It’s spring – though most days still don’t feel like it. So what do you do when you’re craving some spring flowers and budding trees and warmth and sun in order to thaw out the last remnants of winter? Why you take a road trip to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay.

Recently the gardens made it to the top of Trip Advisor’s top 10 public gardens list. Said Botanical Gardens Executive Director William Cullina:“We’re delighted that Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is included on this list of some of the finest gardens in the country, and especially proud to receive the number one spot.”

It’s all quite an achievement considering the gardens only opened in 2007, after 16 years of planning. It all blossomed from an ambitious effort begun in 1991 by a group of midcoast residents who felt that Maine needed a botanical garden.

The garden covers 248 acres, which makes it the largest in New England. This is not just one garden, but many. Like the Vayo Meditation Garden, the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses and the Bibby and Harold Alfond Children’s Garden, to name a few. OK, one more: There is the Reflexology Labyrinth, where you are encouraged to take off your shoes and walk the smooth stones in the labyrinth.

Need I say more? The gardens have more than 11,000 tulips that bloom in the spring and many other flowers to follow. For a healthy dose of spring and all it promises make this the time you’ll take a road trip to one of Maine’s finest attractions.

Of course the gardens aren’t the only things to see and do in the Boothbay region. For a few more ideas, read on.

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

132 Botanical Gardens Drive (off Barters Island Road, off Corey Lane, off Route 27)

Boothbay

633-4333

www.mainegardens.org

Take a day and prepare for some beautiful walking through the many different gardens here, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. There is a cafe and gift shop also. Visit the website for much more information. Admission is $14 for adults, $12 for seniors 65+, $6 for children, under 3 free. Mother’s Day, May 12, is free admission for moms. And if you’re a Maine resident with an ID, it’s free admission Memorial Day weekend, May 25-27. The gift shop is now open for the season; the Kitchen Garden Cafe opens May 1.

McSeagull’s Water Front Restaurant

14 Wharf St. at Pier One

Boothbay Harbor

633-5900

http://www.mcseagullsonline.com

From July through September, this restaurant and pub in Boothbay Harbor offers Friday night dinner cruises. As its sign says “Eat, drink and flounder . . . just for the halibut!”

Boothbay Railway Village

586 Wiscasset Road

Route 27

South Boothbay

633-4727

http://www.railwayvillage.org/

Take a short ride on a narrow gauge steam train. It also has a collection of classic, vintage and antique autos that will interest people of all ages. The next event is May 11 and moms ride free.

The Boothbay Playhouse

275 Wiscasset Road

Boothbay

633-3379

http://www.boothbayplayhouse.com/

For future reference, keep this summer playhouse in mind. The season opener is Monty Python’s “Spamalot,” a musical comedy premiering June 27. Check out the website for the complete show schedule.