aleos18

We are leaving next week, and are driving the Atlantic Seaboard? I am curious how many days to drive the coast of Maine to New Brunswick? We just enjoy the seascapes, and have no time limit, but was curious if 4 days would be adequate. And recomadattion for stopping points. We have two kids that are 2 and 7, so frequent outdoor stops are great! And need child-friendly nightly stops!

Kwoo

I think the drive from Maine to New Brunswick would take 2 days WITHOUT any stopping or sightseeing, which I assume you don't want to do. Are you planning on spending 4 days just for the Maine coast portion? The beaches in southern Maine are sandy but of course it is too early for swimming, but perhaps a walk along the beach, kite flying for the kids, etc. I've heard that Marginal Way (in Ogunquit) is a nice walk along the ocean although I've never done it myself. Mid-coast Maine, just north of Portland (such as Brunswick, Bath, Wiscasset, etc.) has beautiful scenery & rocky beaches. Popham Beach is great for walking, exploring, etc. but make sure you are dressed warm. May can be chilly in Maine. Acadia National Park & the Schoodic Peninsula are beautiful; you can go on hikes, whale watch, etc. but I think in 4 days you won't have time to do too much. From Boston to Acadia is about an 8 hour drive; perhaps you could overnight in Acadia.
Hope this helps.

aleos18

We are driving from Georgia up the Atlantic Coast. So we will be hitting the Maine Coast approx. the last week of June/first week of July. We try to do an activity a day, and at least two stops a day, along with meals. So we like move at a snail pace. I have 4 months blocked out, so time is not a big issue. We just want to spend most of our time in Nova Scotia

emalloy

In southern Maine, stop in the Ocean Park/Old Orchard Beach area. Very nice beach, some honky tonk rides for the kids, turkish taffy, carmel corn, pizza in OOB.

You could spend years driving the Maine coast, it has so many little fingers along it, but do stop at Acadia NP

As a kid I always went swimming in southern Maine in June, but the farther north you go the colder it gets, by Acadia it is ankle numbing.

Coming up from Georgia, plan to go over to Virginia Beach, then take the Bay Bridge to the Delmarva and stop in at Chincoteague for the kids to see the ponies and nice beach then north to take the ferry from Lewes,Deleware to Cape May, NJ and up the Garden State Parkway. Much more fun and scenic than 95.

KenInPA

Kwoo....Boston to Acadia National Park is an 8 hr drive????

bachslunch

I'll speak up favorably regarding Marginal Way in Ogunquit. It's a very enjoyable and scenic walk to take.

The town is very attractive to visit, and if you're up for a special, if expensive fine-dining experience (you'll have to dress better then jeans or shorts or sandals, of course -- they encourage people to dress nicely), Arrows is well worth going to.

Kwoo

KenInPA,
Perhaps I'm wrong about the length of time to drive from Boston to Acadia. We also went to Campobello Island on that trip so I might be confused with that. But it is a long drive from Boston to ANP, I'm sure it's at least 5 - 6 hours driving straight through. I wouldn't recommend Rt95 all the way; that would be boring and people would miss the pretty coastal towns along the way.

emalloy, I love your suggestion about Chincoteague; we have visited there many times & love it. They can also rent bikes. The beach is beautiful, there is mini golf for the kids, etc. We always stayed at Waterside Motor Inn.

dfrostnh

I agree on the Marginal Way. I think it's a 1 1/4 mile walk with lots of benches plus the area has trolley transportation. We haven't done the walk in many years but plan on a weekend in mid-June. We are staying at the Dunes in Ogunquit which looks kid friendly, more like a cottage colony than a modern hotel. Nice view, lots of grass. York Beach or Old Orchard beach should give you plenty of overnight options. York is a popular family destination. You can walk to the Nubble lighthouse, watch the taffy pulling machine at the Goldenrod. Beautiful sandy beaches. Keep in mind rates probably go up July 1 but if you happen to be in the area for July 4, choose someplace with a great parade. Bath ME Heritage Days are celebrated July 1-4 with the big parade on Sunday July 4. The event includes rides, craft fair, etc. The craft fair includes a tent where the church ladies sell pieces of pie. Popham Beach isn't very far from Bath and includes an old fort. It's one of the few sandy beaches north of Portland.
Maine Coastal Gardens near Boothbay has a beautiful walking trail.
Visit Owls Head Light. It's a short hike, great views near Rockland.
Include a drive up Mt Battie in Camden for the incredible view. Might be a place to fly a kite if there's some wind. It overlooks Camden Harbor home to windjammers. You should be able to see some sailing along the coast.
Glenmoore by the Sea in Lincolnville would be kid friendly accomodations. Pool. Lots of grassy areas. A variety of accomodations.
Then it's still a long drive to Acadia but since most of the route is inland, the kids might get bored. When DS was young we found dinner at night was almost too much for him so we tended to find a buffet or just let him eat dessert. Take-out would be another good option.

KenInPA

Thanks Kwoo, I wasn't disagreeing with you, I was just suprized as we are currently planning a trip to Maine this summer also. I see how there cannot be a straight path north along the coast as it is so jagged. I was also thinking about the outskirts of Boston, not center city as that can add a lot of time. Can anyone verify the drive time from Boston to Bar Harbor?

clarkgriswold

The main coast is not particularly seascape-friendly for drivers in the way that, say, the California coast is. There is "Coastal route 1", yes, but it doesn't hug the coast or present with very many great vistas. With four days, you really need to plan what you'd like to see and where you'd like to stop and spend the afternoons and evenings. You'll miss the beauty of most of the coastline if you just plan to drive from New Hampshire to Nova Scotia through Maine without planning your stopping points wisely.

