<p>We are thinking of going to Maine for 3 or 4 days in mid-June. We probably will want to stay close to the coast. We may want to take a short boat ride/harbor cruise (but a weak stomach rules out a whale watching excursion). Scenic places take priority over shopping, although really unique crafts/arts shops may be worth a consideration. Any suggestions for towns to visit, places to stay and eat? We will be there during the work-week so we shouldn’t have to worry about weekend crowds and traffic if there is a difference at that time of year. Thanks for any suggestions.</p>
<p>Monhegan Island, about a one hour ferry ride from Port Clyde. It’s home to a lot of artists and is simply beautiful and wonderful. You could stay at the Island Inn or Monhegan House. Oh, but if the water is choppy, you’d have to take DRamamine or something.</p>
<p>Maine is a big place and so it depends how far up the coast you wish to travel. Southern Maine has some nice areas if you seek the beach (as opposed to only rocky coastline)…Ogunquit and Kennebunkport, for example, with many restaurants and little shops, things to do, as well. There are harbor boat rides, etc. Further up, there is Camden and also Boothbay Harbor, which are scenic. Boat rides again are possible. And of course even further up, is Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park.</p>
<p>Bar Harbor and Acadia are still nice in mid-June. They are too crowded for my taste in July and especially August. There are lots of very nice hikes in the area and a shuttle bus, funded by LL Bean, can be used to go to various towns and trailheads. The carriage paths <a href=“http://www.acadiainfo.com/carriagepath.htm[/url]”>http://www.acadiainfo.com/carriagepath.htm</a> are great and can be walked or biked.</p>
<p>The Blue Hill area is also great, quieter and less touristy than the Bar Harbor area, but it has many galleries in the area, excellent food, a boat building school in Brooklin and there’s an amazing crafts school in Deer Isle that can be toured once a week <a href=“http://www.haystack-mtn.org/[/url]”>http://www.haystack-mtn.org/</a>. Castine is down another peninsula and it’s a beautiful town and the location of the Maine Maritime Academy. Camden/Rockport is in the mid-coast area and has beautiful coast, shops and has the Farnsworth museum (lots of Wyeth and other American art) around there. That area is also very busy in the summer, but shouldn’t be in mid-June. If like birdwatching, there are cruises to see puffins from various spots - I’ve heard this is a really good one <a href=“NameBright - Coming Soon”>NameBright - Coming Soon; and it’s from a less-traveled but absolutely gorgeous part of the Maine coast.</p>
<p>How far north do you want to go? Acadia National Park is a six hours drive from Boston. There are lots of hotels and restaurants in Bar harbor.<br>
I agree with Monhegan Island. Another suggestion: Camden/Rockport.
Xposted with others who offer the same suggestions!</p>
<p>Besides Monhegan, there are other nice islands in Penobscot bay. To these <a href=“http://www.therealmaine.com/islands.html[/url]”>A Charming Farmhouse Getaway: The Perfect Escape from City Life - The Real Maine, I’d add Isleboro. Of course, with islands you have to deal with ferry schedules and fares and you can find other Maine places off the typical tourist track either down east past Ellsworth or in Blue Hill or Castine peninsulas. </p>
<p>Your driving time will depend on how quickly you go to the coast. You might find it better to stay on 95 aways and then go east. If you are going to Bar Harbor, Blue Hill or down east, you will make better time if you stay on the highway until Bangor.</p>
<p>You also could consider staying in Portland itself. The Old Port area (think brick buildings, cobblestone streets, top-notch restaurants and good shopping if you want to do a little bit) is real - not a tourist trap. We locals go there for all of the above. Three nice hotels there. </p>
<p>From this location, you can drive 10 minutes to Cape Elizabeth to see the extremely scenic lighthouses at Ft. Williams and Two Lights, hike along the water. Or drive to Kennebunk/Kennebunkport/Ogunquit for the day.</p>
<p>There is also a beautiful hotel in Cape Elizabeth (Inn by the Sea) right on the ocean, with an excellent restaurant. From there you can go to any of the above-mentioned places and into the Old Port. </p>
<p>Just around the Old Port itself, you will be in the harbor; can see (and smell) the sea life and world of lobster-fishing. On Portland’s Eastern Promenade (a walk from the Old Port) you are also walking along the coast and looking out to islands.</p>
