AnneD Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Where to go, what to do, places to stay..... B&B/inn/cabin, (good food a plus!) thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Don't go! And if you insist on going, have a foolproof escape plan! (Don't mind me, I just read to many Stephen King books. :svengo: ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Oh, I LOVE Maine! I spent a summer there as a camp counselor many moons ago. I loved Haraseeket's! http://m.harraseeketlunchandlobster.com/ Cadillac Mountain is cool. Correct me if I'm wrong, but as I remember, it's the first place in the US y can see the sun rise. It's wonderful! Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
history_junkie Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Cadillac Mountain is cool. Correct me if I'm wrong, but as I remember, it's the first place in the US y can see the sun rise. I've heard that, too. We loved Bar Harbor on our Honeymoon last year. It's very close to Acadia National Park and it has lots of delicious restaurants. There are plenty of things to do on the water (whale watching, boating, etc) but we'll have to do that if we ever go back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Acadia is a must see, IMO. As much of it as you can. It's truly beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 I loved Acadia and Bar Harbour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Acadia Nat'l Park is one our favorite spots. We camp but there are many lovely places to stay. I am partial to the Inn at Southwest Harbor. I would advise staying outside Bar Harbor since it is very busy. But do stay on Mount Desert Island. Thurston's is the best place for lobster. Out of the way but SO worth the trip! Get the soft shell lobster. It's delish. Acadia has some of the best hiking anywhere so pick up a trail guide. Try to do one of the ladder trails; they're fun. There's a great antique store/book barn (huge) called The Big Chicken Barn which is south of here by about 45 minutes...worth the trip. I could spend a day here! Lower Maine is nice as well, although busy, especially in summer. Kennebunkport and Ogunquit are nice. Lots of nice inns in Kennebunkport. We've stayed at Captain Fairfield Inn and it was nice, but that was quite a few years ago. If you are into antiquing, there is a lot here. Lounging on the beach is a great way to pass the time. Cape Arundel Inn has great food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 You could come see me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datgh Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 I will also vote for Acadia and Bar Harbor. We go every summer because we can't get enough of it especially if you enjoy biking and hiking. The park has many wide gravel carriage roads with no cars that wind through the trees through out the park. You can rent bikes in Bar Harbor and there are shuttles that travel through out the park that will also take your bikes. There is plenty of hiking for all ability levels plus a sandy beach on the ocean or one on a lake. If you don't want to go that far north, Boothbay Harbor is a beautiful little town. They also boast the Maine Botanical gardens which I really want to go see. Camden is also a great place with lots of little shops right by the water. Lots of Schooners go out of Camden Harbor if you want to go for a sail. Owls Head Lighthouse is a really pretty place. There are also beaches in the area for swimming. Popham Beach state Park in Bath has some of the best waves for body surfing that we have found and at low tide there is an island you can walk out to. Just down the road is Fort Popham which is a great place to run around in and learn about history. As far as where to stay, I am not much help as we usually camp in Acadia National Park or stay with relatives who happen to live in the Camden area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Oh, I LOVE Maine! I spent a summer there as a camp counselor many moons ago. I loved Haraseeket's! http://m.harraseeketlunchandlobster.com/ Cadillac Mountain is cool. Correct me if I'm wrong, but as I remember, it's the first place in the US y can see the sun rise. It's wonderful! Have fun! Only in the fall and winter. In spring and summer the first would be Mars Hill. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Hill_(Maine) That photo isn't accurate as there are wind turbines all over it now. ETA: wiki is so stupid. If one searches Cadillac Mountain it will give the info about it being the place for sun rise in fall and winter. Then it says Mars Hill with a link that will take one to the Mars Hill page. But copying that link and pasting it into the thread doesn't work. The link take you to a page that says the Mars Hill page doesn't exist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Mama Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 There is another thread that was started not too long ago, I'll see if I can find it. Southern Coastal Maine is pretty. We drove rt 1 from New Hampshire up the coast. The most photographed lighthouse is just outside of Portland in Cape Elizabeth, in Fort Williams Park. Camden is a lovely, scenic town. We stayed in a sweet B&B there. Loved eating lobster everything - straight from the boat, on pizza, in soup... <sigh> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Mama Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Here you go: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/469310-given-a-trip-anywherethinking-of-going-to-portland-maine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*LC Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 We went to Portland, Bar Harbor, and Acadia National Park for a short trip a couple of years ago. We had a great time. My kids still talk about what they learned at the Lobster Museum, which is located at the Mount Desert Oceanarium. We stayed in a cottage at Eden Village Motel in Bar Harbor. There were fun things to do there for the kids. Another thing we did was go to the LL Bean store in Portland. My family visited Portland when I was a preteen, and this was one of the things I remembered from that trip. So, I now have a picture of my kids next to the huge boots outside the store. We visited Maine in July, and I was unprepared for what a popular tourist destination it was. A lot of the hotels in the Bar Harbor area were full. In addition, we had to stop one night between Portland and Bar Harbor, and those hotels were full due to parents' weekend at nearby camps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneD Posted June 4, 2013 Author Share Posted June 4, 2013 thanks so much for all of the wonderful suggestions! Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 I like Old Orchard Beach: http://www.oldorchardbeachmaine.com/Famlyfun.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoo Keeper Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 We visited Maine in July, and I was unprepared for what a popular tourist destination it was. A lot of the hotels in the Bar Harbor area were full. In addition, we had to stop one night between Portland and Bar Harbor, and those hotels were full due to parents' weekend at nearby camps. Hotels etc., on MDI (Mount Desert Island, the island that Bar Harbor is on) do fill up fast; the crowds at Acadia are bigger in July and August too. IF you can schedule it, I would highly suggest trying a coastal Maine trip in September. The weather is still nice, most of the vacationers have to take the kids back to school (points for homeschooling!), and the leaf-peepers haven't come yet. Acadia in September is lovely, less crowded, and can be slightly less expensive (some hotels will have reduced rates in September and October). Most seasonal places (hotels, restaurants, campgrounds, mini-golf, etc.) will be closing up by mid October. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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