Boston to Bar Harbor can be driven in 5 to 6 hours, but if you want to drive it up the coast and stop and get glimpses of the Maine coast, you should take a couple of days to do it. Each time that you detour off route 1 for some coastal scenery....for instance between Kittery and Ogunquit....is going to add a couple of hours to your drive time.

aleos18

Thanks for the mention of th eponies, we are spending a few days camping in Assateague.
Our schedule so far is this

Edisto-1 week
Pawleys-1 week
Morehead, NC to Kayak to carrot Island/Pine Sholl Aqaurium
Cape Lookout, NC Camping-3
Ocracoke Island 2 days
Cape Hatteras 6 days
Assateague Camping 6 days
Philly 7 days
Syracuse NY (family) 7 days
then bypassing the City and Boston
Old Orchard Beach- Sounds Great
Portland Maine Lucky Lobster Tours
Jonesport-Puffins

Bay of Fundy-2 days
New Brunswick- days4
Five Islands-6 days
Prince Edwards Island-4
Cape Brenton-1 week
Chester 1 week
then trekking home, hopefully before school starts


Just trying to fill in a few more stops in Maine, I have gotten some great ideas. Now just to get the Maine part scheduled out! And find kid friendly resturants/carry-outs for picnics!Our plan is to drive the coast up to New Brunswick, because we are driving to Jonesport. And then we will drive route 9 to Bangor on our way home to Georgia.

dfrostnh

If you are camping, there are two great small campgrounds on the coast. Chewonki is in Wiscasset on a former farm by a tidal river. Serene setting but close to Rt 1. Nearby Sea Basket restaurant is popular paper plate/takeout kind of place. Check hours. Closed Mondays? Further north above Camden is Searsport Shores. Right on the water but stoney beach. No swimming pool but really nice indoor play area for kids if weather is bad.

We spent a month camping around the PEI/Nova Scotia area back in 1990. Great fun looking for interesting rocks on beaches around Bay of Fundy. Each area of Nova Scotia is so different. SE coastal area is beautiful. Look for fresh peach juice. You might already know the Gulf stream gets close between NB and PEI so water is as warm as down south.

Ackislander

I would try to add one of the places with windjammer sails -- Boothbay Harbor or Camden or Rockport -- where you go out for a couple of hours under sail.

I think you are wise to allow plenty of time for this trip. The north-south highways are well inland in most cases, and you have to go out on the "fingers" to see the water and the shore, eat lobsters, etc.

Much of rural Maine away from the water is not all that different from rural Alabama or Georgia: piles of fire wood and lots of old cars and trucks in the yards, though the climate doesn't encourage refrigerators on the front porch. Men in pickups and camo jackets. Rural poverty is rural poverty. This is not a terrible lesson for your kids to learn.

aleos18

Thank you for all the wonderful information I think we will spend two days in Orchard Beach (Portland, Wiscasset, and Marginal Way), 1 day in BoothBay, 2 days in Lincolnville (camden, Searsport, Rockland), 2 days in Bar Harbor, and 1 day in Jonesport. That will give us a chance to explore all the little communities surrounding the areas. Does anybody know of windjammer sailing that allow two year olds? Most of them have age restrictions?

Celticharper

I would spend only 1 day at Old Orchard Beach area and add a few days to the Bar Harbor stay. OOB is a fun honky tonk summer beach area, fun but it gets old quick, Portland is a great city to visit, lots of great restaurants.

There is so much more to do in Acadia National Park. The hiking and multiple trails there are a fantastic way to enjoy the coast. It's a great area for just about any "coastal" activity from whale watching to mountain trail hiking. The sunrise from Cadilac Mountain is a don't miss experience.

We live in New Hampshire and have spent weeks at a time in Maine every year for the last 40 years. Acadia and the areas in northern Maine are still our favorite.

seashells13

Have fun..it only takes 6 hours to drive from the Cape Cod (Barnstable) to Campobello Island New Brunswick. I would stop at Popham Beach Jonesport, Deer Island, Stonington, Winter Harbor and finally Campobello Island for whales and breathtaking scenery! You must have passports. Anything North of Bar Harbor is wonderful if you want to see small towns good people and UNSPOILED beauty. Bald eagles moose deer, seals puffins, whales are plentyful in Campobello and Lubec. Don't expect shopping malls or stop lights or fast food...expect GOOD food homemade pies and pristine beauty. The highest tides in the world in the Bay of Fundy and Head Harbour Lighthouse, Herring Cove Provincial Park for hiking with the kids along the ocean.. are wonderful stops on Campobello, Herring Museum a gorgeous channel between Lubec and Campobello Island. Eastport and Deer Island New Brunswick

dfrostnh

Perhaps on your return trip you might take a faster route south and include Bangor Maine and a visit to the Cole Transportation Museum. This museum is more about hard working Mainers instead of the fancy cars usually seen at places like Owls Head. Lumber is a big part of Maine's story. We saw pictures of a Lombard Log Hauler, like a steam engine that ran in the woods, and actually saw a restored one last summer during Owls Head's Trucks and Planes weekend and met a man who used to work on one. You'll see a restored snow roller from back in the day when snowy roads were rolled to pack the snow down instead of plowing them. My FIL was alive at the time and was very familiar with a lot of the equipment since he grew up on a farm and spent winters logging (in NH). How people did all sorts of things to make ends meet is a good lesson.

lilaki

bkmk