast offers a stark contrast to busy urban life and is perfect for city escapes.
• I think it's an underrated travel destination.

When I went to Belfast, Maine , for the Fourth of July, I expected nothing more than a wholesome, long weekend with my friends to take a break from the hustle and bustle of my life in NYC .

I got all that — and more.

It was my first time in Maine, and this particular small town, which I'd never heard of before my friends moved there last winter, surprised me with its history, local culture, and dramatic coastal views.

According to the city's website , Belfast is a budding town on the rise.

After my trip, I've decided that Belfast is a hidden gem for tourists , and I'll go back again and again for my big-city escapes.

Belfast, Maine, is about 100 miles up the coast from Portland.

To reach the small town on Penobscot Bay, we flew from NYC to Portland, Maine , and our friends picked us up from the airport for a two-hour drive up the coast to their abode.

The town is rooted in maritime history.

Belfast was incorporated as a town in the 1700s , but it started to prosper in the 19th century as a hub for maritime workers, according to the city's website . For about 100 years, Belfast residents built wooden sailboats , operated steamships, and transported goods from ice and apples to hay and fertilizer.

Then, in the 1980s, creatives flocked to the town and transformed it into an artist's oasis with galleries and warehouse studios.

Today, Belfast maintains the same 19th-century seaside feel.

The waterfront town has 7,000 residents, according to World Population Review .

The architecture in Belfast combines traditional New England-style homes with old-world styles from the Italian and Greek Revival eras, according to the Boston Globe . I thought this gave the town a European twist on the classic New England aesthetic.

My friends said Belfast gets tourists in the summer, but it didn't feel crowded overall. We never waited too long for a table at a restaurant, and I didn't see many large clusters of people.

The town is filled with historic inns.

Strolling through the town, I saw more historic inns than traditional hotels, which made me think that tourists visit Belfast for unique accommodations.

These accommodations look like gigantic mansions, and seeing them up close made me wish I'd booked just one night in one of them, like the Jeweled Turret. The bed and breakfast, decorated with antiques, is a 19th-century Victorian landmark on the National Register of Historic Places, according to the inn's website .

There's also the Alden House Inn , a Greek Revival building dating back to 1840. On a weekend afternoon, I spotted its porch filled with guests and longed to hang out there.

But I stayed with friends. Their neighborhood was surprisingly walkable for a small town.

According to Walk Score , Belfast is pedestrian-friendly , scoring 74 out of 100.

From my friends' apartment, we got to hiking trails, the waterfront, and the downtown area — all on foot.

My friends also live steps away from a farmers market and the Belfast Armistice Bridge, which pedestrians use to cross the Passagassawakeag River.

We went hiking without having to hop in a car.

My friends live less than five minutes from the Rail Trail that lines the Passagassawakeag River.

I spent one day working remotely from Belfast, and we took a quick hike during my lunch break.

I was impressed with the hillside views and land masses covered in rich green trees in the distance. It was an ideal place to refresh in the middle of a shift.

We could also walk to the town's many small businesses and shop for locally sourced food.

My friend told me that one of the coolest things about Belfast is that there are so many local shops. There's no Walmart, Target, or Costco in town. The only brand-name stores I saw were Walgreens, CVS, and Dollar General.

According to the Press Herald , Maine towns are known for their small businesses. Belfast, in particular, has a plethora of locally owned retailers, from a general store and a DVD rental store to shops selling vintage dollhouses and handmade clothing and furniture.

The Press Herald reports that these independent stores draw customers with a unique personalized shopping experience as store owners get to know their regulars.

We went to a farmers market selling local produce and foods during my trip, and my friends cooked up a feast.

We had a watermelon and feta salad, roasted duck, lobster mac-and-cheese, and potato salad with duck fat and herb-infused dressing, dill, parsley, and garlic scapes.

The ingredients tasted so fresh, and so did the local pastries and bagels we got there for breakfast.

There were some places we drove to, like Acadia National Park.

Acadia National Park is just a 90-minute drive from Belfast. We took a day trip there on a foggy Saturday, and I was surprised to find that the park wasn't as crowded as most national parks I've visited on weekends.

The coastal park, surrounded by islands, looked majestic in the hazy weather. We hiked through forests to the rocky coastline, where we went tide-pooling and found a massive cave. It was even more picturesque than the trails in Belfast, and it helped me see how the state of Maine inspired my favorite American writer, Stephen King .

Belfast and surrounding areas are dog friendly.

My friends in Maine have a super sweet and active dog, Zeus. He accompanied us on nearly every adventure during our trip, from restaurants to the Rail Trail and even Acadia, one of the most dog-friendly national parks in the US, according to the National Parks Service .

Taking Zeus with us made the trip so much more goofy and fun. It wouldn't have been the same without him. And it made me want to bring my dog next time I trek to Belfast.

I could have stayed so much longer, and I'll definitely be back.

Aside from being a unique town with so much to offer, I thought Belfast would be an ideal destination for tourists looking to travel sustainably . Eco-travel experts say that supporting local businesses and getting around without a car are responsible practices for the health of our planet.

Next time I go to Belfast, I'll spend more time browsing local shops, book a stay at a historic inn, and take more day trips to places like Portland. Plus, I'd love to see Acadia on a day with clear skies.

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