Thurston's Lobster Pound

"This is your fantasy," I overheard a woman say to her husband as we dined at Thurston's Lobster Pound in Bernard, Maine, in July of 2011. For any traveler who has dreamed of the quintessential experience of eating lobster in the rough in a picture-perfect Maine setting, this out-of-the-way seafood outpost overlooking Bass Harbor truly is a vision come to life. As I cracked my soft-shell lobster, I continued to eavesdrop: "The food is good for my body, but the view is good for my soul. I could feast on the view," she said.

And with that, a stranger had done my job: told you just about everything you need to know about why Thurston's is worth the trip (it's about a half hour from Bar Harbor).

I'll add just two things before I take you to Thurston's on a photo tour: With prices starting at just $7.75 (as of 2012) for a small, soft-shell lobster, this seaside restaurant is an affordable place to savor Maine's signature crustacean, and the lobsters at Thurston's couldn't be any fresher.