joannproc

We have seven nights to visit Bar Harbor down to Boston. Right now, we have planned 4 nights/ 3 full days in Bar Harbor, 2 nights/one full day to see Portland (stopping in Camden on way), and one full day in Boston.

My concern is that we are not spending enough time in Acadia National Park/Bar Harbor. Is Portland worth going for a full day?

We have two teenagers with us. Plan on Lobster Fishing, Rock Climbing, Kayaking in Bar Harbor. Schooner ride in Camden.

No real plans for Portland. Doing Freedom Trail in Boston and possibly Fenway Park tour.

Any suggestions are helpful. Thanks.

elberko

Well, Portland would be about shopping and eating...I like Portland, but I might skip it with active teenagers to spend more time in Acadia.

~Liz

longhorn55

We were just in Boston for a day and did the Freedom Trail. We started walking around 10am, stopped for a quick lunch (30 minutes) and ended up around 4:00 pm at the USS Constitution. We skipped going to Bunker Hill because we were completely worn out by this time (and we are good walkers.) If you plan to take your time looking at things--cemeteries, Old North Church, USS Constitution, etc., the Freedom Trail will be a full-day activity and I don't see how you'd have time for Fenway Park too.

You might want to look at getting the MP3 download of a walking tour of the Freedom Trail from the Freedom Trail Foundation. It costs $15 and you get 5 downloads--enough for each person in your family. I felt that it added to what we were seeing. There is also a good Freedom Trail walking guide in the Frommer's Boston guidebook. I checked it out from our local library.
http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/

There's a lot in Boston which we missed seeing (Public Gardens, the Back Bay. Harvard & Cambridge, etc.), so you might actually want to add a day to the Boston portion of your visit.

indyhiker

I love both Acadia and Boston so I think you could add a day to either and be happy, but I suppose it depends on what your kids (and you) enjoy doing. You didn't mention renting bikes to ride along the carriage roads in Acadia. That's a lot of fun if you like to bike. We loved the sea kayaking tour we did out of Bar Harbor (with National Park Kayak). I would definitely recommend that. But Boston's fun, too. I don't know that your teens will really enjoy the Freedom Trail though. I liked it, but I'm a history buff. I'm not sure it's how I'd spend my one and only day in Boston if I had teens in tow.

Calabria62

I'd add a day to Acadia National Park. (Bar Harbor)There is so much to do, biking, hiking (some trails have spectacular views), kayaking, sailboat cruises (sunset ones are nice), lots of interesting restaurants and shops, Thunder Hole, Thuya Gardens, etc. You can also visit the Schoodic Peninsula, for a different experience, but still part of Acadia. Some interesting villages, too....

I'd skip Portland, as it's a nice city, but not the experience of Acadia or Boston.