mosey

Ooops! I forgot to put this under the state heading so I will do this again. I wish I could delete the other.

I was given wonderful advice from posts to my original message regarding an upcoming trip to Coastal Maine. It spurred me on to ask the questions:

Where is the best sunrise?
Where is the best sunset?
Where is the best lobster roll?
Where is the best lobster dinner?
Where and what is the best restaurant?
Which is the best lighthouse to see?
Where is the best place for tidepools?
Where is the most scenic drive?
What and where is the best whale watching boat tour?
What and where is the best scenic boat tour?
What and where is the best lobstering boat tour?
Where is the best bike ride?
Where and who has the best kayaking tour?
Where is the best art gallery?
Where is the best shopping?

As we all know, beauty, or rather best, is in the eye of the beholder, so please answer why to your recommendation for best.

Certainly, add any "best" category that I have missed, too!

I hope this will help others as they use this forum to put together itineraries for a trip to Coastal Maine.

GoTravel

mosey, it falls in the US forum whether you put it under a particular state or the US forum.

So you currently have two Best of Coastal Maine threads going.

maj

I don't know if it is the best, but it might be interesting to say you saw where the sun rises first in the United States:

From October 7 through March 6 Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park in Maine is the place where the sunrise can be first viewed from the United States. It's the tallest peak on the North Atlantic coast (1,532 feet).

I had lobster rolls at 3 different places in Bar Harbor and each was made in a slightly different way. Loved them all.

Bike ride on the carriage roads.

Walk across the sandbar in Bar Harbor.

mosey

GoTravel, yeah, I know. I don't know how to go about deleting the other post, and well I thought wrong I guess on that it needed to be in the state forum. That's how I go about looking for information specifically.

Hopefully, the other one gets buried, and this one gets the informaton.

Thanks, Maj, that's great to know about being the first to see the sunrise! Do you remember any of the places you had lobster rolls in Bar Harbor?

Thank you!

djkbooks

"Maine, An Explorer's Guide" is a fantastic and comprehensive resource.

elberko

We tried a number of places our first trip to Maine. Then we went to Acadia/Bar Harbor, and haven't really found a need to go anywhere else. Well, we DO spend the first night (from PA) in Portland, which we enjoy for the evening, then stop the next morning at LLBean.

Haven't found anything to compare to beauty and ease of Acadia/BH. We're not shoppers, which some might feel is lacking.

~Liz

maj

Sorry, I don't remember where we ate. It was 2000 and pre-Fodors for me. We just stopped when we were hungry and picked a place to eat. Bar Harbor is a very small, tourist town with numerous dining options -- I don't think you can really go wrong with most of them. The town is walkable with menus outside the restaurants. Lobster everywhere -- I love lobster and never thought I would get my fill, but by the end of the week I had.

dfnh

I'll give this a try!
Where is the best sunrise?
Probably Cadillac but I'd also try the top of Mt Battie overlooking Camden Harbor.
Where is the best sunset?
???
Where is the best lobster roll?
The primary purpose of a Maine vacation is to taste test your way around. We had a great lobster roll at Just Barb's on Rt 1 in Stockton Springs.
Where is the best lobster dinner?
Waterman's Beach near Owls Head Transportation Museum/Rockland. Wear a hat and sunglasses because the best tables are right next to the water. It's a tiny cook shack type of place in a quiet area. Save room for pie. Otherwise it's just lobster and a roll (or was it chips).
Where and what is the best restaurant?
When we go to Maine it's for good grub. On Chowhound people usually vote for Primo in Rockland. Portland has some great restaurants.
Which is the best lighthouse to see?
Our best trip was a day cruise to see lighthouses with the Maritime Museum in Bath. We had a picnic lunch on a little island with a lighthouse. We have not visited the one that features a keeper's family. I like going to the small Owl's Head light because the view is great.
Where is the best place for tidepools?
Maybe York or Ogunquit.
Where is the most scenic drive?
Around Acadia.
What and where is the best whale watching boat tour?
haven't done.
What and where is the best scenic boat tour?
Lighthouse trip previously mentioned but I think they only do half days now. Otherwise our favorite has been both the harbor cruise and inland rivers out of Portsmouth NH.
What and where is the best lobstering boat tour?
?
Where is the best bike ride?
Probably carriage roads on Mt Desert
Where and who has the best kayaking tour?
Where is the best art gallery?
For a museum, it would be the Farnsworth in Rockland. For a gallery, there was a nice one in Camden but can't remember name.
Where is the best shopping?
Kittery Outlet malls