<p>There are lots of beautiful places in Maine that have not been discovered by hoards of tourists. You can take a mail boat from Stonington and go to Isle au Haut, rent bikes or hike around the island. Do go to Jordan Pond for their popovers as recommended by Consolation. One is not enough.
We make it to Maine once a year around Labor Day. My H likes to attend the American Music Festival in Bangor and the Blue Hill Fair where people watching is my favorite past time and my S was the blueberry pie eating champion (his first try, whoever could eat most of a pie within one minute, no hands) several years ago.</p>
<p>All good advice ! I would only add that you should also see Maine from the water, if only for a few hour sail or motor launch. A particularly good spot is by Mt. Dessert/Arcadia national park area where in north east harbor you can catch a ride on a motor or sailing vessel for a few hours (not very expensive) see the mountains from the sea and also go up Sommes sound-the only fjord in the continental US. Have fun you are in for a great treat. Lew from Mass.</p>
<p>Life here in Maine is pretty darn good.
I have just returned from the Bar Harbor area, where I have spent summers since childhood. This year it is not so busy as some years. I would recommend the “back side” of Mount Desert Island-- Southwest Harbor, Manset, and Bass Harbor–for a slower pace.
Acadia is truly amazing with small mountains and a sand beach. Most of the coastline north of Bath is rocky and gravely, not sandy. </p>
<p>Eirrean’s spot-on suggestions for the southern coast happen to be about an area I know well. Biddeford Pool is lovely, as is Kennebunkport, where the elder George Bush family has a summer home. It is not very crowded in September and the weather can be warm. Ogunquit and Kennebunkport have more of a village feel, where you can walk to shops and restaurants, and are less than one hour from Portland. Actually, Saco is only 20-25 minutes from Portland if you don’t get caught in commuter traffic. Saco, Old Orchard (OOB) and Scarborough have a stretch of lovely sand beaches. I think you can walk for 7 miles.</p>
<p>Enjoy planning your trip. Lobster is very inexpensive this year!</p>
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<p>My family stays in Saco with relatives every summer. The last time we drove to Portland was years ago. (I haven’t been able to get away for as long recently) This is totally a case of childhood memory making me think we spent more time traveling than we actually did. :)</p>
<p>I love that area, but I’ve been up to Bar Harbor and that was great as well. And stayed inland by a lake. I don’t think you can go wrong with where you end up staying.</p>
<p>My family lived in Biddeford Pool when I was born, but we moved across the river to Saco shortly thereafter - outgrew the house. One of my sisters recently repurchased the old family home… so we are there often. :)</p>
<p>I spent summers on the beaches at Biddeford Pool, Fortunes Rocks to the immediate south (where my grandfather had a cottage) and Goose Rocks, between there and Kennebunkport. North of the Saco River, we enjoyed Camp Ellis, Ferry Beach Ocean Park and Pine Point beaches. OOB is beautiful 7? mile stretch of sandy beach… but save that honky tonk venue for a day trip-only. I have never been to York Beach, Wells Beach or Oqunquit Beach (never had to stray from my backyard options) in the far southern part of the state… but I hear nothing but good things about them.</p>
<p>Any one of these beaches would put you within a half-hour of Portland or the outlets in Kittery.</p>
<p>Bar Harbor and Camden are both amazingly beautiful places with lots of outdoor activity and shopping options… but if you specifically want to enjoy the beach - I would stay in the southern part of the state. BTW… it takes until September for the warm Gulf Stream waters to finally reach mid-state ME… so your plans are perfect if you intend to spend a lot of time in the water.</p>
<p>For over twenty years my DH and I have been going to Maine. We were both in education (and still are) but when DH retired from his position as a high school counselor and took a job at a college, we were thrilled to finally go to Maine in September or October. It is an entirely different experience. </p>
<p>If you go to Mt. Desert Island, I second the idea of going to Southwest Harbor or Northeast Harbor. In fact, we like staying at Kimball Terrace in Northeast Harbor, exploring trails and hiking & biking during the day and then heading over to Bar Harbor at night. I admit it involves more driving, but we love the quiet of Northeast Harbor. Kimball Terrace is a very clean (but has unbelievably thin walls) motel with a lovely view of the harbor. </p>
<p>[Acadia</a> National Park Lodging at the Northeast Harbor Hotel, the Kimball Terrace Inn. The Inn is Located Minutes to Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor, Maine!](<a href=“http://kimballterraceinn.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1/]Acadia”>http://kimballterraceinn.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1/)</p>
<p>I absolutely would recommend Route 1 in September! Bar Harbor is wonderful, but the coast leading up to Bar Harbor should be enjoyed as well. I would take 295 out of Portland to the Topsham Connector toward Bath. After you cross over the bridge at Bath (Bath Iron Works to your right) you will be on Coastal Route 1. You will be able to meander through several wonderful mid-coast towns; including Boothbay, Wiscasset, Damariscotta, Rockport, Rockland, and Camden. I highly recommend taking the Port Clyde Ferry over to Monhegan Island for the day and hike a few of the trails around the Island. In Rockland, you should visit the Farnsworth Art Museum to see some wonderful Wyeth paintings. You should be able to find plenty of hotel rooms at that time of the year. Each of the towns has its own unique character that you will be able to explore.</p>
<p>Excellent advice in #27, only I envision doing it in reverse on your way back to Portland after several days on Mt. Desert. 