<p>Excellent Arts District in Portland, centered around the Portland Museum of Art; also a walk from the Old Port.</p>
<p>You can take ferries to Peaks or Little or Great Diamond Islands or Chebeague Island for nice walks and a feel for island life (without having to go all the way to Monhegan). These are short (~15 minutes to Peaks, the closest and largest of them), calm ferry rides. There is a nice-looking newish hotel on Peaks (tho I haven’t stayed there) from which you can also do all of the above, after taking a ferry to Portland.</p>
<p>Once you decide where you’re headed, I can likely suggest restaurants and maybe inns/hotels.</p>
<p>Greetings FF!</p>
<p>As others have indicated, Maine is a BIG state with a long coastline. If you’ll be staying in the southern part, Ogunquit is great; and it is in easy daytripping distance to Kennebunkport, Portland, Freeport (LL Bean), etc. Be sure to check out the Cliffhouse which is just outside downtown Ogunquit; it is located on one of the most stunning spots on the coast.</p>
<p>If you’re interested in goiing a little further north, Boothbay Harbor and the surrounding area is lovely. Lots of places to stay in BH and adjacent Southport. BH is an excellent place for a 1-2 hour harbor cruise, including aboard a schooner. (BTW I’d pass on Monhegan, especially if you have someone who gets seasick.) </p>
<p>A bit further up the coast, Camden is lovely. Good place to see several tall ships if you time things right. (They’ll probably be starting their 5-day weekly excursions around that time).</p>
<p>Finally, Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park are wonderful; but that’s pretty far up the coast. </p>
<p>Hope this helps. Have a good time!</p>
<p>Some ideas about time, if you are flying to Portland:</p>
<p>Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Ogunquit - ~45 minutes drive south.
Boothbay Harbor - ~1.5 hours northeast.
Camden/Rockport - ~2 hours northeast.
Bar Harbor/Acadia - ~3.5-4 hours northeast.</p>
<p>Further north and east (aka Downeast) - out of my range ;).</p>
<p>FF_
I read your title and thought you were posting about Mini taking a vacation in Maine! Oops!! Ok, that said, when I wa a kid we used to go to Bar Harbor. Any of the above places are all great. You will LOVE all the fresh fish/shellfish you can eat-- right by the water.</p>
<p>Thanks for the suggestions. </p>
<p>Now for the ulterior motive to see if this brings additional thoughts. I have been to Maine twice before and fell in love with it (both coastal Maine as well as the Rangeley area). My wife has never been to Maine. Lately we have been talking about what we might want to do in retirement. Since there is a reasonable chance that both of our kids may end up in the Boston area, we may decide to leave NJ and go north. Perhaps within 2 hours or so of Boston.</p>
<p>She loves the shore, but being a NJ girl, her idea of the shore is sand … nothing but sand. I personally find that very boring. However, when I mention Maine, all she can think about is COLD. With this trip, I want to expose her to the beauty of what I consider real coastal views and also perhaps open her mind to consider Maine as a 2 or 3 season residence (and winter in Florida).</p>
<p>Given that this is partially a “sales” job to create a positive first impression and to see the possibilities for the future, does that provide further inspiration? The idea that jmmom had for Portland sounds terrific since, if I recall, Portland is sort of within a 2 hour drive from Boston. Plus, the way she describes it, it sounds almost too good to be true.</p>
<p>How does this itinerary sound:
-Leave Boston Monday AM, drive to Ogunquit, spend some time looking around and then continue to Portland for the rest of the day and night.</p>
<p>-Next day see a bit more of the Portland area and lighthouse(s) and then go to Booth Bay Harbor. Spend the night there and possibly take a harbor cruise.</p>
<p>-Next day drive up to Camden and spend the night there.</p>
<p>Is this too rushed or should we take an extra day? Based on jmmom’s time table, Camden is only about a half hour or so from Boothbay Harbor, would it be better to just spend 2 nights in one place or the other and then do a day trip?</p>
<p>Can’t tell you about distances-- haven’t been there in a while. But here’s another thought… If you want to combine craggy coastline with sandy beaches, isnt there some of that in Rhode Island ? It might be warmer for her. Just a thought…</p>
