Maine

[el_chode]

Question: How many of you have been there, and if one were to take a vacation there during the first week of October, where is the most logical place to go to get some good memories? Note: I do not care about foiliage.

As of right now, we're thinking Bar Harbor, but we're not sure if we want to do like 3-4 days there and split it up with someplace else.

[tdb810]

We did a Bar Harbor/Camden combo a few years back and it was fantastic!  We liked Camden so much that we went back for a long weekend in September. 

Stuff to do in Bar Harbor:  sunrise on cadillac mountain, downtown shops, all kinds of biking and hiking, ferry to nova scotia, eat yummy food.

Stuff to do in Camden:  downtown, biking, hiking, eat yummy food.  We stayed at the Lodge at Camden Hills and loved it. 

And of course, there is the requisite stop at LL Bean in Freeport along the way :)  Have fun!

[YouAre_GivenToFly]

Visited a couple of times a while ago in the summer, and I remember enjoying it quite a bit.

I'm dying to get to Acadia/Bar Harbor, but just driving through and walking around some of the smaller towns is a lot of fun. I have this weird, unexplained facination with New England, and am easily entertained.

[Penny Lane]

Joe----The Portland Marathon is Oct 2nd, I'm scheduled to run it! Maybe I'll see you there. I've never been there either, that's why I chose to do this. I'll be there Fri-Sun or Mon, let's grab a drink if you and the MRS are there. 

On the flip side, if the marathon's that weekend, might not be the best weekend to be in town, just a thought.

[el_chode]

Penny - one of our options was to spend like half the time in portland and do the southern area, then head up to bar harbor and do that "down east" area or whatever it's called. if that's the plan, we'd def be hitting portland first, so that'd be hte same time frame.

This is all contingent on me getting my job (I interviewed last week, was told it went well) so we'll see, as always.

Otherwise, thanks for the tips so far. I think our only real plans are to hit up every brewery on the way. Though I'll tell the wife about LL Bean. We're also a sucker for New England type areas, or really just old places in general. Plus hiking.

[Tracy 2112]

I lived there for 3 years and have been back a dozen times.

Old Port in Portland is fantastic and make sure you get to Portland Head Light (if you're in to lighthouses I have my favorites up and down the coast).

LL Bean in Freeport is pretty amazing if you can handle one retail store the size of a mall.

Mapquest may take you up to Augusta or Bangor to get over to Bar Harbor, but you have to take Coastal Route 1; a must! You pick it up in Bruswick just north of Freeport.

Lobster rolls in Wiscasset at Reds Eats on coastal Route 1 about 45 minutes south (or west) of Rockland.  http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=2959

Try to see Acadia by boat. Sea kayaking or there's LuLus lobster boat which will connect you with wildlife (more options like whale watches)

http://www.lululobsterboat.com/

All of Acadia National Park is spectacular to me. Most of the hiking in Acadia is spot on, however, my jewel hiking spot is up near Lubec at Quoddy Head State Park; amazing. It's about 2 hours from Bar Harbor and there is a rocky beach that sounds a bit like a heavy metal rain stick when the tide is coming in (tides are about 15 feet up there so the rise and fall is pretty dramatical)
Acadia gets touristy with the blue-haired-leaf-peepers and Quoddy is pretty secluded. However, not a whole lot else to do in Lubec area, whereas plenty to do and see in Bar Harbor/Acadia.

http://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/doc/parksearch/search_name.pl?state_park=10

[el_chode]

Thanks Tracy

We'll probably take 95 for some, but hop on 1 as we get closer. She's mapped out a ton of side-trips and things to see along the way.

Right now it looks as though we're going to stay in Bar Harbor for the bulk, and maybe do a day in Portland on the way back. But more research is forthcoming.

Is Bangor worth going on its own? Or Kennebunkport or whatever it's called?

She's already intent on seeing Head Light, getting fresh lobster, and a lobster roll. I'm content so long as there's a rocky coast to walk along.

[Tracy 2112]

Thanks Tracy

We'll probably take 95 for some, but hop on 1 as we get closer. She's mapped out a ton of side-trips and things to see along the way.

Right now it looks as though we're going to stay in Bar Harbor for the bulk, and maybe do a day in Portland on the way back. But more research is forthcoming.

Is Bangor worth going on its own? Or Kennebunkport or whatever it's called?

She's already intent on seeing Head Light, getting fresh lobster, and a lobster roll. I'm content so long as there's a rocky coast to walk along.

I don't think Bangor is worth the trip. You could literally spend months up the coast and not see it all.

Acadia has a great park loop to drive and you can simply pull off to the side and walk the granite coast line at 1000's of different points.