I also agree with #26. Northeast Harbor is lovely.</p>
<p>Maine in September sounds idyllic… I have always gone in the summer during the kid’s school vacation and last summer I had three vacation days to use by the beginning of August so DH and I went to Boothbay for a quick three-day trip. Hadn’t been in years and it was not crowded at all. We really enjoyed the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens which was new since the last time we had been -stopped at Red’s Eats in Wiscasset for lobster rolll which was good but the Clam Shack in Kennebunkport just won Best Lobster Roll competition in NYC earlier this summer. Also nice is Ogunquit with a lovely walk along the Marginal Way and very fine small art museum. Portland is nice city to spend time in as well. There was a recent piece in the Sunday NY TIMES travel section about the art scene in Maine, many new galleries and college museums to visit. You may be able to search for it online. Anytime you go Maine is great…</p>
<p>We are about to leave, to go see family (mine are all from the NH border from Kittery). Since they live there, we don’t make a big deal of the beach but when we Maine-beach it’s at the Ogunquit footbridge beach, which has plenty of parking and lots of sand, and yes, a footbridge to cross the inlet. Rarely crowded, nice for walking. If you like old books, we recommend Hardings in Wells, or antiquing in Arundel, or (if you are not going Down East) the Rachel Carson preserve outside of Wells. If you are having a super duper adventure, you can always take one of the boats across to Nova Scotia… Or if you go to Rye, you can take a ship out to the Isles of Shoals; you can walk around historic Portsmouth (lots of nice places to eat) and Strawberry Banke (recreated colonial town). Portland has a great bunch of museums and you can also go to the top of the Observatory tower, or you used to be able to, which is neat.</p>
<p>Although it is not in Maine, I have to put in a VERY BIG plug for Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth, NH. Absolutely fabulous for history buffs. Spend a day there if you can. It covers many time periods, not just the colonial era. Fascinating place.</p>
<p>My in-laws live year round on Vinalhaven Island, 15 miles off the coast of Maine. It’s accessed only by a ferry from Rockland, Maine. If you really want to experience downeast Maine, I can recommend Vinalhaven. It’s a tiny island where all the locals know each other and are welcoming to tourists–especially in the off season when it’s not so crowded. The Tidewater Inn is just fine. Good restaurants.</p>
<p>If you get as far north as Portland, you really should go to Freeport…home of LLBean and tons of other outlets. It’s actually fun to walk around the town even if you are not into shopping.</p>
<p>As a Mainer, I would recommend starting in the south and working your way up but I don’t know if you’d need to go all the way up to Bar Harbor to have a great scenic trip of Maine. I would start with one night in Ogunquit first. There are lots of hotels with ocean views. Anchorage By The Sea is one that comes to mind. There are lots of shops, restaurants and there is a walking trail that goes along the ocean with beautiful views. Relatives of ours from CT do a trip here every year. I would then spend a day in Kennebunk/Kennebunkport. Kennebunk has a large stretch of several beaches where there is free public parking (it’s been a while so this may not be true anymore) and right next door is Kennebunkport and you can drive by the summer home of former President George H.W. Bush. There are some nice places to stay around there too. The Lobster Shack at Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth for a nice view and lobster roll. The city of Portland, no explaining needed. Ending at LLBean and the shops in Freeport, Maine. Just some ideas. I grew up in Southern Maine and live in Brunswick, Maine now. Brunswick, home to Bowdoin College is a nice town too and just north of us is the beautiful Popham Beach. Have a great trip!</p>
<p>Just a note on lobster shacks—lots of people in Maine have their particular favorites, but the reality is that I’ve NEVER had a bad lobster in Maine, anywhere. Now, I’ve had some great lobsters, but that’s because my in-laws live next door to a lobsterman, and it’s hard to get any fresher than meeting the boat. But even so, the worst lobster I’ve ever had in Maine was still pretty dam* good.</p>
<p>bethievt!! I was waiting for someone to mention Monhegan. It is my most favorite place in the world!!</p>
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<p>I’d second this recommendation. Friend’s family has a great summer place here. Went to visit them last year and loved it. If you need lots of action, this isn’t place. If you want to relax in a beautiful setting, then this is it.</p>