<p>Here’s one example… <a href=“http://www.postcardsfrom.com/t1/971114.html[/url]”>http://www.postcardsfrom.com/t1/971114.html</a></p>
<p>How bad is it late July? We have 10 kid-less days and we’re throwing a dart as to where to go to. I keep thinking Maine and lobster and ocean but I keep hearing lots of traffic and congestion. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>As a follow-up, this site has some beautiful pictures of the Rhode Island coastline <a href=“The Official Site for Newport RI offers all the information you need”>The Official Site for Newport RI offers all the information you need; Of course, you have to sell your firstborn to afford to live there, but maybe that isn’t a bad thing. Let somebody else pay their college tuition bills :)</p>
<p>Peek at the New Hampshire coastline, only 14 miles long, around Rye. It could be a compromise.</p>
<p>Also, see if someday you’d like the day-trip over to Star Island, off the coast of Maine near New Hampshire. </p>
<p>But all of New England is cold ocean, until you get further south such as around Block Island, Rhode Island…</p>
<p>I can’t solve that for your NJ sweetie, except to suggest buying a condo with a hot tub in it for after those long, bracing beach walks. Brrr, Northern Atlantic swimming, I remember it well…couldn’t do it after age 35.</p>
<p>My parents lived in southern New Hampshire and went regularly to an inland lake
(Sunapee) which was warm enough to swim in until they were in their 70’s. I’m sure you saw Henry Fonda and Kate Hepburn in “On Golden Pond,” that was them. (I’m not as pretty as Jane.)</p>
<p>That’s another solution in Maine or N.H., look for the inland town with a lake/beach that the townsfolk use…and then drive over a half hour or somewhat more to the ocean for visits. The property inland is also less expensive, and traffic much less.
It’s just a different approach to living in New England for retirement. Oh, and, when you go to Florida in the winter, remember to leave one faucet dripping just a tiny bit so all your pipes don’t freeze and burst while you’re gone for months. Most people don’t know this their first winter away, but once they see what happens upon their return, they never froget it.</p>
<p>We know a couple who turned their summer cottage into a year-round retirement home on a small lake near Lake Winnipesauke in New Hampshire. That would be an alternative to the ME coast. But perhaps living year round in Portland, ME would be a good compromise. Portland has wonderful restaurants and is a very livable city. One can go shopping in Kittery or Freeport, or get on the ferry to Nova Scotia.</p>
<p>If you’re scoping out retirement possibilities, you might also want to check out Cape Ann (Rockport/Gloucester/Marblehead/Salem) and the Newburyport area (including Plum Island with its wildlife refuge). Each of these towns is on a train line less than an hour from Boston. The air temps are probably a little bit warmer, but the ocean water is still too cold for someone raised on NJ beaches. Trust me; I know!</p>
<p>Ah, Monhegan Island! I can’t think of anything better!!</p>
<p>We took an extended family vacation to Prospect Harbour Maine last summer at the end of June. I decided two things after that trip. One, that it’s NOT summer at the end of June and two, that we would stay in Bar Harbour and not the miniscule town of Prospect Harbour. Maybe this is very unusual, but the entire week, with the exception of the day we left, it was foggy. We had a house right on the bay but were not able to see across it clearly until the last day. However, we went into Bar Harbour three times and it was not foggy there. The one day that we were free to go to Acadia National Park was rainy and foggy. Bar Harbour was lovely and reminded me a little of Cape May, NJ. </p>
<p>We still had a wonderful time and I would very much like to go back but if you are looking for warmth, you might want to go a little later.</p>
<p>On our way back from Maine we stopped for two nights in Portsmouth, NH, just over the border from Maine. We had a wonderful time there. My husband, daughter and one son did sea kayaking there and my older son and I visited a restored historical area. In the evening we attended an outdoor performance of Oliver! on the harbour. The city itself was neat because it had a very vibrant downtown area with quirky non-chain stores, restaurants and bars. Lots of young people too. I couldn’t believe I found a place that the whole family liked!</p>