[CTdeadhead]

Thanks Tracy

We'll probably take 95 for some, but hop on 1 as we get closer. She's mapped out a ton of side-trips and things to see along the way.

Right now it looks as though we're going to stay in Bar Harbor for the bulk, and maybe do a day in Portland on the way back. But more research is forthcoming.

Is Bangor worth going on its own? Or Kennebunkport or whatever it's called?

She's already intent on seeing Head Light, getting fresh lobster, and a lobster roll. I'm content so long as there's a rocky coast to walk along.

If you are planning on spending a few days there, I'd check out the Coast Line beaches, Old Orchard Beach is fun for kids if you got any.  Portland is always fun, Scarborough, South Portland.  Kennebunk is mostly just beaches, many private, and mansions.  I was there during the first Bush presidency, when he was in KBport and it was like a military occupation.  Kinda reminds me of Newport RI, with all the water and mansions. 

As someone said, LL Bean never disappoints.  But, I would wander out to the Sunday River area in Bethel.  From there, you can visit Mt Washington, do tons of camping and get a general dose of rural New England Paradise. 

[el_chode]

I knew Kennebunk sounded presidential for some reason.

No kids, we've been debating taking our dog but he's a bit too much. Last thing we want to do is come back from a day hike and then want to get food and leave the poor guy in the car.

Not interested in seeing mansions or really beaches in the traditional sense. I have an affinity towards cold beaches though, the kind that's more for walkin' than swimming.

If Mt. Washington is that close, it might be worth the trip to scope it out. I've always wanted to do that.

[woodnymph]

I knew Kennebunk sounded presidential for some reason.

No kids, we've been debating taking our dog but he's a bit too much. Last thing we want to do is come back from a day hike and then want to get food and leave the poor guy in the car.

Not interested in seeing mansions or really beaches in the traditional sense. I have an affinity towards cold beaches though, the kind that's more for walkin' than swimming.

If Mt. Washington is that close, it might be worth the trip to scope it out. I've always wanted to do that.

Oh whoa whoa, Mt. Washington is pretty close to the west border of Maine!  Definitely a beautiful place, go if ya can!!  It was one of the places I checked out on a NE roadtrip a couple years ago, can't WAIT to go back and do more hiking!!!

[CTdeadhead]

It is an hour and a half to Sunday River max from Portland, Mt washington is in Gorham NH which is only about 20 minutes more.  The mountain side of ME is way better than the ocean side in my opinion. 

If your going to see a moose, its up there.  Several of my closest buddies live up there, and not being a beach person and preferring the outdoorsy stuff, the mountains of ME can't be beat! Nateva was there, till it fell on its face.  I had high hopes for that festival, and I think MMJ could have saved it.  Bangor is pretty far up there!

[el_chode]

Alright, so I have my second interview on Monday, so if all goes well, I think this trip is going down late sept/early oct. Mt. Washington has definitely been added to the itinerary

[Tracy 2112]

Alright, so I have my second interview on Monday, so if all goes well, I think this trip is going down late sept/early oct. Mt. Washington has definitely been added to the itinerary

Word to the wise, the first week of October is prime leaf peeping time in New England. I got stuck in traffic in the White Mountains (Mt. Washington) when I went up there for a weekend. If you have any control over your schedule, try to avoid the weekend. (Not that you still won't enjoy it during the weekend, just throw another pair of brake pads in the trunk  ;))

[el_chode]

Yeah, leaf peepers are a concern. Not only do I not want to be with them, I don't want to be confused with one either. I think we'd time it so our departure/arrivals etc would be on weekends so we'd be just sitting in traffic on the awful highways and not the back roads where one may be inclined to murder another and ditch the body.

[CTdeadhead]

Yeah, leaf peepers are a concern. Not only do I not want to be with them, I don't want to be confused with one either. I think we'd time it so our departure/arrivals etc would be on weekends so we'd be just sitting in traffic on the awful highways and not the back roads where one may be inclined to murder another and ditch the body.

When you get to Bethel ME, be sure to stop into Suds.  Get some pizza and beer and thank me later.   

[woodnymph]

Major solar flare the other day..... here's a picture a friend sent me, where the aurora has been a bit strong in Maine since the flare......

[subinai]

amazing

[el_chode]

1) A goal in life for me is to see a full-blown aurora. I've seen weak ones in Canada, where there was a silver shimmer on the horizon. Not a full-blown ionic downpour though

2) If we do Mt. Washington on the way up, Suds will be a stop. If on the way home, it'll take some convincing to get the wife to do pizza and beer in the morning

[el_chode]

booked! Sept 20something to october 1st